http://dx.doi.org/10.21276/ijlssr.2017.3.2.15

Hospital Based Prevalence of Malnutrition in

Pediatrics

Sanjeev Kumar Sinha*, Amit Kumar

Senior Resident, Department of Pediatrics, Patna Medical College and Hospital, Bihar, India

Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Patna Medical College and Hospital, Bihar, India

*Address for Correspondence: Dr. Sanjeev Kumar Sinha, Senior Resident, Department of Pediatrics, Patna Medical College and Hospital, Bihar, India

ABSTRACT- Background: Malnutrition constitutes a major public health concern worldwide and serves as an indicator of hospitalized patient’s prognosis. Nutritional support is an essential aspect of the clinical management of children admitted to hospital. Malnutrition has been long associated with poor quality, poor diet and inadequate access to health care, and it remains a key global health issue that both stems from and contributes to weakness, with 50% of childhood deaths due to principal under nutrition.

Methods: The present hospital based cross sectional study was conducted in April to Dec 2015 among 300 rural adolescents of 9-18 years age (146 boys and 154 girls) attending the outpatient department at Patna Medical College and Hospital, Bihar, India, belonging to the all caste communities. The nutritional status was assessed in terms of under nutrition (weight-for-age below 3rd percentile), stunting (Height-for-age below 3rd percentile) and thinness (BMI-for-age

below 5th percentile). Diseases were accepted as such as diagnosed by pediatrician, skin specialist and medical officer.

Results: The prevalence of underweight, stunting and thinness were found to be 31%, 22.3% and 30.7% respectively. The maximum prevalence of malnutrition was observed among early adolescents (23% - 54%) and the most common morbidities were diarrhoea (16.7%), carbuncle / furuncle (16.7%) and scabies (12%).

Conclusion: Malnutrition among hospitalized under five children and around suffers moderately high rates of malnutrition. Present nutrition programs attention on education for at risk children and referral to regional hospitals for malnourished children. Screening tools to classify children at risk of developing malnutrition might be helpful.

Key-words- Malnutrition, Hospitalized children, Morbidities, Prevalence, Stunting