Study of biochemical and nutritional indicators in severe acute malnutrition: A prospective observational study

Abstract

alnutrition is a general term and it most often refers to undernutrition resulting from inadequate consumption, poor absorption or excessive loss of nutrients but the term also encompasses overnutrition, resulting from excessive intake of specific nutrients. Malnutrition in children is widely prevalent in developing countries including India. More than 33% of deaths in 0-5 years are associated with malnutrition [1,2]. Severe acute malnutrition (SAM) is defined by very low weightfor-height/length (z score below −3SD of the median WHO child growth standards), or a mid-upper arm circumference <115 mm, or by the presence of nutritional edema. SAM is both medical and social disorder. The medical problem is due to social problems at home. Lack of exclusive breastfeeding, late introduction of complementary feeds, feeding diluted feeds containing less amount of nutrients, repeated enteric and repeated respiratory tract infections, ignorance, and poverty are some of the factors responsible for SAM [1].Children with SAM are in danger of death from hypoglycemia, hypothermia, fluid overload, electrolyte mismanagement, and undetected infections. They cannot be treated like other children. Their feeds, fluids, and micronutrients must be carefully controlled to avoid complications during management [2]. Hence, biochemical and nutritional indicators in these children are important for management. They guide us to prevent mishappenings in the management of SAM children in causality and especially in nutrition rehabilitation centers (NRC) and help in giving proper correction of micronutrients [3,4]. Our study tried to find out the nutritional indicators at admission and also variations in the biochemical markers in these children at admission. This would help in further holistic management of these children. METHODS Thishospital based, prospective observational study, was conducted in Tertiary Care Institution of South India after obtaining approval from the Institutional Ethics Committee. Children aged 6-59 months admitted at NRC of Vanivilas Children hospital and Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital attached to Bangalore Medical College and Research institute were enrolled. After obtaining informed consent from parents or legal guardians, 100 consecutive SAM children admitted during

Prognostic Significance of Serum Biochemistry Profile in Children With Severe Acute Malnutrition

“…In the study by Meshram et al, hyponatremic children with SAM presented with dysnatremia in the form of hyponatremia in 56% and hypernatremia in 1.4% [ 16 ]. Hyponatremia was seen in 14% and hypernatremia in 19% of the children with SAM in the study by Lakshmi et al [ 17 ]. Differences in the incidence of hyponatremia and hypernatremia cannot be clearly explained, although they may have been influenced by the morbidity for which the patient was admitted, including diarrhea, vomiting, etc.…”

Biochemical Profile of Malnutrition Children at a Tertiary Care Hospital

“…15% of the children had low blood sugar, 22% of the children had low potassium, 35% of the children had low calcium, 98% of the children had anemia, 7% of the children had low albumin, 14% of the children had low sodium, and 19% of the children had high sodium in their systems. The bulk of patients' blood loss was caused by microcytic hypochromic anemia (55%) 6 .…”