The clinical and anthropometric profile of undernourished children aged under 5 admitted to Nyangabgwe Referral Hospital in Botswana

Abstract

Background. Although Botswana is a middle-income country, undernutrition among children younger than 5 years of age is still seen in various parts of the country. There is little information on the clinical and anthropometric profile of undernourished children in this age group admitted to hospitals in Francistown, Botswana. Purpose. To determine the clinical profile and the severity of anthropometric failure of undernourished children aged under 5 admitted to Nyangabgwe Referral Hospital in Francistown. Method. Data were collected from 113 caregiver-child pairs using a researcher-administered questionnaire targeting caregivers together with the children's hospital records. The children's anthropometric measurements were taken. Data were analysed using the WHO Anthro 2006 software and Stata 10. Proportions were then calculated. Results. The median age of the children was 14 months and 55% were boys. The majority of the caregivers were single, younger than 30 years and lived in rural villages. The most common symptoms on admission were oedema (50%) and coughing (35%). Ten per cent of the children were HIV-infected and the HIV status of half the children was unknown. The majority (87%) did not present with secondary diagnoses. Severe wasting (<-3 standard deviations (SD)) (73%) was found in all age groups. Stunting (<-2 SD) was prevalent in 68% of the boys, and 95% of the children were severely underweight (<-3 SD). Conclusion. Oedematous undernutrition was common and 73% of the children presented with severe wasting (<-3 SD). In order to prevent severe forms of undernutrition, avoid the necessity for complicated care and improve the chances of survival, health education to caregivers on various forms of undernutrition is crucial.S Afr J CH 2012;6(4):123-127.

Profile of under-five malnourished children admitted in a tribal medical college (RIMS) Adilabad, Telangana

“…This indicates that it is not only lack or shortage of food that predisposes young children to malnutrition but also lack of knowledge on appropriate infant and young child feeding and care practices. 5 A Madondo, U E MacIntyre, B Ntuli study results show that 57.5% of the under-five malnourished children caregivers survived on less than 500 pula a month (equivalent to US$65.00), indicating poor income in a family affects child's development. Under-five Malnutrition children Admitted at the University of In Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu: a 10 year retrospective review by Ngozi S Ibeziako et al study review noted that malnutrition was more common among children from the lower social class (69.4%) and those predominantly breast fed for three months or less (48.6%) compared to exclusively breast fed children (18.9%).…”

“…21 Dhrubajyoti J Debnath and Chandrakant V Parulekar study shows that children with illiterate mothers,from low standard of living are more prone to become malnourished. 5 A Madondo, U E MacIntyre, B Ntuli study results show majority of malnourished children's mothers (60%) were educated up to secondary school. A case-control study done by 4,10,14,8,12,15 Eskezyiaw Agedew showed that well educated mother's children were at statistically lower risk of being malnourished as compared to children of mother without education.…”