A Study of the Prevalence of Anemia in Children With Severe Acute Malnutrition at a Pediatric Tertiary Care Hospital in South India

Introduction In developing countries such as India, severe acute malnutrition (SAM) has been a cause for great concern in the pediatric population. SAM is associated with significant morbidity and mortality in children less than 60 months of age and leaves them vulnerable to diseases due to a decrea...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Curēus (Palo Alto, CA) CA), 2024-08, Vol.16 (8), p.e67657
Main Authors: Venigalla, Womesh Chandra, Nirmala, C, Harshita, Cherukuri, Meghi, Sritej Reddy
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Age groups
Anemia
Anticoagulants
Children & youth
Consent
Edema
Females
Gender
Hemoglobin
Infections
Iron
Males
Malnutrition
Morbidity
Mortality
Nutrition
Pediatrics
Population
Public Health
Standard scores
Vitamin B
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Summary:Introduction In developing countries such as India, severe acute malnutrition (SAM) has been a cause for great concern in the pediatric population. SAM is associated with significant morbidity and mortality in children less than 60 months of age and leaves them vulnerable to diseases due to a decrease in immunological response. Children with SAM are prone to infections, and due to nutritional deficiency, many have anemia which may be a direct or indirect cause of morbidity and mortality. They are affected by frequent respiratory and gastrointestinal infections. Methodology A cross-sectional study was conducted for a period of two months, from December 1, 2023, to January 31, 2024, in children with SAM aged less than 60 months. A detailed history and demographic profile were taken and recorded in a predesigned proforma. Anthropometric measurements of the study subjects were recorded, and lab investigations included complete blood picture, serum iron, serum ferritin, serum folate, and serum vitamin B12 levels. The prevalence and severity of anemia were determined by assessing the hemoglobin levels. The data collected was analyzed in Excel sheets (Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, Washington, United States) and the results were depicted in the form of graphs. Results A total of 300 children were included in the study of which 22 children were aged less than six months and 278 children were in the age group of 6-60 months. The overall gender distribution was 124 (41.4%) males and 176 (58.6%) females. In the age group of
ISSN:2168-8184
2168-8184
DOI:10.7759/cureus.67657