Indices of malnutrition

What is it about?

Malnutrition remains a major health problem in the third world countries, and is a key factor to the high death rate among children below five years old. Measurement of the sizes of body parts and laboratory values of certain substances in the affected child and comparing these with age specific reference intervals may be helpful in identifying those children actually malnourished. Serum vitamin A, mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC), and albumin levels of malnourished children and their well-fed counterparts, were measured in this study. Malnutrition could be caused by either protein or calorie deficiencies or both. Serum vitamin A, MUAC and albumin levels of the well-fed group were significantly higher (p<0.05) than those of the malnourished. Comparing the well-fed, the kwashiorkor and the marasmic groups, the mean serum vitamin A, MUAC and albumin of the well-fed were significantly higher (p=0.001) than those of the kwashiorkor and marasmic groups. Mean albumin level of the kwashiorkor was significantly lower (p<0.05) than that of marasmic group. Mean MUAC of the kwashiorkor subjects was significantly higher (p<0.05) than that of the marasmic subjects. Serum vitamin A was not significantly different (p=0.724) between the kwashiorkor and the marasmic groups. In the marasmic subjects mean serum vitamin A correlates negatively with albumin (r= -0.517, p=0.011). In the kwashiorkor subjects, serum vitamin A correlates negatively with albumin (r=-0.080, p=0.690). In the well-fed children, serum vitamin A correlates positively with albumin (r=0.340, p=0.016).

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Why is it important?

Conclusion: malnourished children with kwashiorkor and marasmus have lower albumin, serum vitamin A and MUAC compared with the well-fed children