IJSR - International Journal of Scientific Research

Eesha Natarajan; Chhaya Valvi.

Volume : VIII, Issue : VIII, August - 2019

Risk factors for acute malnutrition in infants under 6 months in a public hospital in Maharashtra– Cross sectional observational study

Eesha Natarajan, Chhaya Valvi.

Abstract :

Acute malnutrition is a major cause of mortality globally. Traditional definitions encompass children aged 6–59 months, and infants under 6 months are often overlooked by national health programs. This study highlights factors associated with risk of acute malnutrition in infants under 6 months, and analyzes differences between moderate and severe acute malnutrition patients. This is a hospital–based cross sectional study done in Sassoon General Hospital, Pune, India. Fifty newly admitted acutely malnourished infants between 1 and 6 months of age were enrolled. Percentages and Chi–square test were used, p value <0.05 was significant. The young age of the infant, low birth weight, first birth order, unemployed primary caregivers, malnutrition in sibling, and low frequency of eastfeeding were characteristics present in majority of the infants studied. Pre–lacteal feeds (p=0.02) and rural slum residence (p=0.02) was statistically significant in the SAM group when compared to MAM.