Abstract

ALONSO LAGO, Odelkis; GONZALEZ HERNANDEZ, Daris I.  and  ABREU SUAREZ, Gladys. Protein-energetic malnutrition in under 5 years-old children. Rev Cubana Pediatr [online]. 2007, vol.79, n.2, pp. 0-0. ISSN 1561-3119.

With the objective of finding out the magnitude of protein-energetic malnutrition in Harlem (Pinar del Rio province) and of identifying some risk factors, a descriptive cross-sectional study was performed from January to December, 2004. Thirty eight children, who presented weight figures for size and age below 3rd percentile, were studied. A malnutrition index of 18,4% was found; over 1 year-old children were the most affected accounting for 21,12%. Mild malnutrition predominated (89,5%), with no difference in sex. It was observed that 71% of the mothers of undernourished children were at risky age at the time of pregnancy. Children with risky birthweight prevailed (2 500-3 000g). Seventy one percent of children had been exclusively breast-fed for less than 3 months. Malnutrition is a health problem in Harlem, Pínar del Río province, with respect to the rest of the country. The detected risk factors were early cessation of breast-feeding, pregnancy at extreme ages of fertility and birthweight from 2 500 to 3 000g. These results allowed designing intervention strategies for this territory in order to improve this indicator.

Keywords : protein-energetic malnutrition; undernourishment; nutritional assessment.

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