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[Severe protein-calorie malnutrition in the infant]
Insights
Ambulatory treatment successfully recovered all 50 infants from severe protein-calorie malnutrition. Follow-up showed sustained nutritional improvement in most, with only 3 mild relapses, demonstrating effective community-based nutritional intervention.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Nutrition Science
- Public Health
Context:
- Early and severe protein-calorie malnutrition in infants presents significant health challenges.
- Socioeconomic factors, including poor feeding practices and limited maternal education, contribute to malnutrition.
- The study focused on infants with primary malnutrition, excluding those with low birth weight.
Purpose:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of an ambulatory, multiprofessional treatment approach for severe protein-calorie malnutrition in infants.
- To assess the long-term nutritional recovery and relapse rates following treatment.
- To document anthropometric changes (weight-for-age, length-for-age, weight-for-length) during recovery and follow-up.
Summary:
- Fifty infants with severe protein-calorie malnutrition received ambulatory treatment from a multiprofessional health team.
- All infants achieved nutritional recovery, with 26 of 2nd degree and 24 of 3rd degree malnutrition.
- A 22-month follow-up, including 12 months post-recovery, indicated sustained improvement in most infants, with only 3 experiencing mild relapses.
Impact:
- Demonstrates the efficacy of community-based, ambulatory care in managing severe infant malnutrition.
- Highlights the importance of multiprofessional intervention and sustained follow-up for long-term nutritional health.
- Provides valuable anthropometric data for assessing nutritional status and recovery in malnourished infants.
Abstract:
In fifty infants with early and severe protein-calorie malnutrition, an essentially ambulatory treatment was pursued by a multiprofessional health group from the South-western Area of Santiago attaining nutritional recovery in all of them. The investigation only included malnourished children of primary etiology (low feeding). Babies with birth weight of or under 2,500 g. were excluded. Among them 26, were malnourished of 2nd degree and 24 were 3rd degree malnourished. The following period of these patients was 22 months. Once the nutritional improvement was achieved, the follow-up was continued for 12 months. The last control showed that only 3 infants relapsed in their malnutrition, but in a lower degree. Most of the group was in the same or in a better nutritional state. The socioeconomical status of these infants at the beginning of the study was very poor. A short period of breast feeding was confirmed together with poor conditions of formula preparation and none or low alimentary education in most of the group of mothers. The measurements of these infants at the onset and when they recovered and were discharged are reported including weight for age, length for age and weight for length.