Effect of giardia infection on nutritional status of preschool children

Nutritional status of 34 children aged 24-72 months and infected with giardia was compared with that of 92 children matched for age, sex and income and 34 children matched for age, sex, income as well as birth order. Children without giardiasis were found to have better nutritional status in both comparisons. The difference was more pronounced in the second instance. Of the seven anthropometric parameters used for comparison, four were significantly lower (weight, weight for age, midarm circumference and midarm circumference for age), while two (height for age and weight for height) showed nonsignificant childhood malnutrition and that matching for birth order enhances the utility of case-control studies in children.