Malnutrition of children under 5--findings from Mahmoodabad survey

To assess the nutritional status of children under 5, a survey was conducted in the under-privileged community of Mahmoodabad. Of over 1,000 children, three-fourth had varying grades of protein calorie malnutrition. The prevalence of grade III malnutrition was higher in children in their 2nd year and among those belonging to families of more than four persons. On the average, a child was reported to suffer from two spells each of diarrhoea and respiratory illness. Both the diseases seemed to be associated with age and nutritional status of the children. An association was found between history of roundworm infestation and the nutritional status. On the basis of these findings, we emphasize on education of the mothers on various aspects of child health, regular growth monitoring, and on measures to improve general health status in the underprivileged communities.