Related Experiment Videos
[Increase in number of admissions and increased mortality due to malnutrition in children in Paramaribo]
R Schweitz1, R Mopurgo, M A Sietaram
1Nederlandse Organisatie voor Toegepast Natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek (TNO) Preventie en Gezondheid, Leiden.
Insights
Child malnutrition admissions and deaths significantly increased in Surinam over a decade. This rise in pediatric malnutrition cases is linked to the country's worsening socioeconomic conditions.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nutrition
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
Context:
- Paramaribo, Surinam presents a critical case study for child malnutrition.
- The study period spans a decade, capturing significant shifts in health trends.
- Focuses on 's Lands Hospitaal, a key healthcare facility.
Purpose:
- To quantify the extent and severity of childhood malnutrition.
- To analyze trends in malnutrition hospitalizations over a 10-year period.
- To investigate the mortality rates associated with pediatric malnutrition.
Summary:
- A retrospective descriptive study analyzed medical records of malnourished children.
- Hospital admissions for malnutrition surged from under 20 annually (1985-1990) to 142 in 1994.
- Childhood malnutrition deaths rose from a maximum of two per year to 18 in 1994, affecting all demographics.
Impact:
- Highlights the severe impact of socioeconomic decline on child health.
- Underscores the urgent need for public health interventions in Surinam.
- Provides critical data for policymakers addressing child welfare and nutrition.
Objective:
To determine the extent and severity of malnutrition in children in the last 10 years in 's Lands Hospitaal.
Setting:
Paramaribo, Surinam.
Design:
Retrospective descriptive study.
Method:
Data were collected from the medical files of children admitted because of malnutrition, by completing a standard questionnaire.
Results:
The number of children hospitalized because of malnutrition increased markedly from fewer than 20 per year in the period 1985-1990 to 142 in 1994. The increase involved both sexes, all age groups and all ethnic groups. The number of children who died from malnutrition increased from a maximum of two per year before 1993 to 18 in 1994.
Conclusion:
The increase of admissions because of malnutrition and the increase of the corresponding mortality are the consequences of the deteriorated socioeconomic situation in Surinam.