To study the prevalence and types of nutritional anemia in under-five children with severe acute malnutrition

Abstract

Background: Anemia is an important comorbidity in under-five children with severe acute malnutrition (SAM). The data on evaluation of SAM are limited. Aim: This study was done for analysis of incidence and types of anemia prevalent in SAM children. Materials and Methods: It was a hospital-based prospective observational study conducted from July 2017 to December 2018. A total of 260 children of age <5 years and who were confirmed cases of SAM were included in the study. A detailed demography and data regarding anemia and related variables hemoglobin, mean corpuscular volume, peripheral smear, serum ferritin, Vitamin B 12 , and folic acid levels, were recorded and analyzed. The data were entered into MS-Excel sheet and analysis was performed using SPSS version 21.0. Results: About 95% of anemia prevalence was found among children with SAM and most cases were of nutritional anemia (81.79%). About 54.33% of the children had mild anemia, with 79.75% had iron deficiency as the most common cause, followed by Vitamin B 12 and folic acid deficiency. Conclusion: The high prevalence of anemia suggests that it may contribute as a causal factor for hospitalization in severely malnourished children. We recommend future measures for prevention and control of anemia, including increased coverage of nutritional supplementation and fortification programs.

Association between diagnostic criteria for severe acute malnutrition and hospital mortality in children aged 6–59 months in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo: the Lwiro cohort study

“…It is therefore necessary to develop sufficiently simple tools allowing to measure WHZ and/or MUACZ in the community, so that children with WHZ < –3 and MUACZ < –3 can also be included in care programs. With modern technology, the use of smart phones connected to scanning rooms would give accurate measurements of height, head circumference and MUAC ( 7 , 12 , 15 , 16 ). With these advances, we hope to have techniques available in the future that make the assessment of WHZ and MUACZ simple to use in community settings.…”

“…Indeed, screening for SAM using MUAC has been shown to be feasible by community members after a short training in remote areas where height/length boards and weighting scales are not available ( 8 , 9 ). Some authors even support the exclusive use of MUAC on the basis that MUAC would be a better predictor of mortality than WHZ ( 8 – 16 ).…”

Association of MTHFR Gene Polymorphism with Hyper - Homocysteinemia and its Modulation by Vitamin B12 and Folic Acid in Indian Malnourished Children

“…[1] According to current clinical research, malnutrition and various diseases such as mental retardation, depression, stroke, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, and dementia, including neural tube defect, have linked gene-environment interactions also through oxidative stress pathways. [8][9][10][11][12] Homocysteine, Vitamin B, folate, and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) are linked together and play various biological ways. [6,8] Folic acid and vitamin B-12 metabolism are interconnected, and both vitamins, together with the flavoprotein methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR), are needed for methionine synthesis from homocysteine.…”

“…Methionine is the precursor of S-adenosylmethionine (the methyl group donor), which is used for DNA synthesis and DNA methylation (essential for gene expression in the body), cell division, and tissue growth and development. [9] Deficiency of the MTHFR enzyme increased the rise of homocysteine levels and, known as hyperhomocysteinemia, can disrupt the one-carbon metabolism pathway, resulting in malnutrition. [10][11][12] This deficiency is passed down through the generations as an autosomal recessive trait.…”