A hospital-based study of severe acute malnutrition in infants less than six months and comparison with severe acute malnutrition in children 6–60 months

Introduction: Severe acute malnutrition (SAM) in infants less than 6 months of age is not rare. There is a lack of studies in this age group in the literature. Objective: To study the clinical and laboratory characteristics, comorbidities and outcome of  SAM in infants less than 6 months of age and compare them with SAM in children 6-60 months of age in the Nutritional Rehabilitation Centre (NRC) of the Department of Paediatrics, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College Hospital (JNMCH), Aligarh Muslim University, Uttar Pradesh, India Method: A hospital-based prospective observational study was conducted from January 2013 to October 2014 on children aged 1 to 60 months admitted to the NRC of the Department of Paediatrics, JNMCH. SAM was identified and managed as per WHO protocols. We studied the clinical and laboratory characteristics, comorbidities and outcome of SAM infants less than 6 months of age and compared them with SAM aged 6-60 months. Statistical analysis was done, using SPSS 17 for Windows Software. Results: A total of 72 cases of SAM less than 6 months of age were admitted. Lack of breast feeding (93%) was the main contributory reason for SAM in this age group. Anaemia (80%), diarrhoea (59%) and pneumonia (29%) were the most frequent comorbidities encountered. There were 2 deaths giving a case fatality rate of 2.8%, Sixty six (92%) patients were discharged from hospital. Forty four (61%) patient recovered. Seventeen (24%) patients defaulted. Mean weight gain was 11g/kg/day and the mean length of stay was 13 days.  On comparison with 227 cases of SAM aged 6–60 months, uraemia (P Conclusions: Lack of breast feeding (93%) was the main contributory factor for SAM in the less than 6 month age group. Uraemia and leucocytosis were significantly associated with SAM in children less than 6 months of age compared to SAM aged 6 -60 months in this study done in the NRC of the Department of Paediatrics, JNMCH, Aligarh Muslim University, Uttar Pradesh, Ind Sri Lanka Journal of Child Health , 2017; 46 (3): 234-237