Pramod Kumar, Abhishek Singh, Nidhi
BACKGROUND Infants and children with severe acute malnutrition are associated with numerous infectious and non-infectious comorbidities. This study was done to understand associated comorbidities of severely malnourished children and their outcome. MATERIALS AND METHODS This case control study was conducted in the Department of paediatrics, G.S.V.M. Medical College, Kanpur from January 2014 to December 2015. 200 children, aged 6 months- 5 years admitted at nutritional rehabilitation centre of our hospital with SAM were enrolled as cases. 200 children with normal nutritional status attending routine clinic were selected as controls. RESULTS Out of 200 cases in our study, 73 (36.5%) had Acute gastroenteritis, 53 (26.5%) had Acute respiratory tract infections, 22 (11%) had Sepsis, 8 (4%) had Urinary Tract Infection, 15 (7.5%) had Meningitis, 10 (5%) had Malaria, 4 (2%) had Measles, 5 (2.5%) had HIV Infection, 43 (21.5%) had Tuberculosis and 28 (14%) had Skin Infection, 14 (7%) had clinical feature of Vitamin B deficiency, 34 (17%) had Rickets, 3 (1.5%) had Scurvy, 17 (8.5%) had Vitamin A deficiency and 190 (95%) had Anaemia. In our study 43.5% were discharged after target weight gain, 47.5% were discharged without target weight gain, 7% were defaulters and 2% were expired. CONCLUSION Acute gastroenteritis followed by acute respiratory tract infections was most commonly associated Infective co-morbidity. Anaemia was the most common Nutritional Deficiency Co-morbidity.
