Nutritional Status of Children Coming to the OPD of Nalanda Medical College & Hospital, Patna, Bihar

Patients coming to OPD of NMCH, 1–5 year-old children

During January 2014 to December 2014 among patients attending paediatric OPD of 410 children of 1-5-year age

Among 390 children, 44% (171/390) children were found to be underweight. IAP classification showed that 29.23% had Grade-I malnutrition, whereas 6.93%, 4.87% and 2.82% had Grade II, III and IV malnutrition. Overall 40.5% (158/390) of the children were stunted with 24.35%, 11.28% and 4.87% showing mild, moderate and severe stunting. Chances of being underweight decreased as the mother's age increased, 87.90% where mother's age was <20 years, whereas it was 47.93%, 37.25%, 38.75%, 30.76% and 25% for the age groups 21–25, 26–30, 30–35, 35–40 and >40 years. Similarly, prevalence of stunting also decreased with increasing mother's age, i.e. it was 74.19%, 42.97%, 40.19%, 31.25%, 30.76% and 25.00% in the same age group. Mother's education was inversely related to the prevalence of stunting, as it was lowest (34.5%) where schooling was more than high school as compared to prevalence of 62.25% where mother was illiterate. Mother's engagement in occupation adversely affected child's growth 58.97% were stunted (employed) as compared to prevalence of 44.8% (housewife).

There is a strong need for educating the mothers about benefits of breast feeding, timely weaning and weaning foods, promotion of delaying marriage of females and further delaying the birth of the first child. Better nutritional profile of under-fives of educated mothers indicates that right to have education and to achieve 100% literacy will help in promoting the nutritional status of children as educated mothers are more aware of the available health services.