Therapeutic Nutrition Evaluation and Management of Acute and Severe Malnourished Children

Abstract

Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) is a major health problem in children between the age groups of 1-5 years of age. According to National Family Health Survey-3, more than 132 million children below 5 are suffering from SAM in our India. The facilities available in hospitals and other health services are not appropriate to combat this major health issue. The present study was aimed to assess the impact of hospital diet on health status of 253 selected SAM children who were admitted for their rehabilitation in the nutrition ward of a private hospital in Raipur city. All the children were examined thoroughly and necessary investigations including weight, height, BMI, hemoglobin, chest x-ray, etc. were taken to assess the nutritional status of children. The overall results after the treatment show an increase in health status. The result reveals that out of 253 SAM children (39.5%) children had gained weight>10 g/kg/day. It can be proved that continuous follow-up parent’s dietary counseling and monitoring of nutritional status will give better results for SAM children.