Nutritional Assessment of under Five years Children in Mygoma Orphanage Home, Sudan

Abstract

In this issue of the journal various papers from the Region have discussed topics from diabetes to nutrition to hernia and educational issues. A paper from Sudan assessed the nutritional status in relation to clinical presentations, anthropometrical measurements & hemoglobin level and to determine the adequacy of food given in energy in orphan children under 5 years old at Mygoma orphanage in Sudan. This Cross- sectional, descriptive, institution based study includes 123 children living in Mygoma orphanage during the study time. Although the energy was adequate in 100% of the population according to the caloric requirement of each age group, underweight, < -2 SD was found in 30 children (24.4%). Severe underweight, -3 SD was found in 59 children (48%). When assessing height/length for age, Stunting (chronic malnutrition), <-2 SD was found in 25 orphans (20.3%), and severe stunting was found in 31 (25.2%). The authors concluded that the incidence of malnutrition is high in Mygoma orphanage. Further studies are needed to determine the causes of malnutrition in this section of the community.