Comparison of Determinants of Clinical Recovery from Acute Watery Diarrhea of Well-nourished and Malnourished Children in an Urban Hospital
Authors: Haque Farzana , Bhowmick Meghnad 
Published: March 2013

A hospital based cross sectional study was carried out among the under-five children admitted to the longer stay wards (LSU) of the hospital of ICDDR,B to investigate the relationship between childrens nutritional status and clinical recovery as well as sock, economic condition. Nutritional status was determined by anthropometric measurements. The study conducted on 94 children of 6-59 months, of whom 49 were malnourished and 49 were well nourished 64 of them were male and 35 were female. (It means that boys are more sufferers in diarrhea than girls.) (Childrens age come within a range of 6-59) month. Mothers education level was lower, 32.6% mothers were illiterate and 40% mothers of malnourished children were illiterate where, 25% mothers having well nourished child were illiterate. Most of the malnourished childrens Family income was below TK. 5,000 per month for majority of the parents whereas, most of the well nourished childrens family income was 8,000tk. It shows that, children having low family income are more likely malnourished than well nourished children. Family member was within 4 persons for majority of the well nourished childrens households. On the other hand family member was more than 5 in out of the malnourished households. Within their limited income; it was difficult to maintain a medium size family properly. Our study reveals that knowledge, attitude and practices of dietary pattern, health, sanitation and immunization of the malnourished childrens family were lower than well-nourished childrens family. Their nutritional knowledge was too low, compared with well nourished childrens parents. In our study, Most of the parents of well-nourished children used to feed colostrums (80.6%) but Parents having malnourished children discarded colostrums (93.6%). Our study reveals that 64.4% malnourished childrens mother has started complementary food in <2 months of age ,on the other hand majority of well-nourished childrens mother gave their child complementary food at the age of 6-9 months. It has been seen that, the majority of well nourished children (62%) were immunized by taking all doses of vaccines. where as most of the malnourished children (49%) has not taken all doses as a result there immunity was lesser than well-nourished children. Most of the caregivers of well-nourished children (43.5%) knows that diarrhea causes by not giving immunization, on the other hand majority of caregiver of malnourished patients (31.9%) knows that main cause of diarrhea is infection by germs. The immunization status of well nourished children was quite satisfactory. 62% well nourished children and only 40% Mal nourished children was completely immunized. It has been seen that, ORS intake was higher in well-nourished children (172.2lml-on the 1st day of hospitalization, compare to malnourished children. Stool output was higher in malnourished children 235.48 ml-on the 1st day after admission. It shows that there is a co-relation between ORS intake, stool output and recovery period. It has been seen that, mean duration of diarrhea before hospitalization was lower in well-nourished children group, but duration of fever, vomiting and abdominal pain rate was higher in this group compared to malnourished group. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bjnut.v24i0.14039 Bangladesh J. Nutr. Vol. 24-25 Dec 2011-2012 pp.83-92