A prospective study of morbidity pattern and nutritional status of a group of healthy newborns during their first year of life in a rural area near Alexandria
Ahmed, H.M.; el-Sherbini, A.F.; Fahmy, S.I.; Mortada, M.M.; Nosseir, S.A.; Elsahn, F.F.
Journal of the Egyptian Public Health Association 66(1-2): 253-277
1991
ISSN/ISBN: 0013-2446 PMID: 1800623 Document Number: 321538
Health workers visited 82 healthy newborns in 2 villages near Alexandria, Egypt 15 times during their 1st year of life. The morbidity pattern, the nutritional status, and the morbidity pattern's effect on the nutritional status of the infants were studied. At the end of 1 year, 40.24% of the children had diarrhea. The mean annual number of diarrheal episodes was 4.3%. Poor environmental sanitation and the presence of animals and birds in and around the infants homes probably contributed to the high prevalence of diarrhea. 35.37% had either an upper or lower respiratory tract infection at the end of follow up. The mean annual number of respiratory infections stood at 2.2. Skin disease was the 3rd most common disease during the 1st year particularly during the 1st 3 quarters (14.13%, 12.36%, and 11.91%). Eye disease especially conjunctivitis were the 4th most common diseases among these children, especially during the 3rd quarter (13.10). The only infectious disease was measles which afflicted only 3.66% of the infants. None of the infants from high middle socioeconomic households were considered at high morbidity risk exposure. Almost all (93.33%) of these infants were at low morbidity and low average risk exposures. 24.39% of infants from low socioeconomic households were at high morbidity risk exposure, however. The percentage of infants growing normally decreased over time. For example, at the 1st quarter, 91.3% grew normally and by the 4th quarter this decreased to 57.32%. By 1 year almost 1.5 were either stunted or wasted and 3.66% were both stunted and wasted. an association existed between morbidity and nutritional status of the infants. Children with high morbidity scores were also the children suffering from the most severe malnutrition. Health workers should encourage mothers to use child health services at the rural health centers. They also should use growth charts to monitor infant and child growth.