Growth and nutritional status of institutionalised children under five years in Colombo district, Sri Lanka

Abstract

Attached

I ntroduction: Institutional care is the commonest 001 uti on for chi I dren depri ved of paental ca'e i n Sri , Lanka. They have multiple risk factors which can contri bute to a worse outcome wi th rega-d to growth and dENei opment. Daa regardi ng grpwth of Sri Lankan i nstituti onal i sed chi I drerJ are I ecki ng. Objective: To assess growth arid nutritional stctusof institutionalised chi I dren less thai five years of age in the Colombo di stri ct. Method: It is a descriptive cross sectional study conducted in 8 rarldomly saected voluntary foster care institutions in the Colombo District housing children less then five years old. Children with an uncerta n date of bi rth, chroni c ill nesses and gerJeti c or congerJitai detects were exel uded from the study. Data on growth were compared wi th i nformati on on mal nutri ti on of chi I drerJ be ow 5 years i n Sri Lanka Results: One hundred and eig,ty children were erJrolled in the study. Among girls, 21% ha::J moderate stunti ng and 13% severe stunti ng. In boys, 30% were moderctel y stunted end 8% ooverel y stunted. In gi rl S, prENai erlCe of moderate end severe underweight was 25% and 18% respectively. In boys, 26% had modercte underwei ght and 17% had severe underweight. Whilst 20% of girlsand 14% of boys were moda-ately wasted,. 7% of girls and 8% of boys wa-e severely wasted. Prevaence of stunti ng, underwei ght and wasti ng was si gnifi cantl y higha- in the study cohort. (p<0.OO1 for all three categories of malnutrition). Conclusion: Children less than five years of age in foster care institutions in Colombo district have si gni fi cant growth i mpai rrneot.