PREVALENCE OF PEM IN INFANTS (0-1 yrs) IN A RURAL AREA OF VARANASI Anita Singh’ & Shuchi Tiwari? ABSTRACT No other disease compares in importance with PEM in the field of nutrition or public health in general. This form of Mainutrtion is highly prevalent in infants and young children in developing countries. Few children survive the most severe form of PEM unless they receive proper attention even the mortality may still be high. Once the child become the victim of PEM it is very difficult in his/her part to come out of that vicious circle and the child is most vuinerable at ‘age of 4-6-12 months when he/she is gradually exposed to atmosphere. Keeping the above facts in mind the present study was undertaken with the sims of finding the prevalence of PEM in infants. In the present study the prevalence of PEM was found to be 42.78% the infants were divided into four age groups that is 0-3 month, 4-6 months, 7-9 month & 10-12 months. PEM was predominately present in the age group of 10-12 months. Moderate and severs degree of ‘malnutrition increases with age where grade 1 malnutrition was maximum (43.75%) in the age group of 10-12 months, followed by 23.62%. and 16.82 in the age group of 4-6 months & 7-9 months respectively and moderate and severe degree of malnutrition was minimum for the age group of 0-3months. The present findings clearly suggest that the onset of the disease during late infancy which must be reaching its peak in the 2” and 3” yrs. of life. The prevalence of PEM in girls was significantly higher (54.95%) than that of boys (30.35%). The moderate and severe degree of mainutrition was also found to have a similar prevalence pattern for girs (19.78% & 13.64% respectively) when compared with boys (10.67% and 3.94% respectively) and this difference was highly significant. The infants were divided into 3 groups, into ordinal Position 1,2,3 & 4 and the prevalence rates were computed. The infants having birth order 3 & above were found to have higher prevalence of severe degree of PEM while infants with birth order 1-2 had a similar pattern for moderate PEM. 1. Lecturer , Department of Home Sciences, SAKAPG College, Varanasi 2. Research Scholar Indexed in : Index Medicus (IMSEAR), INSDOC, NC! Current Content, Database of Alcohol & Drug Abuse, National Database in TB & Allied Diseases, IndMED, Entered in WHO CD ROM for South East Asia,Anita Singh & Suruchi Tiwari Prevalence of PEM in infants (0-1 yrs) in rural area in Varanasi INTRODUCTION PEM is probably the most important health problem in developing countries, both because of the long term effects it can have on intellectual and physical development and because it is underlying factor for a great deal of morbidity and mortality. In larger areas of the world particularly in the developing countries PEM affecting young children is one of the principal health problems. In some countries energetic attempts are being made to improve the situation with accurate and logically guided approach so that most appropriate preventive measures can be applied where the need is greatest. This can be done only if adequate information is available at the outset. The principal aim of nutritional assessment is to map out the magnitude and geographical distribution as public health problem, and to discover and analyze the ecological factors that ate directly or indirectly responsible for it. MATERIAL AND METHODS The study includes 206 infants between 0-12 month of age they were selected by cluster sampling method from rural study units. The predesigned and pretested questionnaire was used for the study which includes the general information like age, sex, birth order of infants, nutritional status etc. Information regarding questionnaire were obtained by interviewing head of the family. Data pertaining to total number of family members, income, age was obtained by interview as well as observation method. For working out precise and correct age of the infants to provide the year and month of birth according to Hindi lunar month (1% or 2% half of it) which was converted into Christian calendar months & dates and thus the age could be ascertained with preciseness of + 15 days. However those mothers who were not able to recall the month of birth were asked to correlate the birth with important local events or festivals of the areas. All the infants included in the study were examined for muscle wasting, oedema, hair changes, moon face, bitot's spot and other specific vitamin deficiency signs. Various anthropometric measures were also taken. The data thus collected was analysed by using different statistical methods. Indian J. Prev. Soc. Med Vol, 35 No.1 L 2 42 Jan.-June, 2004Anita Singh & Suruchi Tiwari Prevalence of PEM in infants (0-1 yrs) in rural area in Varanasi RESULT “YoRia The present study was done on 206 children of rural area of Varanasi. The results obtained and analysed from the data collected are as follows:~ It has been revealed that TagLe.1; Prevalence of PEM in infants of various mainutrition increases with advancing age. egelgroup This might be because of more exposure : Prevalence of PEM in infants of various age group (in to poor sanitary conditions and delayed tnonth} weaning NS. os [46 79 | 10-2 It has been observed from the table | ~~ : : —— that the overall prevalence of PEM in girls | Normal 94.88 | 87.45 | 51.40 8.33 is higher than that of their counterparts. | Grade | . 23.62 16.82 43,75 The moderate and severe degrees of PEM | Gago eee | eis are also found to have a similar prevalence ; Grade III 2.56 8.66 9.35 14.59 patter for girls. | TABLE-2 : Prevalence of PEM in infants of either sex When compared with boys the reason of NS. Male Female which may be accounted for the parental Normal 69.66 45.05 negligence of female children in the family that Grade | 15.73 22.53 in often severe in rural society. | Grade 10.67 19.78 Grade til 3.94 1264 | The infants having birth order 3 & above were found to have higher prevalence of severe degree of PEM while infants with birth order 1-2 has a similar pattern for moderate PEM. TABLE-3: Prevalence of PEM in relation to birth order of infants The result indicates better parental Number of cases in (%) care for the first born child in comparison to NS. 0-3Month | 4-6 Month | 7-9 Month those born after wards. Normat 55.49 59.80 $7.65 Grade! 16.18 28.43 14.42 Grade Il 21.39 1.96 18.82 : Grade il 6.94 9.81 9.41 Indian J. Prev. Soc. Med Vol. 35.No.1 £2 43 Jan.-June, 2004