Common Nutritional problems in Bangladesh Part I

COMMON NUTRITIONAL PROBLEMS IN

BANGLADESH PART IDr. Mohammad Hayatun Nabi

MPH(Aus), MHSM(Aus), MBBS

Dept. of Public Health

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Introduction The prevalence of malnutrition in

Bangladesh is among the highest in the world.

Millions of children and women suffer from one or more forms of malnutrition including low birth weight, wasting, stunting, underweight, Vitamin A deficiencies, iodine deficiency disorders and anemia.

Globally, malnutrition is attributed to almost one-half of all child deaths.

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Bangladesh has made good progress in the past decade to achieve Millennium Development Goal 1, the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger, more needs to be done.

Malnutrition rates have seen a marked decline in Bangladesh throughout the 1990s, but remained high at the turn of the decade.

Nationally, 41% of children under five years are moderately to severely underweight and 43.2% suffer from moderate to severe stunting, an indicator for chronic malnutrition.

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Common Nutritional Problems

Protein energy malnutrition Low birth weight Nutritional anemia Nutritional blindness Iodine deficiency disorders Seasonal vitamin deficiency

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PEM- Introduction

Protein Energy Malnutrition (PEM) continues to be a major public health problem in many developing countries.

It affects mostly children under 5 years of age belonging to the poor underprivileged communities.

The condition is particularly serious during the post weaning stage and is often associated with infection.

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Cont…

Respiratory infection and diarrhea are the common diseases that precipitate severe PEM and death.

Apart from contributing to high mortality, severe malnutrition can lead to permanent squeal in those who survive.

These include stunted growth, poor learning ability and reduced work efficiency.

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“PEM”: Invariably reflects combined deficiencies in…

Protein: deficit in amino acids needed for cell structure, function

Energy: calories (or joules) derived from macronutrients: protein, carbohydrate and fat

Micronutrients: vitamin A, B-complex, iron, zinc, calcium, others

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Classification

Several methods have been suggested for the classification of PEM.

The choice of classification depends on the purpose for which it is used.

In clinical studies, patients with severe PEM are classified into 3 groups- kwashiorkor, marasmus and marasmic kwashiorkor.

1. WHO classification2. Gomez classification3. Wellcome classification

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Gomez Classification

Malnutrition Body weight(% of standard*)

Grade 1 76-90Grade 2 60-75Grade 3 <60

*Harvard standard

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Etiology

Protein energy malnutrition results from the interaction of several factors of which, inadequate diets and infectious diseases are the most important.

Preschool children age are most seriously affected because their nutritional requirements are relatively higher than those of adults and infections occur more frequently in this age group.

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Etiology

Diet Free radicals Infections Socio-demographic factors

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•MarasmusClinical features:•Severely wasted (emaciated) & stunted •“Balanced”starvation •“Old Man”face, wrinkled appearance, sparse hair•No edema, fatty liver, skin changes•Too little breast milk or complementary foods <2yrs of age

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Too little breast milk, often after 6 mo of age

Dilute and unhygienic formula or bottle feeding

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•KwashiorkorClinical Features:•Edema, it tends to be generalised•Mental changes•Hair changes: the black color alters to blonde, grey•Mucosal changes: angular stomatitis•Fatty liver•Dermatosis (skin lesions)•Infection•Anorexia•High case fatality•Low prevalence •1st to 3rd yrs of life

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Features Marasmus Kwashiorkor

Cause Due to deficiency of calories and other nutrients in addition to protein

Due to protein deficiency

Essential features

1. Edema Absent Present in the lower legs, sometimes face or generalized

2. Wasting Marked, all skin and bone Less obvious, child looks flabby

3. Muscle wasting

Severe Sometimes, less

4. Growth retardation in terms of body weight

Severe Less than in marasmus

Differences between Marasmus and Kwashiorkor

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5. Mental changes

Usually absent Usually present

Variable features

1. Appetite Usually good Usually poor

2. Skin changes

Usually none Often, diffuse depigmentation

3. Hair changes

Slight change in texture Often sparse- straight and silky, dyspigmentation- grayish or reddish

4. Moon face

None Often

5. Hepatic enlargement

None Frequent

Differences between Marasmus and Kwashiorkor

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Prevention of PEM

Prevention of Kwashiorkor Educate mother Advice to farmers Provide food supplements in hospitals Legumes, nuts and seeds (locally produced)

Prevention of Marasmus Family planning Immunization program Encourage breastfeeding Maternity and child health clinics

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Vitamin A deficiency Disorders

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Introduction

Nutritional blindness due to xeropthalmia is an important public health problem among young children in developing countries.

The term xerophthalmia encompasses all ocular manifestations of vitamin A deficiency. It includes the structural changes affecting conjunctiva, cornea and occasionally retina, and also the biophysical disorders of retinal rod and cone functions.

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Vitamin A

Adequacy DeficiencyBone growth Growth retardation

Reproduction Dysfunction (M&F)Embryogenesis TeratogenesisRod vision Night blindnessCell differentiation Epithelial

metaplasiaImmunity Impaired innate &

acquired defenses

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VITAMIN A DEFICIENCY DISORDERSHealth Consequences of VAD

Xerophthalmia: Mild to severe Corneal blindness and disability Anemia Stunted growth Impaired immunity Increased severity of infection

(eg,measles, diarrhea, or malaria) Mortality

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WHO Xerophthalmia Classification (1982)

XN Nightblindness X1A Conjunctival xerosis X1B Bitot’s spots X2 Corneal xerosis X3 Corneal ulceration Keratomalacia XS Corneal scarring XF Xerophthalmic fundus

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Night Blindness It is an useful screening tool and correlates

with other evidence of vitamin A deficiency. It can be elicited in the case of young

children by detailed questioning of the parents or the guardians.

The children usually cannot see in dim light, either at dusk or down.

The value of night blindness will depend on the care with which the questions are asked, and upon the degree to which the phenomenon of night blindness is recognized by the community.

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Magnitude

Globally it is estimated that every year about 7,00,000 children are likely to develop corneal lesions due to vitamin A deficiency.

The problem is considered to be of public health significance in 36 countries, in South East Asia, the western Pacific and Africa.

About 20-40% million children are estimated to have mild vitamin A deficiency at any point of time.

Mahtab et al, 2003

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Epidemiology

Age

Vitamin A deficiency is preponderant in children. While it is rare during infancy, preschool age children are at a greater risk.

SexXerophthalmia is more frequent in boys than in girls.The incidence of keratomelacia is similar in both the sexes.

Socio-economic FactorsChildren from rural and tribal families belonging to low-income group are more vulnerable to vitamin A deficiency.The mothers of vitamin deficient children are generally illiterate and unaware of the importance of diet in disease.Because of food fads and false beliefs, foods like colostrums, green leafy vegetables and papaya which are rich in vitamin A are avoided.

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Seasonal Effects The seasonal changes in vitamin A

deficiency are related to times of harvest. The highest prevalence is observed in the

months of May-June and November-December.

Drought The extent of vitamin A deficiency is

more during drought due to non-availability of leafy vegetables because of shortage of rainfall.

The prevalence is higher in areas which are chronically drought prone.

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Aetiology

Inadequate dietary intake of vitamin A or its precursor (b-carotine) is the most important contributory factor.

The common childhood infections like measles, diarrhea, respiratory tract infections, and infestations like ascariasis and giardiasis interfere with the absorption of vitamin A.

Low purchasing power of the communities and their inability to meet the dietary requirements even after spending 80-90% of their income on food is an important factor for the widespread prevalence of vitamin A deficiency

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Prevention And Control Vitamin A deficiency is one of the

simplest preventable nutritional disorders.

Several strategies are possible for controlling xerophthalmia and the consequent blindness: Periodic dosing Supplies Fortification Dietary modifications to promote production

and consumption of vitamin A/ beta carotene rich foods through nutrition education and/or horticulture intervention.

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Thank You