Nutritional deficiencies among children in an Iraqi village

Abstract EN

A method of clinical assessment was used in a survey conducted in September 1994 in an Iraqi village near Mosul.

The aim was to determine the nature and prevalence of nutritional deficiencies in children under the age offive years.

A high prevalence of under-nutrition in the village was indicated by a prevalence rate of clinically overt Protein-Energy Malnutrition of 1.5% and an overall prevalence of 6% for clinically manifested nutritional deficiencies.

These suggested a much higher prevalence of sub-clinical mild to moderate forms of under-nutrition.

This was confirmed by a very high incidence of infectious diseases among the children.

The monthly incidence of diarrhoealdisease was 31%; of acute respiratory infection was 20%; and of intestinal parasitic infection was 6%.

Six of every ten children had a new spell of these infections every month.