Nutritional Nutritional Status Assessment of Thalassemic Children from Rajasthan

Abstract

Nutritional status of children is a prominent factor in making economy and development of any country. Good nutrition is important for achieving normal growth and development. Therefore, to rule out any growth abnormality, nutritional assessment becomes an integral step in every paediatric patient care. Measurement of nutritional status of thalassemic paediatric population is of utmost importance as they are known to have iron overload and multiple nutrient deficiencies due to poor absorption. Present research was planned to assess nutritional status of thalassemic paediatric patients including components of medical history, biochemical and clinical examination, dietary intake and anthropometrics. Total 50 patients were assessed out of whom 10 patients were found severely malnourished, while 30% patients were found mildly malnourished. Therefore, it was recommended to counsel families and children properly to follow a suitable diet so that good nutritional status can be maintained.