Current Pediatric Research

Introduction: The Composite Index of Anthropometric Failure (CIAF) provides an overall magnitude of under nutrition in a population more comprehensively and also measures the severity of under nutrition by identifying children with multiple anthropometric failures. This study was conducted primarily to estimate proportion of stunting, wasting and underweight among children of brick-kiln workers aged six months to five years and the other objectives were to assess CIAF and association between different forms of malnutrition and few socio-demographic characteristics.

Methods: It was observational descriptive, cross sectional study. After obtaining informed consent from the parent of eligible children, the detailed history was obtained, anthropometry along with thorough physical examination of the child was carried out, details of which were entered in the proforma i.e., ‘Google form’. The data was analyzed using appropriate statistical methods.

Results: 90 children aged 6-59 months from brick kiln sites were enrolled. The study observed that wasting was significantly more in children below 24 months of age. Stunting was more common among children having higher birth order. The children of illiterate mothers were more underweight than literate mothers. 70% children had CIAF, whereas wasting, stunting, and underweight all together was seen in 24.44% study children. Only stunting was seen in 8.89% whereas, only wasting and only underweight was seen in 3.33% children.

Conclusion: All 3 parameters of under nutrition were higher and CIAF was alarmingly high (70%) topmost priority needs to be given to children who have all three forms of under nutrition.

Author(s): Neeta Hanumante, Prakash Doke

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