Maternal Anemia and its Impact on Nutritional Status of Children Under the Age of Two Years

Abstract

Objective: To assess the frequency of anemia in mothers accompanying children admitted in General Medical Ward of The Children's Hospital Lahore and to determine its association with the growth parameters of their children under two years of age. Methodology: Total 228 children admitted in General Medical Ward with acute illness along with their mothers were included in the study. Blood sample of their mothers for Hb level was taken. Height and weight of children were plotted on WHO Growth Charts. Anemia was defined according to World Health Organization (WHO) as hemoglobin level of <12 g/dL in non-pregnant women. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 20. Results: Out of 228 patients 147 (64.5%) were males. The mean age of children was 8.7 ± 6.6 months. Mean maternal age was 26 ± 5.3 years. Anemia was present in 154 (67.5 %) mothers. Mean maternal Hb was 10.6 ± 1.6 gm/dl. Forty-nine percent children were severely underweight (Z score