Anthropometry and Malaria among Children in Niger: A Cross-Sectional Study

Association of undernutrition with dengue, malaria and acute diarrhea among children in a Thai-Myanmar border

BACKGROUND

Undernutrition has been shown to be associated with various infectious diseases. However, the recent improvement in nutritional status and management for infectious diseases worldwide necessitates the re-evaluation of this association.

METHODS

A retrospective study was conducted in children aged <14 years old with dengue, malaria or acute diarrhea who visited or were admitted to Tha Song Yang hospital, near the Thai-Myanmar border.

RESULTS

Most of the patients had mild disease and most of the undernourishment was mild. The prevalence of underweight in dengue, malaria and acute diarrhea was 24.0%, 34.7% and 38.7%, respectively, and the prevalence of low height for age was 12.0%, 36.0% and 36.0%, respectively. Malaria and acute diarrhea were associated with underweight but not low height for age. Dengue was neither associated with underweight nor low height for age.

CONCLUSION

Although there has been an improvement in nutritional status and health care facilities, underweight has been still prevalent in rural areas and associated with malaria and acute diarrhea.

IMPLICATION

The surveillance for nutritional status should be continuously performed particularly in children with some diseases, e.g. malaria and acute diarrhea, and additional food supplementation should be provided.

Malaria Parasitemia and Nutritional Status during the Low Transmission Season in the Presence of Azithromycin Distribution among Preschool Children in Niger

The relationship between malaria and malnutrition is complicated, and existence of one may predispose or exacerbate the other. We evaluated the relationship between malaria parasitemia and nutritional status in children living in communities participating in a cluster-randomized trial of biannual azithromycin compared with placebo for prevention of childhood mortality. Data were collected during the low malaria transmission and low food insecurity season. Parasitemia was not associated with weight-for-height Z-score (24 months: P = 0.11 azithromycin communities, P = 0.75 placebo communities), weight-for-age Z-score (24 months: P = 0.83 azithromycin, P = 0.78 placebo), height-for-age Z-score (24 months: P = 0.30 azithromycin, P = 0.87 placebo), or mid-upper arm circumference (24 months: P = 0.12 azithromycin, P = 0.56 placebo). There was no statistically significant evidence of a difference in the relationship in communities receiving azithromycin or placebo. During the low transmission season, there was no evidence that malaria parasitemia and impaired nutritional status co-occur in children.

Nutritional Status and Humoral Immune Response to Plasmodium falciparum in Children Aged 6-59 Months

Malaria is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Africa. Children are mostly exposed to this disease; numerous studies have investigated the relationship between child malnutrition and either malaria morbidity or infection. Few studies demonstrated the interaction between child malnutrition and specific anti-Plasmodium falciparum immune responses. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of nutritional status and iron on total anti-Plasmodium falciparum IgG levels in children living in the Gado-Badzéré refugee camp. We carried out a cross-sectional study during August–November 2017 in the Gado-Badzéré refugee camp in the East region of Cameroon. Children aged from 6 to 59 months with fever were recruited from the medical center. The data were recorded using a standardized data collection sheet and were analyzed using SPSS and WHO Anthro software. The total anti-Pf 3D7 total IgG level was determined using an ELISA technique while a colorimetric method was used to measure the total iron level. A total of 83 patients aged 6–59 months were enrolled in this study. The prevalence of malaria and malnutrition was 47% and 31%, respectively. Acute malnutrition was statistically less recurrent in noninfected children compared with that in the infected children. The infection tended to have significant influence on the level of anti-Plasmodium falciparum antibodies in children. In addition, nutritional status and serum iron levels had no significant influence on children's anti-Pf IgG T levels. Malaria and malnutrition remain real public health problems in the Gado-badzéré refugee camp. Knowledge of the nutritional profile of the population would be of great benefit in setting up an appropriate health program. We therefore suggest that more standardized studies be conducted to highlight the effect of nutrition and micronutrients on immunological status.