Factors Affecting Nutritional Status of Inpatient and Outpatient Treatments of Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM)

The study was conducted at the Centre of Nutrition in Elobeid Specialized Paediatric Hospital, Elobied, Sheikan Locality, North Kordofan State, Sudan. It aimed at evaluating the effect of some factors on nutritional status of under-five children (6-59 months) inpatients and outpatients therapeutic treatment of severe acute malnutrition (SAM). Eighty children were randomly selected from population size of 180 children where 40 children were treated inpatient by therapeutic milk (F100 and F75) and the other 40 children were treated outpatient by therapeutic foods (ready to use therapeutic foods, RUTF). Data was collected using questionnaire and observations. The data was analysed via the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) program version 16. The study results showed that 57.5% of inpatients’ respondents and 75% of outpatients’ ones were weaned before reaching 24 months. Concerning inpatients and outpatients respondents, the reasons for early weaning were mothers’ new pregnancy (48%) and (80%), mothers’ illness (30%) and (20%) besides mothers’ milk refusal (22%) and (0%). The study findings reported that inpatients and outpatients respondents used for feeding cup (82.5%) and (65%) also bottle (17.5%) and (65%), respectively, 80% of either inpatients’ or outpatients’ respondents ate their meals by themselves. The study results reported that 35 and 5% of the inpatients’ and outpatients’ respondents did not eat eggs. Moreover, the reasons of omission of eating eggs by inpatients’ and outpatients’ respondents were 71.4 and 50%, respectively referred to social tradition plus 28.6 and 50%, respectively due to children refusal. Drinking of goats’ milk preferred by 30 and 7.5% of inpatients and outpatients’ respondents. Regarding inpatient and outpatient respondents’, the study findings reported that 50 and 45% of them faced difficulties in the ability for food ingestion during their treatment, respectively. The reason behind that, was the lack of desire in eating food because of disease according to all respondents viewpoint. It can be concluded that the above studied factors could affect the nutritional status of the children divergently. The study recommended that raising mothers’ awareness about malnutrition causes, providing training opportunities for most vulnerable families, increasing nutrition services and additional centres for inpatient treatment should be considered.