Prevalence and problems of foetal malnutrition in term babies at Wesley Guild Hospital, South Western Nigeria

BACKGROUND: Up to two-thirds oflow birth weight babies delivered in the developing countries are also small for gestational age (SGA). Since SGA is common in West Africa, FM is expected to be common in the region. OBJECTIVE: To determine the pattern, prevalence, and problems of FM among term babies delivered at a General Hospital. METIIODS: Subjects were consecutive, live, singleton; full term neonates delivered at the hospital over eight months and were assessed within 24 hours ofbirth. Each baby was examined for evidence of FM using the Clinical Assessment of Nutritional Status Score (CANSCORE) described by Metcoff. The babies were classified into those with and without FM and the two groups compared. RESULTS: Four hundred and seventy three term singleton live born neonates consisting of 246 males and 227 ( 48%} females were assessed. Eighty-nine (52% ). 18.8% of the 473 babies had FM. FM was commoner in SGAbabies than A GA babies (p< 0.001).A total of 47 (82.5%) of the 57 babies who were SGA had FM while 42 (10.6%) of396 babies who were A GA had FM (p < 0.001) and none of the 20 LGA babies suffered from FM. Severe birth asphyxia, respiratory distress, meconium aspiration, hypoglycaemia, high haematocrit and hypo­albuminaemia were significantly commoner in babies with FM. Infants with FM had significantly higher mortality and neurological sequelae in the first month oflife. CONCLUSION: FM is a major health problem in Nigeria with considerable morbidity and mortality. Using CANSCORE, the clinician can diagnose cases of FM which may be missed by using intrauterine growth chart. WAJM 2007; 26(4): 278- 282.