Protein-energy malnutrition in children under five years of age. Guinea-Bissau. 2015- 2016

Abstract

Protein energy malnutrition in the pediatric population is currently the most important nutritional problem in the countries of Africa, severe acute malnutrition is claimed every year the lives of at least one million children, that is, an average of a child every 30 seconds. This work is carried out with the objective of describing the behavior of protein energy malnutrition in children under 5 years of age in the region of Bafatá (Guinea Bissau) it is shown its incidence and prevalence, during the years 2015 and 2016. A retrospective longitudinal descriptive study with 1060 children under 5, diagnosed with energy protein malnutrition in the period studied in the Bafatá region. Guinea-Bissau. It is clear that the number of children under 5 years of age with energy protein malnutrition is high, this infant population is the most affected by the increase in nutritional needs at this stage of life. Malnutrition due to protein deficiency is the predominant form in Bafatá where basic foods and those used at weaning, such as potatoes, cassava, sweet potatoes and green plantains, are deficient in proteins and excessively rich in starch. It is concluded that there was a high incidence of protein energy malnutrition in children under 5 years of age in the Bafatá region during the years 2015-2016. Statistically very high prevalence of undernourished children was reported in Bafatá.