Nutritional Status of Infants and Children with Eczematous Dermatitis

Abstract

This study was undertaken in a series of 70 infants (48 males, 22 females) and children aged 1 month to 5 years: with eczematous dermatitis (scabetic 36, pediculous 7, microbic 9, seborrhoeic 10, atopic 6 and due to irritant applications 2) as the primary disease for which medical advice was sought.. Nutritional failure was detected anthropothetrically in 58 (83%) of them, including 16(23%) with acute malnutrition and 42(60%) with chronic malnutrition. They were variably wasted. A few had stomatoglossitis and 4 had pitting oedema (Kwashiorkor). Biochemically, the serum proteins, particularly albumin was significantly low in eczematous children. Under poor dietary and socio- ecomomic conditions, it is difficult to ascribe the malnutrition to eczematous dermatitis alone but the occurrence of malnutrition in 12 out of 13 from higher economic status with better dietary and environmental background suggests the role of eczematous dermatitis in malnutrition. Associated pyogenic infections seemed to be the most important factor producing malnutrition in this study.