Prevalence of Malnutrition in Children Aged 1 – 10 Years Attending Out – Patient Clinics at Peerancheru Area of Hyderabad, Telangana State

A child’s entire life is determined in large measures by food intake during the growing age. Since childhood is the most vulnerable phase in the life of human being, nutritional inadequacies will result in hampering of growth as well as development of body. Future of the Country is determined by the growing generation. A Study of prevalence of undernutrition was conducted in 1-10years children attending out-patient clinics at Peerancheru Area of Hyderabad, Telangana State in month of July,2015 and was found that prevalence of under-nutrition (<80 percentage of standard weight-for-age) was 58%. The normal were 41.9%. The prevalence of Grade I malnourished was 56.2%, Grade II 33.5%, Grade III 8.75% and that of Grade IV was 1.45%. Prevalence of under-nutrition was higher among male(52.5%) than of female(47.4%) children. Nutritional status of children has been recognized as an important of National development which in turn depends on social development indices. Though the country is developing fast with wide availability of resources and food we still notice under-nourishment. Health education to the parents, especially to the mothers on dietary practices like feeding their children with healthy food in terms of quality and quantity should be given. Nutritional rehabilitation centre should be established which will guide the parents in regard to the nutrition of child to be maintain at particular growing age group. ABSTRACT