Background:
In Ghana, nutritional assessment is not mandatory and as such majority of
Children with nutritional challenges are unidentified and unmanaged; this
is of a major concern knowing that malnutrition continues to be a leading cause
of morbidity and mortality in most developing countries with Ghana as no
exception and as such requires a lot of attention as a basis for prompt dietetic
referral. Objective: To assess the practice regarding the measurement and
documentation of anthropometric parameters of children age between 6-59
months admitted at the Volta Regional Hospital. Methodology: This
was a one year retrospective review of sampled pediatric admissions at the
Volta Regional Hospital. Results: Out of
242 folders reviewed, only 34 children (14%) had their MUAC documented. Height
was measured in 0.4% of admitted patients. Weight was checked for 89.7% of
folders reviewed making it the parameter with the highest level of monitoring.
Growth problems were undiagnosed in 87.5% of patients with growth problems and
likewise 85% of patients who were underweight were undiagnosed as a result of
no nutritional assessment. Conclusions: There is the need for this study to be
conducted on a regional and a national level. In spite of the many advances in
medicine and clinical care, appropriate nutritional assessment of hospitalized
patients appears to be overlooked or not considered as a sufficient medical
priority. There is an urgent need to make nutritional assessment routine for
all hospitalized children.
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