Serious malnutrition is all around us and yet it is not obvious, for it exhibits the Iceberg phenomenon”. By Anthropometric assessment one can detect the sub-clinical malnutrition very easily. Anthropometric measurements obtained in children are usually compared with that of a “reference standard”. In developing countries anthropometry despite its inherent limitations still remains the most practical tool for assessing the nutritional status of the children. Biological, epidemiological and statistical evidence suggests that wasting and stunting represent different processes of malnutrition. Low height-for-age (stunting) is a principal indicator of long term growth impairment caused by malnutrition in the past. The present study aims at comparing the prevalence of malnutrition in WHO Z Score classification and IAP classification. 

Method: About 400 children in the age group of 1-5 years were studied for their Anthropometric indices. The anthropometric measurements were performed using the standard WHO anthropometric measuring tools. Standardized methods were used in all measurements and were compared with standard HARVARD classification of IAP and WHO Z Score classification.

Result: Overall prevalence of malnutrition was found to be 67.5% according to IAP. Among 67.5% malnourished children the prevalence of underweight was more in girls (51.8%) than boys (48.1%). According to WHO classification prevalence of malnutrition was 68.7% of which 27.5% had severe malnutrition. Among 68.7% of underweight children about 25.7% were found to be below -3SD. Among 59.2% of stunted children about 26.5% below -3SD were observed. Among 13.5% of wasted children about 2.6% below -3SD were observed. According to IAP criteria among underweight (67.5%), preschool children, Grade I were 55.9%, Grade II 23.7%, Grade III- 16.2% and Grade IV were 4.07%.

Conclusion: In the current study it was observed that the Z Score system obtained the result with 1.2% precision as compared to that of IAP classification. Thus it can be concluded that Z Score system is more accurate in early diagnosis of malnutrition. 

Keywords: Malnutrition; IAP; Anthropometric; Anemia.