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International Journal of Food, Nutrition & Dietetics 13(1):p 7-9, Jan -April 2025. | DOI: 10.21088/ijfnd.2348.9987.161224.1
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Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) in Pediatrics
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Attribution-Non-commercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)This license enables reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator.
International Journal of Food, Nutrition & Dietetics 13(1):p 7-9, Jan -April 2025. | DOI: 10.21088/ijfnd.2348.9987.161224.1
How Cite This Article:
Indresh Kumar. Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) in Pediatrics. Int Jl of Food, Nutri Diet. 2025; 13 (1): 07-09Timeline
Received : February 19, 2025
Accepted : March 06, 2025
Published : April 30, 2025
Abstract
OVERVIEW OF MANAGEMENT OF SEVERE ACUTE MALNUTRITION Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) is one of the most critical public health concerns in world, particularly in developing countries like India.1 Malnutrition includes both overnutrition and undernutrition; however, this article focuses exclusively on undernutrition, specifically SAM, which contributes significantly to childhood morbidity and mortality.2 According to the World Health Organization (WHO), SAM can be diagnosed using the following four criteria: 1. Weight-for-height/lenth ratio less than-3 SD (standard deviation), calculated using WHO growth charts. or 2. Severe visible wasting, characterized by a cachexic appearance. or 3. Mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) below 11.5 cm, measured using the shakir tape at the mid-upper arm. or 4. Bilateral pitting edema, assessed by pressing a point 5 cm above the ankle for few seconds (approximate 10).
References
- 1. Kumar I. Child stunting in India: new figures with flagrant challenges. Int J Food Nutr Diet. 2023;11(1):9–13.
- 2. World Health Organization. Identification of severe acute malnutrition in children 6–59 months of age [Internet]. Geneva: WHO; 2023 [cited 2025 Feb 19]. Available from: https:// www.who.int/tools/elena/interventions/ sam-identification
- 3. Mihret ST, Biset G, Nurye NA. Prevalence of acute malnutrition and associated factors among children aged 6-59 months in South Wollo Zone, East Amhara, Northeast Ethiopia: a community-based cross-sectional study. BMJ Open. 2023 Oct 24;13(10):e062582. doi: 10.1136/ bmjopen-2022-062582. PMID: 37879690; PMCID: PMC10603487.
- 4. Kebede F, Kebede T, Negese B, Abera A, Fentaw G, Kasaw A. Incidence and predictors of severe acute malnutrition mortality in children aged 6-59 months admitted at Pawe General Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia. PLoS One. 2022 Feb 25;17(2):e0263236. doi: 10.1371/ journal.pone.0263236. PMID: 35213569; PMCID: PMC8880861.
- 5. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. Participant manual for facility-based care of severe acute malnutrition [Internet]. New Delhi: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare; 2013 [cited 2025 Feb 19]. Available from: https://www.nhm.gov.in/
- 6. Kinjawadekar U, Ali M, Shivanand. Standard treatment guidelines 2022 [Internet]. Indian Academy of Pediatrics; 2022 [cited 2025 Feb 19]. Available from: https://iapindia.org/ pdf/Ch-136-Severe-Acute-Malnutrition.pdf
Data Sharing Statement
There are no additional data available. All raw data and code are available upon request.
Funding
This research received no funding.
Author Contributions
All authors contributed significantly to the work and approve its publication.
Ethics Declaration
This article does not involve any human or animal subjects and, therefore, does not require ethics approval.
Acknowledgements
We would like to express our gratitude to the patients, their families, and all those who have contributed to this study.
Conflicts of Interest
No conflicts of interest in this work.
About this article
Cite this article
Indresh Kumar. Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) in Pediatrics. Int Jl of Food, Nutri Diet. 2025; 13 (1): 07-09
Licence:
Attribution-Non-commercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)This license enables reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator.
| Received | Accepted | Published |
|---|---|---|
| February 19, 2025 | March 06, 2025 | April 30, 2025 |
DOI: 10.21088/ijfnd.2348.9987.161224.1
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Timeline
| Received | February 19, 2025 |
| Accepted | March 06, 2025 |
| Published | April 30, 2025 |
licence
Attribution-Non-commercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)
This license enables reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator.
