Effect of measles on the nutritional status of preschool children.
A total of 1426 children admitted to the hospital for measles were studied. Of these, 84 were followed up for a period of 6 months after they were discharged from the hospital. It was observed that about 23% of the cases developed secondary infection during the acute stage of measles. Diarrhoea and respiratory infection were the common complications. Some children developed corneal lesions during the acute stage. Serum vitamin A levels were significantly low in these children and they showed a good clinical response to vitamin A therapy. During the follow-up period the children suffered from frequent episodes of infections for nearly 6 months after the attack of measles and the weight gain was significantly lower compared to normal children. These observations suggest that measles plays a significant role in precipitation of malnutrition and blindness due to vitamin A deficiency in preschool children.
D000367:Age Factors; D001835:Body Weight; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003316:Corneal Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D007223:Infant; D007239:Infections / Q000209:etiology; D008457:Measles / Q000150:complications*; D009748:Nutrition Disorders / Q000209:etiology*