title: [Severe malnutrition: epidemiological and clinical characteristics of children hospitalized in the Instituto Materno Infantil de Pernambuco (IMIP), Brazil].
abstract: Ninety-nine children admitted to the Instituto Materno Infantil de Pernambuco with severe malnutrition from May 1999 to May 2000 were investigated in a cross-sectional study focusing on key epidemiological and clinical variables. The majority of the children (88.9%) were less than 6 months of age, 42.4% had a history of low birth weight, and 36.4% were premature. Some 19.2% had never been breastfed, and 49.5% had been breastfed for less than 2 months. Some 15.2% of the mothers were illiterate. Most of the families (86.1%) had incomes less than twice the minimum wage (approximately US$150/month), and 51.5% had migrated from rural areas. Only 26.3% of the homes had running water, and 40.4% lacked sewage disposal facilities. Diarrhea was the reason for hospital admission in 55.6% of the cases. Hospital mortality was 34.3% in this group.
authors.affiliation: Instituto Materno Infantil de Pernambuco, Recife, PE, 50070-550, Brasil.
authors.forename: Ana Rodrigues
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Falbo
authors.forename: João Guilherme Bezerra
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Alves
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D001942:Breast Feeding; D015362:Child Nutrition Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D007223:Infant; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D012720:Severity of Illness Index