title: Clinico-anthropometric profile of children from Darjeeling tea garden.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess clinico-anthropometric profile of hospitalized children and their apparently healthy siblings from the Darjeeling tea garden.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a descriptive, cross-sectional study, done at North Bengal Medical College, West Bengal, India over a period of 6 mo. Consecutively admitted 157 children and their 301 apparently healthy siblings were included. Clinical diagnosis, height/length, weight, BMI were recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Children (n = 157) were mostly admitted for gastroenteritis (36.3 %), respiratory infections (26.75 %), meningo-encephalitis (14.0 %). Among 301 siblings, 30.56 % had nutritional anemia, worm infestation, giardiasis etc. Severe (< -3 Z-score) stunting and wasting were noted in 10 (6.37 %) and 19 (12.1 %) hospitalized children respectively. A quarter of all siblings suffered from moderate malnutrition (stunting 24.92 %, wasting 29.57 %). Distribution of malnutrition in each anthropometric parameter was statistically significant (p < 0.05) in sick children compared to non-admitted siblings. Intergroup comparisons for both sexes were statistically significant for all parameters except in length/height for age for females. Moderate malnutrition (< -2 Z-score) was related to low BMI in 45 % (n = 71) of sick and 27 % (n = 83) of apparently well children.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study, first of its kind, delineated specific pattern of illness in sick and apparently healthy tea garden children. Malnutrition is statistically significant co-morbid associate in both the groups. Public health policy targeting these children is needed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Medicine, North Bengal Medical College and Hospital, Darjeeling, West Bengal, India, ivanrakesh2001@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Rakesh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mondal
authors.forename: Sumantra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sarkar
authors.forename: Avijit
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hazra
authors.forename: Indira
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Banerjee
authors.forename: Abhisek
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Saren
authors.forename: Goutam
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mukherjee
authors.forename: Mridula
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chatterjee
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture; D000886:Anthropometry; D015362:Child Nutrition Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008297:Male; D013662:Tea
chemical_list: D013662:Tea