American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol 20, 1280-1289, Copyright © 1967 by The American Society for Clinical Nutrition, Inc.

Influence of Early Malnutrition on Some Aspects of the Health of School-Age Children

¹ From the Research Center of the Institute of Nutrition, Ministry of Health of Indonesia, Bogor

A group of 90 Indonesian children whose nutritional status had been studied over a 2-year period from 1957 to 1959 were again examined in 1964. The classification of healthy, malnourished, and malnourished with vitamin A deficiency which was made in the first examination was clearly reflected in the results of the second one. The children of the malnourished group were smaller and in poorer physical condition than those of the healthy group. They were more susceptible to infection. Those who had been vitamin A deficient were most seriously affected.

Serum vitamin A and carotene were very low, lower in the malnourished than in the healthy children and lowest in the children who previously had had hemeralopia. Other biochemical findings were essentially normal. Only a few children had a mild anemia. Serum albumin was normal; serum globulin somewhat elevated. The elevation of the globulin was primarily in the gamma fraction and might be expected because of the high incidence of intestinal parasites.

The dietary study showed a low food intake with deficiency of protein, particularly animal protein, and vitamin A. Of the major nutrients, only for vitamin A was the intake of the children much lower than that of the mothers. Almost all of the vitamin A was supplied as carotene which may be less efficiently utilized than performed vitamin A.

The persistence over a period of years of signs of malnutrition in children who had suffered malnutrition, and especially in those where malnutrition was combined with vitamin A deficiency, is indicative but not conclusive of a late effect of early damage.