Malnutrition and associated co-morbidities among infants affected by Boko Haram Insurgency in some IDP Camps in Borno state, Nigeria

Abstract

Malnutrition is a major problem in developing countries. In recent times, diet related diseases have been recorded in Borno state, Nigeria due to insurgency. The study assessed the socio demographics and comorbidities in malnourished children from six months to fifty-nine months. Ethically approved permission was obtained. Retrospective cohort study of severe acute malnutrition was carried out in 1558 patients from January 2021 to December 2021 in five IDP camp clinics. The minimum and maximum stay in the program were 8 weeks and 12 weeks, respectively. Data collected were analysed using SPSS version 18. The female patients dominated the study with 868 (55.7 %) while the males were 690 (44.3 %). Patients who completed their treatment, recovered and were discharged were 1488 (95.5 %), defaulters were 64 (4.1 %) and deaths were 6 (0.4 %). The co-morbidities recorded in the SAM patients were cough, diarrhoea, vomiting and fever with 184 (11.8 %), 183 (11.7 %), 31 (2.0%) and 11 (7%), respectively. Severe acute malnutrition (SAM) patients with multiple co-morbidities of cough and diarrhoea were 136 (8.7 %) while those with cough, vomiting and diarrhoea were 5 (0.3%). Timely interventions can save the lives of children presenting with SAM and recommend that therapeutic feeding programs be extended to the wider society to prevent death and compromised future of SAM sufferers, effective nutritional education for care givers and parents of SAM children should be encouraged to stay in the program until their children recover.