Wasting and Stunting in Preschool Children and the Associated Risk Factors - Case Study

- Purpose:-The importance of the first 5 or 6 years of life of child its growth and development is well known. Any adverse influences operating on children during this period may result in severe limitations in their development, some of which at least are irreversible. Objective:- to measure the proportion of stunting and wasting in preschool children in Al amal Al akhdar kindergarten and to investigate the risk factors affecting such as different socio economic factors. Method and Material: - 259 mother's children who attend the equipped classes of the kindergarten were interviewed. Questionnaire was used to collect the data. Results: (69.1%) of children were found to have fallen in the weight (8-12) kg, whereas (23.9%) of them were falling in the weight (13-17) kg. (79.9%) of the families said that they purchase food according to its nutritional value as a priority, whereas (16.2%) of them said according to family desire. Normal weight at birth was found to be associated with the current weight of those children who showed normal weight at birth. (P-value = 0.000 which is highly significant). Conclusions: Mothers and fathers education, the family socioeconomic status, family history of thinness and dwarfism and food eating habits, play an essential role as predisposing factors of developing stunting and wasting among preschool children. Recommendations: Improving, updating and analyzing of registration system in kinder garden are very important in such studies. Provision of nutritionists or preparing of nutrition cessions in mothers and fathers days could ensure better children growth and prevent growth defects and bad nutritional habits.