Abstract:
This study was held to determine serum zinc level in Sudanese children under five
.years with protein energy malnutrition
This study was cross- sectional hospital based conducted during the period from
March to July 2011. The study included 80 blood sample collected from Omdurman
Teaching Hospital for Pediatric, 50 patient with PEM (aged 6-47 month), 30 control
(aged 8-46 month).The weight and height were measured and BMI was calculated
for study groups .The serum zinc level was measured used Atomic absorption
spectrophotometer (GBC vante ver 1.331 Analysis 1-nal) . The data were analyzed
.using SPSS program
The study showed that PEM was more common in boys (62%) than girls
(38%), also showed the most common type of PEM is marasmus (78%) then
kwashiorkor (12%) and marasmic kwashiorkor (10%). Results showed there was
significant decreased in the means of weight (7.0±2.3 kg),height (65±0.016 cm)
BMI (12.7±2.7 kg/m2) and serum zinc (0.55±0.18 mg/dl) in children with PEM
compared to the control group (12.5±2.4 kg)P=0.000, (77±0.022 cm) P=0.000,
(21.2±3.9 kg/m2)P=0.000 , (0.94±0.12 mg/dl) P=0.000 < 0.05 respectively . Also
there was insignificant difference in means of serum zinc level in patient group
according to sex boys (o.54±0.2 mg/dl) girls (0.56±0.16 mg/dl) P=0.713.Also
there was no difference in means of serum zinc level in the three types of PEM
marasmus (0.54±0.19 mg/dl), kwashiorkor (0.48±0.07 mg/dl), marasmic
.kwashiorkor (o.05±0.15 mg/dl) P=0.982 >0.05
From this study it is concluded that there is a significant decrease in weight,
.height, BMI and serum zinc in children with PEM
