European Journal of Clinical and Biomedical Sciences

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Albumin and Serum Vitamin A Status of Malnourished Children

Received: 26 November 2017    Accepted: 14 December 2017    Published: 23 March 2018
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Abstract

Malnutrition remains a major health problem in the third world countries, and is a key factor to the high death rate among children below five years old. This study aimed to determine serum vitamin A, mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC), and albumin levels of malnourished children and their well-fed counterparts. A total of one hundred (100) children comprising of fifty (50) malnourished children under the age of five years and fifty (50) well-fed age-matched children were recruited into this study. Mid upper arm circumference (MUAC) measurement was used to categorize the children into malnourished and the well-fed groups. The malnourished were further classified into kwashiorkor and marasmic cohorts. Serum vitamin A and albumin levels were determined by colorimetric methods. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20.0 statistical package, differences between and variations among groups were determined by Student’s t-test and ANOVA respectively while the association between variables by Pearson’s correlation. Differences were considered statistically significant at p≤0.05. Serum vitamin A, MUAC and albumin levels of the well-fed group were significantly higher (p<0.05) than those of the malnourished. Comparing the well-fed, the kwashiorkor and the marasmic groups, the mean serum vitamin A, MUAC and albumin of the well-fed were significantly higher (p=0.001) than those of the kwashiorkor and marasmic groups. Mean albumin level of the kwashiorkor was significantly lower (p<0.05) than that of marasmic group. Mean MUAC of the kwashiorkor subjects was significantly higher (p<0.05) than that of the marasmic subjects. Serum vitamin A was not significantly different (p=0.724) between the kwashiorkor and the marasmic groups. In the marasmic subjects mean serum vitamin A correlates negatively with albumin (r= -0.517, p=0.011). In the kwashiorkor subjects, serum vitamin A correlates negatively with albumin (r=-0.080, p=0.690). In the well-fed children, serum vitamin A correlates positively with albumin (r=0.340, p=0.016). Conclusion: malnourished children with kwashiorkor and marasmus have lower albumin, serum vitamin A and MUAC compared with the well-fed children.

DOI 10.11648/j.ejcbs.20180401.12
Published in European Journal of Clinical and Biomedical Sciences (Volume 4, Issue 1, February 2018)
Page(s) 6-11
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This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Albumin, Vitamin A, MUAC, Malnutrition, Children

References
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Author Information
  • Department of Medical Laboratory Science, University of Calabar, Calabar, Nigeria

  • Department of Medical Laboratory Science, University of Calabar, Calabar, Nigeria

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    Egbe Edmund Richard, Eworo Raymond Ekong. (2018). Albumin and Serum Vitamin A Status of Malnourished Children. European Journal of Clinical and Biomedical Sciences, 4(1), 6-11. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ejcbs.20180401.12

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    Egbe Edmund Richard; Eworo Raymond Ekong. Albumin and Serum Vitamin A Status of Malnourished Children. Eur. J. Clin. Biomed. Sci. 2018, 4(1), 6-11. doi: 10.11648/j.ejcbs.20180401.12

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    Egbe Edmund Richard, Eworo Raymond Ekong. Albumin and Serum Vitamin A Status of Malnourished Children. Eur J Clin Biomed Sci. 2018;4(1):6-11. doi: 10.11648/j.ejcbs.20180401.12

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ejcbs.20180401.12,
      author = {Egbe Edmund Richard and Eworo Raymond Ekong},
      title = {Albumin and Serum Vitamin A Status of Malnourished Children},
      journal = {European Journal of Clinical and Biomedical Sciences},
      volume = {4},
      number = {1},
      pages = {6-11},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ejcbs.20180401.12},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ejcbs.20180401.12},
      eprint = {https://download.sciencepg.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ejcbs.20180401.12},
      abstract = {Malnutrition remains a major health problem in the third world countries, and is a key factor to the high death rate among children below five years old. This study aimed to determine serum vitamin A, mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC), and albumin levels of malnourished children and their well-fed counterparts. A total of one hundred (100) children comprising of fifty (50) malnourished children under the age of five years and fifty (50) well-fed age-matched children were recruited into this study. Mid upper arm circumference (MUAC) measurement was used to categorize the children into malnourished and the well-fed groups. The malnourished were further classified into kwashiorkor and marasmic cohorts. Serum vitamin A and albumin levels were determined by colorimetric methods. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20.0 statistical package, differences between and variations among groups were determined by Student’s t-test and ANOVA respectively while the association between variables by Pearson’s correlation. Differences were considered statistically significant at p≤0.05. Serum vitamin A, MUAC and albumin levels of the well-fed group were significantly higher (p<0.05) than those of the malnourished. Comparing the well-fed, the kwashiorkor and the marasmic groups, the mean serum vitamin A, MUAC and albumin of the well-fed were significantly higher (p=0.001) than those of the kwashiorkor and marasmic groups. Mean albumin level of the kwashiorkor was significantly lower (p<0.05) than that of marasmic group. Mean MUAC of the kwashiorkor subjects was significantly higher (p<0.05) than that of the marasmic subjects. Serum vitamin A was not significantly different (p=0.724) between the kwashiorkor and the marasmic groups. In the marasmic subjects mean serum vitamin A correlates negatively with albumin (r= -0.517, p=0.011). In the kwashiorkor subjects, serum vitamin A correlates negatively with albumin (r=-0.080, p=0.690). In the well-fed children, serum vitamin A correlates positively with albumin (r=0.340, p=0.016). Conclusion: malnourished children with kwashiorkor and marasmus have lower albumin, serum vitamin A and MUAC compared with the well-fed children.},
     year = {2018}
    }
    

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  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Albumin and Serum Vitamin A Status of Malnourished Children
    AU  - Egbe Edmund Richard
    AU  - Eworo Raymond Ekong
    Y1  - 2018/03/23
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    DO  - 10.11648/j.ejcbs.20180401.12
    T2  - European Journal of Clinical and Biomedical Sciences
    JF  - European Journal of Clinical and Biomedical Sciences
    JO  - European Journal of Clinical and Biomedical Sciences
    SP  - 6
    EP  - 11
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2575-5005
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ejcbs.20180401.12
    AB  - Malnutrition remains a major health problem in the third world countries, and is a key factor to the high death rate among children below five years old. This study aimed to determine serum vitamin A, mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC), and albumin levels of malnourished children and their well-fed counterparts. A total of one hundred (100) children comprising of fifty (50) malnourished children under the age of five years and fifty (50) well-fed age-matched children were recruited into this study. Mid upper arm circumference (MUAC) measurement was used to categorize the children into malnourished and the well-fed groups. The malnourished were further classified into kwashiorkor and marasmic cohorts. Serum vitamin A and albumin levels were determined by colorimetric methods. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20.0 statistical package, differences between and variations among groups were determined by Student’s t-test and ANOVA respectively while the association between variables by Pearson’s correlation. Differences were considered statistically significant at p≤0.05. Serum vitamin A, MUAC and albumin levels of the well-fed group were significantly higher (p<0.05) than those of the malnourished. Comparing the well-fed, the kwashiorkor and the marasmic groups, the mean serum vitamin A, MUAC and albumin of the well-fed were significantly higher (p=0.001) than those of the kwashiorkor and marasmic groups. Mean albumin level of the kwashiorkor was significantly lower (p<0.05) than that of marasmic group. Mean MUAC of the kwashiorkor subjects was significantly higher (p<0.05) than that of the marasmic subjects. Serum vitamin A was not significantly different (p=0.724) between the kwashiorkor and the marasmic groups. In the marasmic subjects mean serum vitamin A correlates negatively with albumin (r= -0.517, p=0.011). In the kwashiorkor subjects, serum vitamin A correlates negatively with albumin (r=-0.080, p=0.690). In the well-fed children, serum vitamin A correlates positively with albumin (r=0.340, p=0.016). Conclusion: malnourished children with kwashiorkor and marasmus have lower albumin, serum vitamin A and MUAC compared with the well-fed children.
    VL  - 4
    IS  - 1
    ER  - 

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