Haematological and Biochemical Profiles of Oedematous and Non-Oedematous Severe Acute Malnutrition in Children: A Comparative Hospital-Based Study

Open Access

Abstract

Background: Severe acute malnutrition (SAM) may present with or without nutritional oedema and is frequently accompanied by haematological and biochemical abnormalities. However, comparative evidence regarding these laboratory profiles between oedematous and non-oedematous SAM remains limited, particularly in Bangladesh. Methods & Materials: This cross-sectional comparative study was conducted in the Department of Pediatrics at the Institute of Child and Mother Health, Matuail, Dhaka, Bangladesh, from July 2023 to June 2024. A total of 51 children aged 6-60 months with SAM were included, comprising 26 with oedematous and 25 with non-oedematous SAM. Sociodemographic and anthropometric characteristics were recorded, and haemoglobin, serum calcium, serum sodium, and serum potassium concentrations were assessed. Continuous variables were compared between groups using an independent-samples t test, with p < .05 considered statistically significant. Results: The mean age of the participants was 10.67 ± 6.47 months, and 30 (58.8%) were male. Mean MUAC was 107.85 ± 9.51 mm in the oedematous group and 104.20 ± 12.32 mm in the non-oedematous group, with no significant difference. Mean haemoglobin was 9.07 ± 0.86 versus 9.17 ± 2.15 g/dL (p = .827), serum calcium was 9.92 ± 1.33 versus 9.58 ± 0.88 mg/dL (p = .289), and serum sodium was 135.54 ± 3.06 versus 137.48 ± 4.91 mmol/L (p = .096) in oedematous and non-oedematous SAM, respectively. Mean serum potassium was significantly higher in the oedematous group, 4.93 ± 1.04 versus 4.34 ± 1.05 mmol/L, with a mean difference of 0.59 mmol/L (p = .049). Conclusion: Haemoglobin, serum calcium, and serum sodium profiles were comparable between oedematous and non-oedematous SAM. A modestly higher serum potassium concentration was observed in oedematous SAM, while the remaining measured parameters showed substantial overlap between the two phenotypes.