ACUTE MALNUTRITION

MID UPPER ARM CIRCUMFERENCE (MUAC) OF CHILDREN

Abstract

Objective: To determine the frequency of low mid upper arm circumference
(MUAC) of children with acute malnutrition. Patients and methods: This study was conducted in
the department of paediatrics at Liaquat University Hospital Hyderabad from 01-06-2012 to 30-
11-2012. All the children with features of malnutrition, of either gender were recruited and
evaluated for their mid upper arm circumference which was measured through plastic measuring
tape. Result: During six month study period, total 135 children with acute malnutrition were
studied for their mid upper arm circumference (MUAC), of which 95(70%) were males and
40(30%) were females. The mean age ±SD of overall population was 30.24±10.57 month while
the mean age of male children was 32.88±11.76 and the female child was 31.62±10.97 months.
Regarding the MUAC, was low in 93(68.9%) children with acute malnutrition. The mean age ±SD
of child with low MUAC was 28.99±12.52 while the mean ±age of male and female child with low
MUAC was 27.63±10.73 and 29.85±11.64 respectively. The mean MUAC in children of acute
malnutrition with low MUAC was 8.85±3.93 while it was 8.66±3.96 and 8.93±3.31 in male and
female child with low MUAC respectively. Conclusions: The present study suggested that MUAC
is appropriate and good tool for identifying severe malnutrition in children.