Nutritional status of children under 5 years in Chiapas, Mxico

Background: Histricamente Chiapas ha sido uno de los estados con mayores ndices de
desnutricin en Mxico. Demogrficamente est comprendido en su mayora por poblacin
indgena, analfabeta, que habita en zonas rurales y que viven en pobreza, caractersticas que
hacen vulnerable a la poblacin especialmente la infantil.

Background: Chiapas has historically been one of the states with the highest rates of
malnutrition in Mexico. Demographically it is comprised mostly of indigenous people,
illiterate, living in rural areas and those living in poverty, characteristics that make it
vulnerable to the population especially children.

Metodologa: Estudio retrospectivo, descriptivo y transversal. Se analizaron los datos de

325 nios menores de 5 aos, los cuales representan a 565 219 de Chiapas. Los datos se
tomaron de la ENSANUT 2012 que tiene un diseo probabilstico y que recopila
informacin antropomtrica, de peso, talla, edad, edema, permetro ceflico.

Methods: Retrospective, descriptive and cross-sectional study. The data of 325 children
under age 5, who represent 565,219 of Chiapas were analyzed with WHO-Anthro software.
The data were taken from the ENSANUT 2012 SPSS database, having a probabilistic
design and collected anthropometric data, weight, height, age, edema, head circumference.

Results: The percentages in the categories of weight for age and weight for height, indicate
levels of acute malnutrition, while they may be related to other factors such as diseases,
require care to take action. The most alarming result is given in the category of height for
age, which indicates levels of chronic malnutrition problems that are affecting the
population in the long term.

Conclusin: Los efectos de la desnutricin en la primera infancia (0 a 8 aos) pueden ser

devastadores y duraderos. Pueden impedir el desarrollo conductual y cognitivo, el
rendimiento escolar y la salud reproductiva, debilitando as la futura productividad en el
trabajo. Si el nio est o no bien alimentado durante los primeros aos de vida, puede tener
un efecto profundo en su salud, as como en su habilidad para aprender, comunicarse,
pensar analticamente, socializar efectivamente y adaptarse a nuevos ambientes y personas.
Una buena nutricin es la primera lnea de defensa contra numerosas enfermedades
infantiles que pueden dejar huellas en los nios de por vida. Por ello la importancia de
prestart atencin a los alarmantes niveles de desnutricin aguda y crnica en Chiapas

Conclusion: The effects of malnutrition in early childhood (0-8 years) can be devastating
and long lasting. They can affect behavioral and cognitive development, educational
achievement and reproductive health, thus weakening the future productivity at work. If the
child is or is not well fed during the first years of life can have a profound effect on your
health as well as their ability to learn, communicate, think analytically, effectively socialize
and adapt to new environments and people. Good nutrition is the first line of defense
against many childhood diseases that can leave traces in children for life. Hence the
importance of prestart attention to the alarming levels of acute and chronic malnutrition in
Chiapas