Co-existence of micronutrient deficiencies in hospitalized children with severe malnutrition treated according to the WHO protocol

We assessed the involvement of vitamin A deficiency (VAD) and anaemia as co-morbidities associated with severe forms of protein-energy malnutrition in hospitalized children. In a descriptive case series study of 57 children, one clinical case of xerophthalmia was diagnosed: 44.0% had levels of serum retinol <20 µg/dL and 88.0% had Hb <11 g/dL, of whom 30.0% had haemoglobin levels below 7.0 g/dL.