Frequency of malnutrition in children and adolescents with child maltreatment

Introduction: child maltreatment (CM) can have a negative impact on physical and mental health in childhood and throughout life. Objective: to determine the frequency of malnutrition in cases of CM from the Clinica de Atencion Integral al Nino Maltratado (CAINM) of the Instituto Nacional de Pediatria (INP), Mexico. Material and methods: this was a cross-sectional, retrospective, descriptive study of children with CM. Height/age, weight/height, and body mass index/age were used to determine malnutrition status (undernutrition and overweight or obesity). The frequency of malnutrition by age group and sex were compared using chi(2) tests. The prevalence of malnutrition at CAINM was compared to that expected in Mexico (ENSANUT-2012), serving as a reference for children without CM, using one-sample Poisson tests. Results: of the 117 cases, 41 % presented wasting or overweight/obesity, and 25 % were growth-stunted. Neither wasting nor stunting displayed any difference between age groups (p > 0.05). Overweight/obesity was observed more frequently in adolescents than in schoolchildren (p < 0.05). Being overweight or obese was most frequently associated with sexual abuse, and wasting and stunting were most often associated with neglect. Compared to the population without CM, the group under 5 years of age had a higher prevalence of wasting (p < 0.01), and those aged 5 to 11 years had a higher prevalence of both wasting and stunting (p < 0.001). Conclusions: CM cases were characterized by acute undernutrition and stunting as well as by adolescents who were overweight or obese. Malnutrition in the pediatric population should be analyzed from a wider perspective, including possible CM.