Growth and anaemia among infants and young children for two years after the Wenchuan Earthquake

Background: In order to monitor malnutrition morbidity and anaemic prevalence of infants and young children in rural disaster areas affected by Wenchuan earthquake. Methods: About three months, one year and two years after earthquake (including 77, 102 and 307 children, respectively), by using the questionnaires, information on nutritional and health status of infants and young children aged 6-23 months was collected and evaluated, and anthropometry and haemoglobin concentration were measured. Results: Most of families could not prepare complementary foods for their children so that the children only ate the same meals as adults which resulted in very poor situation in the quantity and quality of complementary food for infants and young children. The main nutritional problems in children included the lack of feeding knowledge in parents; only 10% children could have breast feeding within one hour after delivery, and the basic exclusive breastfeeding was lower. More than 90% children never received nutrient supplements. The malnutrition prevalence was significantly increased two years after the earthquake. The decrease of body weight was rapid (underweight prevalence from 0 at three months to 5.9% after two years), and then a lasting effect resulted in decrease of length shown by stunting prevalence from 6.6% at three months to 10.8% after two years and wasting prevalence from 1.3% at three months to 4.0% after two years. From three months to two years after earthquake, anaemic prevalence markedly increased from 36.5% to 67.5% and the increasing percentage of anaemia was more obvious in girls than boys. Conclusion: The child's nutritional status continuously worsened and anaemic prevalence was high in areas affected by the earthquake. It is recommended that in the future nutrition interventions should begin immediately.