Prevalence and predictors of hypocalcaemia in severe acute malnutrition.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence and predictors of hypocalcaemia in under-five children (1-59 months) hospitalised with severe acute malnutrition (SAM).

DESIGN: A cross-sectional study was designed to determine the prevalence of hypocalcaemia among children hospitalised with SAM. Serum Ca and 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (25-(OH)D) were estimated. Hypocalcaemia was defined as serum Ca (albumin-adjusted) <2·12 mmol/l. To identify the clinical predictors of hypocalcaemia, a logistic regression model was constructed taking hypocalcaemia as a dependent variable, and sociodemographic and clinical variables as independent variables.

SETTING: A tertiary care hospital in Delhi, between November 2017 and April 2019.

PARTICIPANTS: One-hundred and fifty children (1-59 months) hospitalised with SAM were enrolled.

RESULTS: Hypocalcaemia was documented in thirty-nine (26 %) children hospitalised with SAM, the prevalence being comparable between children aged <6 months (11/41, 26·8 %) and those between 6 and 59 months (28/109, 25·7 %) (P = 0·887). Vitamin D deficiency (serum 25-(OH)D <30 nmol/l) and clinical rickets were observed in ninety-eight (65·3 %) and sixty-three (42 %) children, respectively. Hypocalcaemia occurred more frequently in severely malnourished children with clinical rickets (OR 6·6, 95 % CI 2·54, 17·15, P < 0·001), abdominal distension (OR 4·5, 95 % CI 1·39, 14·54, P = 0·012) and sepsis (OR 2·6, 95 % CI 1·00, 6·57, P = 0·050).

CONCLUSION: Rickets and hypocalcaemia are common in children with SAM. Routine supplementation of vitamin D should be considered for severely malnourished children. Ca may be empirically prescribed to severely malnourished children with clinical rickets, abdominal distension and/or sepsis.