PERSISTENCE OF SOFT NEUROLOGICAL SIGNS IN CHRONIC UNDERNOURISHED CHILDREN

The present study was carried out on 120 (9-12.5 and 15-17.5 years), r ural, male, school children of Kashi Vidyapeeth Block of Varanasi Dist rict. Out of these 60 children 30 wellnourished and 30 in grade II or III undernutrition (height for age < 90%) were in both the age groups. These children were examined for anthropometry, and soft neurological signs. It was found that soft neurological deficits observed in under nourished children persisted with increase in age i.e. during adolesce nce. The performance of wellnourished children was significantly bette r on all the six timed coordination motor tasks as compared with that of the undernourished children in both the age groups. However, signif icant difference was observed for foot tap (p < 0.01) and Ginger tap ( p < 0.01) in 9-12.5 years and for foot lap, hand pat and finger tap (p < 0.01 for all) in 15-17.5 years respectively. Age and nutrition take n together showed that with age there was an improvement in performanc e of wellnourished and undernourished children on all the tasks. Howev er, nutrition showed significant independent influence on all the task s excepting hand pronation supination indicating that the effect of nu trition persisted with the increase in age. Further analysis revealed that undernutrition affects repetitive speed movements more. There was significantly higher percentage of overflow and dysrythmia on all the time coordination motor tasks among undernourished as compared to wel lnourished children in both the age groups.