CHILD NUTRITION AND ARMED-CONFLICTS IN IRAQ

The object of the study was to assess the nutritional status of childr en 0-5 years, who were attending maternal and child health clinics in Basrah city, 6 months after the cessation of the Gulf War, and took th e form of a cross-sectional study. The study population consisted of 7 23 children, the majority of whom were between 0 and 36 months of age, attending maternal and child health clinics (MCHC) in Basrah city for routine immunizations. Each MCHC was visited on a separate day and al l children attending on that day were included in the study. A proport ion (8 per cent) of the study population were wasted, most of them in the 12-24-month age category. Twenty-four per cent of the children wer e stunted. Stunting and low weight-for-age were significantly higher a mong children of low socio-economic households. Comparison of these da ta with an earlier nutritional survey in the area showed that the nutr itional status of children in Basrah city has deteriorated as a result of successive armed conflicts. There is need to monitor the health an d nutritional status of children, and take appropriate action in order to protect them.