ASSESSMENT OF SOME MICRONUTRNT IN CHILDREN INFECTED WITH MALARIA IN ALIERO LOCAL GOVERNMENT KEBBI STATE.
Abstract
Micronutrients, encompassing essential vitamins and minerals, form the bedrock of childhood health and development these critical components are imperative for a range of physiological functions, from immune response to cognitive development The aim of this study is to assess the levels of micronutrients in children with malaria infection in Aliero local government the objectives are.To evaluate the levels of vitamin B12, folic acid, magnesium, and calcium in malaria infected children.200 samples were used to determine the effected.Methods Thick and thin blood smears for malaria enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to determine iron stores,absorption spectrophotometry (AAS) for zinc, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) for vitamins childrenAnthropometric measurements Height Measured using a portable stadiometer. Weight Measured using a calibrated digital scale.Table1: presents demographic data of 200 respondents, providing insights into their gender, age, weight, and malaria status. Gender Distribution male: 107 (53.5%) and female: 93 (46.5%) the sample has a slightly higher proportion of males than females. Age Distribution: 1-5 Years: 50 (25%), 6-10 Years: 71 (35.5%) and 11& above: 4 (2%). The majority of respondents (60.5%) are between 1-10 years old, with a significant proportion (35.5%) in the 6-10 years age group. Weight Distribution: 1-10kg: 7 (3.5%), 11-20kg: 131 (65.5%) and 21-30kg: 62 (31%). Most respondents (65.5%) weigh between 11-20kg, indicating a relatively healthy weight range. Malaria Status: Positive: 125 (62.5%) and Negative: 75 (37.5%). A significant proportion (62.5%) of respondents tested positive for malaria, indicating a high prevalence. Iron deficiency is prevalent, with 96.8% having moderate or mild deficiency Zinc deficiency is common, with 63.2% having moderate or mild deficiency.Vitamin A deficiency is moderate, with 49.6% having moderate deficiency. table 3 above result of the analysis shows that r-Cal = -.713, P-Value =.000. Which means the P-value is less than the level of significance (0.05). This shows that micronutrient levels are moderately to highly correlated with malaria severity, the negative correlation indicates that higher micronutrient levels are associated with lower malaria severity. The correlation is highly significant (p < 0.01). This implies that micronutrients supplementation may help reduce malaria severity and nutrition interventions could be crucial in malaria prevention and treatment. In conclusion The assessment of micronutrient levels in children with malaria infection in Aliero Local Government has revealed significant deficiencies in essential micronutrients, including iron, zinc, vitamin A, and folate, among the affected children. It is therefore, recommended that there should be: Nutritional Supplementation Programs and Integration of Nutrition and Malaria Treatment
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