Denver Developmental Screening Test (DDST) Survey and Degree of Malnutrition Among Children Born to HIV Infected Mothers under the Prevention of Mother to-Child-Transmission (PMTCT) Program
Usa Hokjindee MA*, Virasakdi Chongsuvivatwong MD, PhD*, Apiradee Lim PhD**, Nannapat Pruphetkaew MSc*
Affiliation : * Epidemiology Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla, Thailand ** Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Faculty of Science and Technology, Prince of Songkla University Pattani Campus, Pattani, Thailand
Objective : To examine morbidity experience, pattern of nutrition status and development of the children born to HIV infected
mothers under the Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) Program compared to the national standard.
Material and Method: In 2008, births given by mothers under PMTCT in five selected hospitals of Health Region 4 of
Thailand between 2002 and 2006 were identified from the registered data and the medical records, were reviewed. Their
homes were visited to collect the data.
Results : Among 138 mothers and 143 children studied, nobody died. Forty-four were healthy, 91 experienced mild episode of
various infections and allergy within the past three months, one was admitted for pneumonia, two were HIV-positive, 53 were
negative and the other 88 had no final blood tested. In the Denver Developmental Screening Test (DDST), all parameters
were minimal, less than 5%. Overall, the suspected delay development is around 15.4%. For nutritional status assessment
by height for age (HFA), weight for age (WFA) and weight for height (WFH) reported a quarter (23.1%) was stunting whereas
12.6% were thin and 5.6% were wasting, respectively.
Conclusion : Among the study PMTCT children, serious morbidity was rare. Nutritional deficiency was more common than
delayed development.
Keywords : Nutritional status, Child development, HIV positive mothers, PMTCT
