Introduction:

Malnutrition is a pending challenge which has a harmful influence on children's development of and for a nation.

Objective:

To evaluate the evolution of nutritional status of children <5 years admitted to an Integrated Nutritional Food Program (PANI) during the year 2012.

Materials and Methods:

Longitudinal (cohort), descriptive and analytical study of beneficiaries of the Integrated Nutritional Food Program (PANI) in 2012. Sociodemographic variables were considered, nutritional diagnosis was according to WHO criteria with zscore Weigth/Age (z(W/A), Body Mass Indesx/Age (zBMI/A) and Heigth/Age (zH/A).

Results:

Data were processed from 4946 children <5 years old. Mean age 17.5m (0.03-59 m), 50.3% males; 51.4% of the rural area. At entry, they had mean zW/A -1.71 ± 0.7DE, zBMI/A -1.31 ± 1.12 DE and zH/A -1.34 ± 1.30DE. The zW/A in successive controls increased to -0.36DE in the 12th control, zBMI/A at 0.26DE, zH/A at -0.91 significantly (ANOVA p <0.0001). 22.6% presented Global Malnutrition-DG and 77.4% risk of malnutrition at admission, these prevalences were 3.4% and 21%, respectively, with 75.6% of children without malnutrition at the last control ((2, p<0.0001). 21.9% had malnutrition due to BMI, and 38.5% had a risk of malnutrition, these prevalences were 3.1% and 10.7% at the 12th control. Of the 26% of Chronic Malnutrition-DC, it was changed to 16% at the end of the intervention.

Conclusions:

Child undernutrition decreases significantly with the support of a food program.

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