Question

Severe acute malnutrition as per WHO criteria

• A. Weight for age less than median plus – 2 SD
• B. Weight for height less than median plus 2 SD
• C. Weight for age less than median plus 3 SD
• D. Weight for height less than median minus -3SD

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines severe acute malnutrition (SAM) using specific anthropometric indicators. One of the key criteria for diagnosing SAM is based on weight and height measurements. These measurements are assessed through standard deviations (SD) from a reference median.

The specific WHO criterion for identifying severe acute malnutrition in children is weight-for-height less than the median minus 3 standard deviations (-3 SD). This indicates that a child's weight relative to their height is significantly lower than the expected norm for well-nourished children of the same height. In simpler terms, when a child's weight is far below the normal range for their height, it signals severe malnutrition.

Therefore, the correct option that aligns with the WHO criteria is:

Weight for height less than median minus -3SD