Arkadeep Sarkar

8th Sem
KPCMC&H

C LA SS IFIC ATIO N O F
P R O TEIN EN ER G Y
M A LN U TR ITIO N
 The World Health Organization
defines malnutrition as "the cellular
imbalance between supply of
nutrients and energy and the body's
demand for them to ensure growth,
maintenance, and specific functions.
 PEM as been classified using several
methods
The choice of classification depends
on the purpose for which it is used.
Classifications are segregated
generally by
weight for age
height for age
weight for height
Classifi
cation ofPEM

A. Weight/ Height for age classifications

1. Wellcome Trust Classification

2. Gomez Classification
3. IAP Classification
4. Jelliffes Classification
5. Waterlow Classification
6. Occipitofrontalis Circumference (OFC)
7. Chest Circumference (CC)

B. Age independent indices

1. height for weight (WHO classification)

2.mid upper arm circumference (MUAC)
3. Body mass index (BMI)
4. Skin fold thickness (SFT)
5. indices ( Kanawati , Dughdale , Rao .
Singh)

C. Syndromic Classification
W eightfor age classifi
cation

W ellcom e InternationalClassifi
cation

A system for
classifying protein-
energy malnutrition
in children based
on percentage of
expected weight
for age and the
presence or
absence of oedema
and with the
Gomez
classification
system
G O M EZ Classifi
cation
One of the earliest systems
for classifying protein
energy malnutrition in
children, based on
percentage of expected
weight forage .
The child's weight is
compared to that of a
normal child (*50th
percentile of Harvard
standard ) of the same
age. It is useful for
population screening and
public health evaluations.
Com parative Chart
W aterlow s Classifi
cation
W H O classifi
cation for m alnutrition

WHO classification
for malnutrition
considers standard
deviation or Z
scores for
classifying children
in moderate
(between -2 to -3
SD) and severe(<-
3SD) categories.
Age Independent Indicators
Com m only used grow th charts

Boys Girls
Age independent indicators
Classifi
cation ofPEM

Syndromic Classification of PEM:-

is the generalized classification of Protein
energy Malnutrition based on clinical signs and symptoms.
The classifications being

a.Kwashiorkor
b. Nutritional Marasmus .
c. Marasmic Kwashiorkor
d.Nutritional Dwarfing
e.Under-weight
f.Invisible PEM
Thank you