[Nutritional status and health status of under-fives of the Mentawai island Sipora (Indonesia) (author's transl)].

Weight, Height, head circumference, chest circumference, arm circumference and triceps skinfold of 223 children under 5 years from the small Mentawai island Sipora/Indonesia have been measured and related to international standards. Beginning from standard values, the anthropometric data decrease during the first 2-3 years, rising again in the following years. Weight for age is 72% of standard at 24 months and 83% at 5 years, height for age 89% at 30 months and 92% at 5 years, weight for height of the boys 82% at 12 months, of the girls 79% at 24 months and 94% for both at 4-5 years, chest/head ratio 95% at 12 months and 100% at 3-5 years. Arm circumference is 83% at 18 months 100% and above already at 3 years. Therefore, fold regains after the minimum of 90% at 18 months and above already at 3 years. Therefore, muscle growth would predominantly be reduced. The weight gain follows approximately the 3rd centile of english girls with a clear depression between 9 and 30 months. The birth weights of 476 children are 3230 g (boys) and 3120 g (girls). Perinatal mortality is low (2.9%), mortality during the first 5 years between 15 and 24%. In the health centre charts of 126 children under 5 years of a selected village (93% of that age group) 463 treatments in 5 years are recorded. The most frequent diagnoses are diseases of the respiratory tract (38% of all treatments), followed by malaria (23%), diarrhoea (19%), ascaris and hookworm infections (7.6%) and skin conditions (6%). Tuberculosis was the cause of treatment in 1.3%. In spite of the temporary growth retardation, as indicated by the anthropometric values, no cases of clinical Protein-Energy-Malnutrition have been observed. Malaria seems to be holoendemic, since all 223 children had a palpable spleen.