In 2021, Brazil had the highest number of hospitalizations of babies up to one year old per malnutrition since 2008. This is what a study carried out by Observa Infância, which is an agency linked to the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), points out. The initiative had a partnership with researchers from the Unifase university center.
The Unified Health System (SUS) recorded last year an average of eight hospitalizations of babies under one year old per day who were malnourished. This condition occurs when there are significant nutrient deficiencies in the body.
Only in 2021 were counted, in total numbers, 2,979 hospitalizations. This is the highest amount in the last 14 years. There are 113 admissions per 100,000 births, which represents 11% more than 2008, which was the first year this analysis was carried out.
By August 30 of this year, the public system had registered 2,115 hospitalizations due to malnutrition.
The Ministry of Health reported that R$ 345 million were transferred in 2021 to Brazilian municipalities with the aim of promoting actions for children and pregnant women about malnutrition.
Read too -Hunger in Brazil: data and consequences
Do not stop now... There's more after the publicity ;)
Most affected regions
The survey also pointed out the regions where there is greater vulnerability among babies: the North East and the Midwest. These locations are affected by the low availability of potable water and the lower rate of basic sanitation, factors that cause a greater probability of disease.
The rate in the Northeast is 51% higher than the national. There were 171 hospitalizations for every 100,000 births.
From 2020 to 2021, the region South was the only one that had a drop in the number of hospitalizations among babies under one year old. The greatest growth in this period occurred in the Midwest with an increase of 30%.
Check out:How to avoid childhood malnutrition?
black majority
Black babies (black and brown) were the most affected by hospitalization due to malnutrition between January 2018 and August 2022 in the public health network. They represented two out of three babies who were hospitalized during this period.
In the calculation, only records in which it was possible to identify race/color were considered. There were 13,202 admissions between 2018 and 2021, of which 5,246 were black babies.
The study identified in SUS data that there was no race/color information in one out of three records.
know more: Data and results on social inequality in Brazil
