Malnutrizione severa e riabilitazione psicomotoria. Un'esperienza in Angola

Severe malnutrition is a condition that shows high mortality. It is usually treated in hospital by following a nutritional rehabilitation protocol that should also include a period of psychomotor stimulation, which, out of necessity, is frequently ignored. An objective evaluation of a group of 30 hospitalized children showed an average psychomotor retard of about 3 months. Half of these children underwent a targeted rehabilitation programme realized through the mother. Upon discharge, the retard seemed partially recovered, but there were not significant differences between the active and the control group. However, after a month from discharge, the results in the active group are remarkably better than in the control group: only 13% of the children of the first group show an equal or higher than 2 month retard versus 27% of the control group; 53% of the “treated” versus 27% of the “controlled” children shows a score that mirrors a motor development proper to their age.