Correct Answer: B. Moderate malnutrition - teach the mother on how to feed
A 16-month-old boy weighing 8 kg plots between the 50th and 75th percentile on the WHO weight-for-age chart (expected weight at 16 months is approximately 10–11 kg for healthy children). This positioning indicates moderate acute malnutrition (MAM), not severe wasting. According to WHO and Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP) guidelines, children between the 50th–75th percentile (or weight-for-height 70–79% of expected) are classified as moderately malnourished. The key discriminator is that the child is not below the 50th percentile (which would suggest severe malnutrition) nor is the child tracking normally above the 75th percentile. In the Indian context, moderate malnutrition is managed at the primary health center level with maternal counseling on appropriate feeding practices, dietary diversification, and home-based nutrition education. This avoids unnecessary hospitalization while addressing the nutritional deficit through improved feeding practices and parental education—the cornerstone of MAM management per IAP and ICMR guidelines. Referral to a nutrition rehabilitation center is reserved for severe malnutrition (weight <50th percentile or weight-for-height <70% of expected) with complications.
Why the other options are wrong
A. Mild malnutrition - home treatment — This is wrong because mild malnutrition corresponds to weight plotting above the 75th percentile but below normal—a narrower range. A child at 8 kg (50th–75th percentile range) has crossed into moderate malnutrition territory. Mild malnutrition requires only reassurance and dietary advice without formal counseling; moderate malnutrition demands structured maternal education on feeding practices. The NBE trap here is conflating 'home treatment' with any outpatient management, when in fact the severity classification determines the intensity of intervention. C. Severe malnutrition - refer to nutrition rehabilitation center — This is wrong because severe malnutrition is defined as weight below the 50th percentile (or weight-for-height <70% of expected) and often presents with clinical signs (edema, skin changes, hepatomegaly). At 8 kg, this child is still above the 50th percentile cutoff. Severe malnutrition requires inpatient rehabilitation, micronutrient repletion, and management of complications—not applicable here. The NBE trap is testing whether students conflate any degree of underweight with severe malnutrition, rather than understanding the percentile-based classification system. D. No malnutrition - Assure the mother — This is wrong because a weight of 8 kg at 16 months is objectively below the expected range (10–11 kg) and plots in the 50th–75th percentile, which is not 'normal' by WHO standards. Assurance without intervention would miss the opportunity for early nutritional correction. The NBE trap is testing whether students recognize that percentile-based deviation from expected weight-for-age is a sign of malnutrition, even if the child appears clinically well. Reassurance alone is inappropriate when growth faltering is documented.
High-Yield Facts
- WHO weight-for-age 50th–75th percentile = moderate acute malnutrition (MAM); requires maternal feeding counseling and dietary diversification.
- Weight-for-age <50th percentile = severe malnutrition; warrants referral to nutrition rehabilitation center with inpatient management.
- Weight-for-age >75th percentile = mild malnutrition; managed with reassurance and home dietary advice only.
- Expected weight at 16 months ≈ 10–11 kg; 8 kg represents ~73–80% of expected, confirming MAM classification.
- IAP guideline: MAM management is community-based; severe malnutrition requires facility-based rehabilitation with micronutrient supplementation and complication management.
Mnemonics
WHO Percentile Classification (Weight-for-Age) >75th = Mild (reassure) | 50–75th = Moderate (counsel & feed) | <50th = Severe (refer & rehabilitate). Use this when plotting any child on WHO chart—the percentile band directly determines management intensity. MAM vs SAM Management MAM = Mother's Advice (home-based feeding counseling) | SAM = Serious Admission (facility-based rehabilitation). Helps recall that moderate malnutrition is outpatient-friendly while severe requires hospitalization.
NBE Trap
NBE pairs a child with documented growth faltering (8 kg at 16 months) with the distractor "No malnutrition—Assure the mother" to test whether students understand that percentile-based deviation from expected weight-for-age is objective malnutrition, not a reassurance situation. The trap exploits the assumption that a clinically well-appearing child has no nutritional problem.
Clinical Pearl
In Indian primary health centers, a 16-month-old weighing 8 kg is a common presentation—the child may appear active and playful, masking early malnutrition. Plotting on the WHO chart reveals the growth faltering objectively. Maternal counseling on local, affordable foods (khichdi, dal, vegetables, eggs) and feeding frequency is the cornerstone of MAM reversal and prevents progression to severe malnutrition requiring hospitalization.
_Reference: OP Ghai (Pediatrics) Ch. 5 (Growth & Development); IAP Guidelines on Management of Malnutrition in Children; WHO Child Growth Standards_