Introduction: Childhood malnutrition is a leading cause of
mortality and morbidity in children under five years in Nepal.
There is evidence to show that childhood malnutrition varies
from region to region, within Nepal. But there is no data available
about nutritional status of children in the 75 districts in Nepal.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the nutritional status of
children less than five years of age in Ilam district. Material
and Methods: We analysed the anthropometric data for the
children of Ilam district who visited Dr. Megh Bahadur Parajuli
Community Hospital in Ilam district. Results: Our data showed
that 15.7% of girls and 21.2% of boys under-five years suffered
from moderate malnutrition. Severe malnutrition was present in
6.7% of girls and 9.6% of boys. Stunting was seen in 32.6% girls
and 30.16% boys. Moderate stunting was present in 19.6% of
girls and 19% of boys; while severe stunting was present in 11%
of the boys and 13% of the girls. Conclusion: Our data shows
that stunting among under-fives in Ilam is less as compared to
that reported for Nepal, but underweight is comparable to the
national data. However, a systematic study needs to be carried
out in Ilam before drawing firm conclusions.