ESTADO NUTRICIONAL EN LACTANTES Y PREESCOLARES, DEL AMBULATORIO “DR. J. M. VARGAS” BARQUISIMETO, LARA.

The purpose was to determine the nutritional status of the infants and children under six years old in the area of the type I ambulatory “Dr. José Maria Vargas” located in Veragacha, Irribarren county, Barquisimeto. A descriptive study was conducted in a nonprobabilisticsample of one hundred and three (103) kids from 1 month to 6 years old. A questionnaire was applied to the mothers and structured in: age, sex, socio-economic status and anthropometric data (height and weight). The anthropometric data was taken to the OMS’s tables and was interpreted according to the combination of indicators: eight/age,weight/height and height/age. The analysis showed the following results: According to the total of the sample: 66.0% presented normal nutritional status; 8.7% current malnutrition;6.8% low stature and 8.7% excess malnutrition. Most of children belonged to the stratum IV(77.0%) and was appreciated an increment of malnutrition in the lower stratums. There was no statistical signi cant difference between the variables under investigation. This work Decanato de Ciencias de la Salud. Universidad Centroccidental “Lisandro Alvarado” (UCLA)expects to stimulate the development of plans and programs that improve the nutritional status of the children in the area, the detection and the early correction of the current risk factors.