1 Indian Council of Medical, Research Unit, Department of Pediatric Medicine, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh-11 (Sector-12), India
May I support the opinion expressed by Dr. Keet, et al.1 concerning the value of skinfold measurement in the assessment of nutritional status.
Our own observations regarding detailed anthropometry on infants and children with advanced protein-calorie malnutrition are reported elsewhere.2,3 Triceps skinfold thickness in our cases of nutritional marasmus is consistently far below the 3rd percentile, the average being 3.2 ± 0.83 mm, which is about 40% of the Western standard. In kwashiorkor, on the other hand, it measures 6.5 ± 1.06 mm which is about 68.1% of the Western standard.