[Child malnutrition in Argentina in the first part of the century: a quantitative approach].

Child malnutrition is an important public health problem in Argentina, both as a primary cause of mortality/morbidity and associated with different pathologies that affect children. However, little is known about its magnitude, trends and spatial distribution. This article seeks to detect such situations considering different geographic scales. A quantitative approach was applied, systematizing vital statistics (mortality), hospital discharges (morbidity), and low birth weight (natality) in children 0-4 years of age. Accordingly, the information sources used were mortality statistics (1999-2013), hospital discharge statistical records (2000, 2005-2011) and live birth statistics (1999-2012) provided by the Office of Statistics and Health Information (DEIS) [Dirección de Estadísticas e Información de Salud] of the National Ministry of Health. The results show differences according to the scale considered. The conclusions highlight the necessity of integrating the different sources of information analyzed in order to provide a more general overview of a problem that, albeit in decline, still registers high magnitudes in the most vulnerable areas. In this way, certain areas of northern Argentina evidence worse conditions, requiring immediate attention be paid to issues of poverty and child health.