Nutritional Status of Selected Negro Infants in Greenville County, South Carolina

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Abstract
Concentrations of total proteins, globulins, albumin and ascorbic acid were measured in the serums of thirty-six Negro infants, four to ten months of age, who were attending a Well-Baby Clinic in Greenville County, South Carolina. Twenty-nine per cent of the subjects (ten infants) had serum albumin concentrations which have been associated with marginal protein nutriture. Another infant had an albumin concentration which has been associated with severe protein deficiency. In 26 per cent of the subjects (nine infants) serum globulin concentrations were below the normal range, whereas in 9 per cent of the subjects (three infants) concentrations were above the normal range. In 61 per cent of the subjects (twenty-two infants) total protein concentrations were below the normal range. Thirty-three per cent of the subjects (twelve infants) had serum ascorbic acid concentrations which have been associated with a suboptimum intake of vitamin C. Eight of these infants had concentrations of serum ascorbic acid reflecting a severely limited dietary intake of vitamin C. It would appear possible that malnutrition may be one of the many underlying causes for the high rate of Negro infant mortality in South Carolina.