Protein malnutrition in children

Fasting, dieting to lose weight, or not getting enough nutrition for some reason, such as having a disorder that makes eating or absorbing food difficult or having a greatly increased calorie need during a period of rapid growth, can all cause malnutrition.

Malnutrition is an imbalance between the nutrients the body needs and the nutrients it receives. Therefore, in addition to deficiencies, malnutrition also includes overnutrition (consuming too many calories or too much of a specific nutrient such as protein, fat, vitamins, minerals or other supplements). For children, poor or improper nutrition is a risk factor for malnutrition, affecting their development.

1. Signs of malnutrition in children

Doctors can usually diagnose malnutrition based on a person's appearance, height, weight, and condition (including information about diet and weight loss).

Malnutrition is often evident: The person is underweight, bones often protrude, the skin is dry and inelastic, and the hair is dry and falls out easily. The child does not grow or gain weight at the expected rate (slow growth); changes in behavior, such as irritability, slowness, or unusual anxiety; low energy levels and fatigue more easily than other children.

Symptoms of malnutrition in children may include:

Lack of interest in food or drink. Always feeling cold. Getting sick more often and taking longer to recover. Slowed behavioral and intellectual development, learning difficulties...

2. Lack of calories andproteincause malnutrition

Protein-energy malnutrition is a severe deficiency of protein and calories that occurs when a person does not consume enough protein and calories over a long period of time. Starvation is the most severe form of protein-energy malnutrition. It results from complete lack of nutrients over a long period of time.

Malnutrition is often considered a deficiency primarily in calories (i.e. total food intake) or protein deficiency. According to Dr. Le Thi Loan, Institute of Nutrition, protein has been identified as the most important substance or element that creates life, is the raw material for structure, construction and regeneration of tissues in the body, is the main component of antibodies that help the body fight infections, perform immune functions, and help the body develop both height and intelligence.

Vitamin and mineral deficiencies are often considered separate disorders. However, when calories are deficient, vitamins and minerals can also be deficient.

3. Main forms of malnutrition

Malnutrition progresses in stages. When not consuming enough calories, the body first breaks down its own fat and uses it for calories – like “burning furniture” to keep the house warm. After the fat stores are used up, the body can break down other tissues, such as muscle and tissues in internal organs, leading to serious problems, including death.

Protein-energy malnutrition comes in three main forms:

Marasmus:A severe deficiency of calories and protein. It tends to develop in infants and young children and often results in weight loss, loss of muscle, fat, and dehydration. Breastfeeding often protects against marasmus.

Kwashiorkor:A severe deficiency of protein in excess of calories. Kwashiorkor is less common than marasmus.

Kwashiorkor tends to be limited to certain areas of the world where staple foods and weaning foods are low in protein although they provide adequate calories in the form of carbohydrates. Examples of such foods include yams, cassava, rice, sweet potatoes, and green bananas. However, anyone can develop kwashiorkor if their diet consists primarily of carbohydrates. People with kwashiorkor retain fluid, making them appear puffy and swollen. If kwashiorkor is severe, the abdomen may protrude.

Marasmic kwashiorkor:This condition occurs when a child with kwashiorkor does not consume enough calories. Children with this disorder retain fluid, and muscle and fat tissue are wasted.

4. Consequences of malnutrition in children

According to UNICEF, globally, at least 13.6 million children under the age of five suffer from severe malnutrition, which accounts for one in five deaths among children under five, making it one of the leading threats to child survival. A severely wasted child is 11 times more likely than a healthy child to die from common childhood illnesses such as pneumonia, the leading infectious killer of children worldwide.

Malnourished children have higher mortality and morbidity rates. One of the factors that affects cognitive development is nutrition. According to a study, childhood is vulnerable to nutritional deficiencies because the brain develops rapidly during this period.

Studies have reported poor motor skills, adaptive behavior, language, and social skills in malnourished children. Various types of cognitive impairment have been reported in malnourished children. Malnutrition is also associated with deficits in memory, visual-motor coordination, and social skills. Additionally, decreased IQ scores are associated with the severity of malnutrition./.