Symptoms of malnutrition in children Muscle wasting and lack of strength in the muscles. Limbs may appear stick like. Swelling of the abdomen and legs. The abdomen is swollen because of lack of strength of the muscles of the abdomen.
Malnourished children may be short for their age, thin or bloated, listless and have weakened immune systems. Nutritional disorders can affect any system in the body and the senses of sight, taste and smell. They may also produce anxiety, changes in mood and other psychiatric symptoms.
The country with the highest rate of malnutrition in the world is Somalia.
Iron deficiency is the most prevalent form of malnutrition http://www.wfp.org/nutritionworldwide, affecting millions of people. Iron forms the molecules that carry oxygen in the blood, so symptoms of a deficiency include tiredness and lethargy.
There are 4 broad sub-forms of undernutrition: wasting, stunting, underweight, and deficiencies in vitamins and minerals. Undernutrition makes children in particular much more vulnerable to disease and death. Low weight-for-height is known as wasting.
Signs and symptoms of malnutrition
a lack of interest in eating and drinking. feeling tired all the time. feeling weak. getting ill often and taking a long time to recover.
The indicators stunting, wasting, overweight and underweight are used to measure nutritional imbalance; such imbalance results in either undernutrition (assessed from stunting, wasting and underweight) or overweight.
A decline in subcutaneous fat and overall body muscle mass is a significant indicator of malnutrition [56,57]. As part of the aforementioned SGA nutritional tool, muscle mass and assessment of subcutaneous fat are vital for detecting high-risk patients for early intervention.
A number of other criteria define severe malnutrition including low energy intake, weight loss, loss of subcutaneous fat, loss of muscle mass, fluid accumulation, and decreased hand grip strength.
Typical signs that you're not eating enough can include losing weight, feeling tired, getting ill more often, hair loss, or skin problems. In time, menstrual irregularities and depression may occur. Children may not grow as expected.
Deficiency of protein and energy during infancy is one of the most serious problems throughout the world. It leads to clinical syndromes such as Kwashiorkor, Marasmus, and Anemia. Kwashiorkor is a protein deficiency disease, caused due to poor intake of protein or quality protein over a prolonged period of time.
Symptoms may include fatigue, dizziness, and weight loss. Or, you may have no symptoms. To diagnose the cause of the problem, your doctor may do blood tests and a nutritional assessment. Treatment may include replacing the missing nutrients and treating the underlying cause.
For example, abdominal pain has also been linked to poor nutritional outcomes, including reduction in appetite, weight loss, and macro- and micronutrient deficiencies.
Malnutrition results when someone has insufficient nutrients for their needs. Symptoms of malnutrition include weight and muscle loss, a weakened immune system, falls and hair loss. Treatment involves ensuring the person's diet contains enough energy, protein, vitamins and minerals.
Undernutrition may look like: Low body weight, prominent bones, depleted fat and muscle. Thin arms and legs with edema (swelling with fluid) in your belly and face. Stunted growth and intellectual development in children.
The underlying causes of malnutrition can be grouped under the three broad categories: inadequate household food security, inadequate care and inadequate health services and an unhealthy household environment, such as lack of access to safe water and effective sanitation.
Malnutrition can be caused by various factors. Unavailability of enough food, having difficulty in eating or absorbing nutrient can cause malnutrition [3]. Health conditions such as vomiting, loss of appetite, mental health disorders, and some medicines can also cause malnutrition [4].
Besides height deficits, other symptoms of chronic malnutrition include cognitive disability, decreased motor skills, and compromised immune function. The symptoms of chronic undernutrition can begin during conception and can have a lasting effect throughout the lifecycle.
Results. The median recovery duration was 5 months (95% confidence interval [CI] = 4–5 months), and the nutritional recovery rate was 64.64% (95% CI = 60.2–68.9).