Malnutrition is one of the leading causes of childhood mortality in the world. According to the Nemours Foundation, every 6 seconds a child dies from malnutrition and its complications. Severe pediatric pathologic malnutrition can be divided into protein-malnutrition, or kwashiorkor, and marasmus. Children can also become malnourished as a result of chronic medical conditions that impair the child's ability to absorb and process foods.
Causes of Malnutrition
A number of diseases can cause malnutrition. For example, kwashiokor is a disease usually occurs in areas of the world where famine, war or limited food supply exist. Marasmus happens when severe malnutrition occurs over a short period of time. Conditions like cystic fibrosis prevent the absorption of nutrients from the digestive tract. Children with celiac disease have digestive problems as a result of their inability to digest gluten, which is present in barley and wheat. Also children who lose large parts of their digestive tract can have pathologic malnutrition if they are not offered nutritional support.
Symptoms
Children with pathologic malnutrition exhibit decreased muscle mass and inability to gain weight and achieve linear growth. According to PubMed Health, children with Kwashiorkor also have changes in the pigment of the skin, diarrhea, fatigue, irritability and rashes. Their immune system suffers the effect of the malnutrition, leaving these children prone to life-threatening infections. Other symptoms include anemia, easy bleeding and bruising and fragile bones. If untreated, pathologic malnutrition can lead to shock and death.
Treatment
Pathologic malnutrition can be corrected and its effects reversed, especially if it's mild and has not been long-lasting. Lab tests, including blood tests, x-rays and nutritional assessment for the presence of vitamin deficiencies are necessary to assess the extent of the malnutrition. The initial dietary support includes carbohydrates, or simple sugars, and fats. Proteins can be introduced later, once the digestive tract is primed for their absorption. Vitamin supplements are usually necessary to overcome severe deficiencies of these nutrients.
Complications
The main complication of pathologic pediatric malnutrition is refeeding syndrome. According to an article in the "British Medical Journal," during pathologic malnourishment, sugars, which are the main source of energy for the body, are quickly depleted, leading the body to use fats and proteins for energy. This results in decreased levels of electrolytes inside the cells, particularly phosphorus. When normal feeding starts, the cells starts taking phosphorus again, leading to low phosphorus in the bloodstream. This can be potentially fatal.
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