Acute malnutrition: Causes, manifestations, diagnosis

Acute malnutrition is a condition in which the body does not receive enough energy and protein according to the needs. Acute malnutrition can cause stunting or edema.
Children with acute malnutrition are 5-20 times more likely to die than normal children. Causes of acute malnutrition include:
Poor nutritional intake Poor absorption of nutrients due to gastrointestinal disease or after a severe illness, the patient feels no appetite, does not want to eating There are many neuropsychiatric disorders that affect the eating habits of patients such as depression, anorexia nervosa, bulimia and other eating disorders. Infants are not exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months, do not get enough breast milk, and introduce solid foods too early.

Diagnosis of acute malnutrition is based on arm circumference and weight-for-height because clinical manifestations are often difficult to recognize. If in two factors, arm circumference and weight are lower than the threshold, acute malnutrition is diagnosed. Specifically:
Arm circumference: From >115mm - 125mm (applicable to children 6-59 months old); Weight/height: Weight/height from -3SD to -2SD 2.1. Edema malnourishment The main cause of edematous malnutrition in children is the lack of protein supply. Recognizing signs include:
Edema starting from 2 lower extremities, then the whole body; soft white edema, concave press. Digestive disorders or pneumonia. Based on arm circumference or weight-for-height, it may be normal. The limbs, groin, buttocks often have red spots on the skin, then turn black and peel off, easy to infect and cause patchy. Diagnosed with heart failure, enlarged liver, osteoporosis,... Tests show a decrease in hemoglobin, a decrease in sodium and potassium, an increase in non-essential or essential amino acids,...

2.2. Malnutrition in stunting form Malnutrition in this form is mainly caused by lack of energy supply. Signs of recognition include:
The child has no fat layer under the skin of the face, limbs, buttocks, so the child is stunted, sunken eyes Dry, wrinkled skin Having appetite or not The child becomes moody, less flexible, fussy . Hematocrit decreased Hematocrit, blood protein decreased Blood sugar and electrolyte changes 2.3. Combined malnutrition is a combination of stunting and edematous malnutrition, caused by children's lack of energy and protein deficiency. Recognizing signs:
Baby's weight drops below 60% of normal baby weight (under - 4SD). Children have edema, but the body is thin, the cheeks are sunken, but there is swelling in the instep of the feet and there may be pigment patches. Children also have poor appetite, or have digestive disorders.

Exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of life and for at least two years. Only give formula to babies when there is not enough breast milk Eat rich foods to stimulate appetite Increase regular physical activity Treat gastrointestinal and systemic diseases. Do not overuse antibiotics in the treatment of disease Regularly monitor the child's growth with a chart To prevent and improve malnutrition in children, parents should supplement support products containing lysine , essential micro-minerals and vitamins such as zinc, chromium, selenium, and B vitamins to help fully meet the nutritional needs of children. At the same time, these essential vitamins also support digestion, enhance nutrient absorption, help improve anorexia, and help children eat well. Parents can also apply dietary supplements and functional foods derived from nature for easy absorption by the baby. The most important thing is that the improvement of the baby's symptoms must take place over the long term. Combining many types of functional foods at the same time or changing many types in a short time can make the baby's digestive system unable to adapt and completely not good. Therefore, parents must be really persistent with their children and regularly visit the website vimec.com to update useful baby care information.