What to do if the child is malnourished

Child malnutrition performance

The foundation of health comes from nutrition, and for children, it is necessary to be alert to both overnutrition and malnutrition. What  is malnutrition in young children? Malnutrition refers to deficiencies, excesses, or imbalances in a person’s intake of energy and or nutrients.

Generally , infants and young children under 3 years of age are more likely to suffer from malnutrition. So what are the symptoms of malnutrition in young children?

1. Protein deficiency: Clinically fatigue, often accompanied by anemia, weight loss in children, delayed growth and development, and decreased resistance to infectious diseases.
2. Fat deficiency can cause children prone to fat soluble vitamin deficiency including Vitamin A and Vitamin D.
3. Deficiency of sugar can lead to hypoglycemia, and they are usually fatigue and growth retardation.
4. Calcium deficiency: Children are prone to osteoporosis, abnormal bone and tooth development, and some children may have low calcium convulsions.
5. Lack of vitamin D or calcium leading to rickets mainly in women and girls can lead to a malformed pelvis and extra dangers in giving birth.
6. Potassium deficiency: Children often have muscle weakness, and severe arrhythmias can occur.
7. Insufficient dietary fiber: They are more prone to constipation

Causes of child malnutrition

1. Improper long term feeding and insufficient calories such as being born without breast milk or insufficient breast milk and unable to reasonably choose staple foods.
2. Sudden weaning: There are no planned steps to wean the baby, but if weaned suddenly, the children’s gastrointestinal tract can not adapt.
3. Frail children: low-weight children, twins, multiple births or frail children caused by dystocia and suffocation and other accidents are easy to get malnutrition.
4. Exposure to infections such as respiratory and gastrointestinal infections such as pneumonia, lung abscess, cleft palate and frequent vomiting can lead to poor appetite, loss of weight and malnutrition.

The hazards of child malnutrition

During the first two years after birth, the malnourished young children who do not reach their optimum height or consistently experience bouts of weight loss during childhood are affected in the long term in numerous ways.

If nutrition intake is insufficient at this stage, it will affect the brain development. Their intelligence will be affected resulting in low IQ. They are also are prone to infection, which kills many children during their early years

And after suffering from malnutrition after 2-3 years old, even if the baby is lightweight and mentally backward, as long as the malnutrition is corrected, both can return to normal.

How to prevent malnutrition in young children

1. Strengthen nutrition guidance such as encouraging exclusive breastfeeding for six months and pay attention to the feeding methods.
2. Older children should pay attention to the correct combination of food ingredients.
3. Prevent infectious diseases and correct congenital malformations to prevent malnutrition.
4. Avoid harmful and unhealthy food and physical exercise to correct poor eating habits and enhance physical fitness.