How doctors determine that the child eats normally? They analyze various signs and symptoms, ask questions about nutritional features and make laboratory tests. However, doctors mainly rely on more obvious data. They measure the growth of the child and volumes, weigh it and the resulting data is compared with the standard. Thus, the shape and degree of malnutrition is clarified.
The main viewing parameters are weight, height and arm volume. The ratio of weight and age determines the degree of malnutrition. Exhaustion and strong thinness indicate a severe form of malnutrition. This diagnosis is made when the body weight of the child is 40 or more percent below normal. The average form of malnutrition indicates 25-40 percent of the weight deficiency, and in a slight form-from 10 to 25 percent. Low growth relative to the age of the child indicates chronic malnutrition, which slows down the development of the child.
The severe form of protein and energy failure includes extreme exhaustion, kvashiorcor or a combination of these conditions.
Mast children aged 6 to 18 months suffer from extreme exhaustion. This condition develops gradually, it is characterized by chronic failure of calories and nutrients, and occurs due to a lack of breast milk or when the baby is fed with very diluted substitutes for mother’s milk.
A child who suffers from this form of protein-energy failure, weighs much less than the norm, his muscles are so thin that the skin sticks to the bones, growth slows down. The child has an old face, he is irritable and cries a lot.
The word “kvashorcor” comes from one African language and means “excommunicated child”. This word is called a baby who was excommunicated from his mother’s chest for the sake of a brother or sister who were only born. Kvashorcorcor occurs precisely when the child ceases to feed with mother’s milk, it is associated with calorie insufficiency, but develops due to acute lack of proteins. The body retains fluid, which is why limbs and stomach swell.
Sometimes the face swells, then it resembles the full moon. Irritations and lesions appear on the skin, the color and structure of the hair changes. Children swell the liver, they become apathetic and sad.
The third variety of protein-energy deficiency has signs of both extreme exhaustion and kvashorkor. If the child who is in one of the described conditions does not provide timely assistance, he will die.