Severe malnutrition: Causes, manifestations, diagnosis

Severe malnutrition is a condition where the body does not receive enough energy and protein as needed. Severe malnutrition can cause stunting or edema.

Children with severe malnutrition are 5-20 times more likely to die than normal children. Causes of severe malnutrition include:

• Poor meals in nutrients
• Poor absorption of nutrients due to gastrointestinal pathology or after a severe illness, the person feels not appetite, does not want to eat
• There are many neurological disorders that affect the eating habits of the person such as depression, anorexia, vomiting and other eating disorders.
• Babies are not fully breastfed for the first 6 months, do not breastfeed enough and feed miles too early.

Diagnosis of severe malnutrition is based on the circumferentimeter of the arms and weight by height because clinical manifestations are often difficult to recognize. If in 2 factors the circumferentimeter of the arms and weight is lower than the threshold, then an emergency malnutrition is diagnosed. Specifically:

• Arm circumferving: >115mm – 125mm (applicable to children 6-59 months old);
• Weight height: Weight/height from -3SD to -2SD

2.1. Edema malnutrition

The main cause of children suffering from edema malnutrition is the lack of protid. Signs of recognition include:

• Edema begins with the lower 2 3 30s, then the whole body edema; soft white edema, concave press.
• Gastrointestinal disorders or pneumonia.
• Relying on arm circumferferance or weight by height may be normal
• Heels, inguinal, buttocks often float redness on the skin then turn dark and peel off, prone to infection causing spreading.
• Diagnosis of heart failure,hepatic enlarged, osteoporosis,…
• The test found a decrease in hemolysis, reduced sodium and potassium, non-essential amino acids or an increased lack of weakness,…

2.2. Stunted physical malnutrition

Malnourished children in this body are mainly caused by lack of energy. Signs of recognition include:

• Children do not have fat under the skin of the face, 2 20s, buttocks, so they are stunted, their eyes are sunken
• Dry, wrinkled skin
• Have an appetite or not
• The child becomes moody, less flexible, fussy.
• Decreased hemolysis
• Hematocrit, blood protein decreases
• Blood sugar and electrolyses change

2.3. Coordinated physical malnutrition

Coordinated physical malnutrition is a combination of stunted and physical malnutrition, caused by a child's lack of energy and protid deficiency. Signs of recognition:

• The baby's weight drops below 60% of the normal child's weight (less than – 4SD).
• The child has edema, but the body is thin, the cheeks are sing but edema is on the back of the foot and there may be pigmentation plaque.
• Children also have poor appetite, or digestive disorders.

• Breastfeeding babies completely in the first 6 months of life and lasts at least two years. Only give infant formula when there is insufficient breast milk
• Eat rich food to stimulate appetite
• Enhance regular physical activities
• Treatment of gastrointestinal and generalized diseases.
• Do not overdo antibiotics in the treatment of the disease
• Regularly monitor your child's growth with a chart

The pediatrics department at Share99 International Health Hub is the address to receive and examine the diseases that babies as well as young children are susceptible to: viral fever, bacterial fever, otitis media, pneumonia in children,… With modern equipment, ile space, minimize the impact as well as the risk of spreading the disease. Along with that is the dedication from experienced doctors to pediatric patients, making the examination no longer a concern of parents.

Customers can directly go to Share99 Health System nationwide for examination or contact the hotline HERE for assistance.