Kwashiorkor – Malnutrition, Lack of Protein

Kwashiorkor is the most common form of malnutrition often found in children and is caused due to lack of protein, inspite of a reasonable amount of intake of calories. Every cell in the body contains protein and protein is essential in the diet for the body to repair cells and make new ones as well as for growth during pregnancy and during childhood.

Insufficient intake of protein could lead to this malnutrition. Healthy body regenerates cellsconstantly. Kwashiorkor is commonly seen in most developing countries of the world where there is a famine or a limited stock of food supply or seen in countries where the diet probably consist of mainly rice, beans and corn.

Kwashiorkor, like other forms of malnutrition can cause irritability, drowsiness and fatigue and if the person is still deprived of protein , they will tend to fail in putting weight or grow in height, develop swelling under the skin or oedema, develop a pot belly, lose muscle mass, have an enlarged fatty liver develop red, inflamed patches of skin which darkens and peel or split open, dry sparse, brittle hair which may turn reddish yellow or white, ridged nails and are vulnerable to infections due to poor immune system. Most of these malnourished kids tend to become intolerant to milk sugar- develop lactose intolerance.

Physical Appearance – Pot Belly

Kwashiorkor is diagnosed on physical appearance of the pot belly and oedema together with information about the person’s intake and the diagnosis can be confirmed with the help of blood and urine test which indicate the low blood protein levels, low blood sugar levels, the stress hormone cortisol and high levels of growth hormone, low levels of salt in the blood and on the waste product urea in the urine, iron deficiency anaemia and low blood pH. Besides these, other test may also include growth measurements, taking skin biopsy, analysing hair sample and calculating body mass index.

Recommended – 10 to 35 Calories of Protein

Kwashiorkorpatient need to have their blood and body fluid level rectified and any other infection treated. Thereafter small amount of food intake should be introduced gradually, like carbohydrate first, in order to provide sufficient energy, which could be followed by high protein food.

This could take over a week at which point of time the child should be consuming around 175 calories and 4 grams protein per kg of bodyweight while an adult around 60 calories and 2 grams protein per kg of bodyweight. Besides this, vitamin and mineral supplements can also be given.

Children with kwashiorkor condition may not grow or develop properly and is a serious problem which can also be life threatening if proper treatment is not rendered to the person. Treatment which begins in the initial stage of the ailment result in good recovery though they may not reach the full growth and height potential..

 If treatment is delayed, the condition may still improve but the mental and physical impairment may remain permanent. Kwashiorkor can be prevented on consumption of enough calories and protein rich food. It is recommended by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention –CDC, that 10 to 35 percent of the daily calories should come from protein.