What Causes Malnutrition in Children?

Inadequate chronic food intake is a major cause of malnutrition. Such as prolific, twin and premature babies, if they do not pay attention to scientific feeding, often cause malnutrition. Congenital malformations such as cleft lip and chronic wasting diseases such as tuberculosis can also cause malnutrition. Appears as no weight gain or loss, subcutaneous fat gradually disappears, the general order is abdominal, chest and back, waist, upper and lower limbs, cheeks. In severe cases, muscle atrophy, retarded motor function development, mental retardation, poor immunity, and susceptibility to indigestion and various infections.

Pediatric malnutrition

Inadequate chronic food intake is a major cause of malnutrition. Such as prolific, twin and premature babies, if they do not pay attention to scientific feeding, often cause malnutrition. Congenital malformations such as cleft lip and chronic wasting diseases such as tuberculosis can also cause malnutrition. Appears as no weight gain or loss, subcutaneous fat gradually disappears, the general order is the abdomen, chest and back, waist, upper and lower limbs, cheeks. In severe cases, muscle atrophy, retarded motor function development, mental retardation, poor immunity, and susceptibility to indigestion and various infections.

English name: child nutrition disorders
Visiting department: Pediatrics, Gastroenterology

Common causes: Insufficient intake, indigestion, inadequate supply, etc.
Common symptoms: Significant weight loss, stunted growth, edema around the body, etc.

Causes of malnutrition in children

Malnutrition in children

Insufficient food intake for a long time, such as insufficient breast milk and early supplementary food; artificial feeding, the quality and quantity of food can not meet the needs, such as excessive dilution of milk or feeding with starchy food; sudden weaning, the baby can not adapt to the new Food etc.

Pediatric malnutrition, poor eating habits

Irregular diet, partial eclipse, ruminant habits, or vomiting.

Factors of Pediatric Malnutrition

Malnourished Afghan baby crying in mothers arms Illness affects appetite, hinders food digestion, absorption, and utilization, and increases body consumption. Common diseases that are prone to malnutrition are: persistent infant diarrhea, chronic enteritis or dysentery, and absorption caused by various enzyme deficiencies

Kenyan malnourished boy sitting on hospital bed Illness syndrome, intestinal parasitic disease, tuberculosis, measles, recurrent respiratory infections, chronic urinary tract infections, etc., certain congenital malformations of the digestive tract (such as cleft lip, palate, congenital hypertrophic pyloric stenosis or cardia relaxation, etc.) and severe congenital Sexual heart disease can cause feeding difficulties: certain hereditary metabolic disorders and immunodeficiency diseases can also affect food digestion, absorption and utilization.

Premature birth and twins are prone to malnutrition, intrauterine infections, maternal diseases or low nutrition, and abnormal structure and function of the placenta and umbilical cord can cause fetal malnutrition and intrauterine growth retardation, which are prerequisites for infant malnutrition.

Severe malnutrition is mostly caused by a variety of factors.

Pathophysiology of pediatric malnutrition

The pathological changes of mild malnutrition are only subcutaneous fat reduction and mild muscle atrophy. The pathological changes of other tissues and organs of the body are unknown.

Malnutrition plagues Honduran children Show. In severe malnutrition, the bowel wall is thinned, mucosal folds disappear, and myocardial fibers are turbid.

Malnutrition and mental health Swelling, liver fat infiltration, lymph and thymus atrophy significantly, all organs are seen to shrink, a series of physical and physiological changes from the face.

Hypoglycemia is often caused by insufficient or excessive consumption of glycogen. Large amounts of body fat are consumed, which lowers serum cholesterol. Insufficient protein intake and increased consumption create a negative nitrogen balance. Extracellular fluid is often hypotonic, low in potassium and calcium, and often deficient in zinc and other trace elements. Digestive juice and enzyme secretion are reduced. Reduced activity, affecting the digestion and absorption of various nutrients. Myocardial contractility is weakened, stroke volume is reduced, blood pressure is low, and pulse is weak. Renal concentration is reduced, and urine specific gravity decreases. Nervous system regulation dysfunction, motor and language development retardation. Cell and humoral immunity are low, and various infections are easy to occur. The tuberculin test can be negative.

Pediatric malnutrition manifestations

The main manifestations are the disappearance of fat, muscle atrophy and stagnation of growth and development. At the same time, it can also cause functional disorders of the whole system, reduce the body's resistance, and create conditions for the occurrence and development of many diseases.

Pediatric malnutrition classification

A severely malnourished child in Uganda lies on a mat It can be divided into three degrees according to the light and heavy: is light, and and are heavy.

First degree malnutrition: normal mental state. The weight is 15% -25% lower than normal, the thickness of the subcutaneous fat in the abdominal wall is 0.8 cm-0.4 cm, the skin is dry, and the height is not affected.

degree malnutrition: lack of energy, irritability, weakened muscle tone, muscle relaxation, weight loss 25% -40% below normal, abdominal subcutaneous fat thickness less than 0.4 cm, pale, dry skin, dull hair, height lower than normal .

degree malnutrition: mental malaise, drowsiness and restlessness appear alternately, mental retardation, muscle atrophy, low muscle tone, weight less than 40% of normal, subcutaneous fat on the abdominal wall disappears, wrinkles appear on the forehead, showing an elderly-like face. The skin is pale, dry and inelastic, the hair is dry, the height is significantly lower than normal, often with hypothermia, slow pulse, loss of appetite, constipation, and severe cases can cause malnutrition edema due to decreased serum albumin.

Pediatric malnutrition classification

Classification of pediatric malnutrition:

primary malnutrition. Caused by insufficient nutrients in the diet;

Secondary nutritional deficiency disease. Many reasons include: the body's obstacles to nutrient intake, digestion, absorption and utilization; the body's increased demand for nutrients; the body's increased excretion of nutrients; Among them, inadequate nutrient intake and malabsorption are the main causes of malnutrition, especially after the body's growth and development, pregnancy, lactation, and simultaneous disease states increase the demand for nutrients. If insufficient nutrient intake is more likely to cause malnutrition.

At present, the more common awards for nutritional deficiencies are: protein thermal malnutrition, iron deficiency anemia, simple goiter, calcium deficiency, zinc deficiency, dry eye disease, rickets, beriberi, vitamin B deficiency, and crusts. Diseases, megaloblastic anemia, etc., among which protein thermal malnutrition, iron deficiency anemia, simple goiter and dry eye disease, are known as the world's four major nutritional deficiencies.

Prevention of malnutrition in children

Malnourished diet 1. Children with long-term malnutrition are mostly short and thin, they are slow to respond to the outside world, do not like activities, rarely interact with people, their hair is yellow and thin, their skin is dry and wrinkled, their mouth is inflamed, their tongues are peeled off, their limbs are cold, and their temperature is low Various infections and inflammations often occur. If parents pay attention to observation, it is not difficult to detect the malnutrition of children early, they should take their children to the hospital for treatment as soon as possible.

2. Breast milk is the most complete food for children. Promote breastfeeding, pay attention to feeding methods, add supplementary food in time according to age, and master the principles of thinning first, then drying first, then first, then first, and then less. Weaning around 1 year old, giving easy-to-digest, nutritious food.

3. Pay attention to outdoor exercise, breathe fresh air, and bask in the sun to enhance physical fitness.

4. Gradually increase according to the original diet. Do not increase the amount each time; if there are symptoms of indigestion, reduce the amount.

5. Pay attention to the reasonable distribution of quality and quantity.

6, from time to time to the hospital or check the Chinese medicine, found problems, it is recommended to use traditional Chinese medicine and medicated diet or diet conditioning, after all, Chinese medicine cures the root, Western medicine cures the table and cures the root, side effects are also relatively large.

Pediatric malnutrition treatment

Traditional Chinese Medicine and Recipes for Pediatric Malnutrition

1. Take 1 yellow sturgeon and 10 grams of chicken gold. Remove the bonito from the viscera, cut into cubes, add the chicken internal gold, and steam it before serving.

2. 30 grams of sweet potato leaves, 10 grams of golden chicken, decoction, seasoning.

3. Mix human malt and decoction.

4, several hawthorn, a little brown sugar, decoction.

5, goose does not eat grass 3 grams, stewed pork to eat.

6, Jinbuchang grass 60 grams, the same tofu stew.

7, 500 grams of fresh mussels, washed with cold water, put 100 grams of sugar for 1 hour, and take the juice. Take 3 tablespoons each time, 3 times a day.

8, 2 walnut kernels, 25 grams of Divine Comedy, decoction plus brown sugar, orally.

9. Acupuncture therapy: acupuncture in the midge, Tianshu, Qihai, Zusanli, with four stitches in the hands of the thorn, squeeze the yellow liquid after the needle is released, and try to dry with clean and disinfected cotton, once every other day, there is spleen and stomach elimination effect.

10, apply Neiguan point method: peach kernel, almond, raw mandarin duck equal parts, borneol, camphor a little. After researching the three flavors together, add borneol and mix with camphor for later use. Take 15-20 grams of medicine, stir with egg whites to make a paste, suitable for wet and dry, apply on both sides of Neiguan, and wrap with gauze for 24 hours, every 2-3 days.

11. Apply your feet: 15 grams of loquat grass, 50 grams of ginger and green onion. Smash the medicine, add 1 duck protein and stir well, apply to the soles of the feet overnight. Once every 3 days, 5-7 times per course.

12, apply the umbilical method: 100 grams of skin nitrate, wrapped in cloth and tied in the umbilical to eliminate stasis.

Western medicine for pediatric malnutrition

1. Vitamin-rich foods or vitamin B family drugs should be given during treatment. Other adjunctive therapies such as nandrolone phenylpropionate, 25 mg, intramuscularly, twice a week, while giving a sufficient protein diet.

2. It is generally believed that the best food basis is infant milk with sucrose and vegetable oil. If you are older, you can add solid food to increase the calorie supply according to local customary foods. If there is no diarrhea or vomiting, you can give 190 calories per kg per day at an early stage and gradually increase to 200 calories. Those who cannot tolerate lactose should not use milk.

3, a small number of multiple blood transfusions, plasma transfusions, intravenous or intramuscular injection; placental blood can also be used for multiple enema.

4. Adrenocortical hormones, cortisol and other hormones can be used in stubborn cases.

5. Acupuncture Ganshu, Weishu, and body pillars with short and strong stimulation without leaving needles.

Pediatric malnutrition confused disease

1. Progressive spinal muscular atrophy: autosomal recessive hereditary anterior horn cell degeneration. The clinical manifestations are muscle atrophy and weakness, and the course of the disease gradually progresses. However, muscle bundle tremor is common, and atrophy of the distal limbs is more obvious. Serum enzyme tests are normal, and the electromyography is characterized by neurogenic damage.

2. Polymyositis: The onset is relatively rapid and progresses rapidly, often accompanied by myalgia or fever, and no positive family history. Laboratory tests may have increased erythrocyte sedimentation. Muscle biopsy showed inflammatory changes.

3. Myasthenia gravis: muscle atrophy may occur in the late stage. However, myasthenia is volatile, light in the morning and heavy in the morning, and anticholinesterase tests are positive. Serum muscle enzymes were not elevated, and anti-acetylcholine receptor antibodies were mostly positive. During electromyography, nerves are stimulated at repetitive frequencies, showing that the amplitude of action potentials gradually decreases. Adrenal corticosteroids or anticholinesterase drugs are effective.

4. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: Children are rare. Muscle atrophy and weakness, the course of the disease gradually progressed. But often accompanied by muscle bundle tremor, and increased muscle tone, tendon reflexes and positive pathological signs of motor neuron damage.

Pediatric malnutrition with diseases

1. Infection of upper respiratory tract infection, thrush, otitis media, pneumonia, enteritis, pyelonephritis and so on.

2. Multivitamin deficiency stomatitis, bleeding gums, rickets, dry cornea, softening or ulcers.

3. Zinc deficiency has retarded growth and development, intractable appetite deficiency, and skeletal developmental disorders. And hepatomegaly, anemia, rough skin and pigmentation, and sexual development disorders.

4. Spontaneous hypoglycemia children with severe malnutrition sometimes have spontaneous hypoglycemia such as sweating, palpitation, slowed pulse, and apnea, which occur at night. If they are not rescued in time, they may die of respiratory failure.