Kwashiorkor (redirected from malignant malnutrition)

kwashiorkor (kwăsh'ēôr`kôr), protein deficiency disorder of children. It is prevalent in overpopulated parts of the world where the diet consists mainly of starchy vegetables, particularly in sections of Africa, Central and South America, and S Asia. Such a diet, although adequate in calories, is deficient in certain amino acids, the constituents of proteins vital for growth. The nursing infant gets the required amino acids from the mother's milk. But the weaned child, who receives neither milk nor meat, is likely to develop kwashiorkor. The most striking manifestations of the disease are a swollen and severely bloated abdomen, resulting from decreased albumin in the blood, and various skin changes resulting in a reddish discoloration of the hair and skin in black African children. Other symptoms include severe diarrhea, enlarged fatty liver, atrophy of muscles and glands, mental apathy, and generally retarded development. Kwashiorkor is treated by adding proteins to the diet, usually in the form of dried milk.

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kwashiorkor

Condition caused by severe protein deficiency. It is common in tropical and subtropical regions in young children weaned on a diet chiefly of starchy foods such as grains, cassava, plantain, and sweet potato. It causes potbelly, edema, weakness, irritability, dry skin with rash, reddish-orange hair discoloration, diarrhea, anemia, and fat deposits in the liver. Mental development may be stunted. Adults who had the disease in childhood may be at risk of diseases such as cirrhosis. Treatment is protein supplementation, often in the form of dried skim milk. For long-term prevention, development of high-protein plant mixtures based on local food preferences and availability is encouraged. Nondietary causes include inadequate absorption of nutrients by the intestines, chronic alcoholism, kidney disease, and trauma (e.g., infection, burns) causing abnormal protein loss.

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kwashiorkor

severe malnutrition of infants and young children, esp soon after weaning, resulting from dietary deficiency of protein

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kwashiorkor [¦kwä·shē¦ȯr·kər]

(medicine)

A nutritional deficiency disease in infants and young children, mainly in the tropics, caused primarily by a diet low in proteins and rich in carbohydrates. Also known as nutritional dystrophy.

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Kwashiorkor 

a special type of severe dystrophy that develops in young children with a diet deficient in protein.

Kwashiorkor is found in the tropics and subtropics (Central and South America, Africa, India). It appears most often once the children are weaned and are transferred to a vegetable diet consisting principally of carbohydrates. The development of the condition may be fostered by infection (tuberculosis, malaria, helminthic diseases), difficult living conditions, and a low standard of living. Kwashiorkor leads to a significant retardation of physical development. The skin becomes dry and scaly. It takes on a reddish tint, and cracks and ulcers may appear. The hair becomes lighter in color and falls out easily. There is a loss of subcutaneous adipose tissue and the muscles are atrophic. Dental caries develop. Edema is often observed. There is a loss of appetite and abdominal distention, and vomiting and diarrhea are frequent. Patients become irritable and apathetic. The course of the condition may be complicated by pneumonia and a decrease in the hemoglobin content of the blood.

Treatment of kwashiorkor involves proper diet and vitamin therapy and blood and plasma transfusions. The condition can be prevented by a balanced diet, a raised standard of living, and the improvement of general medical care.

N. D. MIKERINA