Malnutrition

Malnutrition is a disorder specific to nutritional status and infant infancy due to insufficient food intake. It is characterized by a low weight in relation to age, which is associated vitamin and mineral deficiencies, anemia and nutritional rickets Deficiency.
 Malnutrition is currently the most important risk factor for morbidity and mortality in children worldwide. In addition, a large part of the state of malnutrition is installed in the first 6 months of life, the period of maximum development of the central nervous system.
 Malnutrition affects all body organs, stop child growth and development and damage immune functions of the body that are similar to those seen in children infected with HIV. These changes in immune reactions cause a predisposition to chronic or acute infections in children. Diarrhea, which usually occurs in malnourished children, causes anorexia, decreased nutrient absorption, increased metabolic needs and direct loss of nutrients.
 Children may also have deficiencies of micronutrients, which have a negative effect on growth and development. An estimated 2 million people worldwide are deficient of iodine, iron, zinc and vitamin A.
 Children who suffer from chronic malnutrition shows changes in behavior: irritability, apathy and decreased social networking, anxiety and attention disorders. The degree of retardation and impaired depends on the severity and duration of insufficient food intake, and the age at which malnutrition occurs. In general, insufficient food intake at younger ages has a less favorable prognosis.
 FrequentToday, more than half of children in South Asia suffer from protein-calorie malnutrition (MPC), representing a prevalence of 6.5 times higher than in the Western Hemisphere. In sub-Saharan Africa, approximately 30% of children suffer from MPC.In underdeveloped countries, more than 50% of the 10 million deaths annually are caused directly or indirectly of malnutrition in children below 5 years.