Desirae Stirling

Child Malnutrition in

Developing Nations

• Some 795 million people in the world do not have enough food to lead a healthy active life. That's about one in nine people on earth

• The vast majority of the world's hungry people live in developing countries, where 12.9 percent of the population is undernourished

• One out of six children in developing countries is underweight

• Nearly half of all deaths of under 5’s are due to malnutrition

• 16,000 children die daily of malnutrition

Statistics

Where Does this Happen?

• Definition: People are malnourished if their diet does not provide adequate nutrients for growth and maintenance or if they are unable to fully utilize the food they eat due to illness (undernutrition). They are also malnourished if they consume too many calories (overnutrition).

• Acute MalnutritionDefinition: Also known as ‘wasting’, acute malnutrition is characterized by a rapid deterioration in nutritional status over a short period of time

What is Malnutrition?

• Chronic MalnutritionDefinition: Chronic malnutrition, also known as ‘stunting’, is a form of growth failure which develops over a long period of time

Acute Malnutrition, Two Types

What is Malnutrition?

• Kwashiorkor (Wet)Definition: Clinical form of acute malnutrition resulting from protein-energy deficiency characterized by edema (swelling)

• Marasmus (Dry)Definition: Clinical form of acute malnutrition characterized by severe weight loss or wasting

Marasmus: underweight, muscle wasting, loss of fat, “old man” face, pot belly, irritable, constantly hungry

Kwashiorkor: edema (swelling), “moon” face, pale, sparse hair (red in Africans), dermatitis, moderately low weight, miserable and apathetic; no appetite

What are the Symptoms?

What is Malnutrition?

Kwashiorkor (Wet)Marasmus (Dry)

• Anemia (Iron, Folic Acid, and Vit. B12 deficiency)

• Beriberi (Vitamin B1 deficiency)

• Night Eyes, Bitot’s Spots, and Blindness (Vitamin A deficiency)

• Goiter and Cretinism (Iodine deficiency)

• Pellagra (Vitamin B3 deficiency)

• Rickets (Vitamin D deficiency)

Are there other

malnutrition issues?

Because of the general lack of needed nutrients, entire immune system is affected

• Respiratory infections

• Parasites

• Infectious diseases (measles, pneumonia, tuberculosis, etc.)

• Dehydration

Are there Any Co-occurring

Conditions?

Physical• Symptoms already mentioned

• Stunting, growth reduction, failure to thrive

• Delayed reactions and motor development

• Can result in death

What Effects Does it Have?

What Effects Does it Have?

Mental• Hard to focus and learn

• Study done showing lower cognitive skills at 8 and 11 years old

• Severe chronic malnutrition in first 2 years results in irreversible brain limitations

Behavioral• Disruptive and inattentive in classroom settings

• Poorer emotional and attention control

What Effects Does it Have?

Social• Hard to gauge because of other factors (socio-economic status, neglect and perhaps

abuse)

• Difficulty developing relationships with teachers and peers

Emotional• Trouble with bonding in relationships

• Lower levels of dopamine after interaction with caring adult

• If marasmus, feed more food, especially healthy fats

• If kwashiorkor, it will take patience and persistenceo Give easy-to-chew, soft foods in small

doses, often

o Especially protein and healthy fats

• If a vitamin or mineral deficiency, first try to include needed nutrient in the dieto If necessary, add oral vitamin supplements

to the diet

o Do not use injections!

What Does Recovery Look Like?

• Begins with poverty!

• Very complex issue

• Includes effective food productiono Land access

o Land fertility

o Effective farming methods

• Also, fair food distributiono National poverty (debt)

o Corruption

What Does Prevention Look Like?

But, for the individual family…

• Pregnant mothers must seek adequate nutrition

• Breast feeding up to 2 years old

• Complete diet (My Plate, Food groups)

What Does Prevention Look Like?

• Under Five’s Clinico Preventative and Curative treatment

provided by local healthcare workers

o Immunizations, weight and size measurement

o Records kept by mothers

o Temporary housing for severe cases, with mothers

International Work

• Under Fives Clinic

• Teaching about food groups

• Working for international NGO’s

So, What Can YOU Do?

In America• In cases of adoption, educate parents on what

to expect• Raise awareness• Donate! Sponsor a child

Division of Communication, UNICEF. (2012). Nutrition glossary. [Retrieved from

http://www.unicef.org/lac/Nutrition_Glossary_(3).pdf

Goldman, W. J., Belton, N., Etienne de la, R. N., Oberklaide, F., & al, e. (2001). Editorial comment: The

influence of early nutrition on physical, cognitive, and emotional development. International Seminars in

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http://search.proquest.com/docview/232497617?accountid=27698

Morley, D. (2005). UNDER FIVES CLINIC. Journal of Family & Community Medicine, 12(2), 61–62.

Nelson, C. A., Bos, K., Gunnar, M. R., & Sonuga-Barke, E. S. (2011). V. THE NEUROBIOLOGICAL TOLL

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Resources

UNICEF. (2012). CNN and UNICEF raise awareness of the silent emergency of child stunting. Retrieved

from http://www.unicef.org/nutrition/index_66188.html

UNICEF. (2015). Introduction to UNICEF’s work on statistics and monitoring. Retrieved from

http://www.unicef.org/statistics/

United Nations World Food Programme. (2015). Hunger statistics. Retrieved from

https://www.wfp.org/hunger/stats

Werner, D., & Thuman, C. (1992). Where there is no doctor: A village health care handbook (Rev. ed.). Palo Alto, Calif., U.S.A.: Hesperian Foundation.

Resources