Kwashiorkor
| Kwashiorkor | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| One of many children with kwashiorkor in relief camps during the Biafra War | |
| Pronunciation | /kwɑːʃiˈɔːrkər/ |
| Classification and external resources | |
| Specialty | Pediatrics |
| ICD-10 | E40, E42 |
| ICD-9-CM | 260 |
| DiseasesDB | 7211 |
| MedlinePlus | 001604 |
| MeSH | D007732 |
Kwashiorkor is a form of severe protein–energy malnutrition characterized by edema, irritability, ulcerating dermatoses, and an enlarged liver with fatty infiltrates. Sufficient calorie intake, but with insufficient protein consumption, distinguishes it from marasmus. Kwashiorkor cases occur in areas of famine or poor food supply. Cases in the developed world are rare.
Jamaican pediatrician Cicely Williams introduced the name into the medical community in a 1935 Lancet article, two years after she published the disease's first formal description in the Western medical literature. The name is derived from the Ga language of coastal Ghana, translated as "the sickness the baby gets when the new baby comes" or "the disease of the deposed child", and reflecting the development of the condition in an older child who has been weaned from the breast when a younger sibling comes. Breast milk contains proteins and amino acids vital to a child's growth. In at-risk populations, kwashiorkor may develop after a mother weans her child from breast milk, replacing it with a diet high in carbohydrates, especially sugar.
The defining sign of kwashiorkor in a malnourished child is pitting edema (swelling of the ankles and feet). Other signs include a distended abdomen, an enlarged liver with fatty infiltrates, thinning hair, loss of teeth, skin depigmentation and dermatitis. Children with kwashiorkor often develop irritability and anorexia. Generally, the disease can be treated by adding protein to the diet; however, it can have a long-term impact on a child's physical and mental development, and in severe cases may lead to death.
In dry climates, marasmus is the more frequent disease associated with malnutrition. Another malnutrition syndrome includes cachexia, although it is often caused by underlying illnesses. These are important considerations in the treatment of the patients.
...
Wikipedia