User:Csteel3777/Undernutrition in children

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Measures[edit]
Children under the age of five are most likely to experience malnutrition and often face a variety of diseases and growth inhibitors as a result. There are three commonly used measures for detecting malnutrition in children:


 * stunting (extremely low height for age),
 * underweight (extremely low weight for age), and
 * wasting (extremely low weight for height).

In terms of more immediate risk factors for malnutrition and the many growth impairments that accompany it, a child’s gender, age, and size at birth are all decent indicators of their likelihood of presenting as stunted or wasted. These measures of malnutrition are interrelated, but studies for the World Bank found that only 9 percent of children exhibit stunting, underweight, and wasting.

Children with severe acute malnutrition are very thin, but they often also have swollen hands and feet, making the internal problems more evident to health workers.

Children with severe malnutrition are very susceptible to infection.

Effects later in life [edit]
Undernutrition in children causes direct structural damage to the brain and impairs infant motor development and exploratory behavior. Children who are undernourished before age two and gain weight quickly later in childhood and in adolescence are at high risk of chronic diseases related to nutrition.

Studies have found a strong association between undernutrition and child mortality. Once malnutrition is treated, adequate growth is an indication of health and recovery. Even after recovering from severe malnutrition, children often remain stunted for the rest of their lives.

Even mild degrees of malnutrition double the risk of mortality for respiratory and diarrheal disease mortality and malaria. This risk is greatly increased in more severe cases of malnutrition.

'''Malnutrition often results in many diseases and health concerns that require immediate medical attention. Of these side effects, there is an emphasis on addressing the increased risk of hypoglycemia, hypothermia, cardiac failure, and the likelihood of missing the presence of an infection. All of these complications can result in severe health effects.'''

Undernourished girls tend to grow into short adults and are more likely to have small children.

Prenatal malnutrition and early life growth patterns can alter metabolism and physiological patterns and have lifelong effects on the risk of cardiovascular disease. Children who are undernourished are more likely to be short in adulthood, have lower educational achievement and economic status, and give birth to smaller infants. Children often face malnutrition during the age of rapid development, which can have long-lasting impacts on health. Hospitals can and should diagnose, manage and prioritize treatments for malnutrition in order to alleviate long-lasting impacts.