Malnutrition

MALNUTRITION

Malnutrition or malnourishment is a condition that results from eating a Diet in which nutrients are either not enough or are too much such that the diet causes health problems. It may involve Calories, Protein, Carbohydrates, Vitamin or minerals. Malnutrition is often used specifically to refer to under nutrition where there are not enough calories, proteins or Micronutrients. If under nutrition occurs during pregnancy or before two years of age, it may result in permanent problems with physical and mental development.

       I.            Causes of Malnutrition

i)       Diseases: Malnutrition can be a consequence of health issues such as gastroenteritis or chronic illness can cause malnutrition through decreased nutrient absorption, decreased intake of food, increased metabolic requirements, and direct nutrient loss Parasite infections lead to malnutrition

ii)    Dietary practices: Decreased nutrient absorption, decreased intake of food, increased metabolic requirements, and direct nutrient loss.

iii)  Poverty and food prices: Poor socioeconomic position was associated with chronic malnutrition since it inhibits purchase of nutritious foods such as milk, meat, poultry, and fruits.

iv)  Agricultural productivity: Local food shortages can be caused by a lack of arable land, adverse weather, lower farming skills such as crop rotation, or by a lack of technology or resources needed for the higher yields found in modern agriculture, such as fertilizers, pesticides, irrigation, machinery and storage facilities. As a result of widespread poverty, farmers cannot afford or governments cannot provide the resources necessary to improve local yields.

v)    Future threats: Climate change is of importance to food security, with 95 percent of all malnourished peoples living in the relatively stable climate region of the sub-tropics and tropics. Small changes in temperatures can lead to increased frequency of extreme weather conditions may reduces the productivity of many crop species.

   II.            Symptoms of Malnutrition

·         Face	Moon face , simian facies
·         Eye	Dry eyes, pale conjunctiva, Bitot's spots , periorbital edema
·         Mouth	Angular stomatitis, cheilitis, glossitis, spongy bleeding gums, parotid enlargement
·         Teeth	Enamel mottling, delayed eruption
·         Hair	Brittle hair, broomstick eyelashes, alopecia
·         Skin	Loose and wrinkled, dry, follicular hyperkeratosis, hypopigmentation, poor wound healing
·         Nail	Koilonychia, thin and soft nail plates, fissures or ridges
·         Skeletal	Deformities usually a result of calcium, vitamin D, or vitamin C deficiencies
·         Abdomen	Distended - hepatomegaly with fatty liver, ascites may be present
·         Neurologic	Global development delay, loss of knee and ankle reflexes, poor memory

III.            Steps to prevent Malnutrition

1)      New technology in agricultural production such as Green revolution will reduce poverty by increasing income as well as open up area for diversification of crops for household use which succeed in breaking the cycle of poverty and malnutrition.

2)      Breastfeeding in the first two years and exclusive breastfeeding in the first six months could save from malnutrition.

3)      Fortified foods with micronutrients that can be sold to consumers such as wheat flour for Beladi bread in Egypt or fish sauce in Vietnam and the iodization of salt are examples.

4)      Population control measures will help to distribute the fair distribution of resources which will curtail the ratio of malnutrition.

5)      Food sovereignty is the right of people to define their own food, agriculture, livestock, and fisheries systems, in contrast to having food largely subjected to international market forces.

6)       Increase access to health facilities to rural parts of the world. These facilities could monitor undernourished children, act as supplemental food distribution centers, and provide education on dietary needs.