Caring for and nurturing malnourished children

This is an automatically translated article.

The article was professionally consulted by Dr., Doctor Phan Nguyen Thanh Binh - Head of the Department of Nutrition - Dietetics - Department of Pediatrics - Neonatology, Vinmec Central Park International General Hospital.
Lack of energy and nutrients can make children malnourished. This condition can have serious consequences such as physical and mental retardation in children, weak resistance, increased morbidity and mortality in children under 5 years old.

1. What is childhood malnutrition?

Malnutrition is a lack of energy and nutrients that affects the normal process of life, activity and growth of the child's body.
Child malnutrition can be classified into 3 types:
Underweight malnutrition: Due to malnutrition leading to a weight lower than the standard level for children of the same age and sex, which is determined when the child's weight is lower than the standard level of children of the same age and gender (under -2SD). The underweight category reflects persistent undernutrition as well as undernutrition at the time of assessment. Stunted malnutrition: Due to a long-term growth retardation resulting in a child not reaching the required height of a child of the same age in the reference population, defined as a height below the norm for children of the same age. age and gender (under -2SD). The stunting form reflects chronic growth retardation, which persists in the past, possibly starting as early as the fetal stage due to maternal undernutrition. Undernutrition: When the child's weight-for-height indicator falls significantly below the recommended value in the reference population, determined when the weight-for-height is lower than the child's standard for the same age group. age and gender (under -2SD). The emaciated form reflects acute undernutrition due to either not gaining weight or losing weight.

2. Causes of malnutrition in young children

Malnutrition can occur due to lack of supply, increased nutrient consumption, or both.
Lack of supply:
Not providing enough food. Children are anorexic, not eating enough. Poor diet, inappropriate processing, lack of energy and nutrients. Increased consumption:
Children are sick, especially long-term illnesses. Gastrointestinal disorders - absorption. Intestinal parasitic infection. Loss of nutrients due to disease. In most cases, undernutrition occurs due to a combination of both mechanisms, both decreasing energy intake and increasing energy expenditure (for example, a child is sick but the mother is on a diet).

3. Effects of malnutrition on young children

Weakened immune system, increased risk of infections:
Malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies (deficiency of protein, iron, zinc, vitamins, ...) weaken the child's immune system, making them susceptible to infections , must use antibiotics regularly, causing anorexia, poor digestion, inability to absorb nutrients, making malnutrition worse. Disruption of bodily functions, causing many health problems:
Malnutrition will make the organs in the body disordered. The most severely affected organs are the liver, heart and kidneys which can lead to fatty degeneration of the liver, heart failure, kidney failure,.... Micronutrient deficiency also causes many health problems. For example, vitamin A deficiency causes corneal dryness, night blindness, adversely affecting children's vision; lack of iron, protein and some B vitamins causing anemia; lack of protein, calcium, zinc, vitamins A, D, K,... affects the development of bones, protein deficiency causes edema,... Physical growth retardation:
Effects on stature. Malnutrition affects the function of all body systems, including the musculoskeletal system, especially in the first 1000 days of life (fetal stage and first 2 years). Early and long-term malnutrition makes children grow up stunted, short in adulthood, increasing the risk of obesity later in life. Mental retardation:
Malnutrition affects the normal development of the brain in children under 6 years old due to a lack of substances necessary for brain and intellectual development of children such as fats, nutrients Powdered sugar, iron, iodine, DHA, Taurine,... Children who are malnourished are often slow, have problems with language, memory and social communication, leading to a decrease in attention and learning ability. , receive.

4. Rehabilitation treatment of malnourished children

Treatment of acute conditions: Dehydration or systemic edema, electrolyte disturbances, acute heart failure, infections, parasitic infections, digestive-absorption disorders,... Supplementing deficient nutrients: vitamin A, iron, calcium, vitamin D, folic acid, multi-vitamins,... Raise the nutritional intake to the maximum level in accordance with the child's ability to digest and absorb, use foods rich in energy, special nutritional products,... Rehabilitation of malnutrition at home:
Ensure adequate supply of energy, protein and nutrients to meet the needs of nutritional recovery and body development. Increase ration energy for daily meals if children cannot eat enough according to their needs by: Feeding many dishes in the same meal. Increase the number of meals a day if the child cannot eat much at one time. Feed as thick as possible, using moringa powders to loosen solid food while ensuring the consistency of the food. Increase energy-rich foods: add fat to your baby's food, use high-calorie foods. Fortified feeding after illness. Breastfeeding continues after 12 months. If breast milk is not available, choose a suitable milk substitute. Periodically monitor the nutritional status and health of children.

5. Prevention of child malnutrition in the community

Breastfeeding immediately after birth, exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months: Breast milk is always the most perfect first food for babies and a good food, accepted by babies in the later stages. Breast milk, in addition to providing nutrients, also provides disease-fighting factors, protecting babies from infectious diseases. Take care of children's nutrition with reasonable meals: Start introducing solid foods to children from the age of 6 months. Feed children with all 4 groups of nutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, fats), without dieting, and can maintain breast milk during under 2 years of age. If breast milk is not available, choose a suitable substitute. Food hygiene and safety: Is the most important issue in protecting children from intestinal infections, helminths, etc. Choose fresh food for children, avoid long-term preservation unless there are freezer properly, limit for children to use ready-made, canned food, cook cooked food thoroughly. Environmental hygiene- personal hygiene for children and caregivers. Monitor children's growth chart monthly: To detect malnutrition or risks if any and intervene early. Prevention and treatment: Thoroughly treat respiratory infections, diarrhea, etc., without overusing antibiotics, but only using antibiotics as indicated, in adequate doses, with sufficient time, with active nutritional care. during the illness and nutritional recovery after the illness. Periodic deworming every 6 months for children from 2 years old. Encourage your child to exercise regularly. Exercise will help the metabolism in the body take place normally and excrete unwanted toxins from the body. If your child doesn't like exercise, you can organize some fun games or take him swimming or cycling. To prevent and improve malnutrition in children, parents should supplement with supporting products containing lysine, essential micro-minerals and vitamins such as zinc, chromium, selenium, and B vitamins to help meet their full needs. meet the nutritional needs of the child. At the same time, these essential vitamins also support digestion, enhance nutrient absorption, help improve anorexia, and help children eat well. Parents can also apply dietary supplements and functional foods derived from nature for easy absorption by the baby. The most important thing is that the improvement of the baby's symptoms must take place over the long term. Combining many types of functional foods at the same time or changing many types in a short time can make the baby's digestive system unable to adapt and completely not good. Therefore, parents must be really persistent with their children and regularly visit the website vimec.com to update useful baby care information.