Consequences of malnourished children

This is an automatically translated article.

Malnutrition due to protein-energy deficiency is a serious and common undernutrition among children in our country. Manifestations of malnutrition are growth retardation in children and frequent infections such as diarrhea and respiratory infections. Children have reduced learning ability, poor labor productivity when they grow up.
Video content is professionally consulted by Doctor, Doctor Ho Thu Mai - Head of Nutrition Department - Medical Examination Department - Vinmec Times City International Hospital

1. Common types of malnutrition in young children

Monthly weight monitoring is the best way to recognize if a child is malnourished. Children are malnourished when they do not gain weight, are underweight, or are shorter than normal children of the same age.
According to Doctor, Doctor Ho Thu Mai - Head of Nutrition Department - Department of Medical Examination - Vinmec Times City International General Hospital said that there are 3 types of malnutrition:
Underweight (low weight compared to year old); The form of stunting (low height for age); Body emaciation (low weight for height).

2. What causes children to be malnourished?

There are the following basic causes leading to malnutrition in children, including:
2.1 Lack of food and meals that lack essential nutrients for children to grow Children under 5 years old have high nutritional needs for muscle development body. To provide adequate nutrition for children, it is necessary to pay attention to:
Number of meals per day Amount of food per meal Concentration of energy for meals Solve problems with digestion, absorption and parasitic infections in children 2.2. The mother is undernourished. The mother before and during pregnancy does not eat enough leading to malnutrition and can give birth to a low birth weight, stunted baby. Children who are malnourished in the womb are more likely to be malnourished later in life. Mothers who are malnourished, eat poorly in the first few months after giving birth, have a lack of milk or milk, so the baby is easily malnourished.
2.3. Infectious diseases such as respiratory infections, diarrhea, parasitic diseases This is a common infection in our country. Improper feeding regime when children are sick is a cause leading to malnutrition in children.
2.4. Lack of care In addition to feeding care, the child needs health care (immunizations, infection prevention), psychological and emotional care, and hygiene care. The living environment in the family is polluted, using unclean water for cooking, bathing children, treating wastewater, and unsanitary garbage are the factors that lead to malnutrition.
If children are malnourished for a long time, the following consequences may occur:
Children are susceptible to infectious diseases such as respiratory infections, diarrhea. When sick, children lose their appetite as well as their ability to absorb nutrients, making malnutrition even more serious. Both physical and mental retardation: height, weight, IQ , EQ,... Decreased ability of language, communication, concentration, logical thinking makes children's academic and labor achievement lower than their age. At that time, the child's quality of life is also seriously affected. Increased mortality in children under 5 years of age. Vulnerability to overweight-obesity and chronic non-communicable diseases in adulthood.

3. What is the solution for parents when their children are malnourished?

According to TS.BS Ho Thu Mai, depending on the degree of malnutrition in children, parents can flexibly choose appropriate treatment methods.
It is necessary to regularly monitor the weight and height of the child at least once a month. When detecting that a child is malnourished or slow/no weight gain, it is necessary to take the child to see a nutritionist for timely advice, especially if the child is severely malnourished.
Continue to breastfeed with infants under 18 months of age. If the mother has little milk or loses milk, then give the baby formula milk suitable for the month of age. Adjust the diet to suit the child's current condition. Ensure adequate energy supply, ensure age-appropriate balance, high energy density, and variety of foods. Micronutrients should be tested for a suitable supplement basis. Diagnosis and treatment of diseases affecting absorption, metabolism and growth of children: genetic diseases, congenital diseases, endocrine diseases, infectious diseases, short bowel syndrome... Ensure hygiene clean individuals, deworming once every 6 months for children from 24 months of age and older. With any method, the goal is to provide children with the necessary nutrients for their comprehensive development. Parents should pay more attention to the nutritional quality of their children, avoid the risk of malnutrition, persist in combining simultaneously or alternately between a nutritious diet and reasonable replacement foods, consult a doctor. In addition, 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, group vitamins. B helps to fully meet the nutritional needs of the baby. 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.

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