Treatment of malnutrition due to protein-energy deficiency in children

This is an automatically translated article.

The article was consulted with Master, Doctor Ngo Thi Oanh - Pediatrician - Department of Pediatrics - Neonatology - Vinmec Ha Long International General Hospital.
Protein-energy malnutrition is a very important health problem and is particularly prevalent among children in developing countries. Depending on the degree of malnutrition to conduct treatment of edematous malnutrition or atrophic malnutrition for children.
Malnutrition is a medical condition caused by an inadequate or unbalanced supply of nutrients in the daily diet for the body. Protein-energy malnutrition is a medical condition that occurs when children have a long-term poor diet of protein and energy, causing retardation of physical and mental development.

1. Causes of protein energy malnutrition

The mother or caregiver lacks nutritional knowledge. The mother lacks milk so she feeds the baby with porridge or diluted powder. Give complementary foods too early or too late. When children are sick, especially when they have diarrhea, parents or caregivers for children to fast, or abstain from breastfeeding, only give porridge diluted with a little salt. If this situation is prolonged, it will cause protein-energy malnutrition. The quality of children's meals is not guaranteed in terms of both quantity and quality. Due to infection when children have diseases such as measles, dysentery, prolonged diarrhea. These are all causes of protein-energy malnutrition. In addition, infection and malnutrition is also a vicious pathological cycle, when malnourished children are susceptible to infections, secondary infections make malnutrition worse. .

2. The risk of causing protein energy malnutrition

Premature babies, low birth weight, malnourished from infancy. Children with birth defects such as cleft lip, cleft palate, cardiovascular malformations,... Children with genetic diseases, Down syndrome. Children have a local discharge like eczema. Due to environmental conditions such as eating habits, nutrition, polluted environment, medical services,... are favorable factors leading to protein-energy malnutrition in children. Children are born and live in underdeveloped countries, poverty, underdeveloped economies, inadequate infrastructure and services..

3. Treatment of protein-energy malnutrition

When children are malnourished due to protein-energy deficiency, they will often be accompanied by other nutritional deficiencies such as vitamin A, zinc, iron deficiency... and may have some accompanying diseases such as gastrointestinal infections. Chemical, respiratory, malabsorption syndromes, birth defects,...
Therefore, the principles of protein-energy malnutrition treatment are:
Treatment of comorbidities. Provide children with a suitable diet. Help children supplement vitamins and minerals. 3.1. Treatment of mild or moderate protein-energy malnutrition Children can be treated at home, nutritionists will advise on diets and care for children with protein-energy malnutrition. Adjust your child's diet: Develop a balanced diet according to guidelines. If the baby is still breastfed, the mother is advised to continue breastfeeding and this should be continued until 18-24 months of age, or longer. Parents and caregivers need to prevent and detect infections caused by protein-energy malnutrition early to treat children in time. Regularly monitor children's weight for timely advice. 3.2. Treatment of very severe protein-energy malnutrition For children with edematous or atrophic malnutrition with complications or comorbidities, edematous malnutrition or treatment for malnutrition inpatient atrophy nutrition according to the guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO).

4. Where is the protein-energy malnutrition checkup for children?

Pediatrics Department of Vinmec Times City International General Hospital is one of the four important medical sub-disciplines under the clinical block, specializing in health care for infants, children and children under 16 years old, including : General paediatrics, specialized pediatrics (neurology, pulmonology, gastroenterology, nephrology, endocrinology), pediatric surgery (anatomy, orthopedics, urology), neonatal paediatrics, infectious diseases and vaccination. Pediatrics at Vinmec Times City is always highly appreciated by experts in the examination, diagnosis and treatment of diseases in children. When children are malnourished with protein-energy, parents can bring their children to this clinic to be consulted, examined and treated by a team of highly qualified and experienced doctors, in a timely manner, with a sense of responsibility. High responsibility, always dedicated to the health of children.
Finally, to effectively prevent and improve malnutrition in children, parents should supplement with supportive products containing lysine, essential micro-minerals and vitamins such as zinc, chromium, and selenium. , B vitamins help meet the full nutritional needs of children. 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.