Kwashiorkor

Kwashiorkor is a severe form of protein-energy malnutrition characterized by generalized edema, typically resulting from a diet that is deficient in protein despite adequate caloric intake. It most commonly affects children under 5 years of age in settings of food insecurity. Clinical features include marked edema of the hands and feet, poor appetite, dry skin, apathy, and growth failure. Risk factors include a maize-based diet, recent weaning from breastfeeding, recurrent infections, and diarrhea. Kwashiorkor is most prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in the Sahel region. In developed countries, it is rare and is usually associated with severe underlying conditions such as HIV infection or malabsorption. Uncomplicated cases can be treated at home with ready-to-use therapeutic foods, whereas complicated cases require hospitalization. Potential complications include hypoglycemia, hypothermia, xerophthalmia, electrolyte disturbances, and heart failure.

Source | Author Doctor Nikas Samuolis, reviewed by Prof. Virginijus Šapoka | Vilnius University | Faculty of Medicine | Head of the Department of Internal Medicine, Family Medicine, and Oncology