Child Malnutrition

Children are particularly vulnerable to malnutrition. Common signs and symptoms of the following types of malnutrition can include:

Stunting:

• Shorter stature than their age
• Weight stagnation or loss
• Developmental delays according to their age
• More susceptible various to infections
• Intellectual impairment in later life

Wasting:

• Faltering growth
• Swelling in legs or stomach
• Uncharacteristic changes in behaviour
• Lower energy levels than other children
• Sudden and unplanned weight loss
• Loss of interest in food or fluids
• Uncharacteristic tiredness or low energy levels
• Joint pain and muscle aches
• Dizziness, poor coordination and poor concentration
• Difficulty keeping warm

Overweight & Obesity:
Overweight is a condition where there is too much fat, leading to a weight that is too high for one’s height. Obesity is a long-term, complicated condition caused by too much fat, which can harm health. Among other things, they can be characterised by:

• Shortness of breath
• Fatigue
• Increased sweating
• Joint pain
• Constipation
• Early puberty in girls and delayed puberty in boys

The effects of malnutrition in children are:

• Long-lasting physical and cognitive impairment that will limit all life opportunities for children with stunting and therefore negatively impact their communities.
• An increased risk of death for children who are moderately or severely wasted as the lack of nutrients has the effect of supressing the immune system, making children vulnerable to common diseases which otherwise would not have been lethal for a healthy child.
• An increased risk of diet-related non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and heart disease later in life for children with obesity.

For children, malnutrition has lifelong consequences. This has an impact on entire populations, contributing to a cycle of poverty. That’s why we’re doing everything we can to work with communities and governments to prevent malnutrition and break that vicious cycle.

There are several factors which cause child malnutrition, many of which are interconnected. Conflict, climate change, and natural disasters all aggravate the following determinants.

Immediate determinants that cause child malnutrition:

• Diets: Poor diets driven by inadequate foods, feeding and dietary practices.
• Care: Poor care driven by inadequate services to support good nutrition.

Underlying determinants that cause child malnutrition:

• Food: Lack of good quality food which comprises age-appropriate and nutrient-rich foods. This is including breastmilk and complementary foods for children in the first two years of life – with safe drinking water.
• Practices: Lack of good quality practices which comprises age-appropriate feeding and dietary practices. This is including insufficient breastfeeding and responsive complementary feeding in early childhood – with inadequate food preparation, consumption and hygiene practices.
• Services: Lack of good quality services which comprises adequate nutrition, health, sanitation, education and social protection services. As well as unhealthy food and living environments that can cause disease.

Enabling determinants that cause child malnutrition:

• Governance: Lack of appropriate governance, refers to the political, financial, social and public and private sector actions that prevent children’s right to nutrition.
• Resources: Insufficient resources, refer to the lack of appropriate environmental, financial, social and human resources that prevent children’s right to nutrition.
• Norms: Negative norms, refer to the gender, cultural and social norms and actions in place that prevent children’s right to nutrition.