“Marasmus can be defined as a form of nutrition deficiency disorder, usually occurring in children. It can be life-threatening if not diagnosed at an early stage.”
Causes of Marasmus:
As mentioned above, it is a nutrition deficiency disease and is mainly caused by:
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a severe deficiency of protein, vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, and lipids.
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Viral, bacterial, and parasitic infections are also a major cause for this disorder.
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Children, older adults, and people with a weak immune system are more prone to marasmus.
Other causes of marasmus include:
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Poverty
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Starvation
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Famine or unavailability of food
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Lack of education about nutritional requirements.
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Intake of medicines that interfere with the absorption of nutrients.
Symptoms of Marasmus:
The symptoms of marasmus are more common to the symptoms of kwashiorkor, which includes:
Risk Factors of Marasmus:
The risk factors for marasmus include:
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The people living in developing countries are more at risk of contracting marasmus.
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The famine and poverty struck areas have a larger percentage of children suffering from marasmus.
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If the infants are not breastfed by nursing mothers due to malnutrition, the risk of marasmus increases in children.
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Insufficient medical care and high disease rates are other reasons that increase the risk of marasmus in the population.
Diagnosis of Marasmus:
This deficiency disease can be diagnosed by the physician through a physical examination such as:
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Skin test for the functioning of the immune system.
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A blood test to check for the presence of any microbial infections.
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Height, weight and physical activity of a child according to age.
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General counselling of a child to study the child’s mental state and behaviour.
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Urine and stool test for examining diarrhoea and other nutritional deficiency disorders.
Treatment for Marasmus:
The first and primary treatment prescribed for the patient suffering from marasmus includes:
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Multivitamin supplements to improve appetite and nutrition deficiency.
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Dehydration symptoms can be prevented by the intake of water and other fluids that contain electrolytes.
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Few antibiotics or other medications are given to treat children with pathogenic infections.
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A well-balanced diet is given once after the child’s condition is stable and starts to recover slowly.
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Diet rich in protein like skimmed milk, and other energy providing food supplements to increases the energy content.