Malnutrition infants

Positive knowledge can be a powerfnl tool for the goals of social justice by measuring poverty, infant malnutrition, illiteracy, etc. and making them real in the minds of empiricists (Brighonse and Robeyns 2010). Yet often commitment to social jnstice leads ns to act in spite of the absence of data, driven by principle and values. 

Infant malnutrition—A diabeticlike disorder of metabolism is often found in malnourished infants and children around the world. Therefore, it is noteworthy that this disorder was promptly corrected by the administration... 

Protein-calorie malnutrition has a devastating effect on the thymolym-phatic system, and very early in the course of malnutrition in infants, the thymus usually shows a pronounced atrophy, followed by that of the spleen and then the rest of the lymph nodes. How these are related to (a) the defect of the cell-mediated immunity which we frequently observe in subjects with parasitic infection and (b) the autoimmune disorders of the heart, the kidneys, and the spleen in subtropical and tropical populations are not immediately apparent, but they arc useful areas for further investigations. 

Vitamin A deficiency can result from insufficient dietary intake, from malabsorption and it has been recognized that also malfunction of RAR-receptors can lead to symptoms of vitamin A deficiency. These symptoms include skin lesions, night blindness, corneal ulcerations and conjunctivitis and poor bone remodeling. Vitamin A deficiency associated with malnutrition is wide spread in large parts of the world and may be fatal in infants and young children suffering from kwashiorkor or marasmus. 

Vitamin E may be indicated in some rare forms of anemia such as macrocytic, megaloblastic anemia observed in children with severe malnutrition and the hemolytic anemia seen in premature infants on a diet rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids. Also anemia s in malabsorption syndromes have shown to be responsive to vitamin E treatment. Finally, hemolysis in patients with the acanthocytosis syndrome, a rare genetic disorder where there is a lack of plasma jS-lipoprotein and consequently no circulating alpha tocopherol, responds to vitamin E treatment. In neonates requiring oxygen therapy vitamin E has been used for its antioxidant properties to prevent the development retrolental fibroplasia. It should be noted that high dose vitamin E supplements are associated with an increased risk in allcause mortality. 

Decreased gastric acidity (antacids, acid-inhibitors), lack in personal hygiene, decreased intestinal motility (opiates, antiperistaltic agents), a disturbed enteric microflora and malnutrition are risk factors for a GTI. In contrast, breast-feeding reduces GTI incidence in infants. 

L8. Lindan, O., Paper chromatography of Gambian urines amino-acid pattern and excretion of 3-aminoisobutyric acid. Malnutrition in African mothers, infants and young children. Rep. 2nd Inter-african (C.C.T.A.) Conf. on Nutrition, Gambia, 1952 pp. 195-196 (1954). 

Foodborne diseases are a widespread and growing public health problem, both in developed and developing countries. The global incidence of foodborne disease is difficult to estimate, but it has been reported that in the year 2000 alone, 2.1 million people died from diarrheal diseases. A great proportion of these cases can he attributed to contamination of food and drinking water. Additionally, diarrhea is a major cause of malnutrition in infants and young children. 

In Iraq, following the Gulf War, the water supply was contaminated with infectious particles, resulting in bacterial infections, including infantile diarrhea, cholera, and other diseases (Al-Awqati, 1999). Infant mortality drastically increased, with excess mortality of close to 1 million children due to contaminated water and severe malnutrition, exacerbated in part by the United Nations embargo (Al-Awqati, 1999). 

Severe malnutrition is a complex problem. Factors involved include the overall availability of food the availability only of starchy protein-deficient foods and contaminated water supplies, infants and young children are special targets because they are rapidly growing, are unusually susceptible to infections, and may not be able to find food for themselves. 

The issues of starvation and malnutrition are raised again in Chapter 8, where foods rich in energy but poor in protein are discussed. Malnutrition is discussed under Sodium, Potassium, and Water in Chapter 10, w here the problem of infant diarrhea is outlined. This problem often occurs with weaning in underdeveloped countries, when pathogenic bacteria and parasites are inadvertently introduced into the infant s diet. The problem is compounded when basic supplies, such as firewood for boiling drinking water, are missing. Malnutrition and infection are also discussed under Vitamin A in Chapter. ... 

Castillo-Duran, C., and Uauy, R. (1983). Copper deficiency impairs growth of infants recovering from malnutrition. AjJi. /. C()>t. Nutt. 47, 710-714. 

Malic enzjTOe/cilrate lyase pathi ay, 28S, 289 Malnutrition, 243 iee aiso Starvation infants, 243, 245. 249 kwashicirkor, II6 protein-eneiigv malnutrition, 243 MalonvI-CoA, 218, 222-223 Malta 122... 

C. parvum infections are often asymptomatic, but symptoms such as profuse watery diarrhoea, stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting and fever are typical. The symptoms can last from several days to a few weeks in immunocompetent individuals, but in immunocompromised patients infection can become chronic, lasting months or even years. The mean infective dose for immunocompetent people is dependent on the strain of C. parvum but it is considered to be approximately 100 cells, and infants are more vulnerable to infection. Diarrhoea is a major cause of childhood mortality and morbidity as well as malnutrition in developing countries. Cryptosporidium is the third most common cause of infective diarrhoea in children in such countries, and consequently it plays a role in the incidence of childhood malnutrition. 

Low copper and ceruloplasmin levels have been reported in marasmus of infants (protein and caloric malnutrition) from Chile (M28) and India (G9). 

Heuther G. Malnutrition and developing synaptic transmitter systems lasting effects, functional implications. In van Gelder NM, Butterworth RE, Drujan DB, eds. (Mai) Nutrition and the Infant Brain. Wiley -Liss, New York, 1990, pp. 141-156. 

Studies comparing the Schwartz-predicted GFR versus measured GFR noted that the Schwartz formula overestimated GFR in patients with decreasing GFR. The formula may not provide an accurate estimation of GFR in patients with rapidly changing serum creatinine concentrations, as seen in the critical care setting, in infants younger than 1 week of age, and in patients with obesity, malnutrition, or muscle wasting. Factors that interfere with serum creatinine measurement also may cause errors in estimation of GFR. 

In the United States, approximately 1.4 million cases of salmonellosis, 16,000 hospitahzations, and 600 deaths occur annually. Salmonellosis is a disease primarily of infants, children, and adolescents. Cliildren younger than 5 years of age account for about 25% of all diagnosed cases. Conditions that may predispose to infection include those which decrease gastric acidity, antibiotic use, malnutrition, and immunodeficiency states. Contaminated food or water has been implicated in the majority of cases. Direct fecal-oral transmission occurs less frequently but is particularly important in children. Foods most often implicated in human salmonellosis are poultry, poultry products, beef, pork, and dairy products. Pets, particularly reptiles, are a common source of infection. 

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