Malnutrition marasmic kwashiorkor

Protein-energy malnutrition in children can therefore be classified by both the deficit in weight compared with what would be expected for age and also the presence or absence of oedema, as shown in Table 8.2. The most severely affected group, and therefore the priority group for intervention, are those suffering from marasmic kwashiorkor - they are both severely undernourished and also oedematous. 

Marasmic Kwashiorkor Nutritional Dwarfing or Growth Failure Protein-Energy Malnutrition (PEM) in Adults Signs of Protein-Energy Malnutrition Indicators of Protein-Energy Malnutrition in Communities... 

Marasmic Kwashiorkor. This condition is found in many situations where children are fed diluted gruels after weaning. It is characterized by a combination of disorders which accompany both marasmus and kwashiorkor. Today, the tendency is to use the generalized term, protein-energy malnutrition, to describe this condition. 

Marasmic kwashiorkor—Patients who show features of both marasmus and kwashiorkor are usually given the general diagnosis of protein-energy malnutrition. 

The energy and protein requirements like those of any other nutrient vary considerably from individual to individual and in India no difference was found in the diet of children who developed kwashiorkor and those who became marasmic. Consequently it has been suggested that the form of protein-energy malnutrition seen in children may be determined as much by their individual requirements and response to stress as to the amount and type of food that they consume. A child with a high protein and low energy requirement will tend to develop kwashiorkor and one with a low protein and high energy requirement will tend to become marasmic. 

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