Print this page
 Email this page

 Connect with UMMC on:
 Twitter
 Facebook
 YouTube
iPhone

 Share this page:

Bookmark and Share

Home > Medical Reference > Encyclopedia (English)

Toggle: English / Spanish

 

Ask the Expert

Growth and Nutrition Experts’s Bio Image

Get answers to your child's growth, nutrition, and feeding behavior questions.

Growth and Nutrition Experts’s Bio | Q&A Archive

Note: This is for informational purposes only. Doctors cannot provide a diagnosis or individual treatment advice via e-mail. Please consult your physician about your specific health care concerns.

Video details

[ Flash player icon ] Please install flash player to see this video.

Related Content


 

Kwashiorkor - Overview

Alternative Names

Protein malnutrition; Protein-calorie malnutrition; Malignant malnutrition

Definition of Kwashiorkor:

Kwashiorkor is a form of malnutrition that occurs when there is not enough protein in the diet.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

Kwashiorkor is most common in areas where there is:

  • Famine
  • Limited food supply
  • Low levels of education (when people do not understand how to eat a proper diet)

This disease is more common in very poor countries. It often occurs during a drought or other natural disaster, or during political unrest. These conditions are responsible for a lack of food, which leads to malnutrition.

Kwashiorkor is very rare in children in the U.S. There are only isolated cases. However, one government estimate suggests that as many as 50% of elderly people in nursing homes in the U.S. do not get enough protein in their diet.

When kwashiorkor does occur in the U.S., it is usually a sign of child abuse and severe neglect.

  • Reviewed last on: 8/1/2008
  • Neil K. Kaneshiro, MD, MHA, Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

References

Heird WC. Food Insecurity, Hunger, and Undernutrition. In: Kliegman RM, Behrman RE, Jenson HB, Stanton BF, eds. Kliegman: Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 18th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007:chap 43.

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. © 1997- A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.
adam.com