306 Where There Is No Doctor 2011
Malnutrition may cause many different problems in children, including:
In mild cases:
In more serious cases:
• slower growth
• swollen belly
• thin body
• loss of appetite
• loss of energy
• paleness (anemia)
• desire to eat dirt (anemia)
• sores in corners of mouth
• frequent colds and other
infections
• night blindness
• little or no weight gain
• swelling of feet (sometimes face also)
• dark spots, ‘bruises’, or open peeling
sores
• thinness or loss of hair
• lack of desire to laugh or play
• sores inside mouth
• failure to develop normal intelligence
• ‘dry eyes’ (xerophthalmia)
• blindness (p. 226)
Severe forms of general malnutrition are ‘dry malnutrition’ or marasmus, and
‘wet malnutrition’ or kwashiorkor. Their causes and prevention are discussed on
p. 112 and 113.
Signs of malnutrition are often first seen after an acute illness like diarrhea or
measles. A child who is sick, or who is getting well after a sickness, has an even
greater need for enough good food than a child who is well.
Prevent and treat malnutrition by giving your children ENOUGH TO EAT
and by feeding them MORE OFTEN. Add some high energy food,
such as oil or fat, to the main food the child eats. Also try to add
some body-building and protective foods like
beans, lentils, fruits, vegetables, and if possible, milk, eggs, fish or meat.
Diarrhea and Dysentery
(For more complete information see p. 153 to 160.)
The greatest danger to children with diarrhea is
dehydration, or losing too much liquid from the body. The
danger is even greater if the child is also vomiting. Give
Rehydration Drink (p. 152). If the child is breastfeeding,
continue giving breast milk, but give Rehydration Drink also.
The second big danger to children with diarrhea is
malnutrition. Give the child nutritious food as soon as he
will eat.
Fever (see p. 75)
In small children, high fever (over 39°) can easily
cause seizures. To lower fever, take the clothes off
the child. If she is crying and seems unhappy, give her
acetaminophen (paracetamol) or ibuprofen in the right
dosage (see p. 379), and give her lots of liquids. If she is
very hot and shaky, wet her with cool (not cold) water
and fan her. Also try to find the cause of the fever and treat it.