Malnutrition

What is malnutrition?

Malnutrition occurs when a child does not get the right amount of nutrients to maintain good health. There are two main types of malnutrition. Undernutrition is not getting enough nutrients or not getting the right type of nutrients. Overnutrition is getting too many nutrients.

What are the signs and symptoms of malnutrition?

The symptoms of malnutrition depend on the type of malnutrition your child has. Symptoms of undernutrition in children may include:

• Low body weight
• Thin legs and arms with swelling in the stomach and face
• Weakness or feeling tired
• Irritability
• Low heart rate
• Stunted growth
• Dry skin
• Brittle hair
• Frequent infections
• Low body temperature

Common symptoms of overnutrition in children include:

• Being overweight or obese
• High blood pressure
• Heart disease

What causes malnutrition?

Undernutrition is most often be caused by not eating enough food. But it can also occur from some medical conditions that keep the body from getting enough nutrients. These may include:

• Nausea
• Trouble swallowing
• Cancer
• Chronic diarrhea
• Eating disorders
• Malabsorption conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) or short bowel syndrome
• Mental health issues, such as depression, that reduce appetite

Overnutrition is caused by eating more nutrients than are needed. Some common causes for this can include:

• Not having access to healthy food options
• Having a condition that slows metabolism, such as hypothyroidism
• Hormone imbalance
• Not getting enough exercise
• Binge eating disorder
• Chronic stress, depression or anxiety

How is malnutrition treated?

Your child's treatment will depend on what type of malnutrition they have and the cause. Your care team at Arkansas Children's is experienced in treating all types of malnutrition in children and will work with you to develop the best treatment plan for your child's specific condition. Some treatment options may include:

• Nutrition therapy for undernutrition: Your child’s doctor or nutritionist can help you create an eating plan that meets your child’s nutritional needs. In some cases, this may mean a high-calorie formula designed to meet your child’s specific caloric needs.
• Treatment for any underlying conditions: Your child’s doctor will treat any medical or mental health condition that is causing your child’s malnutrition.
• Diet, exercise, or medicine for overnutrition: Your child’s doctor can help create a diet and exercise program to help your child lose extra weight. In some cases, the doctor may also prescribe medicine or medical procedures to help with weight loss.