Baby malnutrition
Release time : 01/18/2025 18:13:27
The baby is always depressed, slow to move, or timid. With these signals, the baby may be malnourished.
In addition to the above signals, what are the other signals of baby malnutrition? What if my baby is malnourished? Baby Malnutrition If your baby is malnourished, there will be some warning signs.
Different signals represent different nutrient deficiencies, as follows: If the baby is malnourished, there will be some warning signals. 1. Emotional changes. The baby is depressed, unresponsive, and numb expression indicate a lack of protein and iron in the body. Give more food to your baby. Eat some high-iron and high-protein foods such as aquatic products, meat, dairy products, livestock and poultry blood, egg yolks.
The baby is worried, panicked, insomnia and forgetful, which indicate that the body is short of B vitamins. At this time, it will be beneficial to supplement some foods rich in B vitamins such as beans, animal liver, walnut kernels, and potatoes.
Babies have changeable moods, and their tendency to lose their temper is related to eating too much sweets. Medically called "glycemic dysphoria".
In addition to reducing sweets, it is also necessary to arrange more foods rich in B vitamins.
The baby is stubborn and timid, mostly due to insufficient intake of vitamins A, B, C and calcium. Therefore, you should eat more animal liver, fish, shrimp, milk, vegetables, fruits and other foods.
2. Abnormal behavior, unsociable behavior, and clumsy movements are mostly the result of vitamin C deficiency in the body.
Behavior is not commensurate with age and is childish and ridiculous than babies of the same age, indicating that the body is deficient in amino acids. It is imperative to add high-protein foods such as lean meat, beans, milk, eggs, etc.
Nighttime grinding of teeth, spasms in the hands and feet, frequent awakenings are often signs of a lack of calcium. It is advisable to increase intake of green vegetables, dairy products, fish paste, shrimp shells and other such foods.
The habit of eating paper shreds, soil, etc. is called "pica."
It is associated with a deficiency of trace elements such as iron, zinc, and manganese.
Seaweed, fungus, mushroom and other foods rich in zinc. Chicken meat and seafood contain high amounts of zinc and manganese, so they are the ideal diet for such babies.
3. Excessive obesity is often viewed as a sign of nutritional excess.
The latest research has shown that nutritional excess is only one of the reasons why some "fat people" gain weight.
Another group of overweight babies is caused by malnutrition.
Specifically, this is due to the lack of intake of certain "micronutrients" caused by poor dietary habits such as pickiness and preference.
Insufficient micronutrient intake leads to inadequate fat metabolism, resulting in the body's fat accumulation in the abdomen and subcutaneous tissues. Consequently, the baby will naturally have an excessive weight.
Therefore, for obese children, in addition to reducing the intake of high-fat foods (such as meat) and exercising more, food varieties should also be increased to achieve a reasonable combination of coarse grains, refined grains, meat and vegetables.
4. Facial "insect spots" This refers to one or several hypopigmented, round or oval spots on the baby's face. They are initially light red, then turn light white, with clear edges, and covered with a small number of fine scales., and have a mild itching feeling.
In addition to the face, it can also be seen on the upper arms, neck or shoulders.
Folk people believe that this spot is a sign that the baby's stomach is infested with roundworms, so it is called "insect spot".
But this is not the case.
This change, characterized by superficial, dry scaly, and light-colored spots, is actually a skin disease, called pityriasis simplex. It stems from vitamin deficiency and is also an early sign of malnutrition.
Therefore, when your baby develops "worm spots", you should not prescribe anti-parasitic drugs on the basis of this alone. The correct approach is to adjust the diet, increase the variety of foods, ensure adequate vitamin intake, and if necessary, take vitamin supplements under a doctor's guidance.
What are the symptoms of malnutrition in infants? What specific manifestations are observed in children with malnutrition? Malnutrition in children refers to a condition where the intake of food is insufficient or the food cannot be fully absorbed, resulting in energy deficiency and unable to maintain normal metabolism. This forces the body to consume more energy, leading to weight loss or stagnant growth, muscle atrophy, and other symptoms. This condition is also known as protein-energy malnutrition, which is commonly seen in infants under the age of three years.
Undernourished babies exhibit delayed development and stunted growth, with skin and hair lacking luster, pale mucous membranes, and a lack of weight gain or even loss.
Generally speaking, clinically, patients with malnutrition are divided into emaciated and edema types.
Thin type-loose skin, reduced subcutaneous fat, thinner and inelastic, withered hair, frequent and small bowel movements with mucus.
The child's intelligence and motor skills are all at different degrees of delay, with body temperature below normal, pulse slow, blood pressure low.
Edema type - In mild cases, only subcutaneous edema is present; in severe cases, there may be genital, upper limb, abdominal, and facial edema (with depression when pressed), with a small number of children also presenting with ascites. A minority may also exhibit skin purpura.
In this type of patient, sudden weight gain is a reliable sign of edema.
Due to long-term malnutrition, pediatric patients can also experience various complications, such as rickets, various infections, diarrhea, otitis media, and pyelonephritis.
Laboratory examinations may reveal signs of anemia in the pediatric patient.
In addition, the degree of malnutrition in children can be divided into three levels according to their severity: Grade I is mild, and Grades II and III are severe.
Grade I malnutrition--mental status normal.
The weight is below the normal by 15% - 25%, the subcutaneous fat thickness of abdomen is 0.8cm-0.4cm, skin dry, height does not affect.
II degree malnutrition - Mental lethargy, restlessness, weakened muscle tone, relaxation of muscles, weight less than normal by 25%-40%, subcutaneous fat thickness in abdominal wall less than 0.4 cm, pale skin, dry skin, dull hair, shorter height than normal.
Degree III malnutrition-Mental weakness, alternating sleepiness and restlessness, mental development, muscle atrophy, low muscle tone, weight below normal by more than 40%, subcutaneous fat on the abdominal wall disappeared, wrinkles appeared on the forehead, and an elderly face.
The skin is pale, dry, and inelastic, the hair is dry, the height is significantly lower than normal, often hypothermia, slow pulse, loss of appetite, constipation, and in severe cases, nutritional edema may occur due to reduced serum albumin.
The reasons for malnutrition in infants are generally not sudden, but accumulated over time.
Of course, there are also occasional causes of malnutrition in infants that are sudden. In general, the causes of malnutrition in children can be summarized as follows: 1. Long-term improper feeding leading to insufficient calories--born without breast milk or with insufficient breast milk, failing to select appropriate staple foods rationally, and instead choosing low protein and low calorie foods such as rice soup and rice porridge.
Orally introducing solid foods too late, at 8 to 9 months of age, the baby is fed with vegetable soup mixed with rice porridge.
Nutritional deficiencies are not sudden; they accumulate over time. 2. Abrupt weaning-it is not possible to wean a child gradually, but rather abruptly from fluids to solid foods.
Alternatively, a reduction from six to three meals a day can cause the pediatric gastrointestinal system to be unable to adapt, leading to a folk name for this condition: "milk-madness."
3. Gastrointestinal Diseases - Prolonged diarrhea, congenital anomalies such as cleft lip and palate, oesophageal atresia, gastric relaxation, allergic enteritis, frequent vomiting, etc., affecting the digestion and absorption of food.
4. Chronic inflammatory diseases - Hepatitis, nephritis, tuberculosis, pneumonia, pleurisy, measles, whooping cough, sepsis.
Due to prolonged fever, loss of appetite, and increased caloric expenditure resulting in malnutrition.
5. Poorly Nourished Infants - These include infants with low birth weight, twins, triplets, or those born through difficult labor or asphyxiation due to other incidents, which are prone to malnutrition.
6. Respiratory Infections or Diarrhea, Baby Eczema -- due to these factors, high-protein foods are avoided, such as long-term elimination of eggs, fish, and meat and only vegetarian diets that lead to insufficient protein intake.
Or, due to eczema, the baby was weaned and switched to rice cereal.
Additionally, there are various factors in daily life that can affect a baby's nutrition and health, including: 1. Parasites - parasites can deprive the baby of essential nutrients, leading to malnutrition.
Preventing parasitic diseases primarily hinges on maintaining good dietary hygiene.
It is important to wash hands before meals and after using the toilet, to frequently disinfect utensils, and to wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly prior to consumption.
2. Refusal to eat and pickiness--Refusal to eat and pickiness can lead to insufficient and balanced nutrition for babies, resulting in malnutrition and delayed development.
The method of correction lies in the correct guidance of parents.
3. Negative Emotions - Not only does poor mood affect the baby's nutrition and health, but parents' emotional state can also indirectly impact the baby.
Due to negative emotions, the function of the gastrointestinal tract can be disrupted, leading to nutrient damage.
Parents should pay attention not to scold their baby in front of eating, and create a good mood atmosphere for eating.
4. Ill-Behaved Habits - Include irregular living and dining habits, irregular meal times, and binge eating.
The focus of correction should be on the first place that parents should lead by example, influence their babies with good living habits and secondly, start from the small things, cultivating good habits in babies, which will benefit them throughout their lives.
The dangers of malnutrition in babies should not be overlooked. It is important to recognize that poor nutrition can have significant impacts on a baby's growth and health once they develop it.
Moreover, if malnutrition occurs in children at different stages, without timely detection and treatment, its impact will be lifelong.
After birth, the head circumference of a baby rapidly increases. Especially in the first two years after birth, this indicates that their brain is developing rapidly. If the nutrition intake during this period is insufficient, it will affect the development of the brain.
There have been studies on the follow-up observation of babies with malnutrition. The babies who were malnourished in the first six months after birth showed that not only their weight was not increasing or growing slowly, but also their intelligence and developmental movements were behind those of the normal babies. Even if the babies' malnutrition was corrected later, the retardation in intelligence development could not be compensated.
Infantile malnutrition occurs after the age of 2 to 3 years, and even if a child is underweight and intellectually retarded, correction of malnutrition can restore both conditions to normal.
This suggests that during the rapid development stage of the brain, insufficient nutrient supply may have irreversible effects on intellectual capacity.
Nutritional deficiencies not only affect the function of the brain but also cause changes in the morphology of the brain, such as varying degrees of cerebral atrophy.
The supply of nutrients must first meet the needs of heat energy and protein. Among the proteins, high-quality protein must account for 1/2 to 2/3.
Taurine is closely related to brain development. It is rich in breast milk but less in milk. Therefore, babies fed with milk should pay attention to supplementing taurine.
Essential fatty acids should account for 1%-3% of heat energy, which is beneficial to brain development and nerve myelin formation.
Lack of trace elements can also affect your baby's intelligence.
Iron deficiency can lead to anemia. Before the symptoms of anemia appear, babies show signs such as irritability, memory decline, and inattention, which result in a decrease in academic performance. However, after supplementing with iron, these symptoms will disappear.
Insufficient zinc in the diet can lead to a decrease in blood zinc levels in infants, affecting their physical development and intellectual growth.
Iodine deficiency can affect the synthesis of thyroid hormone, which in turn can promote brain development.
Vitamin B1 and vitamin B6 deficiencies can cause convulsions and affect a baby's future intelligence.
Therefore, a baby needs to be smart and their nutrition needs to be balanced.
Prevention and treatment of malnutrition in infants and young children are crucial. As the adage goes, "prevention is better than cure," so it is imperative to take proactive measures to prevent malnutrition in our babies.
In order to prevent underweight in infants, the most appropriate method is to advocate breastfeeding, as breast milk is most suitable for infant nutrition.
Premature infants, due to their insufficient development and feeding difficulties, on the other hand, have relatively higher nutritional needs. Therefore, it is even more important to emphasize breastfeeding.
Insufficient or no breast milk, supplement with high quality protein substitute (cow milk, sheep milk, soy milk, fish meat etc.) to prevent the feeding of simple starch food, condensed milk or malt powder.
Additionally, timely increase in complementary foods is required.
Older children should pay attention to the correct combination of food ingredients, appropriately supply meat, eggs, and soy products, and supplement enough vegetables.
Actively prevent and treat diseases, prevent infectious diseases, eliminate lesions, correct congenital malformations, etc.
When the baby suffers from gastrointestinal diseases, it must be given adequate nutrition to replenish metabolic losses.
When suffering from cleft lip, cleft palate and pyloric spasm, timely and appropriate treatment must also be given.
When suffering from diseases outside the digestive system, it is equally important to pay attention to nutrition to enhance immunity and facilitate a speedy recovery of the illness, thereby preventing malnutrition that may arise due to prolonged illness.
To prevent infant malnutrition, the most appropriate approach is to advocate breastfeeding. Dietary regulation is the fundamental measure in treating malnutrition.
Moderate malnutrition should be primarily managed through dietary adjustments, with a focus on high-protein and high-caloric diets, ensuring that the child is well-fed but not overly so.
For moderate to severe malnutrition, follow a progressive approach, starting with low caloric intake and gradually increasing the diet.
The variety of foods has also been increasing.
Increase the caloric intake according to the patient's appetite and stool condition, with the amount of calories increased to 120-140 kcal/kg/day when the patient is eating well.
After the treatment of malnutrition, the caloric amount needs to be adjusted back to normal.
If your baby exhibits symptoms of malnutrition, you should treat the underlying disease that causes the malnutrition and promptly correct any complications.
In addition, traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture, acupuncture, massage, and oral digestive drugs can be used to improve your baby's digestion ability and increase appetite.
Traditional Chinese Medicine Treatment: Take 1 eel and 10 grams of chicken gizzard.
Clean the eel thoroughly, cut it into pieces and put them in a bowl. Add chicken gizzard to the bowl and steam until ready to eat.
2.30 grams of sweet potato leaves, 10 grams of chicken gizzard, decocted into a decoction and taken with seasoning.
3. Mix human milk with malt, decoct in water and take orally.
4. Take several hawthorns and a small amount of brown sugar to make a decoction and drink it.
5. Geese do not eat grass, 3 grams of it are stewed with pork meat.
6. Golden-unchangeable grass, 60 grams, stew with tofu.
Western medicine treatment 1. During the treatment period, provide diets rich in vitamins or vitamin B complex drugs.
Other adjuvant treatments include nandrolone phenylpropionate 25 mg, intramuscular injection twice a week, while giving a sufficient protein diet.
2. It is generally believed that milk plus sucrose and vegetable oil are the best food basis during infancy.
For those who are older, add solid food according to local customary foods to increase the supply of calories. If there is no diarrhea or vomiting, 190 calories per kilogram per day will be given early and gradually increased to 200 calories.
Those who cannot tolerate lactose should avoid using milk.
3. A small amount of multiple blood transfusions and plasma transfusions, and intravenous or intramuscular injections.
You can also use multiple enemas with multiple doses of placental blood.
4. Adrenocortical hormone, cortisone and other hormones can be used in stubborn cases.
5. Insert needles into Ganshu (Liver Spleen) and Shenfu (Stomach), apply a short, strong stimulation, and do not leave the needles in place.
In addition, it is important to pay attention to physical exercise in daily life, correct bad hygiene and eating habits of babies, ensure regular meals, and guarantee sufficient sleep.
*The medical information provided in this text is for reference only.
In the event of discomfort, it is recommended to seek medical attention immediately. The diagnosis and treatment should be conducted based on a face-to-face consultation with a medical practitioner.