Diagnosis of acute malnutrition is based on arm circumference and weight for height because clinical manifestations are often difficult to recognize. If the two factors of arm circumference and weight are lower than the threshold, acute malnutrition is diagnosed.

1. Causes of acute malnutrition

Acute malnutrition is a condition in which the body does not receive enough energy and protein according to its needs. Acute malnutrition can cause stunting or edema.

Children with acute malnutrition have a 5-20 times higher risk of death than normal children. Causes of acute malnutrition include:

• Diet poor in nutrients
• Poor ability to absorb nutrients due to gastrointestinal disease or after a serious illness, the patient feels unappetizing and does not want to eat
• There are many neuropsychiatric disorders that affect the patient’s eating habits such as depression, anorexia nervosa, bulimia and other eating disorders.
• Infants who are not exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months, do not get enough breast milk, and are given solid foods too early.

Depression can affect eating habits

2. Diagnosis of acute malnutrition

Diagnosis of acute malnutrition is based on arm circumference and weight according to height because clinical manifestations are often difficult to recognize. If the two factors of arm circumference and weight are lower than the threshold, acute malnutrition is diagnosed. Specifically:

• Arm circumference: From >115mm – 125mm (applicable to children 6-59 months old);
• Weight-height: Weight/height from -3SD to -2SD

2.1. Edema malnutrition

The main cause of children suffering from edema malnutrition is due to lack of protein supply. Signs of recognition include:

• Edema starting from the lower limbs, then the whole body; soft white edema, indentation.
• Digestive disorders or pneumonia.
• Based on arm circumference or weight according to height can be normal
• Limbs, groin, buttocks often have red spots on the skin that then turn dark and peel off, easily infected and cause patchy.
• Diagnosis shows heart failure, enlarged liver, osteoporosis, …
• Tests show decreased hemoglobin, decreased sodium and potassium, increased non-essential or essential amino acids, …

2.2. Stunting malnutrition

Children with this type of malnutrition are mainly caused by a lack of energy supply. Signs of recognition include:

• Children do not have a layer of fat under the skin of the face, limbs, and buttocks, so they are stunted and have sunken eyes
• Dry, wrinkled skin
• Feeling hungry or not
• Children become lethargic, less flexible, and fussy.
• Decreased hemoglobin
• Decreased hematocrit, blood protein
• Blood sugar and electrolytes change

2.3. Combined malnutrition

Combined malnutrition is a combination of stunting malnutrition and edema, caused by a lack of energy and protein in children. Signs of recognition:

• The child’s weight drops below 60% of the weight of a normal child (below -4SD).
• The child is edematous, but the body is very thin, the cheeks are sunken but the instep is edematous and there may be pigmented patches.
• The child also has poor appetite and often has digestive disorders.

Combined malnutrition when children have anorexia and digestive disorders

3. Preventing acute malnutrition

• Breastfeed your baby exclusively for the first 6 months of life and continue for at least two years. Only give your baby formula when there is not enough breast milk
• Eat a variety of foods to stimulate appetite
• Increase regular physical activities
• Treat diseases of the digestive tract and systemic diseases.
• Do not overuse antibiotics in the treatment of diseases
• Regularly monitor your child’s growth with a chart

To prevent and improve malnutrition in children, parents should supplement with support products containing lysine, essential minerals and vitamins such as zinc, chromium, selenium, and B vitamins to fully meet their child’s nutritional needs. At the same time, these essential vitamins also support digestion, enhance the ability to absorb nutrients, help improve anorexia, and help children eat well. Parents can also apply nutritional supplements and natural functional foods for easy absorption by the baby. The most important thing is that the improvement of the baby’s symptoms must take place over a long period of time. Combining many types of functional foods at the same time or continuously changing many types in a short period of time can make the baby’s digestive system unable to adapt and is not good at all.