Malnutrition in children can be caused by external factors such as lack of food and internal factors like celiac disease, lactose intolerance, and cystic fibrosis. Signs of malnutrition include weight loss, anemia, and weakened bones. Lack of adequate diet and unpleasant eating conditions can also cause malnutrition.
Malnutrition in children is caused by both external and internal factors. Children become malnourished when they don’t get the right amount of nutrients, such as vitamins and minerals, in their diets. In some cases, malnutrition results from the child having a disease that prevents their body from absorbing necessary nutrients. In other cases, children are malnourished because they don’t have access to enough food.
Conditions that can cause malnutrition in children if not treated properly include celiac disease and lactose intolerance. Children with celiac disease cannot tolerate gluten, the protein found in wheat and some other grains. With celiac disease, your child’s immune system attacks gluten, which can lead to damage to the intestines, preventing the absorption of nutrients.
Signs that a child may be suffering from malnutrition caused by celiac disease include weight loss and anemia. Your child may also not get enough calcium, causing rickets or softened bones. Celiac disease symptoms also include bloating and diarrhea.
Lactose intolerance is another condition that can lead to malnutrition in children. Many children need dairy products to get adequate amounts of calcium in their diets. Lactose intolerant babies cannot digest milk and other dairy products properly and may avoid them. One way to avoid malnutrition in children caused by lactose intolerance is for children to eat other sources of calcium, such as green leafy vegetables and nuts.
Another medical condition that can cause malnutrition is cystic fibrosis. When a baby has cystic fibrosis, the mucous cells produce thick mucus that blocks the airways and the tubes that connect the intestines and pancreas. The connection between the pancreas is needed for the transport of enzymes that help a child’s body absorb proteins and vitamins A, C and K. When the tubes are blocked, malnutrition can occur.
Some infants and children may become malnourished if they have a condition that makes eating unpleasant. A child with acid reflux disease may refuse to eat. If the condition is left untreated, he may develop dysphagia, which makes swallowing painful or impossible in some cases.
Lack of adequate diet is another cause of malnutrition in children. A very young child may become malnourished if it does not receive adequate nutrition from its mother soon after birth. Children in countries where food is scarce or where poverty is rampant are at greater risk of malnutrition than children living in developed countries, where many foods are fortified with extra vitamins and nutrients.
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