At the moment, we have already taken for granted and stopped questioning the images of children that come before our eyes without even realizing it. But in this case, do you think there is something wrong?
Why do children’s stomachs swell up like a drum when they can’t get enough of the food they desire?
Signs of malnutrition include skinny arms and legs, easily recognizable ribs, and a very tight and bloated abdomen.
The discomfort of the children mentioned here and seen in the images is not anorexia caused by an eating disorder; It is Protein-Energy Malnutrition (PEM) caused by malnutrition and is caused by a lack of protein, which is a very vital nutrient for our lives.
Two types of Protein-Energy Malnutrition are encountered in children who cannot be fed in line with their body’s needs.
The first of these disorders is called marasmus and the other is called kwashiorkor. It is the latter that causes the appearance of a bloated abdomen. Kwashiorkor is common in children, especially in societies struggling with hunger and poverty, causing fluid to accumulate in the children’s abdominal cavities and fatty livers.
The name Kwashiorkor was first used by Jamaican pediatrician Cicely Williams, and it is suggested that the term derives from the Ghanaian phrase meaning “the baby’s mother fell ill because she gave birth to a new baby”.
Because if a mother who has not yet weaned a baby gives birth to a new one, she will have a difficult time feeding both at the same time and this will cause babies to be malnourished.
Breast milk is of vital importance for the baby and it contains essential protein and amino acids that the baby needs. Their deprivation poses a serious threat to the inability to achieve various mental and physiological developments.
Children may catch this disease more quickly when their protein and amino acid intake is very low and carbohydrate consumption is increased.
Eating cassava, which consists of rice, sweet potato and starchy roots of a type of tropical tree, which is widely consumed in regions where hunger and poverty are prevalent, also causes children to catch this disease and harms their lymphatic systems.
The lymphatic system has 3 basic functions in our body.
The first of these is the recovery of liquids; another is the control of the immune system and the last is the absorption of fats. In kwashiorkor patients suffering from malnutrition, all three functions are disrupted and fluids from the tissues must be sent to the circulatory system for fluid recovery, but protein intake is essential for this to occur.
At this point, it is essential that the protein pressure is higher than the pressure of the water and that the water in the digestive system can pass into the body. However, if the amount of protein is insufficient, this transition does not occur and water accumulates in the tissues and digestive system.
In other words, the body suffering from protein deprivation cannot obtain enough energy to perform its basic metabolic functions.
This causes fluid accumulation in the tissues and circulatory system, or, more commonly, edema. However, abdominal swelling is not the only problem in kwashiorkor patients. These people also experience problems such as loss of teeth at a very early age, visibly thinning of the skin and reduction of hair.
Although the diagnosis of this disease and the treatments to be followed cannot prevent developmental disorders and changes in the body, it can prevent death. In addition to protein, intake of various minerals and vitamins is also very important in order for the body to recover itself and return to its former function during treatment.
However, access to these foods is unfortunately very difficult considering the geography and living conditions of people suffering from this disease.
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