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A.D.A.M. Medical Encyclopedia [Internet]. Atlanta (GA): A.D.A.M.; 2013.
A.D.A.M. Medical Encyclopedia.
Malnutrition is the condition that occurs when your body does not get enough nutrients.
Causes, incidence, and risk factors
There are a number of causes of malnutrition. It may result from:
- Inadequate or unbalanced diet
- Problems with digestion or absorption
- Certain medical conditions
Malnutrition can occur if you do not eat enough food. Starvation is a form of malnutrition.
You may develop malnutrition if you lack of a single vitamin in the diet.
In some cases, malnutrition is very mild and causes no symptoms. However, sometimes it can be so severe that the damage done to the body is permanent, even though you survive.
Malnutrition continues to be a significant problem all over the world, especially among children. Poverty, natural disasters, political problems, and war all contribute to conditions -- even epidemics -- of malnutrition and starvation, and not just in developing countries.
Related topics:
- Megaloblastic anemia
Symptoms
Symptoms vary and depend on what is causing the malnutrition. However, some general symptoms include fatigue, dizziness, and weight loss.
Signs and tests
Testing depends on the specific disorder. Most work-ups include nutritional assessments and blood work.
Treatment
Treatment usually consists of replacing missing nutrients, treating symptoms as needed, and treating any underlying medical condition.
Expectations (prognosis)
The outlook depends on the cause of the malnutrition. Most nutritional deficiencies can be corrected. However, if malnutrition is caused by a medical condition, that illness has to be treated in order to reverse the nutritional deficiency.
Complications
If untreated, malnutrition can lead to mental or physical disability, illness, and possibly death.
Calling your health care provider
Discuss the risk of malnutrition with your health care provider. Treatment is necessary if you or your child have any changes in the body's ability to function. Contact your health care provider if the following symptoms develop:
- Fainting
- Lack of menstruation
- Lack of growth in children
- Rapid hair loss
Prevention
Eating a good, well-balanced diet helps to prevent most forms of malnutrition.
References
- Grover Z, Ee LC. Protein energy malnutrition. Pediatr Clin North Am. 2009 Oct;56(5):1055-68. [PubMed: 19931063]
- Visvanathan R, Chapman IM. Undernutrition and anorexia in the older person. Gastroenterol Clin North Am. 2009 Sep;38(3):393-409. [PubMed: 19699404]
- Suskind DL. Nutritional deficiencies during normal growth. Pediatr Clin North Am. 2009 Oct;56(5):1035-53. [PubMed: 19931062]
- Kirby M, Danner E. Nutritional deficiencies in children on restricted diets. Pediatr Clin North Am. 2009 Oct;56(5):1085-103. [PubMed: 19931065]
Review Date: 6/14/2011.
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Pre‐operative Nutrition in Patients Undergoing Surgery on the Digestive System
A large amount of research exists that links a poor level of nourishment (malnutrition) to infections and other complications after surgery on the digestive system. These other complications could include tissue breakdown at the site of surgery, heart failure, blood clots or bleeding. This review looks at literature for providing extra nourishment to patients before an operation on their digestive tract, to determine if this extra nourishment is of any benefit in reducing infections or other complications. This review looked at all methods of providing artificial nourishment to people before surgery. This included giving nourishment directly into the blood stream (parenteral nutrition), a feed given by a device that enables nourishment to be delivered directly into the digestive tract (enteral nutrition) or nutritional supplements that are taken as a drink.
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