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Clinical features

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

In malnutrition there is muscle wasting of the infant but preservation of some subcutaneous fat. Note that most features are in systems with high rates of turnover:-

  • oedema - in kwashiorkor
  • diarrhoea as a result of villous atrophy
  • abdominal distention as a result of small bowel flora
  • hair loss
  • nail atrophy
  • listlessness
  • irritability
  • apathy
  • anorexia
  • flaky paint skin - dermatitis, depigmented skin, generally thin and cracking. Sometimes there is hyperpigmentation
  • nappy rash, often infected with candida
  • hepatomegaly due to fatty infiltration
  • prone to infection

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