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health advisory Hospital Diseases 2007-11-12 20:38:28

what are the organs in the body that is affected by marasmus kwashiorkor

Answer:

Marasmus and Kwashiorkor are two different things (although you can get marasmic Kwashiorkor- a combination).

Because they are manifestations of severe malnutrition (acute or chronic) most if not all organs of the body will be affected evetually, in some way or another.

Examples:

- skin desquamation in severely affected children, and changes in hair/skin pigmentation

- immune system: malnutrition increases risk of infections, so the organs these impact will be affected (eg. kidneys)

- the brain!

Hope this helps.

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In marasmic kwashiorkor, the weight is 60% or less of the expected weight for age and sex and there is edema. There are skin changes, hair changes and mental changes. The children are apathetic. Yhe liver may be enlarged due to fatty changes. There may be fat deposition in the myocardium of the heart and congestive cardiac failure. Enzyme levels are low. Metabolism is deranged. Blood sugar is low. Immunity is low and there may be septicemia. Vitamin deficiencies may be there, such as vitamin A deficiency causing eye changes, vitamin D deficiency rickets, stomatitis , glossitis and cheilosis due to B complex deficiency.

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