Health Information

This disease is caused because of prolonged breast-feeding with inadequate supplement of other foods. And also because of artificial feeds which is less nutritive in protein and calories. Sometimes because of less feeding due to the fear of diarrhea, this disease may occur. Marasumus is usually seen in infants less than one year.

Symptoms

The infant who is affected with this disease feels hungry and cries continuously and it will be less in weight. The infants may present frequent small dark green mucous stool of “hungry diarrhea”. It aggravates the disease further. Diarrhea is almost always present in child but it becomes chronic and remittent if the child is affected by Marasumus. Vomiting is more common in affected child. Mucous membrane of mouth of affected child is usually reddish. They skin is thin, attached to bone, flaccid and wrinkled and bony prominence is marked. Because of excessive diarrhea and vomiting, dehydration and electrolytes imbalance may occur in marasmic child. In marasmic child hemoglobin and haematocrit values is found to be slightly less than the normal child. All the above features make up a typical face of marasmic child that has been compared to a “little monkey”.

Biochemical changes in marasmic child

Plasma lipids are not much affected and total serum proteins usually range from 5 to 6 g% and albumin approximately 3g% in affected child. There is no change in serum enzymes.

Conclusion

The marasmic child can be recovered by giving adequate dietary treatment.