Assessment of Malnutrition in Children Under Five Years in Rwamagana District Hospital

Despite the vast research on nutrition and health, malnutrition is still a major fatality in this present day. Policymakers, social scientist and medical experts have expressed alarm about the growing problem. While most agree that the issue deserves attention, consensus dissolves around how to respond and resolve the problem. Malnourishment continues to be a primary health liability in developing nations such as Asia, sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America. It is globally the most significant risk factor for illness and death, predominantly with hundreds of millions of pregnant women

As a main theme in Hunger and Shame, child malnutrition is a serious problem that has affected many different societies. Child malnutrition is a complicated concept that often has many causes; each society is different and must be studied closely to fully understand the reason for such a horrific epidemic. Focusing on the Chagga population, many factors catalyzed the epidemic including environmental, cultural, and global.

In its State of Food Insecurity in the World 2012 report, the United Nations found that nearly 870 million people around the globe are chronically malnourished (Ruttan 6).  Chronic malnourishment weakens the immune system, and it significantly increases people's risk of contracting infectious diseases. As a result of the problem and severity of malnourishment, one of the United Nations top eight goals is to drastically reduce the number of people who suffer from this condition (Johnson 4). During the course of working towards their goal, the U.N. has identified agricultural growth as one of the most effective ways to reduce the prevalence of malnourishment. However, the United Nation has also determined that in order for agricultural growth

“What does malnutrition look like? Most of us think of bloated bellies or skin and bones, but the appearance of a hungry child might surprise you. Internationally hunger often stunts growth. Imagine a 9-year-old who appears to be only 5” (“Feed the Children.” Feed). Almost 1 billion kids worldwide live in poverty and 1 in 4 children around the world suffer from malnutrition that stunts growth (“Feed the Children.” Give). This is a very big problem not only in America but everywhere else, malnutrition is the cause of almost half of child deaths each year around the world (“Feed the Children.” Give). It is close to impossible for a malnourished child to recover from diarrhea or to fight off a small illness because their immune system is just simply too weak (“Feed the Children.”

Malnutrition causes nearly half of all deaths in children under five. (Food Aid Foundation.) Millions of children, gone, into thin air. As if they never existed. Millions of stories, millions of futures, all dead, uncared for. More than 795 million people do not have access to enough food to live a healthy lifestyle. (Food Aid Foundation.) Potential scientists, doctors, and musicians will never be able to achieve their goals because they can’t even obtain food. In Haiti, a small central-american country, one out of every three children lose the ability to grow because of malnourishment (Naq, Oishimaya Sen.). The severity of malnourishment in Haiti causes Haitian children to acquire many terminal diseases and blood deficiencies (Naq, Oishimaya

Malnutrition is the lack of proper nutrition, caused by not having enough to eat or not eating enough of the right things and child mortality, also known as under-five mortality, refers to the death of infants and children under the age of five. About 45% of all child deaths are linked to malnutrition, therefore malnutrition is known to be one of the main causes of child mortality worldwide. As mentioned in the case study, malnutrition is widespread in the Democratic Republic of Congo and a child who is suffering from malnutrition often has a diet lacking of vitamin A, zinc or iron. A diet lacking in vitamin A, which affects nearly two-thirds

Imagine being so hungry, you have to resort to extreme measures just to survive, imagine witnessing first hand, your children suffering and you can’t do anything for them, imagine living day to day in fear and not knowing whether today or tomorrow would be the last day of you or your child being alive. This is a major concern for families facing food insecurity all over the world. Everyday children in developing countries are suffering from childhood stunting. These children are going days without having anything to eat, clean water to drink, and getting the proper nutrients essential for growth and

Social situations can also contribute to malnutrition. The elderly, abused, alcohol and/or drug dependent, low income, and socially isolated

This guideline is very effective to prevent malnutrition, because it does not only focus on the preventive measure but also identifies the predominant factor for malnutrition and develop a plan according to the score from BMI, weight loss score and acute disease effect score for example: artificial nutritional support if the score is low. Furthermore, it also monitors the effectiveness of the plan. Therefore, it is comprehensive and evidence based preventive measure guidelines for

If children are subjected to inadequate nutrients during feedings or cannot absorb the food that they eat, they will experience malnutrition. The lack of energy in the body makes it unable to maintain a normal metabolic rate. The child can experience weight loss, growth stagnation, muscle atrophy and other problems. Malnutrition often happens to children who are less than three years old. The period between birth and three years requires a sufficient supply of nutrients that are also easier to digest and absorb. If the intake of nutrients cannot meet the growth and development needs, it will lead to malnutrition. Even mild malnutrition is enough to affect normal growth. Children who experience it will often have a low weight and a lack of muscle

There are so many of these children that are not getting the proper amount of nutrients and this problem goes far beyond just hunger. The effect of children who do not get the proper nutrition can change the outcome of natural maturity. The lack of nutrition can cause the kids to have growth, development, and learning issues. In the article, The Borgen Project, Kathryn Cassibry said ,over “44% of Rwandan children suffer from stunting. This means that they are unable to grow to their full potential because of a lack of adequate nutrition.” Too many of the kids are not getting what they need. Hunger is a major concern in Rwanda. Something must be done to prevent this from happening. If these kids can not get a good education because their hungry, how can they learn and be productive in their own environment? Therefore, we must help find a solution to this issue.

Deficiencies in nutrition render debilitating consequences that are both irreversible and permanent, ultimately preventing children from attaining their full potential resulting in lowered self-esteem, poor performance in primary school, and even hinder economic progress. These effects are often intergenerational and seemingly perpetuate a paralyzing cycle of poverty that places a myriad of pressure on educational and health systems and ultimately impedes development.

Severe Acute Malnutrition Management of Children Under Five in Senegal, a Multi-Sectoral Government Supported Approach

Malnutrition can either be under nutrition or over nutrition. All these are mentioned in the research but more attention is given to the latter. Under nutrition is a state resulting from intake of inadequate amount of nutrients, the nutrients commonly affected are protein and energy sources known as protein energy malnutrition (PEM),( AMREF training manual 1990).

(Hennie Swanepoel and Frik De Beer,Introduction to Development studies 1st Edition1997)”mentioned that malnutrition has a number of serious effects on human beings and their ability to live a productive life. There are different types of malnutrition. There are direct effects and indirect effects that influence the health of the people. Direct effects are Protein energy malnutrition, vitamin deficiency, iodine deficiency and Anaemia and indirect effects is mortality from other diseases attributed to mild or moderate underweight and mortality from other diseases attributed to vitamin A deficiency. (Regan C 80:20 development in an unequal world :) mentioned that malnourishment and undernourishment can affect people for their entire lives. A malnourished individual may grow up with physical or cognitive disabilities and face a life of hardship assaults such disabilities also have a debilitating affect upon a country’s workforce and subsequently its economic productivity. Malnourishment and undernourished has made a very bad impact in our country. For example: from the previous years there are parents who never took their kids for immunisation and also they never give them a proper