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marasmus

 
Dictionary: ma·ras·mus   (mə-răz'məs) pronunciation
n.
A progressive wasting of the body, occurring chiefly in young children and associated with insufficient intake or malabsorption of food.

[New Latin, from Greek marasmos, from marainein, to waste away.]

marasmic ma·ras'mic adj.

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Food and Fitness: marasmus
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Malnutrition caused by lack of food. It is characterized by general wasting (body weight is less than 60 per cent of that expected for the age), apathy, and lethargy. Unlike some forms of malnutirition (for example, see kwashiorkor), it affects adults as well as children.

Dental Dictionary: marasmus
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(məraz'mus)
n

A wasting disorder of malnutrition and partial starvation which occurs in infants and young children as a result of severe protein deficiency and insufficient caloric intake. See also kwashiorkor.

Marasmus. (Thibodeau/Patton, 2002)

Marasmus. (Thibodeau/Patton, 2002)

A severe form of malnutrition caused by deficiencies of protein and calorific intake, accompanied by progressive wasting, especially in infants.

Veterinary Dictionary: marasmus
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A form of protein-calorie malnutrition characterized by growth retardation and wasting of subcutaneous fat and muscle, but usually with retention of appetite and mental alertness. See cobalt nutritional deficiency.

Wikipedia: Marasmus
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Marasmus
Classification and external resources

Child suffering with Marasmus in India
ICD-10 E41.-E42.
ICD-9 261
DiseasesDB 7826
eMedicine ped/164
MeSH D011502

Marasmus is a form of severe protein-energy malnutrition characterized by energy deficiency.

A child with marasmus looks emaciated. Body weight may be reduced to less than 80% of the normal weight for that height.[citation needed] Marasmus occurrence increases prior to age 1, whereas kwashiorkor occurrence increases after 18 months.

The prognosis is better than it is in kwashiorkor.[1]

Contents

Signs and symptoms

The malnutrition associated with marasmus leads to extensive tissue and muscle wasting, as well as variable edema. Other common characteristics include dry skin, loose skin folds hanging over the glutei, axillae, etc. There is also drastic loss of adipose tissue from normal areas of fat deposits like buttocks and thighs. The afflicted are often fretful, irritable, and voraciously hungry.

Causes

Marasmus is caused by a severe deficiency of nearly all nutrients, especially protein and calories.

Treatment

It is necessary to treat not only the symptoms but also the complications of the disorder, including infections, dehydration, and circulation disorders, which are frequently lethal and lead to high mortality if ignored.

Ultimately, marasmus can progress to the point of no return when the body's machinery for protein synthesis, itself made of protein, has been degraded to the point that it cannot handle any protein. At this point, attempts to correct the disorder by giving food or protein are futile.

Epidemiology

Disability-adjusted life year for protein-energy malnutrition per 100,000 inhabitants in 2002.[2]
     no data      less than 10      10-100      100-200      200-300      300-400      400-500      500-600      600-700      700-800      800-1000      1000-1350      more than 1350

See also

References


 
 

 

Copyrights:

Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Food and Fitness. Food and Fitness: A Dictionary of Diet and Exercise. Copyright © 1997, 2003 by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.  Read more
Dental Dictionary. Mosby's Dental Dictionary. Copyright © 2004 by Elsevier, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
Sports Science and Medicine. The Oxford Dictionary of Sports Science & Medicine. Copyright © Michael Kent 1998, 2006, 2007. All rights reserved.  Read more
Veterinary Dictionary. Saunders Comprehensive Veterinary Dictionary 3rd Edition. Copyright © 2007 by D.C. Blood, V.P. Studdert and C.C. Gay, Elsevier. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Marasmus" Read more