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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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.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.
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)
A severe form of malnutrition caused by deficiencies of protein and calorific intake, accompanied by progressive wasting, especially in infants.
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.
| ICD-10 | E41.-E42. |
|---|---|
| ICD-9 | 261 |
| DiseasesDB | 7826 |
| eMedicine | ped/164 |
| MeSH | D011502 |
Marasmus is a form of severe protein-energy malnutrition characterised by energy deficiency. Some other PEMs are kwashiorkor and cachexia (the most common one in the developed world).
A child with marasmus looks emaciated and the body weight may reduce to less than 80% of the normal weight for that height.
Marasmus occurrence increases prior to age 1 whereas Kwashiorkor occurrence increases after 18 months.
The signs are common characteristics of protein-energy malnutrition: dry skin, loose skin folds hanging over the glutei, axillae, etc. Drastic loss of adipose tissue from normal areas of fat deposits like buttocks and thighs. The afflicted are often fretful, irritable, and voraciously hungry. There may be alternate bands of pigmented and depigmented hair (flag sign), or flaky paint appearance of skin due to peeling.
It is essential to treat not only the symptoms but also the complications of the disorder like infections, dehydration and circulation disorders, which are frequently lethal and lead to high mortality if ignored.
| Nutritional pathology (E40-68, 260-269) | |
|---|---|
| Malnutrition | Kwashiorkor - Marasmus |
| Other underconsumption | B
vitamins: B1: Beriberi/Wernicke's
encephalopathy, B2: Ariboflavinosis, B3: Pellagra, B7: Biotin deficiency, B9: Folate deficiency, B12: Vitamin B12 deficiency other vitamins: A: Vitamin A
deficiency/Bitot's spots, C: Scurvy, D:
Rickets/Osteomalacia |
| Hyperalimentation | Obesity - Hypervitaminosis A - Hypervitaminosis D |
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