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Physical growth and neurointegrative performance of survivors of protein--energy malnutrition
Insights
Children who survived kwashiorkor, a form of protein-energy malnutrition (PEM), showed poorer neurointegrative and scholastic performance. These deficits persisted into later childhood, indicating long-term effects of early childhood malnutrition.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nutrition
- Developmental Neuroscience
- Child Health
Background:
- Kwashiorkor is a severe form of protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) affecting young children.
- Early childhood malnutrition can have lasting impacts on cognitive and physical development.
- Understanding the long-term consequences of kwashiorkor is crucial for intervention strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare anthropometric measurements and neurointegrative performance in children who survived kwashiorkor with a control group.
- To assess the long-term effects of kwashiorkor on scholastic abilities.
- To investigate potential correlations between dietary intake and scholastic performance in survivors.
Main Methods:
- A cohort study comparing 79 children who survived kwashiorkor (aged 6-12 years) with 142 healthy controls.
- Anthropometric measurements (height, weight) and standardized neurointegrative performance tests were administered.
- Scholastic performance was evaluated, and dietary intake was assessed at reassessment.
Main Results:
- Boys who survived PEM had significantly lower height and weight than controls; girls did not show significant differences.
- PEM survivors performed significantly poorer on neurointegrative tests compared to controls.
- Scholastic performance was significantly lower in PEM survivors than in controls and their siblings.
Conclusions:
- Childhood kwashiorkor leads to significant deficits in neurointegrative and scholastic performance that persist into later childhood.
- Early PEM has long-lasting adverse effects on cognitive development, even if anthropometric catch-up occurs.
- Interventions should address not only nutritional recovery but also cognitive and educational support for survivors of severe malnutrition.
Abstract:
1. The anthropometric measurements and neurointegrative performance of seventy-nine children aged 6--12 years who had survived kwashiorkor in early childhood were compared to those of 142 children who served as controls. 2. For the boys the differences in height and weight between those who had survived protein--energy malnutrition (PEM) and the controls were significant (P less than 0.01). 3. For the girls the differences in height and weight between those who had survived PEM and the controls were not significant. 4. In the tests chosen, the performances of the survivors of PEM was significantly poorer than that of the controls. 5. There was no improvement in the performance when thirteen survivors were reassessed at 10 years of age. 6. There was a significant difference in scholastic performance between the survivors of PEM and the normal controls. The scholastic performance of the siblings of PEM survivors was also significantly better than that of the PEM survivors. 7. The dietary intakes at the time of reassessment were unsatisfactory in 25% of the survivors, but did not relate to their scholastic abilities.
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