[Malnutrition and immunodeficiency in children]

Our knowledge on relationships between nutrition, immunity and infection has much progressed. Malnutrition affects all three defence mechanisms: unspecific immunity, cellular immunity and humoral immunity. Any kind of nutriment is concerned: nitrogen-caloric nutriments, trace elements, vitamins. Restoration and maintenance of a good nutritional status have become imperative in order to stop the vicious cercle of malnutrition-infection in infants and children.