A form of severe protein-energy malnutrition characterized by edema, enlarged liver, skin changes, and hair discoloration. It typically occurs in children who consume adequate calories but insufficient protein.
From the Ga language of Ghana, meaning 'the sickness the baby gets when the new baby comes,' referring to weaning displacement. The term was introduced to medical literature by Jamaican pediatrician Cicely Williams in 1935.
Unlike starvation where children look skeletal, kwashiorkor children can appear swollen due to fluid retention, making malnutrition less obvious! The characteristic reddish hair color change occurs because the body can't produce enough melanin without adequate protein.
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