Childhood is a crucial stage of physical growth, where nutritional status directly affects child development. Malnourished children may exhibit various symptoms such as significantly shorter height compared to peers, and a yellowish skin tone. Therefore, paying attention to and identifying signs of child malnutrition is especially important.
When a child’s nutritional intake cannot keep up with growth, it may hinder both physiological and mental development. If a child appears indifferent, slow to react, and avoids communication, it could be a sign of protein and iron deficiency. Parents can improve this by incorporating foods rich in meat, milk, and egg yolks. If a child easily panics and has poor sleep quality, it may indicate insufficient vitamin B, found in legumes, walnuts, and other dried fruits that can be added to the diet. Additionally, teeth grinding during sleep, twitching limbs, and excessive sweating are often signs of calcium deficiency, making calcium supplementation crucial, where foods like shrimp shells, milk, and fish are good sources.
Apart from physical signs, malnourished children may face challenges in intelligence, perception, sensory, auditory, and language skills. Some children have intellectual disabilities, heightened sensory sensitivities, or impaired vision and hearing, struggling to discern sound rhythms. Their growth and development may also be delayed, resulting in relatively small stature. Limited language communication ability is a common issue. Furthermore, these children may struggle with posture control, exhibiting odd postures, poor balance, or an inability to maintain a normal vertical head position.
Given the broad impact of child malnutrition, parents should carefully observe since young children may not express discomfort well due to their age. Parental vigilance and timely intervention are crucial to ensure a child’s healthy growth.
