Kwashiorkor from a severe dietary restriction in an 8-month infant in suburban Detroit, Michigan: case report and review of the literature

Kwashiorkor is a type of protein‐calorie malnutrition often seen in children of impoverished countries and famine. The condition occurs in the setting of insufficient protein intake in the presence of sufficient caloric intake. We report a case of a 8‐month‐old male infant in the suburban Detroit, M...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of dermatology 2010-05, Vol.49 (5), p.500-506
Main Authors: Tierney, Emily P., Sage, Robert J., Shwayder, Tor
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biological and medical sciences
Dermatology
Diet - adverse effects
Dietary Proteins - administration & dosage
Diseases of the digestive system
Emollients - therapeutic use
Exanthema - drug therapy
Humans
Infant
Kwashiorkor - diagnosis
Kwashiorkor - drug therapy
Kwashiorkor - etiology
Male
Medical sciences
Michigan
Protein Deficiency - complications
Radiotherapy. Instrumental treatment. Physiotherapy. Reeducation. Rehabilitation, orthophony, crenotherapy. Diet therapy and various other treatments (general aspects)
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Kwashiorkor is a type of protein‐calorie malnutrition often seen in children of impoverished countries and famine. The condition occurs in the setting of insufficient protein intake in the presence of sufficient caloric intake. We report a case of a 8‐month‐old male infant in the suburban Detroit, MI, USA who presented with diffuse edema, erythroderma and desquamation, a “bull‐dog” face, diarrhea, and irritability, consistent with kwashiorkor as a result of severe dietary restriction. The mother had placed the child on a severely restrictive diet, consisting only of RICE DREAM® milk, sweet potatoes and bananas, with the assumption that it would help his rash. Nineteen prior cases of kwashiorkor induced in infants by dietary restriction of “well intending” parents have been reported in the US literature. Malnutrition is often under diagnosed or misdiagnosed in developed countries such as the United States. The results, if unrecognized or untreated, may be devastating. This makes it imperative that physicians consider this diagnosis, recognize potential risk factors and be prepared to accurately assess overall nutritional status of patients.
ISSN:0011-9059
1365-4632
DOI:10.1111/j.1365-4632.2010.04253.x