A child's upper arm is measured to detect malnutrition in the village of Baggad, in Madhya Pradesh's Dhar district (India) Measures There are three commonly used measures for detecting malnutrition in children: * stunting (extremely low height for age), * underweight (extremely low weight for age), and * wasting (extremely low weight for height). These measures of malnutrition are interrelated, but studies for the World Bank found that only 9 percent of children exhibit stunting, underweight, and wasting. Children with severe acute malnutrition are very thin, but they often also have swollen hands and feet, making the internal problems more evident to health workers. Children with severe malnutrition are very susceptible to infection. Effects later in life<unk>  causes direct structural damage to the brain and impairs infant motor development and exploratory behavior. Children who are undernourished before age two and gain weight quickly later in childhood and in adolescence are at high risk of chronic diseases related to nutrition. Studies have found a strong association between<unk>  and child mortality. Once malnutrition is treated, adequate growth is an indication of health and recovery. Even after recovering from severe malnutrition, children often remain stunted for the rest of their lives. Even mild degrees of malnutrition double the risk of mortality for respiratory and diarrheal disease mortality and malaria. This risk is greatly increased in more severe cases of malnutrition. Undernourished girls tend to grow into short adults and are more likely to have small children. Prenatal malnutrition and early life growth patterns can alter metabolism and physiological patterns and have lifelong effects on the risk of cardiovascular disease. Children who are undernourished are more likely to be short in adulthood, have lower educational achievement and economic status, and give birth to smaller infants. Children often face malnutrition during the age of rapid development, which can have long-lasting impacts on health.
Undernutrition in children
Pain in babies
Low milk supply
Neonatal hypocalcemia
Trauma in children
Infant mental health
Underweight
Chest pain in children