Kwashiorkor in young children is caused by a diet that is
- A. deficient in vitamin C
- B. deficient in iodine
- C. excessive in fat
- D. sufficient in energy but severely deficient in protein
Explanation
Where the diet is mostly starch, energy intake may be adequate but protein is not, so plasma protein falls, fluid is not drawn back into the capillaries and the child develops the characteristic swollen abdomen along with poor growth and a fatty liver. Marasmus, by contrast, is a shortage of both energy and protein and produces severe wasting. Vitamin C deficiency causes scurvy and iodine deficiency causes goitre.
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