Question

What is marasmus? Write any four symptoms of the disease.

Answer 1

Marasmus:

1. Marasmus occurs due to severe deficiency of calories or carbohydrates and proteins in the diet of children. The disease generally affects infants.

Symptoms

1. Body becomes very lean and thin and so weak that the child may not even be able to move.
2. Skin becomes dry, thin and wrinkled and shows loose folds as the layers of fat below the skin disappear.
3. Ribs become very prominent.
4. Sunken eyes.
5. Unable to digest and absorb food and may suffer from diarrhoea.