Malnutrition and malabsorption. Effect of nutritional rehabilitation on gastrointestinal function in kwashiorkor and marasmus--a longitudinal study.

The effects of long-term feeding of an adequate diet on the progressive changes in the biochemical parameters including gastrointestinal functions in children suffering from marasmus and kwashiorkor are presented. In both groups fasting bloos sugar, blood urea nitrogen, hemoglobin, serum total proteins and albumin at admission were significantly lower than in matched controls. These parameters improved after proper dietary therapy over a period of two years. The improvement in the biochemical parameters correlated with clinical and anthropological measurement. On admission, the gastrointestinal function as assessed by various tests was poor in both the groups. This returned to normal or near normal after nutritional rehabilitation. The return was much quicker for glucose and fat absorption than for lactose and d-xylose absorption. The rate of improvement in marasmus was slower than that in kwashiorkor.