Marasmus is a condition caused by malnutrition due to low energy consumption of calories and protein in the daily diet resulting in an inadequate intake of calories needed by the body.Causes of Marasmus
According to Behrman (1999: 122) causes of marasmus are:
- Inadequate caloric intake, as a result of deficiencies in the arrangement of food.
- Food habits are not feasible, as contained in the parent-child relationship is disrupted or as a result of metabolic disorders or congenital malformations.
- Each body system disorder that can lead to severe malnutrition.
- Caused by the negative influence of socioeconomic factors and cultural events that contribute to general malnutrition, negative nitrogen balance can be caused by chronic diarrhea, malabsorption of protein, urine protein loss (neprofit syndrome), chronic infections, burns and heart disease.
Signs and Symptoms of Marasmus
- Child's whiny, cranky, and not excited.
- Diarrhea.
- Eyes large and deep.
- Acral cyanosis and looks cool.
- Face as parents.
- Impaired growth and development.
- Occur begi ass, because there is muscle atrophy.
- Fatty tissue under the skin will disappear, the skin wrinkles and poor skin turgor ..
- Belly bulge or concave with a clear picture of the intestine.
- Slow pulse and decreased basal metabolism.
- Superficial veins are more apparent.
- Large fontanel sunken.
- Cheekbones and chin stand out.
- Anorexia.
- Frequent night waking.
Pathophysiology of Marasmus
Growth with less or stop muscle atrophy and lose fat under the skin. At first this is prosesn physiological abnormalities. For the survival of tissue the body requires energy, but does not come alone and protein reserves are used also to meet the energy needs. Tissue destruction in calorie deficiency not only help meet energy needs, but also to allow the synthesis of glucose and other metabolites such as amino acids essential for the homeostatic component. Therefore, in severe marasmus are sometimes still found a normal amino acid, so that the liver is still able to form enough albumin.