You are reading a case study from a researcher at World University. The researcher has traveled to the largest city in India and is reporting on an illness present in a 15-month-old boy. The researcher describes the child as extremely thin and bony, with wrinkled skin and enlarged fatty liver. For the past year, this child has subsisted almost entirely on diluted cereal drink. Your first thought is that most of these observations are characteristic of marasmus, but then you realize that ____ is more consistent with kawashikor.
A)wrinkled skin
B)food intake pattern
C)enlarged fatty liver
D)extremely thin
E)bony appearance

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The presence of an enlarged fatty liver is a characteristic feature of kwashiorkor, which is caused by severe protein deficiency. While marasmus is also a form of severe malnutrition, it is primarily characterized by wasting of muscle and subcutaneous fat, resulting in an extremely thin and bony appearance. Wrinkled skin is a common feature of both marasmus and kwashiorkor, and the food intake patterns may vary in both conditions. However, the presence of an enlarged fatty liver is more consistent with kwashiorkor.

You Are Reading a Case Study from a Researcher at World