Page:Helen Rich Baldwin - Nutrition and Health (1924).pdf/16

 There are in addition to these specific causes certain underlying: causes of malnutrition, such as

Malnutrition can be recognized by a number of signs and symptoms.

A malnourished child is, in the first place, always underweight. Consult a weight chart and you can discover a child’s physical condition very quickly, for the relation of height to weight and age is the most reliable index to his health.

An underweight condition, pale or sallow skin, soft flabby flesh, undeveloped muscles, dark circles under the eyes, lustreless hair, and dull lifeless eyes are all physical symptoms of malnutrition.

The malnourished child is apt to be listless and disinclined either to work or play. He generally tires easily, and is often regarded as lazy. He is likely to lack mental vigor also, having little power of concentration and attention and less than the normal amount of curiosity and mental alertness. In disposition he may be nervous, restless, fidgety, irritable and extremely finicky about food.

Malnourished children may exhibit one or several of these symptoms, depending on the degree of undernourishment.

The effects of malnutrition are far reaching and are shown both in the physical and mental development of the child.

The immediate results of malnutrition, as has already been pointed out, are retarded growth, anemia, nervousness, irritability and lack of energy. The permanent effects are even more serious. The malnourished child, because of his low