Diarrhoea is a nutritional disease.
More hospitalised patients with diarrhoea than patients without diarrhoea were underweight for age. In a retrospective survey of patients hospitalised more than once with either diarrhoea or bronchopneumonia, the patients with diarrhoea were found to have a greater decrease in weight for age at the time of the second admission than the patients with bronchopneumonia. The malnutrition associated with diarrhoea is due to a number of factors, including decreased intake, extra losses and malabsorption of nutrients. Patients on marginal food intakes may be unable to make up lost ground after diarrhoeal episodes and become malnourished. A brief survey of health professionals' attitudes suggested a tendency to overlook the nutritional component in the management of diarrhoea. Nutritional rehabilitation during and after episodes of diarrhoea ought to receive more emphasis in teaching and practice.
Wittenberg
D F
DF
Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Natal, Durban.
Loening
W E
WE
D001835:Body Weight; D001996:Bronchopneumonia / Q000150:complications; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003968:Diarrhea, Infantile / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007228:Infant Nutrition Disorders / Q000150:complications*; D012189:Retrospective Studies