KWASHIORKOR
Kwashiorkor, or Protein Malnutrition, is caused by a severe protein deficiency. It is found mostly in tropical and subtropical regions where the diet is high in starch (cereal grains, cassava, plantain, sweet potato, etc.) and low in protein, and frequently affects young children after weaning. (Kwashiorkor means 'deposed child' in one African dialect - refering to a child 'deposed' from the mother's breast by a newborn sibling). Symptoms include stunted growth, edema, potbelly, diarrhea, depigmentation of the skin, and loss of hair or reddish orange discoloration of the hair.
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