ABSTRACT
Children can be underweight because they have a low weight in relation to their height and/or because they are short in relation to their age. Waterlow introduced the term wasted for children with a low weight-for-height (WFH), and stunted for those who have a low height-for-age. Children with acute malnutrition (AM) have a history of insufficient energy and nutrient intakes compared to their needs. This can be due either to poor access to a nutrient-dense diet and/or inflammation, which can induce anorexia and further increase nutritional needs. Management of AM, however, especially in its severe form, has been greatly improved and simplified in recent years. Children with severe AM (SAM) often have an excess of body iron at the beginning of their treatment, and the levels of these stores, assessed by ferritin plasma concentrations, are associated with an increased mortality.
