Kwashiorkor

Kwashiorkor, severe condition of protein deficiency common in children of some areas of the Third World. It causes excess body fluid, distended abdomen, skin and hair changes, loss of appetite, apathy, diarrhea, liver disturbance, stunted growth, and sometimes, death. Its name derives from the Ghanaian for “deposed one,” from its occurrence in children who are removed from breastfeeding too soon.