A mother is seated with her son, waiting at a UNICEF supported clinic in Syria.
A mother is seated with her son, waiting at a UNICEF supported clinic in Syria.

Child Malnutrition

Guide to Child Malnutrition

Home > What we do > Nutrition > Child Malnutrition

What is malnutrition in children?

Child malnutrition is a condition due to an imbalance of essential nutrients. It occurs when a child’s diet does not have the right amount of nutrients and energy. It can refer to a child’s undernutrition—not getting enough nutrients, or overnutrition—getting more nutrients than needed. As well as it can refer to an energy deficit or energy excess measured in Kilo Calories.

Your support helps us make sure that those children who are found to be malnourished receive the care they need to not only survive, but thrive.

148 million

Stunting affected an estimated 22.3% (about 148 million) children under 5 globally in 2022

45 million

Wasting threatened the lives of an estimated 6.8% (about 45 million) children under 5 globally in 2022

37 million

Overweight and obesity affected an estimated 5.6% (about 37 million) children under 5 globally in 2022

The different types of malnutrition in children

Stunting: when children are too short for their age.  Meaning that they are not developing at the right pace due to lacking essential nutrients required for physical and mental development. This is often a situation that develops all along childhood, starting at the womb as early as the days following conception. 

Wasting: when children are too thin for their height. This is due to a sudden and significant drop on the diet’s quality both in terms of nutrients and energy content.

Obesity: is when children are too heavy for their height. This happens when children get too many of the wrong nutrients. It is a condition affecting all levels of society, mainly the most deprived as they access the poorest quality foods, such as ultra processed foods full of sugar and fat which are available everywhere.

The Signs, Effects and Causes of malnutrition in children

Children are particularly vulnerable to malnutrition. Common signs and symptoms of the following types of malnutrition can include:

Stunting:

  • Shorter stature than their age
  • Weight stagnation or loss
  • Developmental delays according to their age
  • More susceptible various to infections
  • Intellectual impairment in later life

Wasting:

  • Faltering growth
  • Swelling in legs or stomach
  • Uncharacteristic changes in behaviour
  • Lower energy levels than other children
  • Sudden and unplanned weight loss
  • Loss of interest in food or fluids
  • Uncharacteristic tiredness or low energy levels
  • Joint pain and muscle aches
  • Dizziness, poor coordination and poor concentration
  • Difficulty keeping warm

Overweight & Obesity:
Overweight is a condition where there is too much fat, leading to a weight that is too high for one’s height. Obesity is a long-term, complicated condition caused by too much fat, which can harm health. Among other things, they can be characterised by:

  • Shortness of breath
  • Fatigue
  • Increased sweating
  • Joint pain
  • Constipation
  • Early puberty in girls and delayed puberty in boys

The effects of malnutrition in children are:

  • Long-lasting physical and cognitive impairment that will limit all life opportunities for children with stunting and therefore negatively impact their communities.
  • An increased risk of death for children who are moderately or severely wasted as the lack of nutrients has the effect of supressing the immune system, making children vulnerable to common diseases which otherwise would not have been lethal for a healthy child.
  • An increased risk of diet-related non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and heart disease later in life for children with obesity.

For children, malnutrition has lifelong consequences. This has an impact on entire populations, contributing to a cycle of poverty. That’s why we’re doing everything we can to work with communities and governments to prevent malnutrition and break that vicious cycle.

There are several factors which cause child malnutrition, many of which are interconnected. Conflict, climate change, and natural disasters all aggravate the following determinants.

Immediate determinants that cause child malnutrition:

  • Diets: Poor diets driven by inadequate foods, feeding and dietary practices.
  • Care: Poor care driven by inadequate services to support good nutrition.

Underlying determinants that cause child malnutrition:

  • Food: Lack of good quality food which comprises age-appropriate and nutrient-rich foods. This is including breastmilk and complementary foods for children in the first two years of life – with safe drinking water.
  • Practices: Lack of good quality practices which comprises age-appropriate feeding and dietary practices. This is including insufficient breastfeeding and responsive complementary feeding in early childhood – with inadequate food preparation, consumption and hygiene practices.
  • Services: Lack of good quality services which comprises adequate nutrition, health, sanitation, education and social protection services. As well as unhealthy food and living environments that can cause disease.

Enabling determinants that cause child malnutrition:

  • Governance: Lack of appropriate governance, refers to the political, financial, social and public and private sector actions that prevent children’s right to nutrition.
  • Resources: Insufficient resources, refer to the lack of appropriate environmental, financial, social and human resources that prevent children’s right to nutrition.
  • Norms: Negative norms, refer to the gender, cultural and social norms and actions in place that prevent children’s right to nutrition.

Prevention of malnutrition in children

Our UNICEF’s nutrition programs aim to prevent child malnutrition in all its forms. We have nutrition programs in 130 countries that work to improve child and maternal nutrition at key moments in life. Alongside our partners we help to the prevention of child malnutrition by:

  • Improving children’s access to nutritious, safe, affordable, and sustainable diets.
  • Supporting essential nutrition services.
  • Promoting recommended breastfeeding practices.
  • Supporting age-appropriate foods and complementary feeding practices.
  • Providing micronutrient supplementation.
  • Promoting healthy food environments.

What is RUTF and its benefits?

RUTF stands for “ready-to-use therapeutic food”.

It is a life-saving essential supply item that treats severe wasting in children under 5 years old, and doesn’t require refrigeration.

One 92g RUTF sachet provides 500 Kcal and essential micronutrients that have:

  • High nutritional value allowing malnourished children to gain weight quickly.
  • Two-year shelf life, making it convenient to store.
  • Appealing taste and easy digestibility.
  • No need for preparation – children eat it directly from the packet.

UNICEF’s response

UNICEF procures and distributes about 80% per cent of the world’s RUTF supply. UNICEF helps countries diversify and improve the availability of RUTF, bringing it closer to children in need. We also support improvements in its formulations to make them more acceptable to children, affordable and sustainable for governments.

Our UNICEF Nutrition Strategy 2020–2030, highlights our strategic intent for Nutrition for every child, to support national governments and partners in upholding children’s right to nutrition, and ending malnutrition in all its forms over the next decade.

We stand ready to support national governments and their partners in upholding the right to nutrition for every child and securing a more just and better future for children and their families – today, and on the path to 2030.

Donate now to support our work.

A monthly gift from you can support more children to grow up healthy

Donate now

Discover more