Micronutrient deficiency diseases

CLINICAL NUTRITION
Lesson 1: Clinical Nutrition

Micronutrient deficiency diseases

Micronutrient deficiency diseases
Micronutrient deficiency
Signs
Biotin or Vitamin H
  1. Initial hair loss and rash
  2. Convulsions and other neurological disorders
  3. Delayed growth and development
  4. If not treated, biotin deficiency causes changes in blood pH that can lead to coma and death
Folic Acid or vitamin B9

Megaloblastic Anaemia (Pernicious anaemia)

  1. Weakness and pallor
  2. Degeneration of surface mucosal tissues resulting in ulceration
  3. Secondary manifestations like sore tongue
  4. Gastrointestinal disturbances like diarrhoea and poor fat absorption
  5. During pregnant low intake of folic acids may result in neural tube defects
Cyanocobalamin or Vitamin B12 deficiency

Megaloblastic Anaemia (Pernicious anaemia)

  1. Anorexia
  2. Nausea
  3. Vomiting
  4. Fatigue
  5. Abdominal pain
  6. Weight loss
  7. Weakness
  8. Dyspenoea
  9. Palpitation
  10. Pale skin
  11. Liver and spleen may enlarge
  12. Spinal cord degeneration
Vitamin C

Scurvy

  1. Spongy bleeding gums
  2. Folicular hyperkeratosis
  3. Petechiae
  4. Ecchymoses
  5. Painful epiphysial enlargement
  6. Haematoma in muscles
Vitamin D


Active rickets

  1. Epiphysial enlargement
  2. Beading of ribs( Rachitoc rosary)
  3. Open fontanelles
  4. Craniotabes
  5. Muscular hypotonia
Healed rickets
  1. Bossing of skull
  2. Deformation of thorax
  3. Harrisons sulcus
  4. Bow legs
  5. Knock knees
Osteomalacia in adults
Local or generalised skeletal deformities with tender bones
Vitamin K
  1. Faulty absorption of vitamins and liver disorder that interfere with the synthesis of prothrombin
  2. Prolonged clotting time of blood
  3. Bleeding tendency developed
Signs
Iron
  1. Weakness
  2. Pallid appearance
  3. Frequent headaches
  4. Hypochromic microcytic anaemia
  5. Low oxygen carrying capacity
  6. Fatigue
  7. Pale conjunctivae (inner eyelid), nail beds, gums, tongue, lips and skin
  8. Atrophic lingual papillae
  9. Koilonychia
Iodine
  1. Simple goitre ( enlargement of the thyroid gland)
  2. Myxoedema (progressive destruction of epithelial elements in thyroid )
  3. Endemic cretinism and deafness, spastic paralysis of legs
  4. Hypothyroidism ( coarse and dry skin, husky voice, delayed tendon, epiphyseal dysgenesis)
  5. Psychomotor defects(poor motor coordination)
  6. Impaired mental function
  7. Low intelligence level
  8. High degree of apathy

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Last modified: Wednesday, 2 November 2011, 8:33 AM