kwashiorkor

Severe protein deficiency in children under five years, resulting in retarded growth, lethargy, oedema, diarrhoea, and a swollen abdomen. It is common in developing countries with a high incidence of malnutrition.

The term, derived from a Ghanaian word for a child who has been weaned due to the arrival of a new sibling, was introduced to medical literature by Dr Cicely Williams in the 1930s.