CLINICAL REVIEW Management of acute moderate and severe childhood malnutrition

Acute childhood malnutrition affects about a tenth of the world’s children under 5 years of age, particularly those living in circumstances of extreme poverty in the developingworld. Malnutrition is typically the result of an inadequate diet and is one of the most common diagnoses in children in health facilities in sub-Saharan Africa and south Asia. Acute childhood malnutrition leads togreater riskof deathordisability fromcommon paediatric illnesses such as pneumonia and diarrhoeal disease, and it shapes long term health by compromising physical and intellectual development. The condition carries a case fatality rate of 5-60%. This review describes how best to manage cases of acute childhood malnutrition in light of recent changes in standard recommendations.