Deficiency in macronutrients such as protein, carbohydrates and fat provoke protein-calorie malnutrition (PCM), and when combined with micronutrient deficiencies, they are among the most important nutritional problems with hundreds of millions of pregnant women, elderly and young children particularly affected. Malnutrition is one of the most important underlying causes of child mortality in developing countries, particularly during the first 5 years of life [1]; the major causes for this are poverty, world conflicts, lack of education, natural disasters and poor access to health care.PCM usually manifests early in children between 6 months and 2 years of age and is associated with early weaning, delayed introduction of complementary foods, a low-protein diet and severe or frequent infections [2]. Nearly one-third of children in the developing world are malnourished [3].
Diverse studies have demonstrated that malnutrition increases the risks of infection and death [4,5]. The most frequent causes of death in children under 5 years old are acute diarrhea and acute respiratory infection. Several studies have shown that malnutrition is frequently causally associated with these deaths [6]. However, as malnutrition rarely appears as cause of death on death certificates, its impact is largely underestimated