Kwashiorkor: more hypothesis testing is needed to understand the aetiology of oedema.

Epidemiology Kwashiorkor is almost never seen in the developed world. Widespread in sub-Saharan Africa and common in Southeast Asia and Central America, kwashiorkor occurs in young children living in areas with endemic food insecurity or famine; prevalence varies by geographic area, with reported levels ranging up to 6% in some chronic foodinsecure communities and occasionally to one quarter of young children in areas facing famine. (2) Children from rural communities, particularly those from non-pastoral subsistence farming areas without cattle, are more likely to present with kwashiorkor than other children. The typical age of presentation is 1-3 years, kwashiorkor affects both girls and boys equally, and remains a major problem in food insecure regions of the world.