Gut Microbes are the Reason for Malnutrition in Malawi

There may be a new explanation for childhood malnutrition in poverty-stricken countries. A new study has found that bugs populating the intestine trigger a form of severe, acute childhood malnutrition.

The study, published in the journal Science, followed 317 sets of twins in Malawi in Africa for the first three years of their lives. During that time, half of the twin pairs remained healthy, while the others developed malnutrition.

Jeffrey Gordon and colleagues focused on children who developed malnutrition called kwashiorkor, the illness often associated with swollen bellies, liver damage, skin ulcerations and loss of appetite. They found that, surprisingly, the lack of food alone cannot explain its causes. Some children who developed the condition ate the same exact food as others who did not.

So what exactly is the cause? Researchers found that gut microbes were the reason for kwashiorkor. Their findings are bolstered by additional studies in mice which show that gut microbes transplanted from malnourished children cause dramatic weight loss and alter metabolism when the animals are fed a nutrient-poor diet.

Although treatment for this condition is usually a peanut-based, nutrient-rich therapeutic food, the new study showed that this treatment only has a transient effect on the gut microbes. Once the food is discontinued, the community of microbes in the intestine reverts to an immature state and the condition resurfaces. Gordon suggested that the feeding should be continued for longer than the few months that is currently customary.

The findings open up the possibility of giving children with kwashiorkor the bacteria that they lack in order to help restore a healthy balance in their intestine. However, this treatment has not yet been developed.

This study shows that new methods should be employed for treating malnutrition in children.