Why can a child with kwashiorkor have a swollen belly despite being malnourished?

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rickets, a nutritional disease — nutritional disease Children with rickets. The disease, which most commonly strikes children, causes bone deformities such as bowlegs. Rickets is caused by a lack of vitamin D or calcium.

The swollen belly observed in children with kwashiorkor is primarily caused by edema—the abnormal accumulation of fluid in body tissues—and fatty infiltration of the liver.

While the child is suffering from severe protein deficiency, the lack of adequate protein in the blood reduces the osmotic pressure that normally keeps fluid within the blood vessels. This imbalance causes fluid to leak into the surrounding tissues, leading to swelling. Additionally, the liver becomes enlarged due to the accumulation of fat, which further contributes to the characteristic "potbelly" appearance associated with this form of malnutrition.1