Long Term Consequences for a Starved Child

Seeing disturbing images about the famine in Gaza had me thinking about the long-term consequences of the starving children there, should they survive.  At least half a million Gazans face starvation with little humanitarian aid being allowed in. After just a few days without food, a child’s body begins to tap into stores of glucose in the liver, and then fat stores to keep the brain and other organs going.  

Once those are gone, the body starts to break down muscles, draining the child’s physical strength.   Next are the vital organs which start to break down, and the immune system deteriorates, leaving the child susceptible to infections. The vital organs shrink, wounds don’t heal, and the intestinal barrier breaks down which further increases infection risk. The child is barely moving at this point and without food, organs fail, breathing slows, and blood pressure drops. Brain damage is next and then death.   

If a child survives starvation, they usually face stunted growth, soft bones, liver and kidney problems, and cognitive issues.  The stunting is most prominent when starvation happens from gestation to age four.  

Stunted children are more apathetic, display less exploratory behavior and have altered physiological arousal. Many of the neural defects do not improve with age.  

The sooner food can get to the children in Gaza, the greater their chances of survival. Everyone deserves to have the nutrition they need to grow up and the opportunity to lead productive and fulfilling lives.