Biological effects of malnutrition in Gaza
The World Health Organization reported 63 malnutrition-related deaths in the Gaza Strip in July, including 24 children under age five.
In a WIRED article, Feinstein Research Assistant Professor Merry Fitzpatrick shares insights on the biological effects of starvation and the potential trajectory of malnutrition in Gaza.
Conditions of extreme food scarcity can lead to visible emaciation and thinning hair and skin, as the body diverts energy to preserve vital organs. In some cases, severe protein deficiency can cause a type of malnutrition known as kwashiorkor, whose symptoms include swelling and distension of the abdomen.
Other downstream biological effects of acute malnutrition include impaired wound healing, susceptibility to sepsis, and hypothermia.
“Speaking to doctors in Gaza, patients are already shivering, and so if the situation doesn’t improve over the next few months, there will be hypothermia deaths,” says Fitzpatrick.
