Selenium Status in Sudanese Children With Protein-Calorie Malnutrition

In a study of 68 Sudanese children aged 1-4 years with severe protein-energy malnutrition, researchers found that their plasma selenium levels were lower than those of healthy German children, with marasmic kwashiorkor patients showing the lowest levels. Despite similar hair selenium levels between malnourished Sudanese and healthy German children, likely due to reduced hair growth in the former, plasma glutathione peroxidase activity was reduced in correlation with plasma selenium levels. During rehabilitation, plasma selenium decreased in patients who initially had "normal" levels, possibly due to the low selenium content in the dietary formulas used. The study questioned whether low selenium levels and intake posed a health risk that could hinder rehabilitation in these malnourished children.