How Delayed Complementary Feeding Cause PEM?

The mothers from poorer socioeconomic groups where PEM is more prevalent, delayed introduction of complementary foods (foods in addition to breast milk) usually until the infant completes one year of age is n common practice. Thus, when breast milk is not adequate, delaying complementary feeding further aggravates the dietary inadequacy among such infants leading to PEM. US women, due to ignorance, finally believe that children should be given complementary foods only when they are able to pick and eat. After weaning (completely stopping breast feeding), the children are not given any special diet other than the adult diet. Young infants cannot consume these diets in adequate amounts due to its bulk. Early and abrupt weaning and introduction of diluted milk formulae is one of the reasons for marasmus.