All but the most severely ill respond to a diet based on milk. Supplementary vitamins may be advisable. Small, frequent feedings around the clock are tolerated best in the early stages of recovery. Antibiotics may be incidated. Unless urgent, treatment of malaria or other parasitic infections should be postponed until the patient is clinically improved.
Anemia is usually mild and responds to oral protein, iron, and folic acid supplements.
Death in the first days of treatment is usually due to electrolyte imbalance, infection, hypothermia, or heart failure. Long-term effects of malnutrition in childhood are not fully understood. In the adequately treated case the liver probably recovers fully without subsequent cirrhosis. Humoral immunity is usually unimpaired. Cell-mediated immunocompetence is markeldy compromised in the acute phase but is restored with recovery.