Long-term effects of early kwashiorkor compared with marasmus. III. Fine motor skills.

Children with histories of marasmus (n = 53) or kwashiorkor (n = 50) in the first year of life and healthy comparison children (n = 50) were tested for fine motor skills by the Purdue pegboard test at ages 11-18 years. The performance of children with histories of marasmus was impaired on two of the four test measures. However, the performance of children with a history of kwashiorkor was impaired on three measures. The presence of soft neurologic signs measured 6 years earlier in the same children was significantly correlated with current pegboard performance, implying that early malnutrition has effects on nervous system function that are evident at least through 18 years of age.