DIFICIENCIES.

A deficiency is a lack of what is needed; a deficiency disease is that which is caused by not eating enough of a particular type of food that are necessary for good health.
Children easily suffer from  various deficiencies as a result of a lack of a particular nutrient in their diet.Each of the food nutrients has a role to play in the body hence lack of any of them results in deficiency in children.
The commonest deficiencies suffered by children who lack or has in excess a particular nutrient include the following:

• kwahiokor which is caused by the lack of proteins.
• Bleeding Gum  which is caused by the lack of vitamins.
• fragile or weak bones caused by the lack of calcuim.
•  Goiter which is caused by the lack of iron.
• scurvy which is caused by the lack of vitamins. 

All these are deficiencies that affect children and can be combated if children are given a diet which contains all the food nutrients needed by the body for growth.