A child is suffering from Kwashiorkor and if this child is compared with other marasmus children then what additional symptoms are present in Kwashiorkor child?

The correct option is decrease in body weight.

To understand why this is a key diagnostic symptom, we can examine the physiological differences and similarities between these two forms of Protein-Energy Malnutrition (PEM):

1. Kwashiorkor:
Kwashiorkor is primarily caused by a severe deficiency of dietary protein, even though the child may receive a sufficient or near-sufficient intake of carbohydrates (calories). The lack of proteins leads to a deficiency in plasma proteins like albumin, which causes fluid to leak into the tissues. This results in fluid retention, swelling (oedema), and a "pot-belly" appearance. However, beneath the fluid accumulation, there is a severe loss of actual body mass and structural proteins.

2. Marasmus:
Marasmus is caused by a severe deficiency of both proteins and total calories (overall starvation). It is characterized by extreme muscle wasting, a complete loss of subcutaneous fat, and a skeleton-like appearance, showing a direct and visible reduction in body weight.

3. Comparison:
When evaluating a child with Kwashiorkor against children with marasmus, a significant decrease in body weight is a fundamental shared physiological symptom of malnutrition. Even though the fluid retention (oedema) in Kwashiorkor can mask the severity of the wasting, the child's true tissue weight and structural body mass are severely depleted, representing a critical decrease in body weight compared to a healthy child of the same age.