nutritional neglect

[ˌnjuːˈtrɪʃənəl nɪˈɡlekt]
noun
negligência nutricional
1. The failure to provide adequate food, nutrients, or proper nutrition to a person, especially a child, resulting in malnutrition or health complications
The child was removed from the home due to nutritional neglect and severe malnutrition.
A criança foi removida do lar devido à negligência nutricional e desnutrição grave.
2. A form of child abuse or elder abuse characterized by the deprivation of necessary nutrition and food
Nutritional neglect is considered a serious form of child maltreatment by social services.
A negligência nutricional é considerada uma forma grave de maus-tratos infantis pelos serviços sociais.
3. The habitual failure to meet nutritional needs due to negligence, indifference, or inability to provide care
The case involved nutritional neglect of an elderly patient in a care facility.
O caso envolvia negligência nutricional de um paciente idoso em uma instituição de cuidados.
Nutritional neglect is a serious legal and social concern in both Brazil and the USA, often investigated by child protective services (CPS in the USA, CMAS/CRAS in Brazil). In Brazilian culture, where family and food sharing are important values, nutritional neglect is viewed as particularly severe. It's a term frequently encountered in family court cases, social work assessments, and pediatric evaluations in both countries.
Synonyms / Sinônimos
malnutrition due to neglectdietary neglectfood deprivationfailure to thrivehunger neglect
Antonyms / Antônimos
proper nutritionadequate dietnutritional carehealthy feeding

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
negligência nutricional
Standard term used in legal, medical, and social services contexts
São Paulo
negligência nutricional / abandono alimentar
Both terms used; abandono alimentar emphasizes deprivation aspect
Rio de Janeiro
negligência nutricional
Preferred in formal documentation and social work
Portugal
negligência nutricional / privação alimentar
Privação alimentar more commonly used in Portuguese medical literature

Related Words

malnutritionchild abuseneglectfailure to thrivefood insecuritystarvationsocial serviceschild protective services

Related Idioms & Phrases

failure to thrive
deprivation of basic needs
going hungry
food poverty
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