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The disease of infantile malnutrition (Ganji) in children arises from overfeeding, while the spleen and stomach are still weak and unable to digest and transform food. When food is not digested, the essence derived from water and grain diminishes, failing to nourish Qi and Blood, leading to emaciation of muscles. The clinical manifestations include a distended abdomen, a thin neck, sallow complexion, and general emaciation. If left untreated for a long time, it may evolve into Gu Dan (a condition of jaundice or accumulation caused by food stagnation). Shang Bao (food injury from overeating), also known as Bu Lu (nourishment leakage) and Ding Xi (malnutrition), are three terms that describe similar conditions, differentiated merely by their severity.

Wind pathogen acquired in spring leads to Dong Xie (profuse watery diarrhea) in summer. Children who remove clothing in spring may be injured by wind-cold, which hides within the muscles. In summer, due to irregular diet and lifestyle, wind-cold enters the intestines and stomach. The sequential accumulation of pathogens allows the wind pathogen to take advantage of the deficiency, resulting in dysentery. If cold qi is excessive, the dysentery becomes severe, developing into Dong Xie; if Dong Xie persists without cessation, it is termed Zhu Xia (uncontrollable profuse diarrhea). Cases of persistent Zhu Xia often transform into Jing Xian (infantile convulsions and epilepsy). This occurs because the body originally harbored wind pathogen, and the deficiency of the zang-fu organs caused by dysentery allowed the wind pathogen to invade further. It may also manifest as eye pain with visual obstructions, coldness in the lower jiao, and heat binding in the upper jiao, which steams and harasses the Liver.

When the intestines and stomach are weak and invaded by wind-cold, diarrhea ensues. After the diarrhea ceases, the spleen and stomach remain deficient, and Gu Qi (grain qi) is still insufficient, failing to nourish Qi and Blood, resulting in physical debility and emaciation.

Children's constitutions often harbor internal heat. If suddenly restrained by cold, Qi and Blood become disordered. When the Large Intestine is weak, both cold and heat pathogens may invade. Heat combats blood, seeping into the intestinal space, causing red stool; cold combats the intestines, coagulating fluids, causing white stool. The interaction of cold and heat causes blood stasis and mixing. Due to intestinal weakness and diarrhea, this results in Chi Bai Zhi Xia (dysentery with mixed red and white discharge).

If a child harbors Ke Re (external heat pathogen), and this heat enters the meridians, the blood becomes fluid and scattered due to heat, seeping into the Large Intestine. With intestinal weakness leading to diarrhea, this manifests as Chi Li (red dysentery).

If a child inherently harbors deficiency heat and is invaded by wind, both wind and heat enter the Large Intestine, making the dysentery present heat characteristics. Water-grain dysentery with yellow color indicates Re Li (heat dysentery).

If a child has weak intestines and stomach, exposes themselves to cold by removing clothes, or injures themselves with cold food, cold qi enters the intestines and stomach causing dysentery with white-colored stool; this is Cold Li (cold dysentery).

If a child previously suffered from dietary indiscretion, leaving cold qi in the intestines and stomach, and is subsequently injured by heat qi, the chronically weak intestines and stomach accept the heat. The interaction of cold and heat transforms into dysentery, with stool varying between yellow and white, watery or undigested food; this is Leng Re Li (mixed cold and heat dysentery).