Malnutrition is characterised by deficient nutrient ingestion and absorption and is still one of the most important causes of morbidity and mortality in children worldwide. Our main rationale was that protein‐energy malnutrition (PEM) may affect eye movement in children with malnutrition. Twenty children without PEM (mean age = 10.8; SD = 1.0 years) and 18 children with PEM (mean age = 10.9; SD = 1.2 years) were included in the present study. We applied three types of tests: one that consisted of a maze and two versions of the Spot the Seven Errors test using boats and elephants. Our results indicated that children with PEM exhibited performance deficits in the maze test (p < .001) and Spot the Seven Errors test for both boats (p < .001) and elephants (p < .001). These data suggest that nutritional impairments during the first year of life (i.e., a critical period) can directly impact eye movement. Eye tracking is a reliable technique to investigate higher‐order processes, but our results should be interpreted with caution. Our findings highlight the relevance of cognitive development in malnourished children, which can negatively affect their development. Screening, assessment and rehabilitation strategies are essential in this at‐risk population.

Background: Malnutrition is characterized by impaired nutrient ingestion and absorption, and it is still one of the most substantial causes of morbidity and mortality in children worldwide. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study investigating eye tracking in children with protein-energy malnutrition (PEM). We sought to investigate how PEM may affect eye movement. Methods: Twenty children without PEM (mean age = 10.8; SD = 1.0 years) and 18 children with PEM (mean age = 10.9; SD = 1.2 years). Here we used three types of tests or stimuli: one formed by a maze and two by seven errors games (boats and elephants). Results: Our results indicated that children with PEM had impaired performance on all of the tests used here. These data suggest that the nutritional impairments during the first year of life, the critical period in visual system development, can have direct impact on eye movement patterns. Conclusions: Our findings must be replicated so that neurophysiological patterns of PEM can be precisely understood. However, this study has repercussions in several areas of knowledge.