Objective: To describe perceptions and socio- cultural practices by the mothers facing severe malnutrition in children: Marasm and Kwashiorkor. Methodology: Descriptive ethnography. Twenty semi-structured interviews and two tribal ones were carried. Homes and hospitalized children were observed. Analysis was manually performed. Results: Mother perceives severe malnutrition like de consequence afflicting children under seven. Mal de ojo is classified as drying-eye or as street-eye. Mothers think that drying-eye emaciates children meaning something like what we call marasm, whereas we cannot tell weather street-eye means kwashiorkor; but in any case kwashiorkor is deemed to be caused by mal de ojo. Traditional medics like rezanderos perform important tasks in the treatment of cultural linked illnesses. Conclusions: Malnourishment is considered a state and finally it is reduced to statistical data hindering the integral treatment of children. The study reveals a world unknown by the biomedical system and a world of cultural practices facing malnourishment that adequately assessed could improve integral treatment and prevent infant mortality by severe malnourishment or by mal de ojo.