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Longitudinal Growth of Infants and Young Children in Rural Bangladesh
Author(s) -
Saha Kuntal Kumar,
Frongillo Edward A,
Alam Dewan S,
Arifeen Shams E,
Rasmussen Kathleen M
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.21.5.a690-b
Subject(s) - health statistics , cohort , birth weight , medicine , weight for age , pediatrics , standard score , demography , anthropometry , child development , longitudinal study , population , pregnancy , environmental health , statistics , biology , mathematics , pathology , sociology , psychiatry , genetics
In a longitudinal study, we followed 1243 babies from birth to 24 mo of age to assess their growth. We used data from the Maternal and Infant Nutrition Intervention in Matlab (MINIMat) study in which weight and length were measured monthly during infancy and quarterly in the second year of life. Z‐scores for weight‐for‐age, length‐for‐age, weight‐for‐length and BMI‐for‐age were derived using World Health Organization (WHO) Multi‐centre Growth Reference Study child growth standard. Growth of MINIMat birth cohort was compared with the new WHO standard as well as with the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) reference. Infants' mean birth weight was 2697 g, with 30% weighing <2500 g. Boys were heavier (2741 ± 411 g vs. 2650 ± 384 g, P<0.001) and longer (48.0 ± 2.1 cm vs. 47.5 ± 2.1 cm, P<0.001) than girls at birth and this difference persisted until 24 mo of age. The attained size of MINIMat babies was far below both the WHO standard and the NCHS reference throughout the first 24 mo of life. Growth pattern of MINIMat birth cohort, however, more closely tracked the WHO standard than it did the NCHS reference. Growth faltering of MINIMat babies occurred at 6 mo of age and no catch‐up growth was achieved until 24 mo. We conclude that the new WHO child growth standard adequately described growth pattern of breastfed rural Bangladeshi infants and young children. As comparison to this new standard makes clear, the attained size of the cohort of young Bangladeshi children is significantly compromised. (KKS was supported by a Fogarty‐NIH Training Grant (5 D43 TW001271) to KMR; data collection was supported by UNICEF and other partners).