scholarly journals Association of Plasma Total Cysteine and Anthropometric Status in 6–30 Months Old Indian Children

Nutrients ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
pp. 3146
Author(s):  
Catherine Schwinger ◽  
Ranadip Chowdhury ◽  
Shakun Sharma ◽  
Nita Bhandari ◽  
Sunita Taneja ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Child Growth ◽  
New Delhi ◽  
Indian Children ◽  
Growth Standards ◽  
High Quality Protein ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Z Scores ◽  
Anthropometric Status ◽  
Height For Age

High-quality protein has been associated with child growth; however, the role of the amino acid cysteine remains unclear. The aim was to measure the extent to which plasma total cysteine (tCys) concentration is associated with anthropometric status in children aged 6–30 months living in New Delhi, India. The study was a prospective cohort study including 2102 children. We calculated Z-scores for height-for-age (HAZ), weight-for-height (WHZ), or weight-for-age (WAZ) according to the WHO Child Growth Standards. We used multiple regression models to estimate the association between tCys and the anthropometric indices. A high proportion of the children were categorized as malnourished at enrolment; 41% were stunted (HAZ ≤ −2), 19% were wasted (WHZ ≤ −2) and 42% underweight (WAZ ≤ −2). Plasma total cysteine (tCys) was significantly associated with HAZ, WHZ and WAZ after adjusting for relevant confounders (p < 0.001). Low tCys (≤25th percentile) was associated with a decrease of 0.28 Z-scores for HAZ, 0.10 Z-scores for WHZ, and 0.21 Z-scores for WAZ compared to being >25th percentile. In young Indian children from low-to-middle socioeconomic neighborhoods, a low plasma total cysteine concentration was associated with an increased risk of poor anthropometric status.

scholarly journals Sustained Positive Deviant Child Care Practices and Their Effects on Child Growth in Viet Nam

2002 ◽  
Vol 23 (4_suppl2) ◽  
pp. 16-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
U. Agnes Trinh Mackintosh ◽  
David R. Marsh ◽  
Dirk G. Schroeder
Keyword(s):  
Child Growth ◽  
Program Completion ◽  
Viet Nam ◽  
Nutrition Program ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Total N ◽  
Z Scores ◽  
Growth Promoting ◽  
Height For Age ◽  
Weight For Age

Save the Children's (SC) successful integrated nutrition program in Viet Nam, the poverty alleviation and nutrition program (PANP), uses the positive deviance (PD) approach to identify key growth promoting behaviors and provides participatory adult education allowing mothers to develop skills related to these behaviors. We investigated whether improvements seen during a PANP intervention (1993–1995) were sustained three and four years after SC's departure. Cross-sectional surveys were administered to 46 randomly selected households in four communes that had previously participated in the PANP and 25 households in a neighboring comparison community in 1998 and 1999. Two children per household, an older child who had participated in the PANP and a younger sibling who had not, were measured (total n = 142 children), and their mothers were interviewed. Older SC children tended to be better nourished than their counterparts. Their younger siblings were significantly better nourished than those in the comparison group, with adjusted mean weight-for-age Z scores of −1.82 versus −2.45 ( p = .007), weight-for-height Z scores of −0.71 versus −1.45 ( p < .001), and height-for-age Z scores of −2.11 and −2.37 (ns, p = .4), respectively. SC mothers reporting feeding the younger siblings more than their counterparts did (2.9 versus 2.2 main meals per day, p < .001, and 96.2% versus 52% offering snacks, p < .01]. SC mothers reported washing their hands “often” more than comparison mothers (100% vs. 76%, p < .001). Growth-promoting behaviors identified through PD studies and practiced through neighborhood-based rehabilitation sessions persisted years after program completion. These sustained behaviors contributed to better growth of younger siblings never exposed to the program.

scholarly journals Differences between WHO Growth Standards and China Growth Standards in Assessing the Nutritional Status of Children Aged 0–36 Months Old

2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 251
Author(s):  
Qianling Tian ◽  
Xiao Gao ◽  
Tingting Sha ◽  
Qiong He ◽  
Gang Cheng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nutritional Status ◽  
World Health ◽  
Growth Standards ◽  
The World ◽  
Z Scores ◽  
Nutritional Status Of Children ◽  
Height For Age ◽  
Weight For Age ◽  
China’S Growth

Background: At present, whether to use the World Health Organization’s (WHO) growth standards or native growth standards to assess the nutritional status in a given population is unclear. This study aimed to compare the differences between the WHO’s growth standards and China’s growth standards in assessing the nutritional status of children aged 0~36 months. Methods: We used z-scores to evaluate the nutritional status of children. The weight-for-age z-scores (WAZs), length/height-for-age z-scores (LAZ/HAZs), and weight-for-length/height z-scores (WLZ/WHZs) were calculated using the WHO’s growth standards and China’s growth standards. MeNemar’s test was used to compare the nutritional status of children. Results: The results in this study showed that there were differences between the WHO’s standards and China’s standards in assessing children’s nutritional status except for stunting and obesity. The prevalence of underweight assessed using China’s standards was higher than when using the WHO’s standards (except when 3 and 36 months old). The prevalence of wasting was significantly higher when assessed using China’s standards than when using the WHO’s standards from 12 to 36 months. The prevalence of overweight was higher when assessed using the WHO’s standards from 3 to 8 months. Conclusions: Both the WHO’s and China’s growth standards are useful measures in assessing children’s nutritional status but with key significant differences. Therefore, caution should be taken in selecting appropriate measures in a given population.

scholarly journals Effect of Correcting the Postnatal Age of Preterm-Born Children on Measures of Associations Between Infant Length-for-Age z Scores and Mid-Childhood Outcomes

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nandita Perumal ◽  
Daniel E Roth ◽  
Donald C Cole ◽  
Stanley H Zlotkin ◽  
Johnna Perdrizet ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
A Priori ◽  
Child Growth ◽  
Model Fit ◽  
Anthropometric Indices ◽  
Childhood Growth ◽  
Growth Standards ◽  
Z Scores ◽  
Preterm Born ◽  
Epidemiology Studies ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Child growth standards are commonly used to derive age- and sex-standardized anthropometric indices but are often inappropriately applied to preterm-born children (&lt;37 weeks of gestational age (GA)) in epidemiology studies. Using the 2004 Pelotas Birth Cohort, we examined the impact of correcting for GA in the application of child growth standards on the magnitude and direction of associations in 2 a priori–selected exposure-outcome scenarios: infant length-for-age z score (LAZ) and mid-childhood body mass index (scenario A), and infant LAZ and mid-childhood intelligence quotient (scenario B). GA was a confounder that had a strong (scenario A) or weak (scenario B) association with the outcome. Compared with uncorrected postnatal age, using GA-corrected postnatal age attenuated the magnitude of associations, particularly in early infancy, and changed inferences for associations at birth. Although differences in the magnitude of associations were small when GA was weakly associated with the outcome, model fit was meaningfully improved using corrected postnatal age. When estimating population-averaged associations with early childhood growth in studies where preterm- and term-born children are included, incorporating heterogeneity in GA at birth in the age scale used to standardize anthropometric indices postnatally provides a useful strategy to reduce standardization errors.

scholarly journals Misclassification of stunting, underweight and wasting in children 0–5 years of South Asian and Dutch descent: ethnic-specific v. WHO criteria

2020 ◽  
Vol 23 (12) ◽  
pp. 2078-2087
Author(s):  
JA de Wilde ◽  
M Peters-Koning ◽  
BJC Middelkoop
Keyword(s):  
Ethnic Groups ◽  
Asian Indian ◽  
South Asian ◽  
Child Growth ◽  
Considerable Proportion ◽  
Growth Data ◽  
Indian Children ◽  
Z Scores ◽  
Growth References ◽  
Dutch Children

AbstractObjective:Several authors have questioned the suitability of WHO Child Growth Standards (WHO-CGS) for all ethnic groups. The aim of this study was to identify potential misclassification of stunting, underweight and wasting in children of Surinamese Asian Indian, South Asian (Pakistan/India) and Dutch descent.Design:A series of routine cross-sectional measurements, collected 2012–2015. South Asian-specific normative growth references for weight-for-age and weight-for-length/height were constructed using the LMS method based on historic growth data of Surinamese Asian Indians born between 1974 and 1976. WHO-CGS and ethnic-specific references were applied to calculate z-scores and prevalence of stunting, underweight and wasting.Setting:Youth HealthCare, providing periodical preventive health check-ups.Participants:11 935 children aged 0–5 years.Results:Considerable deviations from WHO-CGS were found, with higher-than-expected stunting rates, especially in the first 6 months of life. Surinamese Asian Indian children showed stunting rates up to 16·0 % and high underweight and wasting over the whole age range (up to 7·2 and 6·7 %, respectively). Dutch children consistently had mean WHO-CGS z-scores 0·3–0·5 sd above the WHO baseline (>6 months). The application of ethnic-specific references showed low rates for all studied indicators, although South Asian children were taller and larger than their Surinamese Asian Indian counterparts.Conclusions:WHO-CGS misclassify a considerable proportion of children from all ethnic groups as stunted in the first 6 months of life. Underweight and wasting are considerably overestimated in Surinamese Asian Indian children. Ethnic-specific growth references are recommended for Surinamese Asian Indian and Dutch children. The considerable differences found between South Asian subpopulations requires further research.

scholarly journals Community Determinants of Physical Growth and Cognitive Development among Indian Children in Early Childhood: A Multivariate Multilevel Analysis

2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 182
Author(s):  
Jongho Heo ◽  
Aditi Krishna ◽  
Jessica M. Perkins ◽  
Hwa-young Lee ◽  
Jong-koo Lee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Development ◽  
Child Growth ◽  
Community Level ◽  
Physical Growth ◽  
Indian Children ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Math Scores ◽  
Mathematics Test ◽  
Z Scores ◽  
The Individual

Inadequate child physical growth and cognitive development share common individual-level risk factors. Less understood is how outcomes co-cluster at the community level and to what extent certain community-level characteristics influence the clustering. This study aims to quantify the extent to which child growth and development co-occur across communities, and to identify community-level characteristics associated with the clustering of the two development dimensions. We used longitudinal data from 1824 children (aged 5 years) across 98 communities in Andhra Pradesh, India in round 2 (2006) of the Young Lives study, who were followed up 3 years later in round 3 (2009). A multivariate, multilevel statistical model was estimated wherein the responses were nested within individuals, and communities. We used z-scores of height-for-age, weight-for-age, Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test, and a mathematics test in 2009 as outcome variables. At the community level, we included compositional variables representing community characteristics while controlling for child socio-demographic characteristics at the individual level. At the community level, children’s physical growth and cognitive development were strongly correlated (coefficient: 0.55–0.76) and, even after controlling for individual-level covariables, a more pronounced correlation was shown at the community level than individual level correlation. Greater local healthcare resources were associated with better physical growth. More local programs run by government and NGOs/charities were associated with higher child language skills. Local social problems were inversely associated with math scores. Our study showed that physical growth and cognitive development tended to be clustered and co-occurred within communities as well as individual children.

scholarly journals Child Growth Curves in High-Altitude Ladakh: Results from a Cohort Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (10) ◽  
pp. 3652
Author(s):  
Wen-Chien Yang ◽  
Chun-Min Fu ◽  
Bo-Wei Su ◽  
Chung-Mei Ouyang ◽  
Kuen-Cheh Yang
Keyword(s):  
Cohort Study ◽  
High Altitude ◽  
Body Height ◽  
Child Growth ◽  
Growth Patterns ◽  
World Health ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Growth Standards ◽  
Z Scores

High prevalence of child underweight and stunting in high-altitude areas has often been reported. However, most previous studies on this topic were cross-sectional. Another critical concern is that using the World Health Organization (WHO) Child Growth Standards to evaluate child growth in high-altitude areas may lead to overestimations of underweight and stunting. Our study aimed to evaluate the long-term growth pattern of children (3 to 18 years) above the altitude of 3500 m in Ladakh, India. The participants’ body weight (BW), body height (BH), and body mass index (BMI) were measured annually according to the WHO Child Growth Standards for children under 5 years old and the WHO reference data for children aged 5 to 19 years. The generalized estimating equation (GEE) was used to estimate the means and z-scores of BW, BH, and BMI at different ages. A total of 401 children were enrolled from 2012 to 2018. Their mean z-scores of BW, BH, and BMI were −1.47, −1.44, and −0.85 in 2012 and increased to −0.74, −0.92, and −0.63 in 2018. This population’s specific growth curve was also depicted, which generally fell below the 85th percentile of the WHO standards. This is the first cohort study about long-term child growth patterns in a high-altitude area. The detailed underlying mechanisms of our findings need future research on more representative data of high-altitude populations.

scholarly journals Adoption of the WHO Child Growth Standards to Classify Indonesian Children under 2 Years of Age According to Nutrition Status: Stronger Indication for Nutritional Intervention

2009 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 254-259 ◽  
Author(s):  
Madarina Julia
Keyword(s):  
Nutritional Status ◽  
Nutritional Intervention ◽  
Child Growth ◽  
World Health ◽  
Nutrition Status ◽  
Cluster Sampling ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Growth Standards ◽  
Feeding Program ◽  
Z Scores

Background The National Center for Health Statistics/World Health Organization (NCHS/WHO) reference is considered unsuitable for assessing the nutritional status of breastfed children. It is gradually being replaced by the WHO Child Growth Standards in many countries. Objective To assess the implications of adopting the WHO Child Growth Standards to classify Indonesian children according to nutrition status. Methods Data were obtained from two cross-sectional surveys in two districts in Indonesia in 1998. Children under 2 years of age were randomly selected using a two-stage cluster sampling. Z-scores of weight-for-length (WLZ), length-for-age (LAZ), and weight-for-age (WAZ) were calculated based on both the NCHS/WHO reference and the WHO Child Growth Standards. Wasting, stunting, and underweight were defined as z-scores less than −2.0. Results We included 1,374 children, of whom 693 (50.4%) were male and 681 (49.6%) were female. Almost all of the children had initiated breastfeeding and were still being breastfed when the data were collected. According to the WHO Child Growth Standards, the prevalence of wasting did not change with age, but the prevalence rates of stunting and underweight rose steadily with age. Although the contribution of wasting to the classification of underweight was relatively constant, the contribution of stunting increased as the children grew. Conclusions The WHO Child Growth Standards are a better tool for assessing the nutritional status of Indonesian children than the NCHS/WHO reference. However, low WAZ is not a suitable indicator for commencing an extra feeding program, because it reflects stunting instead of wasting. The high prevalence of stunting indicates the need to perform preventive nutritional intervention beginning earlier in life, i.e., in utero.

scholarly journals Asymptomatic giardiasis and growth in young children; a longitudinal study in Salvador, Brazil

Parasitology ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 131 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-56 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. S. PRADO ◽  
S. CAIRNCROSS ◽  
A. STRINA ◽  
M. L. BARRETO ◽  
A. M. OLIVEIRA-ASSIS ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Young Children ◽  
Child Growth ◽  
Northeast Brazil ◽  
Confounding Factors ◽  
Z Score ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Height Gain ◽  
Z Scores ◽  
Stool Samples ◽  
Height For Age

This study sought to assess the effect of giardiasis on growth of young children. In Salvador, northeast Brazil, 597 children initially aged 6 to 45 months were followed for a year in 1998/9, measured anthropometrically thrice, every 6 months, and monitored for diarrhoea prevalence twice weekly. Stool samples were collected and examined during the second round of anthropometry, and infected children were treated 39 days later, on average (S.D. 20 days). For each 6-month interval, the gains in z-scores of infected and uninfected children were compared, after adjustment for potential confounding factors, including longitudinal prevalence of diarrhoea. No significant difference was found for the first interval but in the second, the gain in adjusted height-for-age z-score was 0·09 less in infected than uninfected children, equivalent to a difference in height gain of 0·5 cm. The shortfall in growth was greater in children who remained free of diarrhoea, and was significantly correlated with the proportion of the second interval during which the child had remained untreated. We conclude that Giardia can impede child growth even when asymptomatic, presumably through malabsorption. This finding challenges the view that young children found to have asymptomatic giardiasis in developing countries should not be treated.

scholarly journals Stunting and ‘overweight’ in the WHO Child Growth Standards – malnutrition among children in a poor area of China

2009 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 1991-1998 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaoli Wang ◽  
Bengt Höjer ◽  
Sufang Guo ◽  
Shusheng Luo ◽  
Wenyuan Zhou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Child Growth ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Growth Standards ◽  
International Growth ◽  
Who Standards ◽  
Poor Area ◽  
Nutritional Status Of Children ◽  
Height For Age

AbstractObjectiveThe aims of the present paper were to assess the nutritional status of children under 5 years old using the 2006 WHO Child Growth Standards (‘the WHO standards’) and to compare the results with those obtained using the National Center for Health Statistics/WHO international growth reference (‘the NCHS reference’).DesignThis was a community-based cross-sectional survey. The WHO standards were used to calculate Z-scores of height-for-age (HAZ), weight-for-age (WAZ), weight-for-height (WHZ) and BMI-for-age (BMIZ).SettingFifty counties of thirteen mid-western provinces, China.SubjectsA total 8041 children aged <5 years were measured during a 2-month period from August to October 2006.ResultsThe prevalence of stunting, underweight and wasting were 30·2 %, 10·2 % and 2·9 %, respectively. The prevalence of overweight and the possible risk of overweight were as high as 4·1 % and 16·8 %. Further analysis among the children with possible risk of overweight found that the percentage of stunting (HAZ < −2) was 57·6 %, the percentage with −2 ≤ HAZ ≤ 2 was 41·0 % and the percentage with HAZ > 2 was only 1·4 %. The prevalence of stunting was 21·9 % and of underweight was 12·7 % by the NCHS reference.ConclusionsStunting was the most serious problem that was impeding child growth and development. The high rate of ‘overweight’ was a false impression, the truth being ‘stunting overweight’, and the way to solve it should be to increase protein and other nutrients in the diet at an early age.

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