Morbidity and the growth of stunted and nonstunted children, and the effect of supplementation

Impact of diarrhoea and acute respiratory infection on environmental enteric dysfunction and growth of malnourished children in Pakistan: a longitudinal cohort study

Background

Diarrhoea and acute respiratory infections (ARI) are assumed to be major drivers of growth and likely contribute to environmental enteric dysfunction (EED), which is a precursor to childhood malnutrition. In the present study, we checked the correlation between diarrhoeal/ARI burden and EED using a novel duodenal histological index.

Methods

Between November 2017 and July 2019, a total of 365 infants with weight-for-height Z scores (WHZ score) of <-2 were enrolled, and 51 infants with WHZ scores of >0 and height-for-age Z scores (HAZ scores) of >-1 were selected as age-matched healthy controls. Morbidity was assessed weekly and categorised as the total number of days with diarrhoea and acute respiratory infection (ARI) from enrolment until two years of age and was further divided into four quartiles in ascending order.

Findings

The HAZ declined until two years of age regardless of morbidity burden, and WHZ and weight-for-age Z scores (WAZ scores) were at their lowest at six months. Sixty-three subjects who had a WHZ score <-2 and failed to respond to nutritional and educational interventions were further selected at 15 months to investigate their EED histological scores with endoscopy further. EED histological scores of the subjects were higher with increasing diarrhoeal frequency yet remained statistically insignificant (p = 0.810).

Interpretation

There was not a clear correlation between diarrhoea and ARI frequency with growth faltering, however, children with the highest frequency of diarrhoea had the highest EED histological scores and growth faltering.

Funding

Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and The National Institutes of Health.

Diarrhoeal disease knowledge among diarrhoea patient housholds: findings from the randomised controlled trial of the Cholera-Hospital-Based-Intervention-for-7-days (CHoBI7) mobile health program

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of the Cholera-Hospital-Based-Intervention-for-7-days (CHoBI7) handwashing with soap and water treatment mobile health (mHealth) program on diarrhoeal disease knowledge among diarrhoea patients and their household members in urban Dhaka, Bangladesh.

METHODS

A cluster-randomised controlled trial of the CHoBI7 mHealth program was conducted among diarrhoea patient households in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Patients were randomised to three arms: standard recommendation on oral rehydration solution use; health facility delivery of CHoBI7 plus mHealth (weekly voice and text messages) (no home visits); and health facility delivery of CHoBI7 plus two home visits and mHealth. An open-ended questionnaire was administered to 1468 participants 12 years of age or older on diarrhoeal disease transmission and prevention. These items were combined to form a diarrhoeal disease knowledge score measured at baseline and at a 1 week, 6 month and 12 month follow-up.

RESULTS

At baseline, when participants were asked to report three ways diarrhoeal diseases were spread 37% (546/1468) of participants reported by water, 13% (187/1468) by lack of handwashing and 4% (53/1468) by food not being covered properly. At baseline when asked to name three ways diarrhoeal diseases could be prevented, 35% (515/1468) of participants reported safe water, and 16% (228/1468) reported handwashing with soap. At the 12-month follow-up, the overall diarrhoeal disease knowledge score was significantly higher in the mHealth with no home visits arm (score coefficient: 0.69, 95% Confidence Interval: 0.36, 1.01, P < 0.0001) and the mHealth with two home visits arm (score coefficient: 1.18, 95% CI: 0.87, 1.49, P < 0.0001) compared with the standard recommendation arm.

CONCLUSION

The CHoBI7 mHealth program significantly increased knowledge of diarrhoeal disease transmission and prevention among diarrhoea patients and their household members 12 months after in-person visits for program delivery were conducted.

Birth size and early pneumonia predict linear growth among HIV-exposed uninfected infants

Stunting remains a global health priority, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. Identifying determinants of linear growth in HIV-exposed uninfected (HEU) infants can inform interventions to prevent stunting in this vulnerable population. HIV-infected mothers and their uninfected infants were followed monthly from pregnancy to 12-month post-partum in Nairobi, Kenya. Mixed-effects models estimated the change in length-for-age z-score (LAZ) from birth to 12 months by environmental, maternal, and infant characteristics. Multivariable models included factors univariately associated with LAZ. Among 372 HEU infants, mean LAZ decreased from -0.54 (95% confidence interval [CI] [-0.67, -0.41]) to -1.09 (95% CI [-1.23, -0.96]) between 0 and 12 months. Declines in LAZ were associated with crowding (≥2 persons per room; adjusted difference [AD] in 0-12 month change: -0.46; 95% CI [-0.87, -0.05]), use of a pit latrine versus a flush toilet (AD: -0.29; 95% CI [-0.57, -0.02]), and early infant pneumonia (AD: -1.14; 95% CI [-1.99, -0.29]). Infants with low birthweight (<2,500 g; AD: 1.08; 95% CI [0.40, 1.76]) and birth stunting (AD: 1.11; 95% CI [0.45, 1.78]) experienced improved linear growth. By 12 months of age, 46 infants were stunted, of whom 11 (24%) were stunted at birth. Of the 34 infants stunted at birth with an available 12-month LAZ, 68% were not stunted at 12 months. Some low birthweight and birth-stunted HEU infants had significant linear growth recovery. Early infant pneumonia and household environment predicted poor linear growth and may identify a subgroup of HEU infants for whom to provide growth-promoting interventions.

The Interaction between Morbidity and Nutritional Status among Children under Five Years Old in Cambodia: A Longitudinal Study

Even though limited evidence is available, the relationship between morbidity and under-nutrition among children under-five is likely to be a strong two-way association. This study aims to explore this vicious cycle by employing longitudinal data of four periods within a 24 month follow-up, whereby morbidity was captured between two subsequent anthropometric measures. Malnutrition was classified according to z-scores of anthropometric measures and morbidity by number of sick days experienced inbetween. Mixed-effects models were used to assess this relation, where dependency of morbidity and nutritional status were interchanged; models were adjusted for province, age, gender, wealth index score, maternal education level, diet, and Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene indicators. Stunting and wasting prevalences were 29.9% and 8.9%, respectively, where 21.3% of the children hadmultiple anthropometric failures. Children identified as wasted were 35% more likely to experience prolonged illness periods (OR: 1.35, 95% CI: 1.02-1.56). Those experiencing high proportion of sick days were found to be 64% more likely to become stunted (OR: 1.64, 95% CI: 1.18-2.29). This study suggests that the link between wasting and stunting could be partly explained by acute illness, where wasting increases the likelihood of prolonged epiosed of illness, which increases the risk of stunting.

Disease surveillance methods used in the 8-site MAL-ED cohort study

Describing the early life associations between infectious disease episodes and growth, cognitive development, and vaccine response in the first 2 years of life is one of the primary goals of the Etiology, Risk Factors and Interactions of Enteric Infections and Malnutrition and the Consequences for Child Health and Development (MAL-ED) cohort study. To collect high-resolution data during a critical early period of development, field staff visit each study participant at their house twice weekly from birth to 2 years of age to collect daily reported illness and treatment data from caregivers. Detailed infectious disease histories will not only allow us to relate the overall burden of infectious disease with the primary outcomes of the study, but will also allow us to describe the ages at which infectious diseases have the greatest effect on child health. In addition, twice-weekly visits allow for sample collection when diarrhea episodes are identified. This article describes the methods used to collect illness and treatment history data and discusses the a priori definitions of diarrhea and acute lower respiratory illness episodes.

Catch-up growth occurs after diarrhea in early childhood

Diarrhea and linear growth faltering continue to burden low-income countries and are among the most important contributors to poor health during early childhood. Diarrhea is thought to adversely affect linear growth, but catch-up growth can occur if no additional insults are experienced. We sought to characterize catch-up growth in relation to diarrhea burden in a multisite dataset of 1007 children. Using longitudinal anthropometry and diarrheal surveillance data from 7 cohort studies in 4 countries, we examined the relation between diarrhea prevalence and growth in 3- to 6-mo periods using linear mixed-effect models. Growth during each period was calculated as a function of age using linear splines. We incorporated the longitudinal prevalence of diarrhea in both current and previous periods into the model. Diarrhea during the current period was associated with slower linear and ponderal growth. Faster (catch-up) growth in length was observed in children with no diarrhea in age groups immediately after an age group in which diarrhea was experienced [age group >6-12 mo: 0.03 mm/mo for each percentage diarrhea prevalence in the previous period (95% CI: 0.007, 0.06) relative to 11.3 mm/mo mean growth rate; age group >12-18 mo: 0.04 mm/mo (95% CI: 0.02, 0.06) relative to 8.9 mm/mo mean growth rate; age group >18-24 mo: 0.04 mm/mo (95% CI: 0.003, 0.09) relative to 7.9 mm/mo mean growth rate]. The associations were stronger in boys than in girls when separate models were run. Similar results were observed when weight was the outcome variable. When diarrheal episodes are followed by diarrhea-free periods in the first 2 y of life, catch-up growth is observed that may allow children to regain their original trajectories. The finding of a greater effect of diarrhea on linear growth in boys than in girls was unexpected and requires additional study. Diarrhea burdens are high throughout the first 2 y of life in these study sites, therefore reducing the likelihood of catch-up growth. Extending diarrhea-free periods may increase the likelihood of catch-up growth and decrease the prevalence of stunting.

Labor market returns to an early childhood stimulation intervention in Jamaica

A substantial literature shows that U.S. early childhood interventions have important long-term economic benefits. However, there is little evidence on this question for developing countries. We report substantial effects on the earnings of participants in a randomized intervention conducted in 1986-1987 that gave psychosocial stimulation to growth-stunted Jamaican toddlers. The intervention consisted of weekly visits from community health workers over a 2-year period that taught parenting skills and encouraged mothers and children to interact in ways that develop cognitive and socioemotional skills. The authors reinterviewed 105 out of 129 study participants 20 years later and found that the intervention increased earnings by 25%, enough for them to catch up to the earnings of a nonstunted comparison group identified at baseline (65 out of 84 participants).

The stunting syndrome in developing countries

Linear growth failure is the most common form of undernutrition globally. With an estimated 165 million children below 5 years of age affected, stunting has been identified as a major public health priority, and there are ambitious targets to reduce the prevalence of stunting by 40% between 2010 and 2025. We view this condition as a 'stunting syndrome' in which multiple pathological changes marked by linear growth retardation in early life are associated with increased morbidity and mortality, reduced physical, neurodevelopmental and economic capacity and an elevated risk of metabolic disease into adulthood. Stunting is a cyclical process because women who were themselves stunted in childhood tend to have stunted offspring, creating an intergenerational cycle of poverty and reduced human capital that is difficult to break. In this review, the mechanisms underlying linear growth failure at different ages are described, the short-, medium- and long-term consequences of stunting are discussed, and the evidence for windows of opportunity during the life cycle to target interventions at the stunting syndrome are evaluated.

Diarrhea in early childhood: short-term association with weight and long-term association with length

The short-term association between diarrhea and weight is well-accepted, but the long-term association between diarrhea and growth is less clear. Using data from 7 cohort studies (Peru, 1985-1987; Peru, 1989-1991; Peru, 1995-1998; Brazil, 1989-1998; Guinea-Bissau, 1987-1990; Guinea-Bissau, 1996-1997; and Bangladesh, 1993-1996), we evaluated the lagged relationship between diarrhea and growth in the first 2 years of life. Our analysis included 1,007 children with 597,638 child-days of diarrhea surveillance and 15,629 anthropometric measurements. We calculated the associations between varying diarrhea burdens during lagged 30-day periods and length at 24 months of age. The cumulative association between the average diarrhea burden and length at age 24 months was -0.38 cm (95% confidence interval: -0.59, -0.17). Diarrhea during the 30 days prior to anthropometric measurement was consistently associated with lower weight at most ages, but there was little indication of a short-term association with length. Diarrhea was associated with a small but measurable decrease in linear growth over the long term. These findings support a focus on prevention of diarrhea as part of an overall public health strategy for improving child health and nutrition; however, more research is needed to explore catch-up growth and potential confounders.

Hospital based nutrition rehabilitation of severely undernourished children using energy dense local foods

OBJECTIVE

To examine the catch up growth in severely wasted children using energy dense local foods at a hospital based nutrition rehabilitation unit.

DESIGN

Retrospective cohort.

SETTING

In-patient ward at a tertiary care government pediatric hospital in Hyderabad.

PATIENTS

Children with severe malnutrition (n=309) admitted to nutrition ward from January 2001 to December 2005.

INTERVENTION

A diet based on energy dense local foods along with multivitamin-multimineral supplements.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Catch up growth (g/kg/day) during each week of hospital stay.

RESULTS

Mean age of the children was 25 months (range 2-60). Their baseline weight for height (WHZ) Z score was -4.1. Mean weight gain was moderate (5g/kg/day) and baseline WHZ score had a significant negative relationship to the weight gain. The prevalence of morbidities was high and the commonest morbidity was fever. Weight gain was higher by almost 40% in the absence of morbidities in any week.

CONCLUSIONS

The diet based on local energy dense foods was found to be suitable for the nutrition rehabilitation of severely malnourished children though the rate of weight gain was moderate.

Life history theory and the immune system: steps toward a human ecological immunology

Within anthropology and human biology, there is growing interest in immune function and its importance to the ecology of human health and development. Biomedical research currently dominates our understanding of immunology, and this paper seeks to highlight the potential contribution of a population-based, ecological approach to the study of human immune function. Concepts from life-history theory are applied to highlight the major challenges and demands that are likely to shape immune function in a range of ecological contexts. Immune function is a major component of maintenance effort, and since resources are limited, trade-offs are expected between investment in maintenance and other critical life-history functions involving growth and reproduction. An adaptationist, life-history perspective helps make sense of the unusual developmental trajectory of immune tissues, and emphasizes that this complex system is designed to incorporate information from the surrounding ecology to guide its development. As a result, there is substantial population variation in immune development and function that is not considered by current biomedical approaches. In an attempt to construct a framework for understanding this variation, immune development is considered in relation to the competing life-history demands that define gestation, infancy, childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. Each life stage poses a unique set of adaptive challenges, and a series of hypotheses is proposed regarding their implications for immune development and function. Research in human ecological immunology is in its earliest stages, but this is a promising area of exploration, and one in which anthropology is well-positioned to make important contributions.

Zinc supplementation and psychosocial stimulation: effects on the development of undernourished Jamaican children

BACKGROUND

Undernourished children have poor levels of development that benefit from stimulation. Zinc deficiency is prevalent in undernourished children and may contribute to their poor development.

OBJECTIVE

We assessed the effects of zinc supplementation and psychosocial stimulation given together or separately on the psychomotor development of undernourished children.

DESIGN

This was a randomized controlled trial with 4 groups: stimulation alone, zinc supplementation alone, both interventions, and control (routine care only). Subjects were 114 children aged 9-30 mo and below -1.5 z scores of the National Center for Health Statistics weight-for-age references who were recruited from 18 health clinics. Clinics were randomly assigned to receive stimulation or not; individual children were randomly assigned to receive zinc or placebo. The stimulation program comprised weekly home visits during which play was demonstrated and maternal-child interactions were encouraged. The supplementation was 10 mg Zn as sulfate daily or placebo. Development (assessed by use of the Griffiths Mental Development Scales), length, and weight were measured at baseline and 6 mo later. Weekly morbidity histories were taken.

RESULTS

Significant interactions were found between zinc supplementation and stimulation. Zinc benefited the developmental quotient only in children who received stimulation, and benefits from zinc to hand and eye coordination were greater in stimulated children. Zinc supplementation alone improved hand and eye coordination, and stimulation alone benefited the developmental quotient, hearing and speech, and performance. Zinc supplementation also reduced diarrheal morbidity but did not significantly improve growth.

CONCLUSION

Zinc supplementation benefits development in undernourished children, and the benefits are enhanced if stimulation is also provided.

Mothers' explanatory models of lack of child growth

This qualitative study elicited the explanatory models (EMs) of child growth held by mothers of growth-deficient children. EMs are culturally constructed explanations for a specific illness and its treatment (Kleinman, 1980). The EM concept was adapted for this study to focus on a child health condition instead of an illness. The sample comprised 22 mothers of growth deficient children who were interviewed 2 years after the conclusion of an intervention study to promote child growth. Growth deficiency was defined as below the 10th percentile for weight, height, or weight for height on the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) growth grids (Hamill, Drzid, Johnson, Reed, & Roche, 1976). Three major domains were identified in the EMs of growth held by mothers: (1) illness or heredity (etiology); (2) keeping track of growth (course); and (3) helping my child grow (treatment). The mothers in this study were concerned about their children's size and growth patterns and they monitored their children's growth with the methods available to them. They identified illnesses and allergies as environmental factors that negatively impact their children's growth. All mothers viewed size as a function of heredity. The findings from this study suggest that an emphasis on size will not encourage mothers to focus on their children's growth. The EMs for growth and size were different. Health care providers may be more effective in enhancing children's growth by teaching parents how to deal with the day-to-day problems of children who are picky eaters, stretching limited food money, creating mealtime schedules, and dealing with illnesses before they become severe.

Prognostic factors for persistent diarrhoea managed in a community setting

Two hundred and five cases (mean age 13.4, SD 9.5) of persistent diarrhoea (PD) of 14-28 days duration, attending an urban slum clinic and treated according to standard WHO guidelines, were monitored at weekly intervals to obtain an estimate of treatment failure rates and to identify its clinical predictors. Vitamin and micronutrients (daily 2RDA) were additionally provided. Only 9 (8.2%) of 109 children with criteria for hospital care accepted in-patient care. Weight gain was considered inadequate if the daily increment between enrollment and day 7 of follow up was < 10 g at age 0-3 months, < 5 g at 4-6 months, and any weight loss for those older than 6 months. Recovery was considered delayed if diarrhoea ceased 7 days after enrollment. Overall, 28.3% cases had inadequate weight gain and 25.6% had delayed recovery. The non-breast milk calorie intake was 11.2% during infancy and 40.6% at later ages of the recommended intakes. In a logistic regression model, initial watery stool frequency greater than median (adjusted OR 2.30, p = 0.01), age < or = 6 months (adjusted OR 2.24, p = 0.04) and low consumption of micronutrient mixture (adjusted OR 2.62, p = 0.01) were associated with an increased risk of delayed recovery. In a Cox proportional hazards model for time to recovery from diarrhoea, low consumption of the micronutrient mixture and age < or = 6 months reduced the chances of recovery by 29% and 37% respectively. Low consumption of the prescribed micronutrient mixture (adjusted OR 2.21, p = 0.04), fever (adjusted OR 1.91, p = 0.05) and diarrhoea continuing beyond study day 7 (adjusted OR 2.29, p = 0.03) increased the risk of inadequate weight gain. Breast feeding status and animal milk consumption did not influence weight gain or recovery. Due to the low compliance for advised hospitalisation, approaches for care at community level itself need to be evolved. Focus should be on increasing the overall dietary intake and provision of generous but safe amount of micronutrients; our findings do not support need for routine elimination of animal milk. The efficacy of individual micronutrients needs evaluation in controlled trials.

Association between clinical type of diarrhoea and growth of children under 5 years in rural Bangladesh

BACKGROUND

The role of diarrhoea in the aetiology of growth retardation in young children remains controversial. To evaluate this, a population-based, longitudinal study of young children aged 6-48 months was conducted in Matlab, a rural area of Bangladesh, between May 1988 and April 1989.

METHODS

Data obtained from 584 children were examined by one-year (n = 412) and 3-month (n = 1220) growth periods. Each growth period was analysed based on clinical types of diarrhoea, namely, non-diarrhoea, non-dysentery diarrhoea (diarrhoea without blood), and dysentery (diarrhoea with blood). Weight and height gains were compared among the study groups initially by one-way analysis of variance followed by multivariate analysis adjusting for potential confounding variables.

RESULTS

Compared to non-diarrhoea and non-dysentery diarrhoea, dysentery was associated with significantly lower annual weight gain (1866 g [P < 0.01] and 1550 g [P < 0.05] versus 1350 g, respectively) and height gain (6.51 cm and 5.87 cm versus 5.27 cm [P < 0.01], respectively). Both 3-month dysentery and non-dysentery intervals were significantly associated with less weight gain compared to non-diarrhoea intervals (490 g and 522 g versus 637 g [P: < 0.05], respectively). Dysentery intervals were also associated with significantly poorer height gain compared to other intervals (2.19 cm versus 2.42 cm [P < 0.05] and 2.46 cm [P < 0.01], respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

The growth of young children is strongly influenced by the clinical type of diarrhoea and the impact is dependent on the proportion of dysentery episodes in the total diarrhoeal burden.

Effect of preweaning feeding of pasteurized and nonpasteurized milk on postweaning weight gain of heifer calves on a Californian dairy

The effect of preweaning feeding of pasteurized colostrum and pasteurized waste milk on postweaning performance of dairy heifers on a dairy in the Central Valley of California was investigated as an extension of a clinical trial examining the effect of preweaning growth and morbidity on performance at weaning. Of the 150 heifer calves originally enrolled in the field trial, 115 calves (59 treatment, 56 controls) were followed to about 6 months of age, during which time their weights were measured. After weights were adjusted for several potential risk factors and effect modifiers, calves fed pasteurized colostrum and pasteurized waste milk were 3.7 kg heavier at 180 days of age than those fed nonpasteurized colostrum and nonpasteurized milk.

Frequent diarrhoeas in early childhood have sustained effects on the height, weight and head circumference of children in East Bhutan

Episodes of diarrhoea and nutritional status of 113 children in East Bhutan were recorded monthly from 7 to 36 months of age. A re-examination was carried out 20 months later. The load of diarrhoeal diseases in early childhood was negatively associated with the parameters of children's long-term nutritional status 20 months later. Also, when early nutritional status and socioeconomic factors are included in the model, the diarrhoea variable explains a significant part of the variation in height for age (p = 0.04, delta R2 = 0.035), weight for age (p = 0.03, delta R2 = 0.030) and head circumference (p = 0.0007, delta R2 = 0.077). This is not so for the variation in weight for height or mid-upper arm circumference (p > 0.1, delta R2 < 0.005). Stunting is widespread in the area, and the effects of diarrhoea on nutritional status are more likely to be sustained in settings where dietary intake is marginal.

Subsequent pregnancy affects morbidity of previous child

A prospective study of 113 children in rural Bhutan registered their morbidity and weight and their mothers' subsequent pregnancies, monthly for 32 months during the children's first 3 years of life. Children whose mothers had a subsequent birth interval of 18-30 months had an incidence of diarrhoea during the subsequent pregnancy 50% higher than their matched cohort whose mothers did not become pregnant (p = 0.02). The relative risk for diarrhoea calculated from pooled child months was 1.51. Children whose mothers became pregnant also tended to have a higher incidence of skin infections. Children, whose mothers were pregnant when they terminated breastfeeding, experienced an increased incidence of diarrhoea around weaning (p = 0.01). Children weaned at the same age from non-pregnant mothers did not show increased morbidity. This study, for the first time, relates observations of children's morbidity directly in time to the occurrence of the mother's subsequent pregnancy, and provides evidence of a causal relationship between a moderately short subsequent birth interval and a concurrent increase in morbidity for the study child.

Breast feeding and seasonal determinants of child growth in weight in east Bhutan

In a prospective study of 113 children in rural Bhutan, morbidity, nutritional status and feeding practices were recorded monthly over a period of 32 months. This information was related to seasonal variations in rainfall. Diarrhoea had a negative impact on growth, as measured in monthly intervals, during the second and third years of life, reducing daily weight gain by 4.4 +/- 2.0 g (p<0.0001). this impact was largest during the monsoon season. For respiratory tract infections the value was 2.6 +/- 1.7 g (p<0.01). Growth in weight was lowest during the monsoon period (p<0.0001). Continued breast feeding was associated with an odds ration for diarrhoea of 0.51 (95% CI 0.34-0.78), and for respiratory tract infections of 0.63 (95% CI 0.40, 0.99). Growth in weight was less reduced during the monsoon season for children who were breast fed (2.5 +/- 1.7 g/day) than for those not breast fed (7.5 +/- 3.5 g/day) (p<0.01). We conclude that breast feeding is of particular importance throughout the warm and rainy season.