Growth patterns in early childhood and final attained stature: data from five birth cohorts from low-and-middle-income countries.
Growth patterns in early childhood and final attained stature: data from five birth cohorts from low-and-middle-income countries.
Growth failure is cumulative, and short stature is associated with multiple indices of reduced human capital. Few studies have been able to address in a single analysis both consideration of the timing of growth failure and comparison across populations. We analyzed data from birth cohorts in Brazil, Guatemala, India, the Philippines, and South Africa (n = 4,659).
We used data on length at birth (available for three of the five cohorts), 12 mo, 24 mo, and mid-childhood to construct cohort- and sex- specific conditional length measures. We modeled adult height as a function of conditional length in childhood. The five cohorts experienced varying degrees of growth failure. As adults, the Brazil sample was 0.35 ± 0.89 standard deviations (SD) below the World Health Organization reference, while adult Guatemalans were 1.91 ± 0.87 SD below the reference. All five cohorts experienced a nadir in height for age Z-score at 24 mo. Birth length (in the three cohorts with this variable), and conditional length at 12 mo (in all five cohorts) were the most strongly associated with adult height.
Growth in the periods 12-24 mo and 24 mo to mid-childhood showed inconsistent patterns across tertiles of adult height. Despite variation in the magnitude of cumulative growth failure across cohorts, the five cohorts show highly consistent age-specific associations with adult stature. Growth failure prior to age 12 mo was most strongly associated with adult stature. These consistencies speak to the importance of interventions to address intrauterine growth failure and growth failure in the first 12 mo of life.
353-359
Stein, Aryeh D.
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Wang, Meng
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Martorell, Reynaldo
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Norris, Shane A.
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Adair, Linda S.
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Bas, Isabelita
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Sachdev, Harshpal Singh
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Bhargava, Santosh K.
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Fall, Caroline H. D.
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Gigante, Denise P.
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Victora, Cesar G.
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May 2010
Stein, Aryeh D.
5ee08d0c-2313-4d74-bfcf-49e9bfabc36d
Wang, Meng
2383474a-1a8f-4564-bff9-ffd02b11837e
Martorell, Reynaldo
d120786d-e651-446d-a96a-d175de202d5b
Norris, Shane A.
1d346f1b-6d5f-4bca-ac87-7589851b75a4
Adair, Linda S.
cbc191bc-8c0f-468f-99be-394f8930392d
Bas, Isabelita
31fc2cff-9240-492e-a0c6-57e5821b6370
Sachdev, Harshpal Singh
2fca6c24-2750-47b4-b675-7c7da6e5c987
Bhargava, Santosh K.
3932b4c9-c07d-472c-b54d-622306357475
Fall, Caroline H. D.
7171a105-34f5-4131-89d7-1aa639893b18
Gigante, Denise P.
849dd555-63cd-462c-902e-109c4694b6da
Victora, Cesar G.
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Stein, Aryeh D., Wang, Meng, Martorell, Reynaldo, Norris, Shane A., Adair, Linda S., Bas, Isabelita, Sachdev, Harshpal Singh, Bhargava, Santosh K., Fall, Caroline H. D., Gigante, Denise P. and Victora, Cesar G.
(2010)
Growth patterns in early childhood and final attained stature: data from five birth cohorts from low-and-middle-income countries.
American Journal of Human Biology, 22 (3), .
(doi:10.1002/ajhb.20998).
Abstract
Growth failure is cumulative, and short stature is associated with multiple indices of reduced human capital. Few studies have been able to address in a single analysis both consideration of the timing of growth failure and comparison across populations. We analyzed data from birth cohorts in Brazil, Guatemala, India, the Philippines, and South Africa (n = 4,659).
We used data on length at birth (available for three of the five cohorts), 12 mo, 24 mo, and mid-childhood to construct cohort- and sex- specific conditional length measures. We modeled adult height as a function of conditional length in childhood. The five cohorts experienced varying degrees of growth failure. As adults, the Brazil sample was 0.35 ± 0.89 standard deviations (SD) below the World Health Organization reference, while adult Guatemalans were 1.91 ± 0.87 SD below the reference. All five cohorts experienced a nadir in height for age Z-score at 24 mo. Birth length (in the three cohorts with this variable), and conditional length at 12 mo (in all five cohorts) were the most strongly associated with adult height.
Growth in the periods 12-24 mo and 24 mo to mid-childhood showed inconsistent patterns across tertiles of adult height. Despite variation in the magnitude of cumulative growth failure across cohorts, the five cohorts show highly consistent age-specific associations with adult stature. Growth failure prior to age 12 mo was most strongly associated with adult stature. These consistencies speak to the importance of interventions to address intrauterine growth failure and growth failure in the first 12 mo of life.
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Published date: May 2010
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Local EPrints ID: 149617
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/149617
ISSN: 1042-0533
PURE UUID: 0ea13ad7-6e56-4943-a7ad-5fd58ddde9f2
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Date deposited: 30 Apr 2010 14:47
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 03:15
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Author:
Aryeh D. Stein
Author:
Meng Wang
Author:
Reynaldo Martorell
Author:
Linda S. Adair
Author:
Isabelita Bas
Author:
Harshpal Singh Sachdev
Author:
Santosh K. Bhargava
Author:
Denise P. Gigante
Author:
Cesar G. Victora
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