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Pattern of growth faltering and recovery in under-5 children in India using WHO growth standards — A study on first and third national family health survey

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Abstract

Objective

To examine the pattern of growth faltering in preschool children, using World Health Organization (WHO) growth standards 2006 from the available datasets of first and third National Family Health Survey (NFHS 1 and 3).

Design

Data-analysis of two large-scale cross-sectional surveys done at a gap of 15 years.

Setting

General community.

Subjects

Preschool children included in NFHS 1 (n = 37,768) and NFHS 3 (n = 41,306).

Main outcome measures

Weight for age Z-scores (WAZ), height for age Z scores (HAZ) and weight for height Z scores (WHZ) based on WHO growth standards for the first four years of life.

Results

Mean WAZ score at ‘0’ month during first and third surveys were −1.15 (n=268) and −0.76 (n=184), respectively. Of the total growth faltering in weight for age Z (WAZ) score by the end of third year, 55% and 44% of the growth faltering was already present at birth for the first and third survey, respectively. There was no change in weight for height Z (WHZ) score for the first three years during both the surveys.

Conclusions

A good part of the total growth faltering in India has already taken place at birth. Much of the growth faltering in early life can be attributed to faltering in HAZ scores or stunting. Understanding the causal role of stunting and its prevention as well as improving birth weight appears to be the key for better efficacy of public health programs in preventing under-5 malnutrition in India.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Clinical Division, National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad, India

    Raja Sriswan Mamidi, Pallavi Shidhaye, K. V. Radhakrishna, J. J. Babu & P. Sudhershan Reddy

  2. Niloufer Hospital, Hyderabad, India

    Raja Sriswan Mamidi, Pallavi Shidhaye, K. V. Radhakrishna, J. J. Babu & P. Sudhershan Reddy

  3. National Institute of Nutrition, (Indian Council of Medical Research), Jamai Osmania PO, Hyderabad, 500 007, India

    Raja Sriswan Mamidi

Authors
  1. Raja Sriswan Mamidi
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  2. Pallavi Shidhaye
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  3. K. V. Radhakrishna
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  4. J. J. Babu
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  5. P. Sudhershan Reddy
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Correspondence to Raja Sriswan Mamidi.

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Mamidi, R.S., Shidhaye, P., Radhakrishna, K.V. et al. Pattern of growth faltering and recovery in under-5 children in India using WHO growth standards — A study on first and third national family health survey. Indian Pediatr 48, 855–860 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13312-011-0139-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13312-011-0139-1

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