Morbidity and the growth of stunted and nonstunted children, and the effect of supplementation.
Children aged 9-24 mo were recruited by a survey of poor areas of Kingston, Jamaica. Stunted children were randomly assigned to supplementation or not. Weekly morbidity histories were taken for 2 y. Separate multiple regressions on each symptom for weight or length gain in 2-mo intervals showed significant reductions in weight gain with coughing, apathy, anorexia, diarrhea, and fever, ranging from -2.1 to -16.8 g/d ill. Apathy and diarrhea reduced gains in length (-0.26 and -0.20 mm/d ill). Significant reductions in linear growth with lower respiratory-tract infections (-0.16 mm/d ill) occurred only in nonsupplemented children. Growth over 4-mo intervals was reduced if diarrhea occurred in the first 2 mo of the interval but there were no long-term effects of apathy, fever, or anorexia. Some of the effects of morbidity on growth were therefore transient and morbidity is unlikely to be a major cause of growth retardation in this population.
Walker
S P
SP
Tropical Metabolism Research Unit, University of the West Indies, Kingston, Jamaica.
Grantham-McGregor
S M
SM
Powell
C A
CA
Himes
J H
JH
Simeon
D T
DT
D001835:Body Weight; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003863:Depression / Q000150:complications; D003968:Diarrhea, Infantile / Q000150:complications; D005334:Fever / Q000150:complications; D006128:Growth; D006130:Growth Disorders / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007563:Jamaica; D009017:Morbidity; D011897:Random Allocation; D014839:Vomiting / Q000150:complications