title: The utility of infancy weight curves for the prediction of linear growth retardation in preschool children.
abstract: Routine weight measurements, recorded on health cards of 95 Congolese infants, were collected during a cross-sectional survey as the children were aged 1 to 5 years. The subjects were divided into two groups according to height-for-age (more or less than -2 SD of NCHS reference) at the time of the survey. Adjustment of a mathematical function to the infancy weight curves allowed comparison of groups using the means of the function's parameters: The stunted children had been significantly lighter than the healthy group during infancy. Predictive values of estimated weights and quarterly weight gains were assessed by discriminant analysis and cut-off points were computed. The weight gain between 3 and 6 months of age predicted stunting just as well as weight at age 1 year did. Sensitivity and specificity were at 77% and 74%, respectively. These results suggest that good prediction of stunting is possible from first-year weight measurements.
authors.affiliation: ORSTOM, Institut Français de Recherche Scientifique pour le Développement en Coopération, Dakar, Senegal.
authors.forename: K B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Simondon
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Simondon
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cornu
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Delpeuch
mesh_terms: D001827:Body Height / Q000502:physiology; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003223:Congo; D006130:Growth Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008954:Models, Biological; D011502:Protein-Energy Malnutrition / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000502:physiology*