Weight gain variation in infants of an impoverished community: Bellanse, Haiti.
Maintaining adequate growth remains one of the most difficult tasks for infants in developing countries. A cohort of rural infants (n = 354), median age four months, were weighed every 6-7 weeks over an 18-month period. Some 179 infants (51%) with weight information over at least 12 months were included in the study. The association between weight gain up to 6 months of age, and between 6 and 23 months of age, and factors amenable to prevention were assessed using weighted multiple linear regression. Infants whose mothers understood the 'Road to Health' chart had a weight gain that was 123 g/month (95% confidence interval (CI): 2-245) higher up to six months of age and 31 g/month (95% CI: 6-57) higher between 6 and 23 months of age compared to infants whose mothers did not seem to understand the chart. The weight gain between 6 and 23 months was also 28 g/month (95% CI: 3-54) higher for infants fully vaccinated at 11 months compared to not fully vaccinated children. It was 47 g/month (95% CI: 16-78) higher for infants living in two-parent families compared to children of a single-parent family. The results of the study suggest that maternal comprehension of the 'Road to Health' chart may contribute to more adequate weight gain.
Van Oyen
H J
HJ
Department of Epidemiology, Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Brussels, Belgium.
D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003153:Community Health Services; D003906:Developing Countries; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006205:Haiti; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D011204:Poverty Areas; D012423:Rural Health; D014611:Vaccination; D015430:Weight Gain