Cryptosporidium infection in infancy as a cause of malnutrition: a community study from Guinea-Bissau, west Africa.
Cryptosporidium parvum causes persistent diarrhea in young children in developing countries. To determine the interaction between nutritional status and cryptosporidiosis, an open cohort of 1064 children younger than 3 y of age was followed for 1441 child-years by weekly diarrhea recall visits. A total of 5072 weight and 4264 height measurements was made. There were no tendencies of low weight (P = 0.38) or height (P = 0.16) in children who acquired cryptosporidiosis. Cryptosporidiosis in infancy was accompanied by an estimated weight loss of 392 g (95% CI: 247, 538 g) in boys and 294 g (95% CI: 109, 479 g) in girls, corresponding to 3.7% and 2.9% of mean weight, respectively, at 2 y of age. No significant catch-up growth covered for this loss in weight. A similar effect in linear growth was shown (P = 0.02). Although it has been suggested that the effect of infections on nutrition is usually transient because of catch-up growth, the present study suggests that cryptosporidiosis in infancy has a permanent effect on growth.
Mølbak
K
K
Epidemiology Research Unit, Danish Epidemiology Science Centre, Copenhagen, Denmark. kmolbak@desc.ssi.dk
Andersen
M
M
Aaby
P
P
Højlyng
N
N
Jakobsen
M
M
Sodemann
M
M
da Silva
A P
AP
D000354:Africa, Western / Q000453:epidemiology; D000818:Animals; D000886:Anthropometry; D001827:Body Height / Q000502:physiology; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003154:Community Medicine; D003457:Cryptosporidiosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D016785:Cryptosporidium parvum; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D004199:Disease Vectors; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009748:Nutrition Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D009752:Nutritional Status; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015431:Weight Loss / Q000502:physiology