title: Nutritional status of young children in Mumbai slums: a follow-up anthropometric study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chronic childhood malnutrition remains common in India. As part of an initiative to improve maternal and child health in urban slums, we collected anthropometric data from a sample of children followed up from birth. We described the proportions of underweight, stunting, and wasting in young children, and examined their relationships with age.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used two linked datasets: one based on institutional birth weight records for 17 318 infants, collected prospectively, and one based on follow-up of a subsample of 1941 children under five, collected in early 2010.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean birth weight was 2736 g (SD 530 g), with a low birth weight (<2500 g) proportion of 22%. 21% of infants had low weight for age standard deviation (z) scores at birth (<-2 SD). At follow-up, 35% of young children had low weight for age, 17% low weight for height, and 47% low height for age. Downward change in weight for age was greater in children who had been born with higher z scores.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data support the idea that much of growth faltering was explained by faltering in height for age, rather than by wasting. Stunting appeared to be established early and the subsequent decline in height for age was limited. Our findings suggest a focus on a younger age-group than the children over the age of three who are prioritized by existing support systems.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  The trial during which the birth weight data were collected was funded by the ICICI Foundation for Inclusive Growth (Centre for Child Health and Nutrition), and The Wellcome Trust (081052/Z/06/Z). Subsequent collection, analysis and development of the manuscript was funded by a Wellcome Trust Strategic Award: Population Science of Maternal and Child Survival (085417ma/Z/08/Z). D Osrin is funded by The Wellcome Trust (091561/Z/10/Z).
authors.affiliation: Society for Nutrition, Education and Health Action (SNEHA), Urban HealthCentre, Chota Sion Hospital, 60 Feet Road, Shahunagar, Dharavi, Mumbai, 400017 Maharashtra, India.
authors.forename: Sushmita
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Das
authors.forename: Ujwala
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Bapat
authors.forename: Neena Shah
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: More
authors.forename: Glyn
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Alcock
authors.forename: Armida
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fernandez
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Osrin
mesh_terms: D001724:Birth Weight; D001827:Body Height; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D007223:Infant; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009752:Nutritional Status; D011204:Poverty Areas; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013851:Thinness / Q000453:epidemiology*