title: The effect of early measles vaccination at 4.5 months of age on growth at 9 and 24 months of age in a randomized trial in Guinea-Bissau.
abstract: Providing an early, additional measles vaccine (MV) at 4.5 months of age has been shown to reduce child mortality in low-income countries. We studied the effects on growth at 9 and 24 months of age.
  
  
  
  A randomized controlled trial was conducted in Guinea-Bissau from 2003-2007 including 6,648 children. Children were randomized 1:1:1 to receive Edmonston-Zagreb measles vaccine at 4.5 and 9 months of age (group A), no vaccine at 4.5 months and Edmonston-Zagreb measles vaccine at 9 months (group B), or no vaccine at 4.5 months and Schwarz measles vaccine at 9 months (group C) Data on anthropometrics were obtained at enrolment at 4.5 months of age and again at 9 and 24 months of age. Analyses were stratified by sex, season of enrolment, and neonatal vitamin A supplementation (NVAS) status, as all these factors have been shown to modify the effect of early MV on mortality.
  
  
  
  Overall there was no effect of early MV on anthropometry at 9 months. At 24 months children who had received early MV had a significantly larger mid-upper-arm-circumference (MUAC/in cm) (Difference = 0.08; 95% CI (0.02;0.14)) compared with children in the control group; this effect was most pronounced among girls (0.12 (0.03;0.20)). The effect of early MV on MUAC remained significant in the dry season and in girls who received placebo rather than NVAS.
  
  
  
  Early MV was associated with a larger MUAC particularly in girls. These results indicate that a two-dose measles vaccination schedule might not only reduce child mortality but also improve growth.
  
  
  
  ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00168558 . Registered September 9, 2005, retrospectively registered.
authors.affiliation: Bandim Health Project, Indepth Network, Apartado 861, 1004, Bissau Codex, Guinea-Bissau.|Bandim Health Project, Research Center for Vitamins and Vaccines (CVIVA), Statens Serum Institut, Artillerivej 5, 2300, Copenhagen S, Denmark.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Rasmussen
authors.affiliation: Bandim Health Project, Indepth Network, Apartado 861, 1004, Bissau Codex, Guinea-Bissau.|Bandim Health Project, Research Center for Vitamins and Vaccines (CVIVA), Statens Serum Institut, Artillerivej 5, 2300, Copenhagen S, Denmark.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Biering-Sørensen
authors.affiliation: Bandim Health Project, Indepth Network, Apartado 861, 1004, Bissau Codex, Guinea-Bissau.|Bandim Health Project, Research Center for Vitamins and Vaccines (CVIVA), Statens Serum Institut, Artillerivej 5, 2300, Copenhagen S, Denmark.|OPEN, Odense Patient data Explorative Network, Odense University Hospital/Institute of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Byberg
authors.affiliation: Bandim Health Project, Indepth Network, Apartado 861, 1004, Bissau Codex, Guinea-Bissau.|Bandim Health Project, Research Center for Vitamins and Vaccines (CVIVA), Statens Serum Institut, Artillerivej 5, 2300, Copenhagen S, Denmark.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Andersen
authors.affiliation: Bandim Health Project, Indepth Network, Apartado 861, 1004, Bissau Codex, Guinea-Bissau.|Bandim Health Project, Research Center for Vitamins and Vaccines (CVIVA), Statens Serum Institut, Artillerivej 5, 2300, Copenhagen S, Denmark.|Department of Endocrinology, Odense University Hospital, Institute of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bjerregaard-Andersen
authors.affiliation: Bandim Health Project, Indepth Network, Apartado 861, 1004, Bissau Codex, Guinea-Bissau.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
authors.affiliation: Bandim Health Project, Indepth Network, Apartado 861, 1004, Bissau Codex, Guinea-Bissau. CB@ssi.dk.|Bandim Health Project, Research Center for Vitamins and Vaccines (CVIVA), Statens Serum Institut, Artillerivej 5, 2300, Copenhagen S, Denmark. CB@ssi.dk.|OPEN, Odense Patient data Explorative Network, Odense University Hospital/Institute of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark. CB@ssi.dk.
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Benn
authors.affiliation: Bandim Health Project, Indepth Network, Apartado 861, 1004, Bissau Codex, Guinea-Bissau.
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Martins
authors.affiliation: Bandim Health Project, Indepth Network, Apartado 861, 1004, Bissau Codex, Guinea-Bissau.|Bandim Health Project, Research Center for Vitamins and Vaccines (CVIVA), Statens Serum Institut, Artillerivej 5, 2300, Copenhagen S, Denmark.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Aaby
mesh_terms: D001827:Body Height; D002657:Child Development; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006169:Guinea-Bissau; D006801:Humans; D007115:Immunization Schedule; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008457:Measles / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008458:Measles Vaccine; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D012621:Seasons; D012737:Sex Factors; D015430:Weight Gain
chemical_list: D008458:Measles Vaccine
keywords: Early measles vaccination; Growth; Neonatal vitamin A supplementation; Non-specific effects; Season; Sex-differential effects