title: Child Growth According to Maternal and Child HIV Status in Zimbabwe.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Growth failure is common among HIV-infected infants, but there are limited data on the effects of HIV exposure or timing of HIV acquisition on growth.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fourteen thousand one hundred ten infants were enrolled in the Zimbabwe Vitamin A for Mothers and Babies trial in Zimbabwe before the availability of antiretroviral therapy or co-trimoxazole. Anthropometric measurements were taken from birth through 12-24 months of age. Growth outcomes were compared between 5 groups of children: HIV-infected in utero (IU), intrapartum (IP) or postnatally (PN); HIV-exposed uninfected (HEU); and HIV unexposed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Growth failure was common across all groups of children. Compared with HIV-unexposed children, IU-, IP- and PN-infected children had significantly lower length-for-age and weight-for-length Z scores throughout the first 2 years of life. At 12 months, odds ratios for stunting were higher in IU [6.25, 95% confidence interval (CI): 4.20-9.31] and IP infants (4.76, 95% CI: 3.58-6.33) than in PN infants (1.70, 95% CI: 1.16-2.47). Compared with HIV-unexposed infants, HEU infants at 12 months had odds ratios for stunting of 1.23 (95% CI: 1.08-1.39) and wasting of 1.56 (95% CI: 1.22-2.00).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HIV-infected infants had very high rates of growth failure during the first 2 years of life, particularly if IU or IP infected, highlighting the importance of early infant diagnosis and antiretroviral therapy. HEU infants had poorer growth than HIV-unexposed infants in the first 12 months of life.
authors.affiliation: From the *Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland; †Zvitambo Institute for Maternal and Child Health Research, Harare, Zimbabwe; and ‡Blizard Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Adetayo O
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Omoni
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ntozini
authors.forename: Ceri
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.forename: Andrew J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Prendergast
authors.forename: Lawrence H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Moulton
authors.forename: Parul S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Christian
authors.forename: Jean H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Humphrey
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001827:Body Height / Q000502:physiology; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development / Q000502:physiology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006130:Growth Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009035:Mothers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult; D015030:Zimbabwe / Q000453:epidemiology