scholarly journals Maternal Tobacco and Alcohol Use in Relation to Child Malnutrition in Gauteng, South Africa: A Retrospective Analysis

Children ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 133
Author(s):  
Perpetua Modjadji ◽  
Mpinane Pitso

Tobacco and alcohol use among mothers is associated with numerous adverse consequences for affected offspring, including poor growth and development. This study determined the association between maternal tobacco and alcohol use, and malnutrition, among infants aged ≤ 12 months (n = 300), in selected health facilities situated in Gauteng, South Africa. Data on alcohol and tobacco use were collected using a validated questionnaire, in addition to mothers’ socio-demographic characteristics and obstetric history. Stunting (low height/length-for-age), underweight (low weight-for-age) and thinness (low body mass index-for-age) were calculated using z-scores based on the World Health Organization child growth standards. The association of tobacco and alcohol use with stunting, underweight and thinness was analysed using logistic regression analysis. The results showed a mean age of 29 years (24.0; 35.0) for mothers and 7.6 ± 3 months for infants, and over half of the mothers were unemployed (63%). Approximately 18.7% of mothers had used tobacco and 3% had used alcohol during pregnancy. The prevalence of current tobacco and alcohol use among mothers were estimated at 14.3% and 49.7%, respectively, and almost three-quarters (67.3%) of them were still breastfeeding during the study period. Stunting (55%) was the most prevalent malnutrition indicator among infants, while underweight was 41.7%, and thinness was 22%. Current tobacco use was associated with increased odds of being thin [OR = 2.40, 95% CI: 1.09–5.45), and after adjusting for confounders, current alcohol use was associated with the likelihood of being underweight [AOR = 1.96, 95% CI: 1.06–3.63] among infants. Future prospective cohort studies that examine growth patterns among infants who are exposed to maternal tobacco and alcohol use from the intrauterine life to infancy are necessary to inform, partly, the public health programmes, to reduce malnutrition among children.

Author(s):  
Wen-Chien Yang ◽  
Chun-Min Fu ◽  
Bo-Wei Su ◽  
Chung-Mei Ouyang ◽  
Kuen-Cheh Yang

High prevalence of child underweight and stunting in high-altitude areas has often been reported. However, most previous studies on this topic were cross-sectional. Another critical concern is that using the World Health Organization (WHO) Child Growth Standards to evaluate child growth in high-altitude areas may lead to overestimations of underweight and stunting. Our study aimed to evaluate the long-term growth pattern of children (3 to 18 years) above the altitude of 3500 m in Ladakh, India. The participants’ body weight (BW), body height (BH), and body mass index (BMI) were measured annually according to the WHO Child Growth Standards for children under 5 years old and the WHO reference data for children aged 5 to 19 years. The generalized estimating equation (GEE) was used to estimate the means and z-scores of BW, BH, and BMI at different ages. A total of 401 children were enrolled from 2012 to 2018. Their mean z-scores of BW, BH, and BMI were −1.47, −1.44, and −0.85 in 2012 and increased to −0.74, −0.92, and −0.63 in 2018. This population’s specific growth curve was also depicted, which generally fell below the 85th percentile of the WHO standards. This is the first cohort study about long-term child growth patterns in a high-altitude area. The detailed underlying mechanisms of our findings need future research on more representative data of high-altitude populations.


2006 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 942-947 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mercedes de Onis ◽  
Adelheid W Onyango ◽  
Elaine Borghi ◽  
Cutberto Garza ◽  
Hong Yang ◽  
...  

AbstractObjectivesTo compare growth patterns and estimates of malnutrition based on the World Health Organization (WHO) Child Growth Standards (‘the WHO standards’) and the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS)/WHO international growth reference (‘the NCHS reference’), and discuss implications for child health programmes.DesignSecondary analysis of longitudinal data to compare growth patterns (birth to 12 months) and data from two cross-sectional surveys to compare estimates of malnutrition among under-fives.SettingsBangladesh, Dominican Republic and a pooled sample of infants from North America and Northern Europe.SubjectsRespectively 4787, 10 381 and 226 infants and children.ResultsHealthy breast-fed infants tracked along the WHO standard's weight-for-age mean Z-score while appearing to falter on the NCHS reference from 2 months onwards. Underweight rates increased during the first six months and thereafter decreased when based on the WHO standards. For all age groups stunting rates were higher according to the WHO standards. Wasting and severe wasting were substantially higher during the first half of infancy. Thereafter, the prevalence of severe wasting continued to be 1.5 to 2.5 times that of the NCHS reference. The increase in overweight rates based on the WHO standards varied by age group, with an overall relative increase of 34%.ConclusionsThe WHO standards provide a better tool to monitor the rapid and changing rate of growth in early infancy. Their adoption will have important implications for child health with respect to the assessment of lactation performance and the adequacy of infant feeding. Population estimates of malnutrition will vary by age, growth indicator and the nutritional status of index populations.


2005 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 247-265 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Borghi ◽  
M. de Onis ◽  
C. Garza ◽  
J. Van den Broeck ◽  
E. A. Frongillo ◽  
...  

Nutrients ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 1654
Author(s):  
Jacques Rigo ◽  
Stefanie Schoen ◽  
Marc Verghote ◽  
Bart van Overmeire ◽  
Wivinne Marion ◽  
...  

The current study aimed to investigate growth, safety and tolerance of partially hydrolysed infant formulae in healthy full-term infants. Fully formula-fed infants were randomised ≤14 days of age to receive a partially hydrolysed whey formula with 2.27 g protein/100 kcal (pHF2.27) or the same formula with 1.8 g or 2.0 g protein/100 kcal (pHF1.8 and pHF2.0) until 4 months of age. The primary outcome was equivalence in daily weight gain within margins of ± 3 g/day; comparison with WHO Child Growth Standards; gastrointestinal tolerance parameters and number of (serious) adverse events were secondary outcomes. A total of 207 infants were randomised, and 61 (pHF1.8), 46 (pHF2.0) and 48 (pHF2.27) infants completed the study per protocol. Equivalence in daily weight gain was demonstrated for the comparison of pHF1.8 and pHF2.27, i.e., the estimated difference was −1.12 g/day (90% CI: [−2.72; 0.47]) but was inconclusive for the comparisons of pHF2.0 and pHF2.27 with a difference of −2.52 g/day (90% CI: [−4.23; −0.81]). All groups showed adequate infant growth in comparison with the World Health Organization (WHO) Child Growth Standards. To conclude, the evaluated partially hydrolysed formulae varying in protein content support adequate growth and are safe and well tolerated in healthy infants.


Author(s):  
Thembisile M. Chauke ◽  
Hendry Van der Heever ◽  
Muhammad E. Hoque

Background: Drinking behaviour by adolescents is a significant public health challenge nationally and internationally. Alcohol use has serious challenges that continue to deprive adolescents of their normal child growth and development. Drinking is associated with dangers that include fighting, crime, unintentional accidents, unprotected sex, violence and others.Aim: The aim of the study is to investigate drinking patterns, and factors contributing to drinking, amongst secondary school learners in South Africa.Method: The sample included 177 male (46.6%) and 206 female (53.4%) respondents in the age range from 15–23 years, selected by stratified random sampling.Results: The results indicated that 35.5% of male and 29.7% of female respondents used alcohol. Both male and female respondents consumed six or more alcohol units (binge drinking) within 30 days; on one occasion the consumption was 17.5% and 15.9% respectively. It was found that alcohol consumption increases with age, 32.2% of 15–17 year-olds and 53.2% of 18–20 year-olds consumed different types of alcohol. It was deduced that 28.9% respondents reported that one of the adults at home drank alcohol regularly, and 9.3% reported that both their parents drank alcohol daily. It was found that 27.6% of the respondents agreed that friends made them conform to drinking. The tenth and eleventh grade reported 15.2% of male and 13.9% of female respondents were aware that alcohol can be addictive.Conclusion: This study found that age, gender, parental alcohol use and peer pressure were found to be the major contributing factors to alcohol use amongst learners Prevention campaigns such as introducing the harmful effects of alcohol use amongst learners are of utmost importance in reducing alcohol use amongst learners in South Africa.


2013 ◽  
Vol 57 (2) ◽  
pp. 258-264 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dominique Turck ◽  
Kim F. Michaelsen ◽  
Raanan Shamir ◽  
Christian Braegger ◽  
Cristina Campoy ◽  
...  

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 8
Author(s):  
Jean Fanny Junita Timban ◽  
Ellen Grace Tangkere ◽  
Jelly Ribka Danaly Lumingkewas

Stunting in under-five children is a reduced growth rate primarily caused by chronic undernutrition that leads to a child having height much less than is normal for age. This condition manifests mostly after two years old. The definition of stunting according to the World Health Organization (WHO) is for the "height for age" value to be less than two standard deviations of the WHO Child Growth Standards median. Indonesia has been plagued recently with stunting. In 2015, the World Bank indicates that stunting has cost 3 to 11 percent of the gross domestic product. Previous research works have documented that mothers play an important role in preventing stunting through antenatal care and child nursing. The objective of this study is to explore the role played by the mothers in Bunaken, Manado, in antenatal care and child nursing that prevent stunting. Samples are drawn using purposive sampling and data are analysis descriptively. The results show that the mothers’ roles include taking antenatal check up to four times during pregnancy, daily use of FE 90 pill, participating in pregnancy counseling and care, delivery by health professionals, attending integrated service post (posyandu), visiting health professionals for postnatal care, completing universal immunization on child over 12 months old, and participating in educational activities for under-five nursing and nutritional fulfillment at least once a month. Of these eight recorded roles, however, there are merely 20% mothers indicate they regularly taking part in pregnancy counseling and care. Furthermore, only one percent (n = 3) respondents that report they attending educational activities for under-five nursing and nutritional fulfillment.


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 98
Author(s):  
Nafiys Hilmy ◽  
Maitsa' Fatharani

Stunting is one of the remaining health issues in Indonesia and its prevalence was still high in the last decades. There are two types of growth charts that can be used in recording the child's growth: growth standards and growth references. In recent times, the selection of the suitable growth charts has become a subject of discussion in many countries. The objective of this study is to describe the prevalence of stunting according to World Health Organization Child Growth Standards (WHOCGS) and Indonesian National Growth Reference Charts (INGRC) of children under five from the Blega sub-district. The secondary data from 2884 children were collected recapitulation of the 'Bulan Timbang' program in February 2020. Z-score of length/height-for-age was plotted according to WHOCGS and INGRC. The result showed that the prevalence of stunting were lower for the INGRC than WHOCGS (5.83% and 11.17%, with p-value <0.001). There was an advantage and disadvantage when using both two growth charts. Further research is still needed to support the result of this study. Keywords:  Stunting, World Health Organization Child Growth Standards, Indonesian National Growth Reference Charts


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