Abstract
BackgroundEvidences indicate that the risk of linear growth faltering is higher among children born from young mothers. Although such findings have been documented in various studies, they mainly originate from cross-sectional data and demographic and health surveys which are not designed to capture the growth trajectories of the same group of children. This study aimed to assess the association between young maternal age and linear growth of infants using data from a birth cohort study in Ethiopia.MethodsA total of 1423 mother-infant pairs, from a birth cohort study in rural Ethiopia were included in this study. They were followed for five time points, with three months interval until the infants were 12 months old. However, the analysis was based on 1378 subjects with at least one additional follow-up measurement to the baseline. A team of data collectors including nurses collected questionnaire based data and anthropometric measurements from the dyads. We fitted linear mixed-effects model with random intercept and random slope to determine associations of young maternal age and linear growth of infants over the follow-up period after adjusting for potential confounders.ResultsOverall, 27.2% of the mothers were adolescents (15–19 years) and the mean ± SD age of the mothers was 20 ± 2 years. Infant Length for Age Z score (LAZ) at birth was negatively associated with maternal age of 15–19 years (β = − 0.24, P = 0.032). However, young maternal age had no significant association with linear growth of the infants over the follow-up time (P = 0.105). Linear growth of infants was associated positively with improved maternal education and iron-folate intake during pregnancy and negatively with infant illness (P < 0.05).ConclusionYoung maternal age had a significant negative association with LAZ score of infants at birth while its association over time was not influential on their linear growth. The fact that wide spread socio economic and environmental inequalities exist among mothers of all ages may have contributed to the non-significant association between young maternal age and linear growth faltering of infants. This leaves an opportunity to develop comprehensive interventions targeting for the infants to attain optimal catch-up growth.
Highlights
Inadequate growth among infants is commonly expressed as a failure in linear growth with low length-for-age Z-score (LAZ) [1]
Young maternal age had no significant association with linear growth of the infants over the follow up time (P = 0.179)
Infants from adolescent mothers tend to have lower LAZ score compared to those born to mothers older than 20 years during the first 8 months of follow up. These infants do Discussion The present study examined the association between young maternal age at delivery and linear growth of infants
Summary
Inadequate growth among infants is commonly expressed as a failure in linear growth with low length-for-age Z-score (LAZ) [1]. A growing body of evidence indicates that the risk of linear growth faltering and other adverse neonatal and infant health outcomes are higher among children born from young mothers due to socio-economic, behavioural and biological disadvantages [8,9,10,11]. Poor maternal nutritional status during pregnancy, poor child caring practices, lower socio economic status (SES) and lower educational level are common among young mothers potentially affecting the growth and development of their infants negatively [12, 13]. Evidences indicate that the risk of linear growth faltering is higher among children born from young mothers Such findings have been documented in various studies, they mainly originate from crosssectional data and demographic and health surveys which are not designed to capture the growth trajectories of the same group of children.
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