Abstract
This paper examines the incidence and correlates of linear growth catch up in early childhood among stunted children, using a range of definitions of catch up. Catch-up growth between two and five years of age is defined in both absolute terms (i.e. the centimetre height deficit from the healthy reference population mean is reduced) and relative terms (the height-for-age z-score improved or passed the -2SD or -1SD cut-off points). Data from a cohort study from urban South Africa are used to estimate the percentage of children who caught up and the predictors of catch-up growth according to these varying definitions. The results show that our sample of stunted children exhibits catch-up growth regardless of the definition used, however prevalence of catch up is highly sensitive to the way catch up is classified, ranging from 19%-93%. Of the biological, early growth, socioeconomic status and maternal reproductive variables included in the multivariate probit regressions, only a few were found to be consistent predictors of the incidence of catch-up growth. Mother’s height was positively correlated with the incidence of catch-up growth and early stunting at one year was associated with a lower likelihood of subsequent catch up.
Highlights
The first 1,000 days of life are critical for brain development [1]
Most children who were stunted at two years—93%—experienced a positive change in height-for-age z-score (HAZ) by age five, that is, their relative height deficit was reduced
If we add a threshold to the relative definition such that children were required to have passed the -2SD HAZ cut-off at age five, 75% of the sample caught up or had recovered from stunting by five years
Summary
The first 1,000 days of life (pregnancy and the first two years) are critical for brain development [1]. Malnutrition, indicated by stunting, during this critical developmental stage has been linked to a range of negative developmental outcomes, including a detrimental impact on cognitive development [3,4]. Utilizing data from cohort studies, earlylife stunting (typically measured at two years of age), via its impact on development, has been shown to affect later-life outcomes, including educational attainment and adult earnings [5]. Continues regarding the extent to which stunted children can catch up that growth after two years of age [6,7,8,9,10], and the extent to which such catch up mitigates the cognitive impacts of the early growth faltering i.e. stunting by age two [11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18]. In this paper we seek to contribute to the first part of this debate and focus on the incidence of catch-up growth among
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
