Treated Malaria Does Not Affect Physical Growth And Hemoglobin Concentration of Young Children in Burkina Faso

Abstract

Malaria is a cause of anemia, and may be associated with impaired physical growth in early childhood. In the context of lipid-based nutrient supplementation (LNS) that provided different doses of zinc and treatment for malaria, diarrhea and fever, the association of malaria with physical growth and hemoglobin concentration (Hb) in young Burkinabe children was assessed. Children (n=1960) received 20 g LNS daily and were visited weekly for morbidity assessment from 9-18 mo of age. At baseline and during the 9-mo follow-up, children were treated for confirmed malaria based on rapid diagnostic test (RDT), reported fever and diarrhea. At 9 and 18 mo, length, weight and Hb were assessed. A mixed linear model was used to examine the association. At 9 mo, 59% of children were RDT positive, 91% had Hb < 110 g/L, and 23% and 17% had length-for-age z-score (LAZ) and weight-for-length z-score (WLZ) < - 2.0 SD, respectively. During the 9-mo of follow-up, 27% of children had no malaria episode, 34% had one episode and 39% had 蠅 2 episodes. 99% of all episodes were treated. At 18 mo, mean change was not different among the three malaria frequency categories for LAZ (- 0.24 ± 0.59, - 0.25 ± 0.59 and - 0.27 ± 0.60, p=0.766) and WLZ (0.20 ± 0.79, 0.25 ± 0.83 and 0.32 ± 0.83, p=0.765). Change in Hb also did not differ by categories (p=0.601). Treated malaria does not have an impact on average change in physical growth and Hb in young children supplemented with LNS. Funded by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation