2 DECADE TRENDS IN BIRTH-WEIGHT AND EARLY-CHILDHOOD GROWTH IN PAPUA-NEW-GUINEA

At present, little is known about patterns of early growth and develop ment in foraging and small-scale horticultural populations. Moreover, still less is known about secular changes in growth in these populatio ns. Data collected in 1967, 1976, and 1989 are presented for birth wei ght and subsequent growth to 5 years among Au forager-horticulturalist s of Papua New Guinea. Despite the launching of health campaigns over the last two decades aimed at bettering the nutritional status of the Au, the data show that average birth weight has remained stable and lo w at just over 2600 g. Weight-and length-for-age also show no signific ant changes among traditional Au over the last 20 years, and remain on average, at just below the U.S. 5th percentile. Evidence for the star t of a positive secular trend in birth weight and subsequent growth is seen, however, among a small group of Au children residing in househo lds that have a source of wage income. These individuals show an incre ase of 150 g in birth weight, and over the subsequent 5 years of growt h average 93 g heavier and 2.6 cm taller than Au children in tradition al households. In addition to providing baseline data on child growth in a forager-horticulturalist society, the findings provide evidence f or a secular trend newly underway, and suggest that health promotion c ampaigns alone without socioeconomic development may be insufficient i n effecting change in growth status in rural communities. (C) 1998 Wil ey-Liss, Inc.