Consequences of infections for three-month length increment in young children in rural Zambia

It was the aim of this study to describe the relationship of infections wit h subsequent 3-mo length increment in children below 2 y of age in rural Za mbia. Children aged 6-9 mo ('infants'; n = 84) and 14-20 mo ('toddlers': n = 81) attending Mother-and-Child Wealth clinics, were included and followed up after 3.0 mo (min-max, 2.1-3.7 mo). Anthropometric measurements were ta ken at each visit. At baseline, C-reactive protein (CRP), alpha(1)-acid gly coprotein (AGP), retinol and malaria parasitaemia were assessed. Length inc rement juring the 3.0 +/- 0.5 mo was 1.0 +/- 0.5 cm/mo for infants and 0.6 +/- 0.4 cm/mo for toddlers, 50-71% of the children showed increased acute p hase proteins, 79-83% had malaria parasitaemia and 55-64% had low serum ret inol concentrations. In the total group of children, serum AGP concentratio ns (r = -0.18: p = 0.03) and serum CRP concentrations (r = -0.15; p = 0.05) showed a negative relation with length increment. After correcting for mic ronutrient status. dietary intake and maternal height, results of multiple regression analyses showed that the relation between serum AGP concentratio n and subsequent length increment remained significant. We conclude that, within the multifactorial model, presence of infections i n these Zambian children contributes to the short-term retardation of linea r growth.