Nutritional status of breastfed infants in rural Zambia: comparison of theNational Center for Health Statistics growth reference versus the WHO 12-month breastfed pooled data set
Jla. Hautvast et al., Nutritional status of breastfed infants in rural Zambia: comparison of theNational Center for Health Statistics growth reference versus the WHO 12-month breastfed pooled data set, B WHO, 78(4), 2000, pp. 535-541
Citations number
18
Categorie Soggetti
General & Internal Medicine","Medical Research General Topics
Cross-sectional data for breastfed infants in rural Zambia were used to eva
luate the effect of applying two different data sets as a reference, i.e. t
he WHO 12-month breastfed pooled data set and the National Center for Healt
h Statistics (NCHS) growth reference in terms of prevalence of malnutrition
(stunting, underweight, and wasting). A total of 518 infants who were atte
nding mother-and-child health clinics were included. Age, weight and length
were recorded. Anthropometric Z-scores were calculated in two ways: by app
lying the NCHS growth reference and by using the WHO breastfed data set. An
thropometric Z-scores calculated using the breastfed data set were lower du
ring the first 6-7 months of life com pared with those calculated by applyi
ng the NCHS growth reference. This resulted in a higher proportion of child
ren aged 0-6 months being classified as stunted and underweight using the b
reastfed data set versus the NCHS growth reference. After the age of 7 mont
hs, similar prevalences of stunting or underweight were observed. Relativel
y few infants were classified as wasted. In order to adequately assess the
prevalence of stunting and underweight in breastfed infants, it is recommen
ded that a new growth reference be developed, as has been initialed by WHO.