Poor fetal growth/stunting in first 2 years of life leads to huge negative consquences later

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Public release date: 16-Jan-2008

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-01/l-pfg011108.php

Contact: Professor Caroline Fall

chdf@...

44-4

Lancet

Poor fetal growth/stunting in first 2 years of life leads to huge

negative consquences later

Poor fetal growth or stunting in the first two years of life leads to

irreversible damage, including shorter adult height, lower attained

schooling, reduced adult income and decreased offspring birthweight for

women. These are the conclusions of Professor Caroline Fall, Medical

Research Council Epidemiology Resource Centre, University of

Southampton, UK, and Professor Cesar Victora, Universidade Federal de

Pelotas, Brazil, and colleagues, authors of the second paper in The

Lancet's Series on Maternal and Child Undernutrition.

The authors analysed the association between child and maternal

undernutrition with human capital and risk of adult diseases in low- and

middle-income countries (LMICs), focussing on five long-standing studies

in Brazil, Guatemala, India, the Philippines, and South Africa. They

showed that indicators of undernutrition, (maternal height, birthweight,

fetal growth restriction, and the child’s weight, height, and body-mass

index (BMI)) at age two years were related to adult outcomes (height,

schooling, income/assets, offspring birthweight, BMI, glucose

concentrations, blood pressure). The strongest associations with

undernutrition were found for shorter adult height, lower levels of

schooling, and reduced economic productivity, and, for women, lower

offspring birthweight.

Further, the authors found that children who are undernourished in the

first two years of life, and who put on weight rapidly later in

childhood and in adolescence are at high risk of chronic diseases

related to nutrition, such as high glucose concentrations, hypertension

and increased levels of harmful fats in their blood. But they found no

evidence that rapid weight gain or height gain in the first two years of

life increases the risk of chronic disease, even in children with poor

fetal growth. Height for age at two years was the best predictor of the

child’s future economic productivity (human capital).

The authors say: “We conclude that damage suffered in early life leads

to permanent impairment, and might also affect future generations. Its

prevention will probably bring about important health, educational, and

economic benefits. Chronic diseases are especially common in

undernourished children who experience rapid weight gain after

infancy….at the same time as investments are made against

undernutrition, middle-income countries undergoing the nutrition

transition should also address the negative consequences of rapid

weight-gain, especially in later childhood.”

###

Professor Caroline Fall, Medical Research Council Epidemiology Resource

Centre, University of Southampton, UK T) +44 (0) 2380 777624 / +44 (0)

7885 478453 E) chdf@...

Professor Cesar Victora, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Brazil T) +55

53 3284 1300 E) cvictora@...

The paper associated with this release can be viewed at

http://www.eurekalert.org/jrnls/lance/undernutrition2.pdf.

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