TY - JOUR
T1 - Geophagy Is Associated with Growth Faltering in Children in Rural Bangladesh
AU - Perin, Jamie
AU - Thomas, Alvin
AU - Oldja, Lauren
AU - Ahmed, Shahnawaz
AU - Parvin, Tahmina
AU - Bhuyian, Sazzadul Islam
AU - Sarker, Bidduth
AU - Biswas, Shwapon K.
AU - Faruque, Abu S.G.
AU - Sack, R. Bradley
AU - George, Christine M.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2016 Elsevier Inc.
PY - 2016/11/1
Y1 - 2016/11/1
N2 - Objective To determine the relationship between geophagy (mouthing of dirt, sand, clay, or mud) and growth faltering in young children. Study design We examined linear growth as height and weight standardized by age and sex, and weight standardized by height, in a cohort of children aged 6-36 months in rural Mirzapur, Bangladesh. We determined geophagy behavior at baseline through caregiver report. Anthropometric measurements were assessed at baseline and at a 1-year follow-up. Results We found that among children not stunted at baseline, those with caregiver-reported geophagy at baseline grew less over 1 year compared with their peers, with a difference in the change of standardized height for age and sex of −0.31 (95% CI, −0.61 to −0.01). Conclusion These findings show that caregiver-reported geophagy was associated with growth faltering in a pediatric population in rural Bangladesh. Future studies are needed to learn more about this exposure pathway and its relevance to child growth.
AB - Objective To determine the relationship between geophagy (mouthing of dirt, sand, clay, or mud) and growth faltering in young children. Study design We examined linear growth as height and weight standardized by age and sex, and weight standardized by height, in a cohort of children aged 6-36 months in rural Mirzapur, Bangladesh. We determined geophagy behavior at baseline through caregiver report. Anthropometric measurements were assessed at baseline and at a 1-year follow-up. Results We found that among children not stunted at baseline, those with caregiver-reported geophagy at baseline grew less over 1 year compared with their peers, with a difference in the change of standardized height for age and sex of −0.31 (95% CI, −0.61 to −0.01). Conclusion These findings show that caregiver-reported geophagy was associated with growth faltering in a pediatric population in rural Bangladesh. Future studies are needed to learn more about this exposure pathway and its relevance to child growth.
KW - environmental enteropathy
KW - environmental exposure
KW - mouthing
KW - stunting
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U2 - 10.1016/j.jpeds.2016.06.077
DO - 10.1016/j.jpeds.2016.06.077
M3 - Article
C2 - 27496267
AN - SCOPUS:84994726590
SN - 0022-3476
VL - 178
SP - 34-39.e1
JO - Journal of Pediatrics
JF - Journal of Pediatrics
ER -