Developmental effects of micronutrient supplementation and malaria in Zanzibari children.

Background: Children's development is affected by the interplay of internal and external factors and changes in one factor can precipitate changes in multiple developmental domains.

Aims: The aim of this study was to test a theoretical model of children's development using structural equation modeling.

Study Design: This was designed as a substudy of a randomized, placebo-controlled, 2 × 2 factorial trial of the effects of daily supplementation with iron (12.

Development of nutritionally at-risk young children is predicted by malaria, anemia, and stunting in Pemba, Zanzibar.

Nutritionally at-risk children suffer delays in physical growth and motor and language development. Infectious diseases such as malaria pose an additional risk. We examined the cross-sectional relationships among malaria infection, hemoglobin (Hb) concentration, length-for-age Z-scores (LAZ), motor activity, behavior, and motor and language development in 841 Zanzibari children 5-19 mo old.

Young Zanzibari children with iron deficiency, iron deficiency anemia, stunting, or malaria have lower motor activity scores and spend less time in locomotion.

Motor activity improves cognitive and social-emotional development through a child's exploration of his or her physical and social environment. This study assessed anemia, iron deficiency, hemoglobin (Hb), length-for-age Z-score (LAZ), and malaria infection as predictors of motor activity in 771 children aged 5-19 mo. Trained observers conducted 2- to 4-h observations of children's motor activity in and around their homes.

Child development: risk factors for adverse outcomes in developing countries.

Poverty and associated health, nutrition, and social factors prevent at least 200 million children in developing countries from attaining their developmental potential. We review the evidence linking compromised development with modifiable biological and psychosocial risks encountered by children from birth to 5 years of age. We identify four key risk factors where the need for intervention is urgent: stunting, inadequate cognitive stimulation, iodine deficiency, and iron deficiency anaemia.

Combined iron and folic acid supplementation with or without zinc reduces time to walking unassisted among Zanzibari infants 5- to 11-mo old.

Iron and zinc deficiencies have been associated with delayed motor development in nutritionally at-risk children, albeit inconsistently. In this community-based, randomized double-blind trial, iron+folic acid (FeFA) (12.5 mg Fe + 50 mug folic acid), zinc (Zn) (10 mg), and iron+folic acid+zinc (FeFA+Zn) supplements or a placebo were given daily for 1 y to nutritionally at-risk children in Pemba, Zanzibar.

Growth indices, anemia, and diet independently predict motor milestone acquisition of infants in south central Nepal.

The acquisition of bipedal locomotion is an important aspect of gross motor development that ultimately affects the cognition of young children. Evidence for associations between nutrition-related variables and walking acquisition exist; however, questions remain about the importance of weight-for-length and dietary factors and the independent contribution of anemia and growth to walking. We examined the effect of nutritional factors on the acquisition of walking in a cross-sectional cohort of 4- to 17-mo old Nepali children (n = 485) adjusting for age, sex, caste, and socioeconomic status (SES).

Iron deficiency and physical growth predict attainment of walking but not crawling in poorly nourished Zanzibari infants.

Locomotion allows infants to explore their environment, promoting development in other domains. Motor progression involves biological systems and experiential factors. Nutritional deficiencies could interfere with systems involved in locomotion.

Relation of neonatal iron status to individual variability in neonatal temperament.

The relation between indices of neonatal iron status and individual differences in neonatal temperament were investigated in a sample of 148 low-income Peruvian women and their newborn infants. Using cord blood, at birth we obtained measures of neonatal ferritin, serum iron, and hemoglobin. While neonates were still in the hospital, their behavior during a structured anthropometry examination was videotaped and subsequently coded on four temperament dimensions: activity level, negative emotionality, alertness, and soothability.

Developmental trajectories of poorly nourished toddlers that received a micronutrient supplement with and without energy.

Experimental and quasi-experimental studies on the effects of nutritional supplements on development in young children generally include snapshots of development. Developmental outcomes are better revealed when multiple assessments are made over time. We compared the effects of a micronutrient intervention with and without supplementary energy on the mental and motor growth curves of poorly nourished toddlers in West Java.

Stunting and delayed motor development in rural West Java.

The association between physical growth and gross motor development, particularly self-produced locomotion, was considered in 557 children 3-18 months of age. Gross motor development was assessed with nine preselected milestones representing the major landmarks in self-produced bipedal locomotion. Motor development is presented by age and by milestone, and is compared to developmental ranges of the Denver Developmental Screening Test.

Seasonality and weight gain during the first year of life.

A comparison is made between weight increments at 0-3, 4-6, 7-9, and 10-12 months of life between infants born in the fall, winter, spring, and summer seasons in Sui Lin, Taiwan. The focus of the study is on (1) whether in a tropical region the effects of seasonality on weight gain interact with the developmental stage of the infant and (2) whether these interactions are partly regulated by the growth history of the infant. The main hypothesis is that the highest growth velocities will occur in the dry, cold months of the year (fall and winter) and the lowest velocities will occur in the hot, rainy months (spring and summer).

Psychosocial development and behavior of mothers of failure-to-thrive children.

The social development, emotional adaptation, and functioning of mothers of failure-to-thrive children, and of a group of matched controls were studied. Results show that maternal behavior of the mothers of the failure-to-thrive groups, while showing no overt psychopathology, did differ substantially from that of the control group.