Head Circumference Versus Length and Weight Deficits up to 2 Years of Age in Bangladesh.

Infant undernutrition, defined by length- and weight-based indices, is common in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), but corresponding deficits in head size have received less attention. In a cohort of term newborns in Dhaka, Bangladesh, we compared the severity of deficits (vs. World Health Organization Growth Standards) in head circumference (HC), length and weight at birth and every 3 months until 2 years of age (n range across timepoints: 843-920).

Maternal Vitamin D Supplementation and Infantile Rickets: Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Trial.

Background: The role of maternal vitamin D supplementation in the prevention of infantile rickets is unknown, particularly in low- and middle-income countries without routine infant vitamin D supplementation. Through secondary analysis of a randomized, placebo-controlled trial in Bangladesh, we examined the dose-ranging effects of maternal vitamin D supplementation on the risk of biochemical rickets at 6 to 12 months of age.

Methods: Pregnant women (n = 1300) were randomized into 5 groups: placebo, or vitamin D 4200 IU/week, 16 800 IU/week, or 28 000 IU/week from second trimester to delivery and placebo until 6 months postpartum; or 28 000 IU/week prenatally and until 6 months postpartum.

Maternal prenatal, with or without postpartum, vitamin D3 supplementation does not improve maternal iron status at delivery or infant iron status at 6 months of age: secondary analysis of a randomised controlled trial.

Background: Vitamin D may modify iron status through regulation of hepcidin and inflammatory pathways. This study aimed to investigate effects of maternal vitamin D supplementation on iron status in pregnancy and early infancy.

Methods: In a trial in Dhaka, Bangladesh, women (n=1300) were randomised to one of five vitamin D regimens from 17 to 24 weeks' gestation until 26 weeks postpartum (prenatal; postpartum doses): 0;0, 4200;0, 16 800;0, 28 000;0 or 28 000;28 000 IU/week.

The Mothers, Infants, and Lactation Quality (MILQ) Study: A Multi-Center Collaboration.

Little valid information is available on human milk nutrient concentrations, especially for micronutrients (MNs), and there are no valid reference values (RVs) across lactation. In this multi-center collaborative study, RVs will be established for human milk nutrients across the first 8.5 mo postpartum.

Effects of Maternal Vitamin D Supplementation During Pregnancy and Lactation on Infant Acute Respiratory Infections: Follow-up of a Randomized Trial in Bangladesh.

Background: We examined the effect of maternal vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy and lactation on risk of acute respiratory infection (ARI) in infants up to 6 months of age in Bangladesh.

Methods: This study was nested in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, 5-arm dose-ranging trial of prenatal and postpartum vitamin D supplementation. One group of women received 0 IU vitamin D per week during pregnancy and for 26 weeks post delivery ("placebo" group), one group received high-dose prenatal vitamin D supplementation of 28 000 IU per week and 26 weeks post delivery, and there were 3 additional dose-ranging groups receiving vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy only (4200, 16 800, and 28 000 IU per week, respectively).

Do Early Infant Feeding Practices and Modifiable Household Behaviors Contribute to Age-Specific Interindividual Variations in Infant Linear Growth? Evidence from a Birth Cohort in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Background: Causes of infant linear growth faltering in low-income settings remain poorly understood. Identifying age-specific risk factors in observational studies might be influenced by statistical model selection.

Objectives: To estimate associations of selected household factors and infant feeding behaviors within discrete age intervals with interval-specific changes in length-for-age -scores (LAZs) or attained LAZ, using 5 statistical approaches.

Physical Activity and the Home Environment of Pre-School-Aged Children in Urban Bangladesh.

Physical activity (PA) is a key determinant of health and development, yet few studies have examined PA levels and risk factors for low PA among young children in low- and middle-income countries. This study aimed to describe the PA and sedentary (SED) behavior levels of preschool-aged children in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and to estimate the associations between potential risk factors in the home built environment and moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA). In a sample of preschool-aged children ( = 65) in Dhaka, PA and SED behavior were measured for 7 days using ActiGraph GT3X-BT accelerometers.

Vitamin D Supplementation in Pregnancy and Lactation and Infant Growth.

Background: It is unclear whether maternal vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy and lactation improves fetal and infant growth in regions where vitamin D deficiency is common.

Methods: We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in Bangladesh to assess the effects of weekly prenatal vitamin D supplementation (from 17 to 24 weeks of gestation until birth) and postpartum vitamin D supplementation on the primary outcome of infants' length-for-age z scores at 1 year according to World Health Organization (WHO) child growth standards. One group received neither prenatal nor postpartum vitamin D (placebo group).