GROWTH PATTERNS IN EARLY CHILDHOOD IN CHILDREN LIVING IN TROPICAL ECUADOR: RESULTS FROM ECUAVIDA BIRTH COHORT STUDY

Alvim Matos, Sheila

GROWTH PATTERNS IN EARLY CHILDHOOD IN CHILDREN LIVING IN TROPICAL ECUADOR: RESULTS FROM ECUAVIDA BIRTH COHORT STUDY

Sunday, 17 August 2014

Exhibit hall (Dena'ina Center)

Sheila Alvim Matos, PhD , Instituto de Saúde Coletiva/UFBA, Salvador, Brazil

Leila Amorim, PhD , Instituto de Saúde Coletiva/UFBA, Salvador, Brazil

Ana Clara A Campos, MA , Instituto de Saúde Coletiva/UFBA, Salvador, Brazil

Mauricio A Barreto, PhD , Instituto de Saúde Coletiva/UFBA, Salvador, Brazil

Laura Rodrigues, PhD , London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom

Martha E Chico, MD , Laboratorio de Investigaciones FEPIS, Quito, Ecuador

Philip J Cooper, PhD , Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador

INTRODUCTION:

The first years of life is the most dynamic phase of the process of growth in childhood. The growth patterns of Ecuadorians infants and children have been few explored. The aim of this study is to describe the growth patterns from birth to 36 months in children living in tropical Ecuador based on birth cohort study ECUAVIDA.

METHODS:

The study is a cohort of 2,404 neonates followed up to 6 years of age, in 2012 recruited from district of Quinindé, Esmeraldas Province in Northern coastal Ecuador. Evaluations were conducted at birth or until 2 weeks after the birth, 7, 13, 24 and 36 months, in hospital and home visits.The study is a cohort of 2,404 neonates followed up to 6 years of age, in 2012 recruited from district of Quinindé, Esmeraldas Province in Northern coastal Ecuador. Evaluations were conducted at birth or until 2 weeks after the birth, 7, 13, 24 and 36 months, in hospital and home visits. We adopted 95% confidence interval.

RESULTS:

Individual growth trajectories for weight-for-age and height-for-age was estimated from birth to 36 months of age using multilevel models. Ecuadorian girls were lighter and had a shorter predicted mean length at birth than boys. The height-for-age decrease 0.064 (CI 95%: -0.068; -0.060) and weight-for-age decrease 0.045 (CI 95%: 0.050; -0.041) with each month increase. Increasing age children becomes more vulnerable to malnutrition.

CONCLUSIONS:

Further studies on growth in early life is important, especially in developing countries, which experience a significant increase in the occurrence of overweight/obesity, especially in groups greater social vulnerability.