Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Emmanuel Skoufias, Katja Vinha
Summary: The study highlights the significant impact of maternal education and chronic malnutrition on early childhood development. Utilizing a data-driven approach to select control variables can reduce omitted variable bias. In rural areas, maternal education affects child development both directly and indirectly through nutritional status, while in urban areas, maternal education only has a direct impact on child development.
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Mark D. DeBoer, Sarah E. Elwood, James A. Platts-Mills, Elizabeth T. Rogawski McQuade, Joann M. McDermid, Rebecca J. Scharf, Samwel Jatosh, Estomih Mduma
Summary: The study found that male infants showed poorer growth compared to females in the first 6 months, but only had smaller head circumference at 9 months. Illness or hospitalization were not found to be mediators of growth differences between genders, but at 3 months, male infants with reported illness exhibited greater decline in weight compared to females.
JOURNAL OF NUTRITION
(2022)
Article
Psychology, Developmental
Susan P. Walker, Susan M. Chang, Amika S. Wright, Rodrigo Pinto, James J. Heckman, Sally M. Grantham-McGregor
Summary: The study found that early childhood interventions had a positive impact on adult cognition, psychosocial skills, and behavior. It highlights the importance of investing in programs to promote early childhood development in disadvantaged children.
JOURNAL OF CHILD PSYCHOLOGY AND PSYCHIATRY
(2022)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Manisha L. Shrestha, Kelly E. Perry, Basant Thapa, Ramesh P. Adhikari, Amy Weissman
Summary: This study analyzed a national dataset from Nepal and found that stunting and underweight, two forms of malnutrition, were associated with early childhood development outcomes, while wasting showed no association.
MATERNAL AND CHILD NUTRITION
(2022)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Chitra M. Saraswati, Elaine Borghi, Joao J. R. da Silva Breda, Monica C. Flores-Urrutia, Julianne Williams, Chika Hayashi, Edward A. Frongillo, Alexander C. McLain
Summary: This study used a statistical method to extract useful information on child malnutrition trends from sparse data. The results showed a generally decreasing trend in stunting and a stable, slightly diminishing rate for overweight, with differences in trends between low- and middle-income countries compared to high-income countries.
JOURNAL OF NUTRITION
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Kuda Mutasa, Joice Tome, Sandra Rukobo, Margaret Govha, Patience Mushayanembwa, Farai S. Matimba, Courage K. Chiorera, Florence D. Majo, Naume V. Tavengwa, Batsirai Mutasa, Bernard Chasekwa, Jean H. Humphrey, Robert Ntozini, Andrew J. Prendergast, Claire D. Bourke
Summary: There are differences in antibacterial immune function between stunted and non-stunted children, which are related to their health and environment during early life.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Sara Estecha Querol, Romaina Iqbal, Laura Kudrna, Lena Al-Khudairy, Paramijit Gill
Summary: This study examined the prevalence and factors associated with malnutrition among South Asian adolescents aged 12-15, finding that factors such as age, hygiene behaviors, social support, sedentary behavior, and tobacco use were associated with adolescent malnutrition. The study suggests the presence of a double burden of malnutrition in this population and underscores the need for further research to understand these relationships.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Farzana Ferdous, Rubhana Raqib, Sultan Ahmed, A. S. G. Faruque, Mohammod J. Chisti, Eva-Charlotte Ekstrom, Yukiko Wagatsuma
Summary: The study found that many children in Bangladesh experienced stunting undernutrition phenomenon before the age of 9, and children who were persistently or intermittently stunted had lower lung function (ml/s) than normal-stature children. After adjusting for covariates, children who experienced catch-up growth showed better lung function at preadolescence.
PUBLIC HEALTH NUTRITION
(2021)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Joseph Freer, Joanna Orr, Joan K. Morris, Robert Walton, Leo Dunkel, Helen L. Storr, Andrew J. Prendergast
Summary: Short stature at age 3 is associated with lower language development scores from 3 to 11 years of age in UK children, and this association remains significant after adjusting for other factors.
Article
Family Studies
Deepanjali Vishwakarma, Santosh Kumar Sharma, Parul Puri
Summary: This research aims to study the relationship between consanguineous marriages and childhood stunting in India, using data from the latest National Family Health Survey. The study found a significant association between consanguineous marriages and childhood stunting, with a higher prevalence in male children compared to female children. Measures such as premarital and pre-conception counselling are needed to reduce childhood stunting in children born to women in consanguineous marriages.
CHILDREN AND YOUTH SERVICES REVIEW
(2021)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Shirong Cai, Elaine Kwang Hsia Tham, Hai-Yan Xu, Xiuju Fu, Rick Siow Mong Goh, Peter D. Gluckman, Yap-Seng Chong, Fabian Yap, Lynette Pei-Chi Shek, Oon Hoe Teoh, Joshua J. Gooley, Daniel Yam-Thiam Goh, Michael J. Meaney, Nora Schneider, Anne Rifkin-Graboi, Birit F. P. Broekman
Summary: This study examines the association between different trajectories of reported sleep duration and early childhood cognition. The results show that compared to short variable night sleep trajectory, a long consistent night sleep trajectory is associated with higher cognition scores. Moderate/long consistent night sleep trajectories are also associated with higher verbal and composite scores. Children with a long consistent total sleep trajectory have higher cognition and expressive language scores. A moderate consistent total sleep trajectory is associated with higher language and verbal scores relative to a short variable total trajectory. Children with a long variable day sleep have lower cognition and fine motor scores.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Catherine Schwinger, Ingrid Kvestad, Ram K. Chandyo, Manjeswori Ulak, Merina Shrestha, Suman Ranjitkar, Tor A. Strand
Summary: This study investigated the association between the use of biomass cooking fuels and linear growth in children aged 18-23 months in the Bhaktapur community of Nepal. The results showed that there was no significant association between biomass fuel use and children's linear growth, but a stronger association was observed in certain sub-groups and stunted children. Further research is needed to confirm these associations.
ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL
(2022)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Israt Jahan, Mohammad Muhit, Denny Hardianto, Francis Laryea, Samuel Kofi Amponsah, Amir Banjara Chhetri, Hayley Smithers-Sheedy, Sarah McIntyre, Nadia Badawi, Gulam Khandaker
Summary: This study described the prevalence of malnutrition among children with cerebral palsy in low- and middle-income countries, with older age, low maternal education, and severe motor impairments being significant predictors.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Dominique Petit, Evelyne Touchette, Marie-Helene Pennestri, Jean Paquet, Sylvana Cote, Richard E. Tremblay, Michel Boivin, Jacques Y. Montplaisir
Summary: Sleep duration during early childhood is associated with long-term academic achievement. Children who slept less than 8 hours per night at 2.5 years had higher odds of having below average grades in various subjects compared to those who slept sufficiently. Sufficient sleep in early childhood is important for academic success.
JOURNAL OF SLEEP RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Food Science & Technology
A. Gelli, C. G. Kemp, A. Margolies, A. Twalibu, M. Katundu, C. Levin
Summary: The study estimated the cost efficiency, effectiveness, and net benefit of implementing an intervention promoting agricultural production and nutrition through community-based ECD centers in Malawi. It suggests that this intervention may be an efficient use of resources in similar settings.
Article
Pediatrics
Rebecca J. Scharf, Christie Zheng, Christina Briscoe Abath, Susanne P. Martin-Herz
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Stephanie A. Richard, Benjamin J. J. McCormick, Laura E. Murray-Kolb, Pascal Bessong, Sanjaya K. Shrestha, Estomih Mduma, Tahmeed Ahmed, Gagandeep Kang, Gwenyth O. Lee, Jessica C. Seidman, Erling Svensen, Margaret N. Kosek, Laura E. Caulfield
Summary: The study found that most children showed improved growth from 24 to 60 months, but only a subset had positive changes in HAD and WAD. Growth from 24 to 60 months was associated with the same environmental factors regardless of the metric used.
Article
Family Studies
Christina Ross, Jessica G. Smith, Tovhowani Manenzhe, Rabelani Netshiongolwe, Talayah Johnson, Angela Caldwell, Angelina Maphula, Karen S. Ingersoll
Summary: The study conducted in Limpopo, South Africa aimed to explore university students' perspectives on intimate partner violence among their peers. Participants identified cultural beliefs as a main factor perpetuating violence against women, and highlighted insufficient on-campus housing options and lack of knowledge on intimate partner violence as contributing factors to the heightened risk of violence among students.
CULTURE HEALTH & SEXUALITY
(2022)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Benjamin J. J. McCormick, Stephanie A. Richard, Laura E. Murray-Kolb, Gagandeep Kang, Aldo A. M. Lima, Estomih Mduma, Margaret N. Kosek, Elizabeth T. Rogawski McQuade, Eric R. Houpt, Pascal Bessong, Sanjaya Shrestha, Zulfiqar Bhutta, Tahmeed Ahmed, Laura E. Caulfield
Summary: This study found that exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of life was associated with a lower likelihood of detecting certain enteric pathogens and delayed the first detection of some bacterial and viral pathogens in stool samples.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL NUTRITION
(2022)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Tarina Parpia, Erling Svensen, Sarah Elwood, Anne Wanjuhi, Ladislaus Blacy, Eliwaza Bayo, Eric Houpt, Elizabeth Rogawski McQuade, Mark DeBoer, James Platts-Mills, Estomih Mduma, Rebecca Scharf
Summary: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of nicotinamide and antimicrobials on child growth and cognitive development. The results showed that these interventions had no significant effect on overall cognitive scores, and further analysis is needed to identify risk factors.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF TROPICAL MEDICINE AND HYGIENE
(2022)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Mark D. DeBoer, Sarah E. Elwood, James A. Platts-Mills, Elizabeth T. Rogawski McQuade, Joann M. McDermid, Rebecca J. Scharf, Samwel Jatosh, Estomih Mduma
Summary: The study found that male infants showed poorer growth compared to females in the first 6 months, but only had smaller head circumference at 9 months. Illness or hospitalization were not found to be mediators of growth differences between genders, but at 3 months, male infants with reported illness exhibited greater decline in weight compared to females.
JOURNAL OF NUTRITION
(2022)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Mark D. DeBoer, James A. Platts-Mills, Sarah E. Elwood, Rebecca J. Scharf, Joann M. McDermid, Anne W. Wanjuhi, Samwel Jatosh, Siphael Katengu, Tarina C. Parpia, Elizabeth T. Rogawski McQuade, Jean Gratz, Erling Svensen, Jonathan R. Swann, Jeffrey R. Donowitz, Paschal Mdoe, Sokoine Kivuyo, Eric R. Houpt, Estomih Mduma
Summary: In this study, neither scheduled administration of azithromycin and nitazoxanide nor daily provision of nicotinamide was associated with improved growth in this resource-poor setting with a high force of enteric infections. Further research remains critical to identify interventions toward improved early childhood growth in challenging conditions.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Beena Koshy, Manikandan Srinivasan, Sowmiya Gopalakrishnan, Venkata Raghava Mohan, Rebecca Scharf, Laura Murray-Kolb, Sushil John, Rachel Beulah, Jayaprakash Muliyil, Gagandeep Kang
Summary: This study found that persistent stunting in childhood is associated with a decrease in cognitive ability at 9 years of age. Children who experience catch-up growth show higher cognition scores compared to those who experience persistent stunting.
Article
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Jessica G. Smith, Christina Ross, Tovhowani Manenzhe, Rabelani Netshiongolwe, Johnda Washington, Angelina Maphula, Karen S. Ingersoll
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the knowledge of fetal alcohol syndrome among University of Venda students and local community residents in South Africa. The results showed that university students had a better understanding of fetal alcohol syndrome compared to community residents, and had a negative attitude towards drinking during pregnancy. However, a significant number of participants believed it was acceptable to have one drink after pregnancy recognition. There was also a lack of knowledge about best practices for alcohol consumption before and during pregnancy.
SOUTH AFRICAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Sookee An, Stephen A. Rauch, Angelina Maphula, Muvhulawa Obida, Katherine Kogut, Riana Bornman, Jonathan Chevrier, Brenda Eskenazi
Summary: Prenatal exposure to DDT and pyrethroid insecticides may be associated with behavioral and emotional problems in two-year-old children. Further investigation is warranted to understand the potential neurotoxicity of these chemicals.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Elizabeth T. Rogawski McQuade, Rebecca J. Scharf, Erling Svensen, Amber Huggins, Angelina Maphula, Eliwaza Bayo, Ladislaus Blacy, Paula Pamplona E. de Souza, Hilda Costa, Eric R. Houpt, Pascal O. Bessong, Estomih R. Mduma, Aldo A. M. Lima, Richard L. Guerrant
Summary: This study found that Shigella infections and early life inflammation may have an impact on growth and cognitive outcomes during school-aged years among children in low-resource settings. High prevalence of Shigella was associated with lower height-for-age z-score at 6-8 years. However, the associations between Shigella burden and cognitive outcomes were smaller and observed only in the Brazil and Tanzania sites.
PLOS NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Pediatrics
Beena Koshy, Manikandan Srinivasan, Sowmiya Gopalakrishnan, Venkata Raghava Mohan, Rebecca Scharf, Sushil John, Rachel Beulah, Jayaprakash Muliyil, Gagandeep Kang
Summary: This study conducted a follow-up of a community birth cohort in Vellore, south India, and found that childhood resilience is related to stimulating home environment in early childhood, as well as concurrent cognitive abilities. This suggests that promoting stimulating home environments in low-resource settings is crucial for nurturing holistic childhood development and mental health.
Meeting Abstract
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Tarina Parpia, Erling Svensen, Sarah Elwood, Anne Wanjuhi, Ladislaus Blacy, Eliwaza Bayo, Eric Houpt, Elizabeth Rogawski McQuade, Mark DeBoer, James Platts-Mills, Estomih Mduma, Rebecca Scharf
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF TROPICAL MEDICINE AND HYGIENE
(2021)