Low Birth Weight, the Differentiating Risk Factor for Stunting among Preschool Children in India

Abstract

Background: The prevalence of low birth weight (LBW) is a major public health issue in India; however, the optimal growth pattern for such infants is not clear. The purpose of this study is to understand the causal association between LBW and stunting of preschool children in India. Methods: The National Family Health Survey-4 is a large cross-sectional survey based on a nationally representative sample of 699,686 women in the age group of 15–49 years and was conducted during 2015–2016 in India. The study used the children’s file with a sample of 259,002 of 0–59 months for investigation. Results: The data revealed that 38.7% of the children in India were stunted. The bivariate analysis revealed that, of the women who did not attend any antenatal care (ANC) meetings, 46.8% had stunted children compared to the women who attended more than three ANC meetings, which 30.7% had stunted children. The low birth weight children experienced a much higher chance of stunting compared to children with a normal birth weight (44.3% vs. 33.8%). The multivariable odds ratios of logistic regression, after adjusting for the confounding characteristics, showed that pregnant women attending more than three ANC meetings compared to not attending any ANC meetings experienced a 19% lower adjusted odds ratio (AOR) of having stunted children (AOR = 0.81; CI 0.78, 0.85; p < 0.001). Another important variable, such as women with underweight body mass index (BMI) compared with normal BMI, had 6% higher odds of having stunted children (AOR = 1.06; CI 1.03, 1.10; p < 0.001). Similarly, women who belong to the Scheduled Caste compared to the General Caste had 36% higher odds of having stunted children (AOR = 1.36; CI 1.30, 1.42; p < 0.001); and children aged 13–23 months compared to children up to one-year-old or younger had 141% higher odds of being stunted (AOR = 2.41; CI 2.32, 2.51; p < 0.001). The conspicuous finding is that LBW babies, after adjusting for other important confounding factors, such as BMI and ANC, experienced 19% higher odds of stunted children (AOR = 1.19; CI 1.14, 1.24; p < 0.001) compared to normal birth weight babies. Conclusions: The results revealed LBW is associated with stunting of preschool children in India.

Association of the FCN2 Gene Promoter Region Polymorphisms with Very Low Birthweight in Preterm Neonates

“…Furthermore, very low birthweight (≤1500 g) is considered to continue to influence health during childhood, adolescence and adulthood. It was reported to be associated, for example, with higher risk of coronary heart disease, chronic kidney disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke and hypertension (reviewed in [ 10 ]); gout development [ 11 ]; brain abnormalities [ 12 ]; stunting in preschool children [ 13 ] and low bone mineral density [ 14 ].…”

Pengaruh Intervensi Gizi Sensitif terhadap Kejadian Stunting pada Balita Usia 6-24 Bulan selama Pandemi Covid-19

“…Namun di sisi lain, pekerjaan juga dapat berdampak negatif terhadap stunting akibat kurangnya waktu kontak ibu untuk perawatan dan perhatian penuh kepada anak-anak mereka 56,57,58 Temuan penelitian menunjukkan bahwa usia 12-23 bulan lebih mungkin terkena stunting dibandingkan dengan usia di bawahnya (Tabel 1). Penelitian terdahulu di Indonesia 59 , Ethiopia 60,61,62 , India 63 , Afrika Selatan 64 , dan Burundi 65 juga menemukan hasil serupa. Dalam penelitian lain, stunting ditemukan lebih tinggi pada kelompok usia lebih tua yaitu 24-35 bulan di Uganda 66 , Bangladesh 67 , Nigeria 68 , dan Tanzania 69 .…”

“…Balita yang memiliki usia 12-24 bulan berisiko 3,205 kali lebih tinggi mengalami stunting daripada balita usia 6-11 bulan. Peluang risiko stunting balita usia 12-24 bulan pada penelitian ini lebih tinggi dibandingkan penelitian di Indonesia dengan risiko 1,89 kali lebih tinggi 59 , di India dengan risiko 2,41 kali lebih tinggi 63 , di Ethiopia dengan risiko 2,51 kali lebih tinggi 62 , dan di Afrika Selatan dengan risiko 3,19 kali lebih tinggi 64 . Namun, peluang stunting pada penelitian ini lebih rendah dibandingkan penelitian Dake et al 61 dengan peluang 7 kali lebih tinggi dan Tafasse et al 105 dengan peluang 4,21 kali lebih tinggi menjadi stunting.…”

Low Birth Weight Prevalence, Determinants and Prevention in Bangladesh

“…One significant issue is the percentage of adolescent girls who have begun childbearing, by age 19 years which has remained consistently high (above 50 percent). 13,14 Adolescent pregnancy is associated with a 50 percent increased risk of stillbirths and neonatal deaths, and an increased risk of low birth weight (which is very high in Bangladesh at 22.6 percent), 7 premature birth, asphyxia, and maternal mortality. 15 In addition, the risk of stunting is 36% higher among first-born children of girls under 18 years in South Asia and it has been found that early motherhood remains a key driver of malnutrition.…”