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[Acute infections, growth velocity and nutritional status in children from developing countries: a meta-analytic
M G López-Alarcón1, J Garduño-Espinosa, S Villalpando-Hernández
1División de Crecimiento y Desarrollo, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, D.F.
Insights
This meta-analysis explored the link between nutritional status, physical growth, and acute infections. Findings suggest infections can negatively impact growth velocity, though causality requires further research.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nutrition
- Infectious Diseases
- Growth and Development
Background:
- Understanding the interplay between nutritional status, physical growth, and infection is crucial for child health.
- Previous studies have yielded mixed results regarding the directionality of these relationships.
Purpose of the Study:
- To perform a meta-analysis exploring the cause-effect relationship between nutritional status, physical growth, and acute infections.
- To synthesize findings from existing literature to identify consistent associations.
Main Methods:
- A meta-analysis was conducted on 12 selected publications.
- Studies were evaluated for reported associations between infection, nutritional status (Gómez's criteria), and physical growth (Z-score).
Main Results:
- 50% of studies reported a direct relationship between infections and growth velocity.
- A negative association between infections and growth velocity was reported in 5 studies.
- A positive association between malnutrition and infection was found in 33% of studies.
Conclusions:
- The relationship between acute infections, nutritional status, and physical growth is complex.
- Most included studies did not meet stringent criteria for establishing causality.
- Further well-designed research is needed to clarify the cause-effect dynamics.
Abstract:
Aiming to explore the direction of the cause-effect relationship between the changes in the nutritional status, the physical growth and the selected acute infections, we performed a meta-analysis. It was based on 12 publications selected out of 993 eligible. In 6 papers (50%) a direct relationship between infections and growth velocity was found; in 5 a negative association was reported. A positive association between malnutrition (Gómez's criteria) and infection was found in 4 (33%). Two more reported no association between growth (Z score) and infection. The most remarkable confounding variables were: previous episodes of infection, duration, birth weight and feeding mode. Most of the studies did not met the criteria for causality. Better designed studies are in order to address this question.