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The effect of day care attendance on infant and toddler's growth

Pnina Zmiri1, Lisa Rubin, Hanna Akons

  • 1Meyer Children's Hospital, Rambam Medical Center, Technion, Haifa, Israel.

Acta Paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992)
|September 10, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Day care attendance before 18 months was linked to reduced height in infants. This study highlights the need to monitor growth velocity in children starting daycare.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Child Development
  • Growth Monitoring

Background:

  • Early day care enrollment is common.
  • Growth patterns in infants attending daycare require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between day care attendance and changes in infant height, weight, and weight/height ratio over six months.

Main Methods:

  • Retrieved data from three maternal and child health care centers.
  • Collected lifestyle, daycare, and demographic information via parent questionnaires.
  • Compared growth parameters in infants enrolled in daycare before 18 months versus later enrollment.

Main Results:

  • Infants enrolled in daycare before 18 months showed significantly shorter stature at 3 and 6 months compared to controls.
  • No significant differences in weight or weight/height ratio were observed between groups.
  • Mean height percentiles decreased more notably in the early daycare group over time.

Conclusions:

  • Early daycare enrollment may be associated with reduced height velocity in infants.
  • Potential mechanisms include stress-induced growth hormone suppression.
  • Monitoring infant growth velocity is crucial upon daycare introduction.
Abstract

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