The changing growth of aboriginal children

We have used data from children at an Aboriginal settlement in Queensland to demonstrate the changing patterns of growth over the last 30 years. In cohorts of children born during the early 1950s and 1960s the mean weight-for-age value was satisfactory for the first three months of life, but then fell until aged 12 months and remained at about 92% of the NCHS median value until 5 years old. In the cohort born in 1972-73 there was some improvement and in the 1982-83 cohort the mean weight-for-age value was close to international levels from 1 to 5 years. The decline in weight-for-age between 3 and 12 months was still present. Length-for-age values were not available in the 1950s and 1960s but the mean value increased from the 1972-73 cohort to the 1982-83 cohort, which was close to international levels. The mean weight-for-length was close to international levels in the 1972-73 cohort, but in the 1982-83 cohort was high from 3 to 12 months and then fell close to the international level. These data indicate that the children at this Aboriginal settlement are now growing satisfactorily. The impaired growth between 3 and 12 months needs further investigation, but most of the earlier concerns about poor growth appear to have been resolved.