Related Experiment Videos

Growth of Indonesian Infants Compared With World Health Organization Growth Standards

Pramita G Dwipoerwantoro1, Muchtaruddin Mansyur, Hanifah Oswari

  • 1*Department of Child Health †Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia ‡Women's and Children's Health Research Institute, University of Adelaide §Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition Unit, Royal Children's Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition
|February 25, 2015
PubMed

Insights

World Health Organization (WHO) growth standards may not accurately reflect Indonesian infant growth. This study found Indonesian infants were lighter, shorter, and had smaller head circumferences than WHO references.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Growth Monitoring
  • Global Health

Background:

  • The applicability of World Health Organization (WHO) growth standards for South East Asian infants is debated.
  • Accurate growth assessment is crucial for early detection of developmental issues.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the growth of Indonesian infants (breast-fed and formula-fed) against WHO growth standards.
  • To provide contemporary growth data for Indonesian infants.

Main Methods:

  • A prospective cohort study involving 160 healthy Indonesian infants aged 2-6 weeks.
  • Infants were exclusively breast-fed or formula-fed for at least 6 months, with follow-up to 12 months.
  • Growth parameters (weight-for-age, length-for-age, head circumference-for-age, weight-for-length) were compared to WHO Growth Reference Study data.

Main Results:

  • Indonesian infants were lighter, shorter, and had smaller head circumferences compared to the WHO reference population.
  • Z-scores for weight-for-age, length-for-age, and head circumference-for-age declined from birth to 6 weeks, then increased until 3 months.
  • At 6 weeks, significant proportions of infants had z-scores below -2 SD for weight-for-age and length-for-age, particularly formula-fed infants.

Conclusions:

  • The WHO growth standards do not adequately represent the growth patterns of this cohort of Indonesian infants.
  • Current WHO standards may lead to an overestimation of underweight and stunted growth in Indonesian children.
Abstract

Related Concept Videos

Nature and Nurture01:10

Nature and Nurture

Many human characteristics, like height, are shaped by both nature—in other words, by our genes—and by nurture, or our environment. For example, chronic stress during childhood inhibits the production of growth hormones and consequently reduces bone growth and height. Scientists estimate that 70-90% of variation in height is due to genetic differences among individuals, and 10-30% of variation in height is due to differences in the environments that individuals experience,...
23.1K
Microbial Growth Measurement: Indirect Methods01:27

Microbial Growth Measurement: Indirect Methods

Estimating microbial growth is essential for understanding population dynamics and environmental adaptations. Indirect methods provide valuable insights by measuring parameters such as turbidity, metabolic activity, and biomass, enabling efficient and reproducible assessments.During exponential growth, microbial cells scatter light proportionally to their biomass, a principle used in turbidity measurements. About one million cells per milliliter produce detectable scattering, which a...
2.4K
Oxygen Requirements and Growth Patterns01:29

Oxygen Requirements and Growth Patterns

Microorganisms exhibit diverse oxygen requirements and growth patterns driven by their metabolic strategies and environmental adaptations. Oxygen, while essential for many organisms, can also be toxic under certain conditions, shaping how microorganisms grow and survive.Oxygen Requirements of MicroorganismsMicroorganisms are classified based on their ability to use or tolerate oxygen:● Obligate aerobes like Mycobacterium tuberculosis need oxygen for energy production, as it serves as the...
2.4K
Population Growth00:57

Population Growth

Population size is dynamic, increasing with birth rates and immigration, and decreasing with death rates and emigration. In ideal conditions with unlimited resources, populations can increase exponentially, which plots as a J-shaped growth rate curve of population size against time. This type of curve is characteristic of newly-introduced invasive species, or populations that have suffered catastrophic declines and are rebounding.
29.6K
International Nursing Organizations II01:28

International Nursing Organizations II

The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations based in Geneva. The WHO has many initiatives that center around health. Primarily, they lead global efforts to expand universal health coverage using science-based policies and programs. They are also responsible for shaping health research agendas and developing norms and standards.
The WHO provides expert team support, including funding, vaccines, testing, and treatment tools at the country level to fight...
1.5K
Methods Of Healthcare Delivery System01:26

Methods Of Healthcare Delivery System

At the different levels of the healthcare system, we see varying methods of healthcare used. These methods include managed care systems, case management, and primary healthcare.
Managed Care System:
The managed care system is designed to control the cost while maintaining the quality of care. The patient's care from admission to discharge is planned by the primary care provider or the case manager, also known as the gatekeeper. In a managed care system, the number of care providers is...
4.3K