Egg intervention effect on linear growth no longer present after two years.

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Nutrition
• Growth Monitoring
• Developmental Pediatrics

Background:

• The Lulun Project (2015) demonstrated that daily eggs for 6 months during complementary feeding reduced stunting by 47% and improved linear growth.
• The initial intervention showed significant positive effects on child growth metrics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the long-term impact of early childhood egg supplementation on growth.
• To determine if the growth benefits observed in the Lulun Project persisted after approximately two years.
• To explore the role of continued dietary egg intake on sustained child growth.

Main Methods:

• A follow-up cohort study (Lulun Project II) re-recruited participants from the original trial.
• Data collected included socio-demographics, dietary intake, morbidity, and anthropometric measurements (height, weight, head circumference).
• Statistical analyses utilized generalized linear models, regression modeling, and structural equation modeling for mediation analysis.

Main Results:

• No significant difference in height-for-age z-scores (HAZ) or other anthropometric outcomes was found between the egg intervention and control groups after two years.
• Children in the egg intervention group showed significant declines in HAZ compared to the control group from the endline of the Lulun Project.
• Current dietary egg intake was associated with reduced growth faltering, mediating 8.8% of the total effect on HAZ.

Conclusions:

• The growth-promoting effects of early childhood egg supplementation did not persist long-term without continued intervention.
• Ongoing nutrition support and potentially longer intervention periods are necessary for sustained child growth and development.
• Continued dietary egg intake may play a role in mitigating growth faltering in young children.