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Relationship between Stunting, Wasting, Underweight and Geophagy and Cognitive Function of Children

Michael O Mireku1,2, Michel Cot3,4, Achille Massougbodji5

  • 1School of Psychology, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, UK.

Journal of Tropical Pediatrics
|March 5, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Childhood stunting, wasting, and underweight are linked to cognitive and motor skill deficits. However, impaired growth in infants was not associated with geophagy (eating soil).

Area of Science:

  • Child Nutrition and Development
  • Pediatric Health Outcomes
  • Global Child Health

Background:

  • Anthropometric characteristics are crucial indicators of child health.
  • Geophagy, the consumption of earth or soil-like substances, is a practice observed in some populations.
  • Cognitive and motor development are foundational for a child's overall well-being.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between children's anthropometric status and their cognitive function.
  • To explore the association between anthropometric characteristics and geophagy in infants.
  • To determine the impact of geophagy on cognitive and motor development.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective cohort study of 632 singleton infants from birth to 12 months in Benin.
  • Anthropometric measurements (stunting, wasting, underweight) assessed at birth, 9, and 12 months.
  • Cognitive and motor functions evaluated using Mullen Scales of Early Learning; geophagy reported by parents.

Main Results:

  • Prevalence of stunting, wasting, and underweight ranged from 12.7% to 17.7% at 9 and 12 months.
  • Geophagy was reported in 48.2% of children at 12 months.
  • Impaired growth (stunting, wasting, underweight) was significantly associated with lower cognitive and gross motor scores.

Conclusions:

  • Childhood stunting, wasting, and underweight are associated with cognitive and gross motor deficits.
  • Impaired growth in this cohort was not linked to geophagy.
  • Further prospective research on geophagy and growth from birth to 36 months is recommended.
Abstract

Keywords:
Beninchild developmentgeophagypicastuntingwasting

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