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Seasonal variations in the nutritional status of urban Gambian children
A M Tomkins1, D T Dunn, R J Hayes
1Medical Research Council Laboratories, The Gambia.
Insights
Child growth in urban Gambia is impacted by seasons. Nutritional status declines during rainy seasons, with weight-for-age and weight-for-height lower post-rains, affecting children aged 6-35 months.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Nutritional Science
- Public Health
Background:
- Childhood malnutrition remains a significant global health challenge, particularly in resource-limited settings.
- Understanding seasonal influences on child growth is crucial for targeted interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the impact of seasonal variations on the growth of young children (6-35 months) in an urban Gambian community.
- To compare growth patterns between rainy and dry seasons and relate them to international standards.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study involving anthropometric measurements (weight and length) of 6-35 month olds over 18 months in The Gambia.
- Data collected across four surveys, timed during both rainy and dry seasons.
- Analysis of height-for-age, weight-for-age, weight-for-height, and growth velocities relative to international standards.
Main Results:
- Height-for-age steadily declined with age. Weight-for-age decreased sharply in infancy but stabilized from 12-35 months.
- Seasonal differences observed: weight-for-age and weight-for-height were lower post-rains; weight and height velocities were significantly reduced during the rains.
- Over 20% of children lost weight during the rainy season, with compensatory weight gain in the dry season for older children, but height velocity remained below standard year-round.
Conclusions:
- Seasonal ecological factors significantly affect child nutritional status in urban Gambian settings, even with adequate food availability.
- Rainy seasons pose a greater risk for reduced weight and height velocities, impacting overall child development.
- Findings highlight the need for context-specific strategies to mitigate seasonal nutritional challenges in vulnerable populations.
Abstract:
1. Children aged 6-35 months in an urban community in The Gambia, West Africa, were weighed and their lengths measured at four surveys over an 18-month period, twice towards the end of the rains, and twice during the dry season. 2. Relative to international standards, height-for-age deteriorated steadily with age, while weight-for-age fell sharply in the second-half of infancy but showed no further deterioration from 12 to 35 months of age. 3. Height-for-age showed little seasonal variation, but weight-for-age and weight-for-height were lower at the end of the rains than during the dry season. Weight and height velocities were much lower during the rains than in the dry season, with more than 20% of the children losing weight during the rains. Possible reasons for these seasonal variations are discussed. Compensatory weight gain in the dry season exceeded the velocity expected from the standards in children aged 12 months or more, but height velocity fell below the standards all year. 4. The results are compared with previous findings from Keneba, a rural Gambian village. Weight velocity during the dry season was similar in the two communities, but the village children experienced a sharper decline in weight gain during the rains. 5. These results suggest that seasonal ecological factors may seriously influence the nutritional status of children living in an urban environment with adequate availability of food.