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Growth improvements in children above 3 years of age: the Cali Study
1Department of Pediatrics, University of California at Davis 95616, USA.
Insights
Early and prolonged multifocal day care interventions significantly improved child growth. However, these physical growth benefits were not sustained after the intervention ended.
Area of Science:
- Child Nutrition and Development
- Public Health Interventions
- Pediatric Growth Studies
Background:
- Malnutrition in early childhood poses significant risks to physical and cognitive development.
- Daycare-based interventions integrating education, health, and nutrition can address developmental deficits.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of varying durations and initiation ages of a multifocal daycare intervention on the physical growth of malnourished children.
- To determine the long-term effects of the intervention on growth parameters post-intervention.
Main Methods:
- The Cali Study randomly assigned 301 malnourished children to 1-4 periods (9 months each) of a multifocal daycare intervention.
- Intervention initiation ages varied: 3.5 years (4 periods), 4.2 years (3 periods), 5.2 years (2 periods), and 6.1 years (1 period).
- Children were followed through elementary school until age 10.4 years.
Main Results:
- Children receiving earlier and longer interventions showed significantly greater improvements in weight and linear growth during the preschool period (P < 0.05).
- These positive effects on physical growth were not detectable 3 years after the intervention concluded.
- Earlier initiation age and longer intervention duration correlated with better short-term growth outcomes.
Conclusions:
- Early and prolonged multifocal daycare interventions are effective in improving physical growth in malnourished children during the intervention period.
- The observed growth benefits are temporary, highlighting the need for sustained support or different long-term strategies.
- Intervention timing and duration are critical factors influencing the efficacy of early childhood development programs.
Abstract:
The Cali Study involved the random assignment of 301 malnourished children to be exposed to one (CT1, n = 113), two (CT2, n = 64), three (CT3, n = 62) or four (CT4, n = 62) 9-mo periods of a multifocal day care-based intervention (i.e., education, health and nutrition). The ages at which the intervention was initiated for Groups CT4, CT3, CT2 and CT1 were 3.5, 4.2, 5.2 and 6.1 y, respectively. After the experimental phase, children were followed up in elementary school until they were 10.4 y old. Our secondary data analyses show that children who were exposed at an earlier age and for a longer period of time showed the highest degree (P < or = 0.05) of improvement in weight and linear growth during the pre-school period. These improvements in physical growth could no longer be detected 3 y after the termination of the intervention.