Diarrhoea and growth faltering in rural Zimbabwe

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Global Health
• Nutritional Science

Background:

• Diarrhea is a common childhood illness in developing countries.
• Growth faltering is a significant concern in early childhood in these regions.
• The relationship between diarrhea and growth faltering requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of diarrhea on growth faltering in young children in developing nations.
• To determine if recurrent diarrhea episodes significantly impede child growth.

Main Methods:

• A prospective, longitudinal cohort study was conducted in rural Zimbabwe.
• 204 children under 12 months were monitored for diarrhea and anthropometry.
• Weekly surveillance for diarrhea and monthly growth measurements were performed.

Main Results:

• Severe growth faltering was observed, but average growth rates did not significantly differ between children with frequent and infrequent diarrhea.
• Diarrhea had a transient effect on weight gain, with a small weight loss (approx. 2%) per episode.
• Children typically returned to their growth trend within a month post-diarrhea episode.

Conclusions:

• Recurrent diarrhea is unlikely to be a major cause of growth faltering in most young children.
• Exceptional cases of severe diarrhea may lead to significant growth issues.
• Inadequate food intake is a more probable explanation for growth faltering in this demographic.