Stress response in school-age children who have been growth retarded since early childhood

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06:15

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Published on: July 10, 2017

L C Fernald1, S M Grantham-McGregor

  • 1Centre for International Child Health, Institute of Child Health, London, United Kingdom.

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
|September 12, 1998
PubMed

Insights

Children with chronic undernutrition (stunting) show heightened physiological stress responses, including elevated cortisol and heart rate. This altered stress response may impact cognitive function and long-term health outcomes in stunted children.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric endocrinology
  • Developmental psychology
  • Cardiovascular physiology

Background:

  • Childhood stunting affects nearly 39% of children under 5 in developing nations, often leading to cognitive and behavioral issues.
  • Animal studies indicate that impaired stress response may be a consequence of undernutrition.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if stunted children exhibit higher salivary cortisol, heart rates, and altered behaviors compared to non-stunted children.
  • To control for social background factors when assessing these differences.

Main Methods:

  • A case-control study comparing 30 stunted and 24 non-stunted children (aged 8-10) from similar low-income areas in Jamaica.
  • Inclusion of psychologic and physical stressors during a test session.
  • Measurement of salivary cortisol and heart rate (baseline and response), alongside behavioral observations.

Main Results:

  • Stunted children demonstrated significantly higher salivary cortisol concentrations and heart rates during psychologic stress.
  • Enhanced cardiovascular reactivity to physical stressors was observed in stunted children.
  • Behavioral differences included reduced vocalization, increased inhibition, and lower attention spans in stunted children, persisting after controlling for confounding factors.

Conclusions:

  • Persistent growth retardation from early childhood is associated with altered physiological arousal.
  • This altered arousal may contribute to impaired cognitive function and immune responses in stunted children.
  • Findings suggest a potential link between early stunting, physiological stress, and increased cardiovascular risk in adulthood.
Abstract

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