Interventions to prevent growth faltering in remote indigenous communities
Interventions to prevent growth faltering in remote indigenous communities Report
- Author(s): McDonald, Elizabeth, Bailie, Ross, Morris, Peter, Rumbold, Alice, Paterson, Barbara
- Published: 2006
- Publisher: Australian Primary Health Care Research Institute, Menzies School of Health Research,
Abstract: Growth faltering in early childhood is the failure to gain weight at a rate consistent with height growth. Significant growth faltering results in wasting (weight <80 per cent standard weight for height) and this poses a serious risk to the health and wellbeing of young children. Early childhood development sets a base for subsequent learning, behaviour and health over the life cycle. Low birth weight and poor infant nutrition are associated with chronic disease later in life. There is accumulating evidence that stunting, microcephaly, iron deficiency and borderline zinc and Vitamin A status during the vulnerable brain growth spurt period of 0 to two years has detrimental effects on immune, intestinal and cognitive functions. The reasons for growth faltering are numerous. Underlying organic disease is one evident cause, however, in most cases a number of factors are thought to combine to interfere with normal growth. Growth faltering is a common problem among Australian Indigenous children, and is frequently associated with low birth weight, social disadvantage (including low socio-economic circumstances, low levels of education, poor housing conditions and unsanitary living environments), poor diet, nutrition-infection interactions and enteric pathogens. Only a small minority of cases were found to be caused by abuse or neglect. In the case of Australian Indigenous children living in remote communities a common cause of growth failure is thought to be an insufficient intake of weaning foods.