Changes in the physical growth of children aged 3 to 6 years in urban areas of Lanzhou from 2001 to 2010 / 中国当代儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study changes in the physical growth of preschool children aged 3 to 6 yeas in urban areas of Lanzhou from 2001 to 2010.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Stratified, randomized, cluster sampling was used to collect physical examination data on children from 35 private and public kindergartens located in different urban areas of Lanzhou in 2001, 2006, and 2010. Changes in physical growth were analyzed using body height, body weight and body mass index (BMI) as main indices. Growth retardation, underweight, overweight, emaciation and obesity were screened out using height for age (HAZ), weight for age (WAZ), and weight for height (WHZ) and changes from 2001 to 2010 were analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Body height, body weight and BMI increased from 2001 to 2010 in children at different ages (P<0.05). Body height and weight increased with age, while BMI decreased with age. Mean values of HAZ, WAZ, and WHZ increased over time, showing that prevalence rates of underweight, growth retardation, and emaciation decreased from 2001 to 2010 while those of overweight and obesity increased.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Changes in the physical growth of preschool children in urban areas of Lanzhou from 2001 to 2010 were obvious, with increases in body height and body weight. However, problems such as overweight and obesity emerged. In response, while malnutrition is being solved, attention should be paid to over-nutrition that has an adverse effect on physical growth.</p>

Survey of feeding patterns in 437 infants from Huining County of Gansu Province / 中国当代儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the feeding patterns of infants in Huining County, Gansu Province, an economically undeveloped county in China, so as to provide scientific evidence for nutritional intervention.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>By cluster sampling based on the area distribution and the economic state, 437 children from 7 different areas in Huining County, Gansu Province were enrolled. A questionnaire on the feeding patterns within 24 months of age was completed by the caregivers. The addition of nutrient supplements (calcium, zinc, ferri, vitamin AD, etc.) during the last year was investigated using the food frequency questionnaires.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The average percentages of breast feeding, mixed feeding and artificial feeding were 45.3%, 40.5% and 14.2% respectively. Delayed introduction of complementary food was the most common. Formula powder was added earliest, at age of 6.4 months. The meats were added latest, at age of 17.2 months. Only 66.8% of infants received an addition of complementary food at age of 4-6 months. Grains, vegetables, fruits and eggs were common complementary additional diets, but fishes and shrimps were seldom provided. The proportion of nutrient supplement use was low. The choice of nutrient supplements in urban districts mainly depended on the physicians' suggestions, but in rural area it depended on the caregivers' experience and media advertisements.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The feeding patterns for the infants are not reasonable in Huining County, Gansu Province. It is important to provide nutritional education and reasonable feeding program for caregivers from economically undeveloped areas.</p>