ABSTRACT
Objectives: Appropriate nutrition in the first 1000 days of life is essential for optimal brain development and function. Neurobehavioral assessments of cognitive function can only detect effects of nutritional deficiencies once they reach the point of observable behaviour, thus reducing the efficacy of early intervention strategies. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the use of optical imaging as an assessment tool for cognitive function in the first two years of life for nutrition based studies in a resource poor settings. Methods: Near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is an optical imaging technique which has been widely used to study cognitive function in infants in the developed world. Systems are portable and easy to setup, protocols are tolerant of participant motion, and non experts can easily be trained to perform the studies. We transported an NIRS system to a field station in rural Gambia to study infants from three age groups (4-8 month-olds n = 24; 9-13 month olds n = 26; 18-24 month-olds, n = 20) and used it to measure brain activation to visual and auditory social and non social stimuli. Results: Significant localised brain activation was seen during auditory social (e.g., laughter) compared to auditory non social (e.g., toy rattles) conditions - as well as to visual social (human peek-a-boo) compared to visual non social (transport images). Conclusions: These results confirm the viability of optical neuroimaging in resource poor settings, and its potential as an assessment tool for nutrition related studies of cognitive function.
ABSTRACT
The aim of this study was to investigate the validity of the Tanita TBF 300A leg-to-leg bioimpedance analyzer for estimating fat-free mass (FFM) in Bangladeshi children aged 4-10 years and to develop novel prediction equations for use in this population, using deuterium dilution as the reference method. Two hundred Bangladeshi children were enrolled. The isotope dilution technique with deuterium oxide was used for estimation of total body water (TBW). FFM estimated by Tanita was compared with results of deuterium oxide dilution technique. Novel prediction equations were created for estimating FFM, using linear regression models, fitting child’s height and impedance as predictors. There was a significant difference in FFM and percentage of body fat (BF%) between methods (p<0.01), Tanita underestimating TBW in boys (p=0.001) and underestimating BF% in girls (p<0.001). A basic linear regression model with height and impedance explained 83% of the variance in FFM estimated by deuterium oxide dilution technique. The best-fit equation to predict FFM from linear regression modelling was achieved by adding weight, sex, and age to the basic model, bringing the adjusted R2 to 89% (standard error=0.90, p<0.001). These data suggest Tanita analyzer may be a valid field-assessment technique in Bangladeshi children when using populationspecific prediction equations, such as the ones developed here.
ABSTRACT
Evidence suggests that risk of chronic diseases may be programmed during the foetal and early life of the infant. With high rates of low birthweight coupled with a rapid nutritional transition, low-income countries are facing an epidemic of chronic diseases. Follow-up of a cohort of adults born during 1964-1978 in an urban slum in Lahore, Pakistan, is presented in this paper. In 695 of these adults (mean age=29.0 years, males=56%), blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, and body mass index (BMI) were measured to assess early-life predictors of risk of chronic diseases. Sixteen percent of the study population was born with a low birthweight (<2,500 g). A significant positive association (p=0.007) was observed between birthweight and BMI; additionally, adjusting for age and gender, the association with BMI was highly significant (p=0.000). Conversely, a significant negative association (p=0.016) was observed between birthweight and adult levels of fasting plasma glucose; after adjustment for age and gender, the association was more significant (p=0.005) No association was observed between birthweight and adult blood pressure. The results suggest that low birthweight may increase later risk of impaired glucose tolerance in urban Pakistani adults. Further research in this area is warranted.