Weight gain variation in infants of an impoverished community: Bellanse, Haiti.

ABSTRACT

PIP: Maintaining adequate growth remains 1 of the most difficult tasks for infants in developing countries. A cohort of 354 rural infants with a median age of 4 months were weighed every 6-7 weeks over an 18-month period. Some 179 of them (51%) with weight information over at least 12 months were included in the study. The association between weight gain up to 6 months of age and between 6-23 months of age, and factors amenable to prevention were assessed using weighted multiple linear regression. Infants whose mothers understood the "Road to Health" chart had a weight gain that was 123 g/month (95% confidence interval [CI]: 2-245) higher up to 6 months of age and 31 g/month (95% CI: 6-57) higher between 6-23 months of age compared to infants whose mothers did not seem to understand the chart. The weight gain between 6-23 months was also 28 g/month (95% CI: 3-54) higher for infants fully vaccinated at 11 months compared to not fully vaccinated children. It was 47 g/month (95% CI: 16-78) higher for infants living in 2-parent families compared to children from a single-parent household. The results of the study suggest that maternal comprehension of the "Road to Health" chart may contribute to more adequate weight gain.