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Biomedical subjects

A Manu

Publications and source records attributed to A Manu.

8 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2000

Predictors of growth from 1 to 18 months among breast-fed Ghanaian infants.

OBJECTIVE: To examine factors associated with the physical growth of breast-fed Ghanaian infants during the first 18 months of life. DESIGN: A community-based longitudinal study. SETTING: The study was carried out in Techiman, a district capital and major food trading center in the Brong Ahafo region of Ghana. SUBJECTS: One-month old infants (n=216) with birth weight >/= 2.5 kg were recruited from Maternal and Child Health Centers. METHOD: From 6 to 12 months, infants were provided with one of four types of nutritionally enhanced complementary foods. Anthropometric assessments were completed monthly from 1 to 12 months and every other month from 12 to 18 months. Information was collected on household characteristics, morbidity from common infections and dietary intakes. Blood samples were collected at 6 and 12 months to assess iron, zinc, riboflavin and vitamin A status. Multiple regression analysis was used to examine factors associated with growth during the age intervals of 1-6, 4-6, 6-12 and 12-18 months as well as size attained at 12 and 18 months. RESULTS: Prevalence of diarrhea and fever were negatively associated with growth during the first year of life. No significant relationship was found between respiratory illness (defined as cough or purulent nasal discharge) and growth. With the exception of dietary zinc intake, dietary variables were generally not significantly associated with growth. Maternal education was positively associated with growth during most of the age intervals. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that interventions to reduce morbidity and improve the education of girls may benefit children's growth in this population. SPONSORSHIP: Nestle Foundation; Rockefeller Foundation African Dissertation Internship Award; Fulbright Scholarship. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2000) 54, 41-49

Anthropometry↗
PubMed2000

Predictors of micronutrient status among six- to twelve-month-old breast-fed Ghanaian infants.

This study describes the factors associated with hemoglobin and plasma ferritin, zinc and retinol concentrations and erythrocyte riboflavin status among 208 Ghanaian infants who participated in a complementary feeding intervention trial from 6 to 12 mo of age. Anthropometric, morbidity and dietary data were collected regularly from 1 to 12 mo; blood samples were collected at 6 and 12 mo. The prevalence of low micronutrient status at 6 and 12 mo, respectively, was as follows: hemoglobin <100 g/L, 30 and 34%; plasma ferritin <12 microg/L, 17 and 43%; plasma zinc <10.7 micromol/L, 4 and 6%; plasma retinol <0.7 micromol/L, 26 and 26%; erythrocyte riboflavin <200 umol/L of packed red cells, 14 and 10%. Multiple regression was used to identify factors significantly associated with micronutrient status. From 6 to 12 mo, fever prevalence was associated with a decrease in hemoglobin, but an increase in erythrocyte riboflavin concentrations, and diarrhea prevalence was related to a decrease in plasma retinol. Seasonal differences were evident for most of the indicators of micronutrient status, and elevated C-reactive protein levels (indicative of recent infection) were related to lower hemoglobin, retinol and zinc concentrations but higher ferritin and erythrocyte riboflavin concentrations. Weight at birth or at 1 mo of age was positively related to iron, zinc and vitamin A status, but a more rapid weight gain was associated with depletion of iron stores. Socioeconomic status was related to higher hemoglobin, riboflavin and zinc concentrations. The feeding of a micronutrient-fortified food was positively associated with plasma ferritin and retinol concentrations at 12 mo. These results suggest that prenatal factors, socioeconomic status, dietary intake and morbidity all influence infant micronutrient status, and that fortification of complementary foods is one potential avenue for preventing deficiencies.

Anthropometry↗
PubMed1999

A randomized, community-based trial of the effects of improved, centrally processed complementary foods on growth and micronutrient status of Ghanaian infants from 6 to 12 mo of age.

BACKGROUND: Koko, a fermented maize porridge used as the primary complementary food in Ghana, has been implicated in the high prevalence of child malnutrition. Weanimix, a cereal-legume blend developed by the United Nations Children's Fund and the Ghanaian government, has been promoted as an alternative. OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the effect of feeding Weanimix and 3 other locally formulated, centrally processed complementary foods on the nutritional status of 208 breast-fed infants. DESIGN: Infants were randomly assigned to receive 1 of 4 foods from 6 to 12 mo of age: Weanimix (W), Weanimix plus vitamins and minerals (WM), Weanimix plus fish powder (WF), and koko plus fish powder (KF). Dietary and anthropometric data were collected regularly. Blood was collected at 6 and 12 mo of age to assess iron, zinc, vitamin A, and riboflavin status. Before and after the intervention, cross-sectional data on the anthropometric status of infants not included in the intervention (NI; n = 464) were collected. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between intervention groups in weight or length gain or in hemoglobin, hematocrit, transferrin saturation, plasma zinc, or erythrocyte riboflavin values between 6 and 12 mo of age. From 9 to 12 mo of age, z scores were lower in NI infants than in the combined intervention groups [at 12 mo: -1.71 +/- 0.90 compared with -1.19 +/- 0.93 for weight and -1.27 +/- 1.02 compared with -0.63 +/- 0.84 for length (P < 0.001 for both), respectively]. The percentage of infants with low ferritin values increased significantly between 6 and 12 mo of age in groups W, WF, and KF but not in group WM. Change in plasma retinol between 6 and 12 mo of age was significantly greater in group WM than in the other 3 groups combined (0.14 +/- 0.3 compared with -0.04 +/- 0.3 micromol/L, P = 0. 003). CONCLUSIONS: All 4 foods improved growth relative to the NI group. Infants fed WM had better iron stores and vitamin A status than those fed nonfortified foods.

Adult↗