OBJECTIVE: To determine the relationship between geophagy (mouthing of dirt, sand, clay, or mud) and growth faltering in young children. STUDY DESIGN: We examined linear growth as height and weight standardized by age and sex, and weight standardized by height, in a cohort of children aged 6-36 months in rural Mirzapur, Bangladesh. We determined geophagy behavior at baseline through caregiver report. Anthropometric measurements were assessed at baseline and at a 1-year follow-up. RESULTS: We found that among children not stunted at baseline, those with caregiver-reported geophagy at baseline grew less over 1 year compared with their peers, with a difference in the change of standardized height for age and sex of -0.31 (95% CI, -0.61 to -0.01). CONCLUSION: These findings show that caregiver-reported geophagy was associated with growth faltering in a pediatric population in rural Bangladesh. Future studies are needed to learn more about this exposure pathway and its relevance to child growth.
OBJECTIVE: To determine the relationship between geophagy (mouthing of dirt, sand, clay, or mud) and growth faltering in young children. STUDY DESIGN: We examined linear growth as height and weight standardized by age and sex, and weight standardized by height, in a cohort of children aged 6-36 months in rural Mirzapur, Bangladesh. We determined geophagy behavior at baseline through caregiver report. Anthropometric measurements were assessed at baseline and at a 1-year follow-up. RESULTS: We found that among children not stunted at baseline, those with caregiver-reported geophagy at baseline grew less over 1 year compared with their peers, with a difference in the change of standardized height for age and sex of -0.31 (95% CI, -0.61 to -0.01). CONCLUSION: These findings show that caregiver-reported geophagy was associated with growth faltering in a pediatric population in rural Bangladesh. Future studies are needed to learn more about this exposure pathway and its relevance to child growth.
Authors: Christopher Lowenstein; Karla Vasco; Soledad Sarzosa; Liseth Salinas; Andrea Torres; Melissa J Perry; Samuel J Simmens; Gabriel Trueba; Joseph N S Eisenberg; Jay P Graham Journal: Am J Trop Med Hyg Date: 2020-06 Impact factor: 2.345
Authors: Laura H Kwong; Ayse Ercumen; Amy J Pickering; Joanne E Arsenault; Mahfuza Islam; Sarker M Parvez; Leanne Unicomb; Mahbubur Rahman; Jennifer Davis; Stephen P Luby Journal: Environ Sci Technol Date: 2020-10-20 Impact factor: 9.028
Authors: William D Cheng; Karl J Wold; Nicole S Benzoni; Chrissie Thakwalakwa; Kenneth M Maleta; Mark J Manary; Indi Trehan Journal: Trials Date: 2017-11-06 Impact factor: 2.279