Relationship of "weight for height" to "height for age" - a longitudinal study

Abstract

The development of four age cohorts of preschool children from 0 to 5, 6 to 11, 12 to 23 and 24 to 60 months according to weight for height and height for age, as well as weight for age, was followed for 1 year. All nutritional parameters declined in the two cohorts 0 to 5 and 6 to 11 month-old children. Weight for height recovered subsequently to almost the same level as that of the North American children in the age groups 12 to 60 months, whereas the age dependent parameters remained well below the North American standard. The individual variations of weight for height and height for age were followed up in 6 case studies for 20 months. It appears that the organism gives main priority to an optimal relationship of weight to height either, by reducing the growth spurt as was observed over the observation period, or, by limiting growth altogether. The phenomenom of "stunting" is interpreted as an adaptation process which is not necessarily due to undernourishment in the past. If the nutritional status is assessed by the parameter weight for age, investigators must recognize fully its limitations. © 1986 Pergamon Press Ltd.