Growth faltering in rural Gambian children after four decades of interventions: a retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND: Growth faltering remains common in children in sub-Saharan Africa and is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. Due to a very slow decline in the prevalence of stunting, the total number of children with stunting continues to rise in sub-Saharan Africa. Identification of effective interventions remains a challenge. METHODS: We analysed the effect of 36 years of intensive health interventions on growth in infants and young children from three rural Gambian villages. Routine growth data from birth to age 2 years were available for 3659 children between 1976 and 2012. Z scores for weight-for-age, length-for-age, weight-for-length, mid-upper-arm circumference, and head circumference were calculated using the WHO 2006 growth standards. Seasonal patterns of mean Z scores were obtained by Fourier regression. We additionally defined growth faltering as fall in Z score between 3 months and 21 months of age. FINDINGS: We noted secular improvements in all postnatal growth parameters (except weight-for-length), accompanied by declines over time in seasonal variability. The proportion of children with underweight or stunting at 2 years of age halved during four decades of the study period, from 38·7% (95% CI 33·5–44·0) for underweight and 57·1% (51·9–62·4) for stunting. However, despite unprecedented levels of intervention, postnatal growth faltering persisted, leading to poor nutritional status at 24 months (length-for-age Z score −1·36, 95% CI −1·44 to −1·27, weight-for-age Z score −1·20, −1·28 to −1·11, and head circumference Z score −0·51, −0·59 to −0·43). The prevalence of stunting and underweight remained unacceptably high (30·0%, 95% CI 27·0–33·0, for stunting and 22·1%, 19·4 to 24·8, for underweight). INTERPRETATION: A combination of nutrition-sensitive and nutrition-specific interventions has achieved a halving of undernutrition rates, but despite these intensive interventions substantial growth faltering remains. We need to understand the missing contributors to growth faltering to guide development of new interventions. FUNDING: UK Medical Research Council, UK Department for International Development.