Growth of children during the first two years of life in the Tanga-region, Tanzania

Abstract

Introduction: Child health is an important indicator of a country’s level of development. Tanzania is on United Nations list of least developed countries, and has a high prevalence of underweight and stunted children. Optimal infant and child feeding practises improves survival, promotes normal growth, reduces the burden of infectious diseases and improves cognitive development. Aims: The purpose of this study is to analyse the association between duration of exclusive and total breastfeeding and child growth. Data on vaccination, maternal education, occupation and reproductive health characteristics is also analysed. Material & methods: This is a cross-sectional study of 327 mother-child pairs conducted in Tanga, Tanzania in 2017. The child’s weight and height was measured, and the mothers were interviewed after collection of written consent. Z-scores (standard deviation scores) from WHO child growth standards was used to describe growth parameters. Descriptive and nonparametric statistics was used for analysis. Permission to conduct research in Tanzania was granted by the official authorities. Results: Length-for-age (LFA) Z-scores of children exclusively breastfed for 0-5 months (median -0,12 (-1.43–0.70)) did not differ from children exclusively breastfed for 6 months (median -0.60 (-1.72–0.52)), p 0.16, with similar findings for weight-for-age (WFA) Z-scores of children exclusively breastfed for 0-5 months (median -0.19 (-1.17–0.34)) compared to 6 months (median -0.37 (-1.18–0.43)), p 0.72. LFA Z-scores of children with mothers of secondary or higher education (median -0.17 (-1.33–0.86) were significantly higher than those for children of mothers with none or primary education (median -0.68 (-1.90–0.61), with similar findings for WFA and higher (median -0.15 (-0.81–0.72) or none or primary (median -0.43 (-1.42–0.27) education. Conclusion: The weight and height of children in this study population is below the WHO standard. There was no significant difference in weight or height between children exclusively breastfed for 0-5 months compared to 6 months. The prevalence of exclusive breastfed children at 6 months was 56 %. Children whose mothers had secondary or higher education had significantly higher weight and length for their respective ages.