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Burkina Faso

Anthropometry at birth and at age of routine vaccination to predict mortality in the first year of life: A birth cohort study in Burkina Faso

Attachments

Martha MwangomeI, Moses Ngari, Paluku Bwahere, Patrick Kabore, Marie McGrath, Marko Kerac, James A. Berkley

Abstract

Background

The World Health Organization currently defines severe acute malnutrition (SAM) in infants aged under 6 months of age using weight-for-length Z score (WLZ). Given widespread use of mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) for identifying SAM in older children and weight-for-age (WAZ) for growth monitoring, there is increasing debate about the optimal anthropo-metric criteria to best identify infants u6m at-risk of mortality.

Objective

To determine the discriminatory value for mortality during the first 12 months of life of anthro-pometry taken at birth and at age two months (approximate age of routine vaccination).

Design

Data were analyzed from a birth cohort recruited between April and December of 2004 at four health facilities within Bansalogho District in Burkina Faso. Infants were followed up for 12 months. Mortality risks were estimated using hazards ratios (HR). Discriminatory value was assessed using receiver operating characteristic curves.