Body composition at birth and height at 2 years: A prospective cohort study among children in Jimma, Ethiopia

Abstract

BACKGROUNDLow birth weight is associated with childhood stunting, but equivalent associations for birth body composition (BC) remain unknown. The aim of this study was to assess associations between birth BC and height-for-age z-score (HAZ) at 2 years of age.METHODSIn a prospective cohort study, fat mass (FM) and fat-free mass (FFM) were measured using air-displacement plethysmography within 48 h of birth. Linear regression models were applied to study the relationship between BC at birth and HAZ at 24 ±3 months.RESULTSA total of 268 children with height assessment at 2 years were included. Mean±SD HAZ at 2 years of age was -1.2±1.2, with 25.8% classified as stunted (HAZ