Growth patterns of Palestinian children from birth to 24 months
Background: Growth faltering in early life can adversely affect health in later childhood and adulthood. Growth monitoring of children can provide evidence to help formulate effective strategies to address growth problems but such information on Palestinian children is lacking. Objectives: This stu...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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World Health Organization
2018
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| Online Access: | http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/74472/ http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/74472/1/Growth%20patterns%20of%20Palestinian%20children%20from%20birth%20to%2024%20months.pdf |
| _version_ | 1848857503009341440 |
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| author | Albelbeisi, Ali Mohd Shariff, Zalilah Chan, Yoke Mun Abdul Rahman, Hejar Abed, Yehia |
| author_facet | Albelbeisi, Ali Mohd Shariff, Zalilah Chan, Yoke Mun Abdul Rahman, Hejar Abed, Yehia |
| author_sort | Albelbeisi, Ali |
| building | UPM Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | Background: Growth faltering in early life can adversely affect health in later childhood and adulthood. Growth monitoring of children can provide evidence to help formulate effective strategies to address growth problems but such information on Palestinian children is lacking.
Objectives: This study aimed to determine the growth patterns of children under 2 years in Gaza, Palestine.
Methods: This retrospective cohort study was conducted in 2014 in 10 randomly selected primary health care clinics in 5 governorates of Gaza. Weight and length data were obtained from the health cards of children born in 2012, and z-scores were calculated and compared with the WHO Growth Standard (2006). Results: A total of 2 632 children’s cards were included at the beginning of the study. Weight-for-age and weight-for-length decreased from birth to 6 months to about –0.40 SD but increased afterwards to –0.11 SD and 0.34 SD at 24 months respectively. Length-for-age declined after 6 months, reaching –0.85 SD at 24 months. At 6 months, the prevalence of underweight and stunting were 5% and 9% but at 24 months, the prevalence was 4% and 20% respectively. Wasting was highest at 6 months (10%) but decreased to 3% at 24 months. Significantly more girls were stunted at 9, 12 and 18 months (P < 0.001), underweight at 24 months (P < 0.05) and wasted at 12 months (P < 0.05). Early life faltering in length was more pronounced than weight, with stunting occurring in one fifth of boys and girls by 2 years of age. Conclusions: Preventive strategies are urgently needed to address early life causes of undernutrition, particularly stunting, in Palestinian children in Gaza. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-15T11:58:35Z |
| format | Article |
| id | upm-74472 |
| institution | Universiti Putra Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-15T11:58:35Z |
| publishDate | 2018 |
| publisher | World Health Organization |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | upm-744722019-12-05T04:09:49Z http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/74472/ Growth patterns of Palestinian children from birth to 24 months Albelbeisi, Ali Mohd Shariff, Zalilah Chan, Yoke Mun Abdul Rahman, Hejar Abed, Yehia Background: Growth faltering in early life can adversely affect health in later childhood and adulthood. Growth monitoring of children can provide evidence to help formulate effective strategies to address growth problems but such information on Palestinian children is lacking. Objectives: This study aimed to determine the growth patterns of children under 2 years in Gaza, Palestine. Methods: This retrospective cohort study was conducted in 2014 in 10 randomly selected primary health care clinics in 5 governorates of Gaza. Weight and length data were obtained from the health cards of children born in 2012, and z-scores were calculated and compared with the WHO Growth Standard (2006). Results: A total of 2 632 children’s cards were included at the beginning of the study. Weight-for-age and weight-for-length decreased from birth to 6 months to about –0.40 SD but increased afterwards to –0.11 SD and 0.34 SD at 24 months respectively. Length-for-age declined after 6 months, reaching –0.85 SD at 24 months. At 6 months, the prevalence of underweight and stunting were 5% and 9% but at 24 months, the prevalence was 4% and 20% respectively. Wasting was highest at 6 months (10%) but decreased to 3% at 24 months. Significantly more girls were stunted at 9, 12 and 18 months (P < 0.001), underweight at 24 months (P < 0.05) and wasted at 12 months (P < 0.05). Early life faltering in length was more pronounced than weight, with stunting occurring in one fifth of boys and girls by 2 years of age. Conclusions: Preventive strategies are urgently needed to address early life causes of undernutrition, particularly stunting, in Palestinian children in Gaza. World Health Organization 2018 Article PeerReviewed text en http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/74472/1/Growth%20patterns%20of%20Palestinian%20children%20from%20birth%20to%2024%20months.pdf Albelbeisi, Ali and Mohd Shariff, Zalilah and Chan, Yoke Mun and Abdul Rahman, Hejar and Abed, Yehia (2018) Growth patterns of Palestinian children from birth to 24 months. Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal, 24 (3). 302 - 310. ISSN 1020-3397; ESSN: 1687-1634 http://www.emro.who.int/emhj-volume-24-2018/volume-24-issue-3/growth-patterns-of-palestinian-children-from-birth-to-24-months.html 10.26719/2018.24.3.302 |
| spellingShingle | Albelbeisi, Ali Mohd Shariff, Zalilah Chan, Yoke Mun Abdul Rahman, Hejar Abed, Yehia Growth patterns of Palestinian children from birth to 24 months |
| title | Growth patterns of Palestinian children from birth to 24 months |
| title_full | Growth patterns of Palestinian children from birth to 24 months |
| title_fullStr | Growth patterns of Palestinian children from birth to 24 months |
| title_full_unstemmed | Growth patterns of Palestinian children from birth to 24 months |
| title_short | Growth patterns of Palestinian children from birth to 24 months |
| title_sort | growth patterns of palestinian children from birth to 24 months |
| url | http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/74472/ http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/74472/ http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/74472/ http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/74472/1/Growth%20patterns%20of%20Palestinian%20children%20from%20birth%20to%2024%20months.pdf |