Birthweights and growth of infants in five Aboriginal communities

Aust N Z J Public Health. 2000 Apr;24(2):124-35. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-842x.2000.tb00132.x.

Abstract

Objectives: To improve, by culturally appropriate means, birthweights and growth of children up to three years of age over 14 months in five Aboriginal communities in north-western Australia.

Methods: Frequent individual nutritional assessment of infants and children with counselling of mothers and carers and of pregnant women and the introduction of the Aboriginal-controlled Strong Women, Strong Babies, Strong Culture maternal support program. Outcomes compared with those in the same communities for the five years preceding intervention.

Results: By international standards, pre-intervention birthweights of full-term infants (37-42 weeks) were only moderately depressed and recovered to exceed standard weight-for-age within two weeks of birth. Growth of full-term infants slowed abruptly after six months. Prevalence and duration of breastfeeding were very high. Prevailing low average birthweight was chiefly attributable to a prevalence of pre-term birth approaching 20%. Intervention was not accompanied by any change in full-term birth weight but was associated with increased weight gain after six months. From 12 to 36 months growth rose by 30 g per month (p = 0.001). Average birthweights of pre-term infants were < 2,500 g and average weight-for-age did not improve during intervention.

Conclusions: Both low birthweight and a disproportionate part of intransigent failure to grow by Aboriginal infants were associated with pre-term birth. Depressed average growth of full-term infants appeared to respond to nutritional counselling accompanied by a community support program.

Implications: Investigation of the causes of the exceptionally high rate of Aboriginal pre-term birth in the region is urgently required.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Controlled Clinical Trial
  • Multicenter Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Birth Weight*
  • Child Health Services / organization & administration*
  • Child Nutrition Disorders / diagnosis
  • Child Nutrition Disorders / ethnology*
  • Child Nutrition Disorders / prevention & control*
  • Child Nutrition Sciences / education*
  • Child, Preschool
  • Community Health Services / organization & administration*
  • Community Participation*
  • Female
  • Fetal Growth Retardation / diagnosis
  • Fetal Growth Retardation / ethnology*
  • Fetal Growth Retardation / prevention & control*
  • Growth Disorders / diagnosis
  • Growth Disorders / ethnology*
  • Growth Disorders / prevention & control*
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Male
  • Mothers / education*
  • Nutrition Assessment*
  • Nutrition Surveys
  • Outcome Assessment, Health Care
  • Pregnancy
  • Program Evaluation
  • Western Australia / epidemiology