Weight gain in children from birth to 10 years on antiretroviral treatment
Background: Inadequate weight gain could indicate clinical deterioration in infants and children living with HIV (CLHIV). The World Health Organization’s (WHO) weight-for-age z-score (WAZ) growth standards and reference charts are currently used in South Africa to assess weight gain in CLHIV on anti...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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AOSIS
2022-10-01
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| Series: | Southern African Journal of HIV Medicine |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://sajhivmed.org.za/index.php/hivmed/article/view/1413 |
| _version_ | 1797990396561719296 |
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| author | Janine Scholtz Susanna M. Ellis Herculina S. Kruger |
| author_facet | Janine Scholtz Susanna M. Ellis Herculina S. Kruger |
| author_sort | Janine Scholtz |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Inadequate weight gain could indicate clinical deterioration in infants and children living with HIV (CLHIV). The World Health Organization’s (WHO) weight-for-age z-score (WAZ) growth standards and reference charts are currently used in South Africa to assess weight gain in CLHIV on antiretroviral treatment (ART).
Objectives: To assess weight gain patterns of infants and children initiated on ART and to compare weight gain patterns between the WHO WAZ growth standards and population-specific curves constructed from data of CLHIV on ART.
Method: A quantitative, retrospective and descriptive-comparative design was used. The weight gain patterns of 98 infants and children from birth to 10 years old during the 24-month period following ART initiation were recorded and assessed using two different growth charts.
Results: The children’s rate of weight and length gain improved significantly over 24 months since ART initiation, but complete catch-up growth was never achieved. Most (69%) of the children had increased weight gain according to the WAZ growth standard and reference charts versus only 16% according to the HIV-specific weight gain curves.
Conclusion: Antiretroviral treatment improved weight and height gain in CLHIV, but the interpretations of weight gain differed significantly between the WHO chart and HIV-specific weight gain curves. Population- and treatment-specific references could improve weight monitoring in CLHIV and assist in the timeous identification of malnutrition. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T08:34:34Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-90d686a166bf4177b702e03da994fc22 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1608-9693 2078-6751 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T08:34:34Z |
| publishDate | 2022-10-01 |
| publisher | AOSIS |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Southern African Journal of HIV Medicine |
| spelling | doaj.art-90d686a166bf4177b702e03da994fc222022-12-22T04:34:22ZengAOSISSouthern African Journal of HIV Medicine1608-96932078-67512022-10-01231e1e810.4102/sajhivmed.v23i1.1413815Weight gain in children from birth to 10 years on antiretroviral treatmentJanine Scholtz0Susanna M. Ellis1Herculina S. Kruger2Centre of Excellence for Nutrition, Faculty of Health Sciences, North-West University, PotchefstroomDepartment of Pure and Applied Analytics, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, North-West University, PotchefstroomCentre of Excellence for Nutrition, Faculty of Health Sciences, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa; and, Medical Research Council Unit for Hypertension and Cardiovascular Disease, Faculty of Health Sciences, North-West University, PotchefstroomBackground: Inadequate weight gain could indicate clinical deterioration in infants and children living with HIV (CLHIV). The World Health Organization’s (WHO) weight-for-age z-score (WAZ) growth standards and reference charts are currently used in South Africa to assess weight gain in CLHIV on antiretroviral treatment (ART). Objectives: To assess weight gain patterns of infants and children initiated on ART and to compare weight gain patterns between the WHO WAZ growth standards and population-specific curves constructed from data of CLHIV on ART. Method: A quantitative, retrospective and descriptive-comparative design was used. The weight gain patterns of 98 infants and children from birth to 10 years old during the 24-month period following ART initiation were recorded and assessed using two different growth charts. Results: The children’s rate of weight and length gain improved significantly over 24 months since ART initiation, but complete catch-up growth was never achieved. Most (69%) of the children had increased weight gain according to the WAZ growth standard and reference charts versus only 16% according to the HIV-specific weight gain curves. Conclusion: Antiretroviral treatment improved weight and height gain in CLHIV, but the interpretations of weight gain differed significantly between the WHO chart and HIV-specific weight gain curves. Population- and treatment-specific references could improve weight monitoring in CLHIV and assist in the timeous identification of malnutrition.https://sajhivmed.org.za/index.php/hivmed/article/view/1413hivinfantschildrenweightheightartgrowth monitoringnutritional assessmentwazcatch-up growth |
| spellingShingle | Janine Scholtz Susanna M. Ellis Herculina S. Kruger Weight gain in children from birth to 10 years on antiretroviral treatment Southern African Journal of HIV Medicine hiv infants children weight height art growth monitoring nutritional assessment waz catch-up growth |
| title | Weight gain in children from birth to 10 years on antiretroviral treatment |
| title_full | Weight gain in children from birth to 10 years on antiretroviral treatment |
| title_fullStr | Weight gain in children from birth to 10 years on antiretroviral treatment |
| title_full_unstemmed | Weight gain in children from birth to 10 years on antiretroviral treatment |
| title_short | Weight gain in children from birth to 10 years on antiretroviral treatment |
| title_sort | weight gain in children from birth to 10 years on antiretroviral treatment |
| topic | hiv infants children weight height art growth monitoring nutritional assessment waz catch-up growth |
| url | https://sajhivmed.org.za/index.php/hivmed/article/view/1413 |
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