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BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: This study measured the effects of dietary supplementation with lipid-based nutrient supplements (LNSs) on 18-month-old children's physical activity. SUBJECTS/METHODS: In a randomised, controlled, outcome-assessor blinded trial 1932 six-month-old children from Malawi received one of five interventions daily from 6-18 months of age: 10-g milk-LNS, 20-g milk-LNS, 20-g non-milk-LNS, 40-g milk-LNS or 40-g non-milk-LNS, or received no intervention in the same period (control). The control group received delayed intervention with corn-soy blend from 18-30 months. Physical activity was measured over 1 week by ActiGraph GT3X+ accelerometer at 18 months. Main outcome was mean vector magnitude accelerometer counts/15 s. Analyses were restricted to children with valid accelerometer data on at least 4 days with minimum 6 h of wearing time per day. RESULTS: Of the 1435 children recruited to this substudy, 1053 provided sufficient data for analysis. The mean (s.d.) vector magnitude accelerometer counts in the total sample were 307 (64). The difference (95% CI) in mean accelerometer counts, compared with the control group, was 8 (-6 to 21, P = 0.258) in 10-g milk-LNS, 3 (-11 to 17, P = 0.715) in 20-g milk-LNS, 5 (-8 to 19, P = 0.445) in 20-g non-milk-LNS, 10 (-3 to 23, P = 0.148) in 40-g milk-LNS and 2 (-12 to 16, P = 0.760) in 40-g non-milk-LNS groups. CONCLUSIONS: Provision of 10-40 g doses of LNS daily for 12 months did not increase physical activity of Malawian toddlers. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2015) 69, 173-178; doi:10.1038/ejcn.2014.138; published online 16 July 2014, INTRODUCTION Lipid-based nutrient supplements (LNSs) provide energy, protein, essential fatty acids and multiple micronutrients in a form that has a long shelf life, is palatable and is easy to consume. [...]

The annual total of births in Hong Kong SAR fell substantially in the past 20 years; hence the total fertility rate (TFR) followed the downward trend and dropped to a low of 0.9 below replacement level in 2000. Despite the long-term downward trend, short-run increases in the annual total of births and the TFR were exhibited. Such temporary fertility increases are identified in the Dragon Years of 1988 and 2000. The phenomenon of fertility changes associated with zodiacal animal years is examined in this paper with a view to gaining some insight into whether Chinese cultural preferences and folklore beliefs might have influenced prospective parents' reproductive behaviour. The paper explains the underlying philosophy of the Chinese astrological tradition and discusses how zodiacal preferences affect fertility between 1976 and 2000. The paper also explores why zodiacal influences on Chinese fertility before 1976 did not exist. It is unquestionable that the Dragon Year preference exerts an influence on fertility of modern Chinese populations through zodiacal birth-timing motivations. Birth rate rise in the Dragon Year is due to changes in timing of births that will have little effect on cumulative fertility. Keywords: Birth timing; Chinese astrology; Chinese zodiac; Fertility; Hong Kong SAR

Objective: To describe the seasonal growth patterns in Shanghai infants, to explore seasonal time lag between weight gain and length gain, and to investigate the long-term effect of birth season on early postnatal growth. Design: Community-based longitudinal study. Setting: Shanghai, People's Republic of China. Method: Children were followed up monthly from 1 to 6 months, 3 monthly from 6 to 12 months, and 6 monthly from 12 to 24 months. Subjects: A total of 6018 children born between 1 January 1980 and 31 December 1990. Main outcome measures: Weight gain, length gain and change in body mass index (BMI) over the seasons of the year. Results: The infants tended to grow faster in height in spring and summer, and faster in weight and BMI in autumn and winter. The seasonal effect on weight gain and length gain is largely independent. The mean length value at 1 month of age was about 2.0 cm higher in infants born in May to July than in those born in November to February. At 24 months of age this difference was reduced to about 0.7 cm. Conclusions: There is a clear and consistent seasonality in growth in Shanghai infants. The seasonality seems to act independently on weight and length. Birth month has some association with attained size, but this is reduced during the first 2 y of life. Sponsorship: Children's Hospital of Shanghai Medical University, Shanghai; The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR. Descriptors: infant; growth; seasonality; longitudinal study, Introduction Seasonal variation has long been known as a common feature of linear growth in developing countries. Infants tend to grow faster in height in spring and summer and faster [...]

Fetal growth is an indicator of social inequalities in health that may have a long-term impact persisting into later life. Little is known about the social patterns of birth weight in Hong Kong. This is a study of live-born singletons from 1984 to 1997 in a Hong Kong birth registry. Ordinary least-squares regression and logistic regression are used to analyse birth weight and low birth weight ([is less than] 2500 g), respectively. A gradient of birth weight and prevalence of low birth weight is demonstrated according to mothers' educational attainment. In relation to babies of the most educated mothers, babies of the least educated mothers had a mean deficit of 46 g in birth weight and an odds ratio of 1.56 of low birth weight (each P [is less than] 0.05). This social gradient was hidden unless parity was adjusted for. Unexpectedly, migrants from mainland China delivered heavier rather than lighter babies (each P [is less than] 0.05). Type of living quarters and parental relation were also related to birth weight and low birth weight (each P [is less than] 0.05). Continuous monitoring of the social patterns of birth weight is recommended. Keywords: Birth weight; Fetal growth; Inequalities; Hong Kong

Provides information on a study that described the seasonal growth patterns in Shanghai infants, to explore seasonal time lag between weight gain and length gain, and to investigate the long-term effect of birth season on early postnatal growth. Methodology of the study; Results and discussion on the study.

In many developing countries, improvement in water supplies has not been supplemented by improvement in sanitation facilities. Moreover, health education is rarely included in environmental hygiene programmes. Community health workers need to know if water supplies and sanitation have independent or complementary effects on health. This study analysed the weight data of 1,045 Chinese children aged 60 months or below. Regression models with interaction terms were tested against a model with main effects only. There was no evidence of interaction between water supplies and sanitation measures. The results show that water supplies and toilet facilities had independent associations with growth. Improved water source (P=0.01) and flush-toilet (P=0.06) were found positively associated with the children's weight. Presence of excreta in the home had a negative, but not statistically significant, association with weight. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]