Antenatal events and postnatal growth and survival of children in a rural Guatemalan village

Abstract

The biological features of all pregnant women and newborn infants in a typical rural village of Guatemala have been studied from 1964 to the present; 458 pregnancies have been analysed. The mothers averaged 143'1 em in height, 52·9 kg in weight and 9 mm in triceps skinfold, The diet of most was adequate in percentage protein but inadequate in iron and other nutrients. Infection was common. two or more episodes occurring in 40 per cent of pregnancies. The newborn population had a birthweight averaging 2533 g and length 45·6 em, Thirty-four per cent were less than 2501 g at 37 weeks gestation or over; seven per cent were pre-term. The infants' growth was followed till age six years. Survival correlated strongly with birth weight and gestational age. Pre-term infants showed the poorest survival in neonatal and postneonatal infancy; but the survivors thrived thereafter. The term-small-for-gestational age infants had poor survival in infancy and during the second and third years. Term infants with adequate weight-far-gestational age had the best survival rate. Postnatal physical growth correlated with birth weight and gestational age but pre-term adequate-for-gestational age infants showed a rate of growth as good as that of term infants.