ArticleBMC pediatrics2018
The association of malaria morbidity with linear growth, hemoglobin, iron status, and development in young Malawian children: a prospective cohort study.
Article in BMC pediatrics, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 2 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 9 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
A Two-centre, Randomised, Single-blind, Parallel Group Controlled Trial, Testing the Growth Promoting Effect of Long-term Complementary Feeding of Infants With Different Doses and Formulations of Lipid-based Nutrient Supplements (LNS)
A Research Plan for a Randomised, Single-blind, Parallel Group Controlled Trial in Rural Malawi, Testing the Health Effects of Supplementing Maternal Diet During Pregnancy and Lactation and Infant Diet From 6 to 18 Months of Age With High-energy, Micronutrient Fortified Lipid-based Nutrient Supplements (LNS)
Who cites it
9 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 16 citations in OpenAlex.
- Community-Based Child Food Interventions/Supplements for the Prevention of Wasting in Children Up to 5 Years at Risk of Wasting and Nutritional Oedema: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Nutrition reviews · 2025Pooled it
- Does anthropometric status at 6 months predict the over-dispersion of malaria infections in children aged 6-18 months? A prospective cohort study.Malaria journal · 2019Trial
- Malaria Incidence, Growth, and their Relationship among a Cohort of Malawian Children.The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene · 2026Article
- Impact of asymptomatic malaria infection on children's growth in rural Malawi.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Examining Changes in Behavioral, Emotional, and Tic Symptoms in a Pediatric Sample in the First Year of the Pandemic.Child psychiatry and human development · 2025Article
- Article
- Marked reduction in antibiotic usage following intensive malaria control in a cohort of Ugandan children.BMC medicine · 2021Article
- Changes in hemoglobin levels with age and altitude in preschool-aged children in Peru: the assessment of two individual-based national databases.Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences · 2021Article
- Micronutrient levels and their effects on the prognosis of visceral leishmaniasis treatment, a prospective cohort study.BMC infectious diseases · 2020Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
12 authors at 5 institutions in 6 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundAlthough poor complementary feeding is associated with poor child growth, nutrition interventions only have modest impact on child growth, due to high burden of infections. We aimed to assess the association of malaria with linear growth, hemoglobin, iron status, and development in children aged 6-18 months in a setting of high malaria and undernutrition prevalence.
methodsProspective cohort study, conducted in Mangochi district, Malawi. We enrolled six-months-old infants and collected weekly data for 'presumed' malaria, diarrhea, and acute respiratory infections (ARI) until age 18 months. Change in length-for-age z-scores (LAZ), stunting, hemoglobin, iron status, and development were assessed at age 18 months. We used ordinary least squares regression for continuous outcomes and modified Poisson regression for categorical outcomes.
resultsOf the 2723 children enrolled, 2016 (74.0%) had complete measurements. The mean (standard deviation) incidences of 'presumed' malaria, diarrhea, and ARI, respectively were: 1.4 (2.0), 4.6 (10.1), and 8.3 (5.0) episodes/child year. Prevalence of stunting increased from 27.4 to 41.5% from 6 to 18 months. 'Presumed' malaria incidence was associated with higher risk of stunting (risk ratio [RR] = 1.04, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.01 to 1.07, p = 0.023), anemia (RR = 1.02, 95%CI = 1.00 to 1.04, p = 0.014) and better socio-emotional scores (B = - 0.21, 95%CI = - 0.39 to - 0.03, p = 0.041), but not with change in LAZ, haemoglobin, iron status or other developmental outcomes. Diarrhea incidence was associated with change in LAZ (B = - 0.02; 95% CI = - 0.03 to - 0.01; p = 0.009), stunting (RR = 1.02; 95% CI = 1.01 to 1.03; p = 0.005), and slower motor development. ARI incidence was not associated with any outcome except for poorer socio-emotional scores.
conclusionIn this population of young children living in a malaria-endemic setting, with active surveillance and treatment, 'presumed' malaria is not associated with change in LAZ, hemoglobin, or iron status, but could be associated with stunting and anemia. Diarrhea was more consistently associated with growth than was malaria or ARI. The findings may be different in contexts where active malaria surveillance and treatment is not provided.
trial registrationNCT00945698 (July 24, 2009) and NCT01239693 (November 11, 2010).
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.