Pattern of attained growth in 0 to 5 year‐old children from Kivu (Zaire)

Anthropometric data of 18,211 under‐fives were collected in three health districts in the Northern Kivu (Zaire). These data were compared with each other, the international reference data set, the local reference data set, and with other data from Zaire. Analysis produced evidence of severe nutritional problems which are a great cause of concern in the Kivu Highlands. Important implications of the study are that intra‐uterine growth and growth during the first three months of life are likely to be the most critical, and that early interventions should therefore be targeted on the mother‐and‐child pairs.

Key words:

• Nutritional assessment
• nutritional monitoring
• anthropometry
• growth deficit among under‐fives
• Kivu (Zaire)