A cross-sectional study of the association of postnatal growth and psychosocial development of the infants in an urban slum of Delhi

• Main Authors: Meenakshi (Author), Pradhan S (Author), Prasuna J (Author)
• Format: Book
• Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications, 2007-01-01T00:00:00Z.
• Subjects: article
• Online Access: Connect to this object online.
• Notes: 0970-0218; 1998-3581
• Keywords: Postnatal Growth; Psychosocial Development; Infants; Urban Slum; Public aspects of medicine; RA1-1270
• Source: Indian Journal of Community Medicine, Vol 32, Iss 1, Pp 46-48 (2007)

<b>Background: </b> Rapid growth of urban slums due to alarmingly increasing urbanization is adversely affecting the growth and development of infants residing in such deprived areas. <b> Objectives: </b> To study the association of postnatal growth and psychosocial development of urban slum infants. <b> Methods: </b> 202 infants and their mothers were included in a cross-sectional study conducted in Raja bazaar in 2002. Growth was assessed using anthropometric measurements: weight &#x0026; length for age and development by psychosocial developmental scale developed by ICMR. <b> Results: </b> Development was delayed in significantly higher percentage of underweight (W/A<-2 S.D) than normal infants (p value&#60; 0.05): gross motor (15.3&#x0025;&#x0026; 4.5&#x0025;), Vision &fine motor (21.1&#x0025;, 4.6&#x0025;) and social skills (27.6&#x0025;, 12.1&#x0025;). Development of gross motor milestones was also delayed in significantly high percentage of stunted infants with L/A<-2S.D (22.2&#x0025;) compared to normal L/A (5.6&#x0025;, p value=0.003). Difference in the percentages of infants was significantly very high (p value0.000) for vision &#x0026; fine motor (27.5&#x0025; &#x0026; 6.9 &#x0025;), hearing, language &#x0026; concept development (22.5&#x0025; &#x0026; 4.2&#x0025;) and social skills (42.5&#x0025; &#x0026; 11.9&#x0025;). <b> Conclusions: </b> Interventions to improve the postnatal growth will be helpful in facilitating the psychosocial development of infants living in urban slums.