Nutrition beats genes in kids's growth
It doesn't matter whether you are born in India or the United States, if you are breast-fed, vaccinated and get proper health care, you will grow up to be the same height and weight.
30/04/06 GENEVA -- It doesn't matter whether you are born in India or the United States, if you are breast-fed, vaccinated and get proper health care, you will grow up to be the same height and weight, a new U.N. study says.
Populations from every continent were surveyed for the seven-year study by the World Health Organization. More than 8,000 children from Brazil, Ghana, India, Norway, Oman and the United States were studied, the U.N. agency said.
"The study shows that nutrition, feeding practices, environment and health care are stronger factors in the growth of children to age 5 than genetics or ethnic background," said Catherine le Gales-Camus, WHO assistant director general for non-communicable diseases.
Children from India who were breast-fed, vaccinated, given proper health care and whose mothers avoided tobacco had growth patterns comparable to those from richer countries like Norway, the study said.
A poor start to life can lead to the lifelong consequences of chronic illness such as heart disease, mental deficiencies, cancer and diabetes, WHO said.
WHO began the study in 1997 to develop a new international standard for assessing the physical growth, nutritional status and motor development in all children from birth to age 5.
