Cognitive Development in Rural Gambia: Relating Behavior and Growth from 6 – 24 Months of Age

• DOI: 10.1096/fasebj.29.1_supplement.28.3
• Publication Date: 2021-06-21T17:52:38Z
• Authors: Sarah Lloyd‐Fox; Drew Halliday; Katarina Begus; Perijne Vellekoop; Helen Maris; Lamin Sanyang; Saikou Drammeh; Momodue Darboe; Andrew Prentice; Sophie Moore; Clare Elwell
• Keywords: Child Development; Cognitive skill

The goal of our project is to establish assessments evaluate the efficacy nutritional interventions during first 1000 days life. Here we examine behavioral performance on a standardised developmental assessment scale (Mullen Scales Early Learning; MSEL) and anthropometric growth indices in infants at research station West Africa. 
 MSEL battery for use from birth five years age. We adapted Gambia. A committee native, dual‐language speakers trained administrators reviewed measure where appropriate (i.e. linguistic translation item‐by‐item verbal prompts, as well substitution stimuli that were deemed culturally inappropriate). 225 ranging 6 – 24 months age assessed their scores compared with an age‐matched group tested UK.
 Relative U.K infants, cognitive development declined over two life, particularly language subscales MSEL. An analysis relationship between revealed height z‐scores correlated In particular second year life lower (MSEL) related scores.