Growth Stunting among Children, Aged Birth to Five Years, in Peri-Urban Kathmandu, Nepal

Anthropometric studies of children in developing countries elucidate a growth pattern that has been found in numerous studies of geographically diverse populations (Anderson 1979, Sastry et al. 1989, Watts et al. 1990, Dettwyler 1991, Neumann and Harrison 1994, Leonard et al. 1995, Ricci and Becker 1996). Essentially, linear growth tracks reference standards until approximately six months of age, at which point growth faltering is detectable and continues until two to three years of age. The second year of life is often the growth nadir, although this can vary. If conditions are not too severe, there may be a “catch-up” period, when children begin to track reference standards again by age three or four (Martorell et al. 1994).