An Increased Risk of Stunting among Newborns in Poorer Rural Settings: A Cross-Sectional Pilot Study among Pregnant Women at Selected Sites in Rural Cambodia

• Main Authors: Margit Steinholt, Sam Ol Ha, Chandy Houy, Jon Øyvind Odland, Maria Lisa Odland
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2019-10-01
• Series: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
• Subjects: persistent toxic substances; stunting; low income settings; cambodia
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/16/21/4170

We conducted an observational study of 194 pregnant women from two different study sites in rural Cambodia. Socioeconomic and anthropometric data was obtained from the women and their newborns. In addition, we collected blood and urine samples from the women for further analyses in planned papers. There were significant differences between the two study groups for clinical outcomes. The mothers from the poorer area were shorter and weighed less at the time of inclusion. Their babies had significantly smaller head circumferences and a lower ponderal index. Conclusion: There are significant anthropometric differences between women and their newborns from two separate study sites in Cambodia. Possible associations between stunting and exposure to Persistent Toxic Substances (PTS) as organochlorines and toxic trace elements will be investigated in future studies.