Frequent diarrhoeas in early childhood have sustained effects on the height, weight and head circumference of children in East Bhutan

Episodes of diarrhoea and nutritional status of 113 children in East Bhutan were recorded monthly from 7 to 36 months of age. A re-examination was carried out 20 months later. The load of diarrhoeal diseases in early childhood was negatively associated with the parameters of children's long-term nutritional status 20 months later. Also, when early nutritional status and socioeconomic factors are included in the model, the diarrhoea variable explains a significant part of the variation in height for age (p = 0.04, delta R(2) = 0.035), weight for age (p = 0.03, delta R(2) = 0.030) and head circumference (p = 0.0007, delta R(2) = 0.077). This is not so for the variation in weight for height or mid-upper arm circumference (p > 0.1, delta R(2) < 0.005). Stunting is widespread in the area, and the effects of diarrhoea on nutritional status are more likely to be sustained in settings where dietary intake is marginal.