Trends in birthweight and infant weights: relationships between early undernutrition, skin lesions, streptococcal infections and renal disease in an Aboriginal community

Abstract

Undernutrition in prevalent in Aboriginal communities, in utero, infancy and childhood. It influences childhood morbidity and mortality and growth patterns. Undernutrition and poor socio-economic status also contribute to endemic and epidemic infectious disease, including scabies and streptococcal infection. It has been suggested that early undernutrition, and streptococcal and scabies infection are risk factors for renal disease, which is at epidemic levels and increasing. This thesis examines the prevalence of undernutrition in newborns and infants in an Aboriginal community over time, and its impact on childhood growth and child and adult renal markers. The association between skin lesions, streptococcal serology, post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis (PSGN) and renal markers as evaluated through a community wide screening program in 1992-1995 is also examined. Birthweights have increased since the 1960s, but they are still much lower than the non-Aboriginal values. Weights in infancy have decreased since the 1960s. At screening in childhood stunting was common, reflecting the presence of long-term poor nutrition in infancy. In both adults and children, birth weight and infant weights were negatively associated with albuminuria measured by the albumin to creatine ratio (ACR).