Adoption or placement in foster care and catch-up in linear growth and development: A meta-analysis of individual participant data
Background The ability of children to recover from linear growth retardation, often referred to as catch-up growth, has intrigued researchers for many decades. Whether adoption from a low-to a high-income setting, which provides a comprehensive improvement in the conditions that cause children to no...
| Autores principales: | , , |
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| Formato: | Journal Article |
| Lenguaje: | Inglés |
| Publicado: |
Elsevier
2025
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| Materias: | |
| Acceso en línea: | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/173389 |
| _version_ | 1855543600287318016 |
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| author | Leroy, Jef L. Angel, Moira Donahue Frongillo, Edward A. |
| author_browse | Angel, Moira Donahue Frongillo, Edward A. Leroy, Jef L. |
| author_facet | Leroy, Jef L. Angel, Moira Donahue Frongillo, Edward A. |
| author_sort | Leroy, Jef L. |
| collection | Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace) |
| description | Background
The ability of children to recover from linear growth retardation, often referred to as catch-up growth, has intrigued researchers for many decades. Whether adoption from a low-to a high-income setting, which provides a comprehensive improvement in the conditions that cause children to not grow well, leads to catch-up growth is unknown.
Objective
We estimated the association of adoption (or placement in foster care) with catch-up in linear growth and child development before 5 years of age.
Methods
We conducted a two-stage meta-analysis using individual participant data for linear growth. We obtained study-specific and subgroup estimates and pooled the estimates using random-effects models. Sensitivity analyses were used to assess the robustness of our findings. A review of child development outcomes was conducted.
Results
We included 485 children under 5 years of age from 9 adoption studies. At baseline, children had a mean age of 15.8 mo and a length deficit of 3.9 cm. Adoption reduced this gap by 77% or 3.0 cm (95% CI: 1.9-4.1 cm)(mean age 32.3 mo). Catch-up growth was found in both girls (3.6 cm; 95% CI 2.9-4.2 cm) and boys (2.5 cm; 95% CI: 1.9-3.1 cm) and in children adopted after the age of 24 mo (2.2 cm, 95% CI 0.6-3.7 cm). The sensitivity analyses did not change any of the substantive findings. The magnitude of catch-up in child development (mean reduction in deficit of 46%) was smaller than in linear growth.
Conclusions
Catch-up in linear growth in children under five is biologically possible when the environment is improved profoundly and comprehensively. Partial reversal of the accumulated height deficit was more likely than recovery in developmental outcomes which highlights the need to ensure all children grow and develop in environments that prevent deficits from occurring rather than trying to correct them. |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | CGSpace173389 |
| institution | CGIAR Consortium |
| language | Inglés |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| publisherStr | Elsevier |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | CGSpace1733892025-10-26T12:55:15Z Adoption or placement in foster care and catch-up in linear growth and development: A meta-analysis of individual participant data Leroy, Jef L. Angel, Moira Donahue Frongillo, Edward A. child development children growth stunting Background The ability of children to recover from linear growth retardation, often referred to as catch-up growth, has intrigued researchers for many decades. Whether adoption from a low-to a high-income setting, which provides a comprehensive improvement in the conditions that cause children to not grow well, leads to catch-up growth is unknown. Objective We estimated the association of adoption (or placement in foster care) with catch-up in linear growth and child development before 5 years of age. Methods We conducted a two-stage meta-analysis using individual participant data for linear growth. We obtained study-specific and subgroup estimates and pooled the estimates using random-effects models. Sensitivity analyses were used to assess the robustness of our findings. A review of child development outcomes was conducted. Results We included 485 children under 5 years of age from 9 adoption studies. At baseline, children had a mean age of 15.8 mo and a length deficit of 3.9 cm. Adoption reduced this gap by 77% or 3.0 cm (95% CI: 1.9-4.1 cm)(mean age 32.3 mo). Catch-up growth was found in both girls (3.6 cm; 95% CI 2.9-4.2 cm) and boys (2.5 cm; 95% CI: 1.9-3.1 cm) and in children adopted after the age of 24 mo (2.2 cm, 95% CI 0.6-3.7 cm). The sensitivity analyses did not change any of the substantive findings. The magnitude of catch-up in child development (mean reduction in deficit of 46%) was smaller than in linear growth. Conclusions Catch-up in linear growth in children under five is biologically possible when the environment is improved profoundly and comprehensively. Partial reversal of the accumulated height deficit was more likely than recovery in developmental outcomes which highlights the need to ensure all children grow and develop in environments that prevent deficits from occurring rather than trying to correct them. 2025-04 2025-02-25T14:59:54Z 2025-02-25T14:59:54Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/173389 en Open Access Elsevier Leroy, Jef L.; Angel, Moira Donahue; and Frongillo, Edward A. 2025. Adoption or placement in foster care and catch-up in linear growth and development: A meta-analysis of individual participant data. Advances in Nutrition 16(4): 100395. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.advnut.2025.100395 |
| spellingShingle | child development children growth stunting Leroy, Jef L. Angel, Moira Donahue Frongillo, Edward A. Adoption or placement in foster care and catch-up in linear growth and development: A meta-analysis of individual participant data |
| title | Adoption or placement in foster care and catch-up in linear growth and development: A meta-analysis of individual participant data |
| title_full | Adoption or placement in foster care and catch-up in linear growth and development: A meta-analysis of individual participant data |
| title_fullStr | Adoption or placement in foster care and catch-up in linear growth and development: A meta-analysis of individual participant data |
| title_full_unstemmed | Adoption or placement in foster care and catch-up in linear growth and development: A meta-analysis of individual participant data |
| title_short | Adoption or placement in foster care and catch-up in linear growth and development: A meta-analysis of individual participant data |
| title_sort | adoption or placement in foster care and catch up in linear growth and development a meta analysis of individual participant data |
| topic | child development children growth stunting |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/173389 |
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