Table 1.
General characteristics of the study cohort1
| Variable | Boys n=259 |
Girls n=277 |
All n=536 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maternal characteristics in Pregnancy | |||
| Age (y) | 24.0 ± 4.2 | 23.8 ± 4.2 | 23.9 ± 4.2 |
| Parity - 0 - No (%) | 125 (48.3) | 147 (53.1) | 272 (50.8) |
| 1 - No (%) | 88 (34.0) | 88 (31.8) | 176 (32.8) |
| 2or more – No (%) | 46 (17.8) | 42 (15.2) | 88 (16.4) |
| Height (cm) | 154.1 ± 5.5 | 154.5 ± 5.3 | 154.3 ± 5.4 |
| Body mass index (kg/m2) | 22.9 (21.0, 25.6) | 23.5 (21.0, 26.5) | 23.2 (21.0, 26.1) |
| Plasma folate concentration (nmol/L) | 34.1 ± 19.2 | 35.4 ± 19.3 | 34.7 ± 19.2 |
| Low folate concentration –No (%) | 11 (4.3) | 11 (4.0) | 22 (4.1) |
| Plasma vitamin B-12 concentration (pmol/L) | 183.0 (126.0, 226.0) | 153.0 (123.0,207.0) | 162.5 (124.0,220.0) |
| Low vitamin B-12 concentration –No (%) | 98 (37.8) | 130 (46.9) | 228 (42.5) |
| Plasma homocysteine concentration (μmol/L) | 6.0 (5.0, 6.9) | 6.0 (5.1, 7.1) | 6.0 (5.1, 7.0) |
| Hyperhomocysteinemia – No (%) | 8 (3.1) | 10 (3.7) | 18 (3.4) |
| Children’s Characteristics | |||
| Tests of cognitive function | |||
| Atlantis (score) | 67.5 ± 17.8 | 67.6 ± 16.7 | 67.6 ± 17.2 |
| Word order (score) | 16.1 ± 2.5 | 16.7 ± 2.6 | 16.4 ± 2.5 |
| Pattern reasoning (score) | 9.0 (4.0, 13.0) | 11.0 (6.0, 14.0) | 10.0 (5.0, 14.0) |
| Verbal fluency (score) -Animals | 11.9 ± 3.2 | 12.2 ± 3.4 | 12.0 ± 3.3 |
| -First names | 14.7 ± 4.1 | 17.4 ± 5.3 | 16.1 ± 4.9 |
| Kohs block design (score) | 76.9 (63.7, 88.0) | 76.2 (63.1, 88.4) | 76.6 (63.3, 88.4) |
| Coding-WISC-III2 (score) | 30.1 ± 7.5 | 35.0 ± 8.0 | 32.7 ± 8.1 |
| At birth | |||
| Gestational age (wk) | 39.1 ± 1.7 | 39.5 ± 1.5 | 39.3 ± 1.6 |
| Birthweight (kg) | 2.908 ± 0.471 | 2.840 ± 0.437 | 2.873 ± 0.454 |
| Head circumference (cm) | 34.1 ± 1.4 | 33.5 ± 1.3 | 33.8 ± 1.4 |
| At the time of testing | |||
| Age (y) | 9.7 ± 0.3 | 9.7 ± 0.3 | 9.7 ± 0.3 |
| Body mass index (kg/m2) | 14.5 ± 1.7 | 14.6 ± 2.0 | 14.6 ± 1.8 |
| Body mass index WHO SD score | −1.3 ± 1.2 | −1.2 ± 1.2 | |
| Height (cm) | 131.1 ± 5.5 | 130.3 ± 6.0 | 130.7 ± 5.8 |
| Height WHO SD score | −0.6 ± 0.8 | −0.8 ± 0.9 | |
| Head circumference (cm) | 50.7 ± 1.4 | 50.5 ± 1.5 | 50.6 ± 1.4 |
| Plasma vitamin B-12concentration (pmol/L) | 338.9 ± 160.1 | 351.3 ± 169.5 | 345.4 ± 165.0 |
| Low vitamin B-12 concentration -No (%) | 5 (2.1) | 8 (3.1) | 13 (2.6) |
| Plasma folate concentration (nmol/L) | 28.6 ± 15.3 | 29.1 ± 14.8 | 28.8 ± 15.0 |
| Low folate concentration –No (%) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (0.4) | 1 (0.2) |
| Parents socio-economic status | |||
| Standard of living index (score) | 36.1 ± 7.9 | 36.3 ± 8.6 | 36.2 ± 8.3 |
| Maternal education –No (%) | |||
| <10 completed y | 106 (41.1) | 88 (31.8) | 194 (36.3) |
| −10 completed y | 74 (28.7) | 91 (32.9) | 165 (30.8) |
| >10 completed y | 78 (30.2) | 98 (35.4) | 176 (32.9) |
| Paternal education –No (%) | |||
| <10 completed y | 105 (40.7) | 100 (36.1) | 205 (38.3) |
| −10 completed y | 92 (35.7) | 116 (41.9) | 20 (38.9) |
| >10 completed y | 61 (23.6) | 61 (22.0) | 122 (22.8) |
| Residence - Rural –No (%) | 77 (29.7) | 70 (25.3) | 147 (27.4) |
| - Urban –No (%) | 182 (70.3) | 207 (74.7) | 389 (72.6) |
| Religion - Hindu3 - No (%) | 145 (56.0) | 164 (59.2) | 309 (57.7) |
| Muslim4 - No (%) | 90 (34.8) | 92 (33.2) | 182 (34.0) |
| Christian5 – No (%) | 24 (9.2) | 21 (7.6) | 45 (8.4) |
1
Values are mean ± SD or median (Inter quartile range) or No (%)
2
Wechsler intelligence scale for children-III
3
Maternal folate and Vitamin B-12 deficiency among Hindus (3.2% and 50.5% respectively)
4
Maternal folate and Vitamin B-12 deficiency among Muslims (6.0% and 30.2% respectively)
5
Maternal folate and Vitamin B-12 deficiency among Christians (2.2% and 37.8% respectively)