TABLE 2.
Baseline characteristics of the 750 participants at enrollment1
| Characteristics | SQ-LNS (n = 250) | SQ-LNS-plus (n = 250) | Control (n = 250) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Infant characteristics | |||
| Male, n (%) | 113 (45.2) | 143 (57.2) | 131 (52.4) |
| Female, n (%) | 137 (54.8) | 107 (42.8) | 119 (47.6) |
| Age, mo | 6.22 ± 0.262 | 6.22 ± 0.24 | 6.22 ± 0.25 |
| Breastfeeding at age 6 mo, n (%) | 182 (72.8) | 178 (71.2) | 165 (66.3) |
| Birth weight,3 kg | 2.97 ± 0.54 | 2.93 ± 0.52 | 3.04 ± 0.47 |
| Low birth weight (<2.5 kg), n (%) | 38 (15.7) | 40 (16.9) | 24 (9.9) |
| Anthropometric status | |||
| Length, cm | 63.7 ± 2.5 | 63.8 ± 2.5 | 64.1 ± 2.5 |
| Weight, kg | 7.2 ± 1.1 | 7.3 ± 1.0 | 7.3 ± 1.1 |
| LAZ | −1.47 ± 1.07 | −1.54 ± 1.06 | −1.37 ± 1.09 |
| Stunted (< −2 LAZ), n (%) | 71 (28.4) | 78 (31.2) | 72 (28.8) |
| WAZ | −0.63 ± 1.12 | −0.54 ± 1.18 | −0.55 ± 1.27 |
| Underweight (< −2 WAZ), n (%) | 26 (10.4) | 27 (10.8) | 32 (12.8) |
| WLZ | 0.48 ± 1.15 | 0.65 ± 1.15 | 0.49 ± 1.16 |
| Wasted (< −2 WLZ), n (%) | 4 (1.6) | 3 (1.2) | 4 (1.6) |
| Overweight (> +2 WLZ), n (%) | 18 (7.2) | 30 (12.0) | 27 (10.8) |
| Midupper arm circumference, cm | 14.3 ± 1.25 | 14.4 ± 1.25 | 14.3 ± 1.26 |
| Head circumference, cm | 42.8 ± 1.36 | 43.1 ± 1.34 | 43.0 ± 1.39 |
| Kilifi Developmental Inventory | |||
| Locomotor development score | 16 (15, 18)4 | 16 (15, 18) | 16 (15, 18) |
| Eye–hand coordination score | 17 (15, 19) | 17 (15, 19) | 18 (16, 20) |
| Parent rating | 21 (19, 22) | 20 (18, 22) | 20 (18, 22) |
| Iron status | |||
| Hemoglobin, g/L | 112 (105, 121) | 115 (105, 123) | 113 (105, 121) |
| Anemic (hemoglobin <110 g/L), n (%) | 98 (39.2) | 86 (34.4) | 90 (36.0) |
| PF5,6 | 24.9 (16.0, 40.6) | 25.3 (16.4, 40.2) | 25.4 (15.3, 39.8) |
| Iron deficient (PF <12 µg/L),5,6n (%) | 23 (13.9) | 31 (19.2) | 23 (14.9) |
| IDA (hemoglobin <110 g/L + PF <12 µg/L),5,6n (%) | 18 (10.9) | 17 (10.6) | 15 (9.7) |
| Elevated CRP (>5 mg/L),6n (%) | 29 (17.6) | 24 (14.9) | 20 (13.0) |
| Elevated AGP (>1 g/L),6n (%) | 49 (29.7) | 50 (31.1) | 52 (33.8) |
| Caregiver characteristics | |||
| Age, y | 28.1 ± 8.4 | 27.9 ± 8.0 | 29.3 ± 9.2 |
| Education, grade 10 or higher, n (%) | 209 (83.6) | 197 (78.8) | 195 (78.0) |
| Married, n (%) | 29 (11.6) | 20 (8.0) | 31 (12.4) |
| Household characteristics | |||
| Electricity at home, n (%) | 229 (91.6) | 230 (92.0) | 233 (93.2) |
| Tap water at home, n (%) | 237 (94.8) | 241 (96.4) | 241 (96.4) |
| Flush toilet at home, n (%) | 237 (94.8) | 239 (95.6) | 237 (94.8) |
| Number of people in household | 6 (4, 7) | 5 (4, 7) | 6 (4, 7) |
| Number of child grants per household | 2 (2, 3) | 2 (1, 3) | 2 (1, 3) |
1
AGP, α1-glycoprotein; CRP, C-reactive protein; IDA, iron-deficiency anemia; LAZ, length-for-age zscore; PF, plasma ferritin; SQ-LNS, small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplement; WAZ, weight-for-age z score; WLZ, weight-for-length z-score.
2
Means ± SDs (all such values).
3
Twenty-nine (3.9%) infants had missing information on birth weight.
4
Median; 25th and 75th percentile in parentheses (all such values).
5
Adjusted for inflammation considering both CRP and AGP (43).
6
n = 480.