The Growth Pattern of Tibetan Infants at High Altitudes: a Cohort Study in Rural Tibet region

Abstract

Studies on growth pattern of Tibetan infants and the difference from other child groups were limited due to its special living environment and unique customs. In this study, 253 Tibetan infants were followed-up from their birth to 12^th month in rural Tibet. Five visits were conducted and weight and length were measured at each visit. Mixed model was employed to analyze the growth pattern of Tibetan infants and its comparison to the Han infants. Propensity Scores (PS) technique was adopted to control for the potential confounding factors. The mixed model found that the birth weight/length had a negative impact on the increment of Tibetan infants after birth (weight: β = -0.6819, P < 0.0001, length: β = -0.9571, P < 0.0001). The weight increment of Tibetan infants was greater than Han infant with age (β_age*ethnic = 0.0345, P < 0.001), after using PS as a covariant. And another mixed model in which PS was used as a matching factor found similar trend. Compared with Chinese Han infants, Tibetan infants were lower weight and shorter length within one year after birth but they had greater increment of weight, suggesting that Tibetan infants might have a significant catch-up growth within the first year of life.

Figure 1. The estimated increments of weight/length from birth by age for Tibetan and Chinese Han infants from the mixed model adjusted for PS.