Inflammation impairs post-hospital discharge growth among children hospitalised with acute illness in sub-Saharan Africa and south Asia.

ABSTRACT: In resource-limited settings, children often experience poor growth following illness, but the mechanisms are poorly understood. This cohort study in six countries in sub-Saharan Africa and south Asia investigates pathways linking inflammation and post-discharge weight gain among children hospitalised with acute illness. We determine associations between inflammation, enteropathy, growth mediators and other exposures at hospital discharge and weight gain during 90 days and explain how these exposures influence growth. Here, we show that systemic inflammation impacts mediators of linear growth including the Growth hormone/Insulin-like growth factor 1 axis and bone metabolism to a larger extent and weight gain via enteroendocrine peptide YY and glucagon pathways to a lesser extent. Systemic

SUBMITTER: Njunge JM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12663110 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature