Dissertation Research: Child Growth and Health in High Altitude Area of India

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This award will support an anthropology graduate student who will study low birth weight in a high altitude region of India. Children born at high altitudes in South America and the US have been observed to weigh significantly less than low-altitude children. This project will see if a similar relationship exists in India and try to explain variations in child health by reference to socio-economic and other cultural factors. A sample of 300 pregnant women will be followed and their newborn infants weighed and measured at several intervals after birth. In addition survey interviews will assess each mother's reproductive history, socio-economic background, and knowledge and beliefs about child health. This research is important because understanding the causes of low birth weight an be of help in the design of measures to improve the health of such children. Comparative data such as this project will be helpful in testing theories of the causes of low birth weight.