after this for some 15 months, at the end of which the babies approached the British 3rd centile which is the weight value of the top third of British babies. This appeared to be mainly a nutritional effect since the slow-down coincided with feeding supplementation based on a high carbohydrate pap. After age 18 months gains were again made, which coincided with increasing amounts of protein in the babies' diet.
Between the ages of 2 and 9 years, weight approximated the British 15th centile for both sexes. Boys equaled or exceeded British mean heights between ages 5 and 9 years and girls did so between the ages of 2 and 9 years. This was said to suggest a height potential equivalent to the British but a lower normal mean weight because of a more linear build.
After age 9 years growth slowed considerably in both sexes. By age 15 boys again approached the British third centiles; and after age 15 they experienced a considerable growth spurt. At age 17 years, boys had a mean height of 168.8 cm, about the British 25th centile. Mean weight was again up to the British 15th centile, 51.8 kg.
Wanke (1980) concluded that the findings indicated a need for nutrition education and supplementation, especially between the ages of 3 and 18 months, as a possible way to drastically reduce a death rate of up to 50% in children under the age of 5 years. In other words, this study clearly showed that there is a need for prenatal nutritional education programs aimed at increasing the birthweight in Nigerian newborns because such programs will help in increasing the probability that newborns will live, grow normally and thrive.
Another important issue to consider in supplying nutrition education to pregnant Third World females is to understand the extent to which the country's women see education as a need; this because if these women do not recognize their need for such programs, a lack of interest would make participation in them ...