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  1. Albelbeisi A, Shariff ZM, Mun CY, Abdul-Rahman H, Abed Y
    East Mediterr Health J, 2018 Jun 10;24(3):302-310.
    PMID: 29908026 DOI: 10.26719/2018.24.3.302
    Background: Growth faltering in early life can adversely affect health in later childhood and adulthood. Growth monitoring of children can provide evidence to help formulate effective strategies to address growth problems but such information on Palestinian children is lacking.

    Objectives: This study aimed to determine the growth patterns of children under 2 years in Gaza, Palestine.

    Methods: This retrospective cohort study was conducted in 2014 in 10 randomly selected primary health care clinics in 5 governorates of Gaza. Weight and length data were obtained from the health cards of children born in 2012, and z-scores were calculated and compared with the WHO Growth Standard (2006).

    Results: A total of 2 632 children's cards were included at the beginning of the study. Weight-for-age and weight-forlength decreased from birth to 6 months to about -0.40 SD but increased afterwards to -0.11 SD and 0.34 SD at 24 months respectively. Length-for-age declined after 6 months, reaching -0.85 SD at 24 months. At 6 months, the prevalence of underweight and stunting were 5% and 9% but at 24 months, the prevalence was 4% and 20% respectively. Wasting was highest at 6 months (10%) but decreased to 3% at 24 months. Significantly more girls were stunted at 9, 12 and 18 months (P < 0.001), underweight at 24 months (P < 0.05) and wasted at 12 months (P < 0.05). Early life faltering in length was more pronounced than weight, with stunting occurring in one fifth of boys and girls by 2 years of age.

    Conclusions: Preventive strategies are urgently needed to address early life causes of undernutrition, particularly stunting, in Palestinian children in Gaza.

  2. Albelbeisi A, Shariff ZM, Mun CY, Rahman HA, Abed Y
    Nutr J, 2020 12 05;19(1):133.
    PMID: 33278899 DOI: 10.1186/s12937-020-00652-7
    BACKGROUND: Infants and young children 6-24 months of age are the most nutritionally vulnerable groups, as their needs for vitamins and minerals are high relative to the amount of food they consume. This study determines the effect of Micronutrient Powder Supplementation (MNP) on growth and hemoglobin of infants in Gaza Strip, Palestine.

    METHOD: This was a two-arm parallel-group randomized controlled trial conducted in two health care clinics of the United Nations Relief and Work Agency (UNRWA) at the Middle Area governorate of Gaza Strip, Palestine. A total of 200 healthy infants aged 6-month-old were recruited and randomized to receive 3 sachets/week of MNP for 12 months alongside with the National Micronutrient Supplement (NMS) (n = 100) or NMS alone (n = 100). Weight, length, blood hemoglobin, and dietary intakes were measured at 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, and 21 (3 months after the end of intervention) months of age. Analysis was by intention to treat.

    RESULTS: The experimental group had a higher concentration of hemoglobin at 12 and 15 months than did the control group, and a significant difference (p 

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