Sex Differences in Early Childhood Growth in a Resource-limited Setting: A Secondary Analysis of the Early Life Interventions in Childhood Growth and Development In Tanzania (ELICIT) Study.

In longitudinal analysis, males exhibited more severe growth failure by 3-months than girls and did not exhibit catch-up growth between 6-18 months. Reported symptoms of illness and early introduction of CSL did not appear to be mediators of these sex-based differences, though likely not all sickness was captured by monthly maternal report. Given the early nature of these deficits, LAZ and WAZ measures at 6-months may be good outcomes for intervention studies targeting improvements in early childhood growth and thriving.