BMJ Open (Nov 2024)

Cohort profile: the WHO Child Mortality Risk Stratification Multi-Country Pooled Cohort (WHO-CMRS) to identify predictors of mortality through early childhood

  • Nigel Rollins,
  • Tor A Strand,
  • Alemayehu Argaw,
  • James A Berkley,
  • Judd L Walson,
  • Ranadip Chowdhury,
  • Mohan Venkata Raghava,
  • Siri Kaldenbach,
  • Catherine Schwinger,
  • Ahmed Tahmeed,
  • Argaw Alemayehu,
  • Bahl Rajiv,
  • Bailey Jeanette,
  • Baqui Abdullah,
  • Becquey Elodie,
  • Berkley Jay A,
  • Brown Kenneth,
  • Chisti Mohammed Jobayer,
  • Chowdhury Ranadip,
  • Diallo Hama A,
  • Duggan Christopher,
  • Evans Denise,
  • Fawzi Wafaie,
  • Fazal Ali,
  • Goga Ameena,
  • Guindo Ousmane,
  • Grais Rebecca,
  • Hamer David,
  • Hess Sonja,
  • Huybregts Lieven,
  • Isanaka Sheila,
  • Jehan Fyezah,
  • Kabakyenga Jerome,
  • Kabore Patrick,
  • Kaldenbach Siri,
  • Kerac Marko,
  • Khanam Rasheda,
  • Kissoon Niranjan,
  • Kounnavong Sengchanh,
  • Lachat Carl,
  • LaGrone Lacey,
  • Le Port Agnes,
  • Lelijveld Natasha,
  • Leroy Jef,
  • Mahfuz Mustafa,
  • Manary Mark,
  • P Manji Karim,
  • Marconi Sam,
  • McGrath Marie,
  • Moore Sophie,
  • Mugisha Nathan Kenya,
  • Mupere Ezekiel,
  • Mwaringa Shalton,
  • Nisar Yasir Bin,
  • Natarajan Sindhu Kulandaipalayam,
  • Ngari Moses,
  • Nisar Imran,
  • Olney Deanna,
  • Ouedraogo Jean-Bosco,
  • Prentice Andrew,
  • Prost Audrey,
  • Roberfroid Dominique,
  • Rockers Peter,
  • Rollins Nigel,
  • Ruel Marie,
  • Saleem Ali,
  • Sazawal Sunil,
  • Schwinger Catherine,
  • Singa Benson,
  • Stobaugh Heather,
  • Strand Tor A,
  • Taneja Sunita,
  • Timbwa Molly,
  • Toe Laéticia Céline,
  • Trehan Indi,
  • Trilok-Kumar Geeta,
  • Voskuijl Wieger,
  • Walson Judd L,
  • Wang Donqing,
  • Waseem Arup Ali,
  • Wiens Matthew

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2024-085164
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 14, no. 11

Abstract

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Purpose To provide details of a pooled data set that will be used to estimate absolute and relative mortality risks and other outcomes among children less than 59 months of age and the predictive performance of common risk exposures, both individually and in combination.Participants Children from birth to 5 years of age recruited at health facilities or community settings into 33 longitudinal observational or intervention studies in 17 low- and middle-income countries.Findings to date The data set includes 75 287 children with a median age of 3 months (IQR 1–12) at first measurement. In the pooled sample, 2805 (3.7%) of the study children died. Data on birth weight was recorded in 19 studies, and gestational age in 13 studies. Among these, 14% of the included children were reported as having low birth weight, and 14% had preterm birth. At first measurement, 33% of the children were stunted, 24% were wasted and 35% underweight. 13% and 7% of caregivers reported that their child had acute diarrhoea or acute lower respiratory tract infection before the study visit, respectively. The proportion of children reported as breastfed at any study visit decreased from 99% at age <6 months to 77% in the age group 12–23 months. Child characteristics differed considerably between studies in the community and healthcare settings. The median study period was 15 months (IQR 7.6–18.4 months).Future plans Planned analyses will examine knowledge gaps with the aim of informing global guidelines and their derivatives such as clinical management tools and implementation guidance, and to inform future research agendas. We aim to estimate absolute mortality risks associated with child age, anthropometry, birth characteristics and feeding practices as planned by the WHO-Risk Stratification Working Group. In the future, other data sets may be added and further questions on survival and growth will be investigated.