研究發(fā)現(xiàn)，出生在高海拔地區(qū)的兒童可能發(fā)育遲緩

研究發(fā)現(xiàn)，出生在高海拔地區(qū)的兒童可能發(fā)育遲緩

Children born at 5,000 feet or more above sea level are typically smaller at birth and more likely to remain stunted than those born at lower altitudes, according to new worldwide research published Monday.

根據(jù)周一發(fā)布的一項新的全球研究，在海拔5000英尺或更高的地方出生的孩子通常比在海拔較低的地方出生的孩子體型更小，更容易發(fā)育不良。

This was true even if the children were born into "ideal-home environments" defined as having good health coverage, higher living conditions and highly educated mothers, the study found, which meant stunting was unlikely to be due to common risk factors such as poor diet and disease.

研究發(fā)現(xiàn)，即使孩子出生在“理想家庭環(huán)境”中，也會出現(xiàn)這種情況。“理想家庭環(huán)境”的定義是擁有良好的健康保障、較高的生活條件和受過高等教育的母親。這意味著發(fā)育遲緩不太可能是由不良飲食和疾病等常見風險因素造成的。

Growth declined as altitude grew
生長隨著海拔的增加而下降

Children living in ideal home environments grew at rates deemed standard by the World Health Organization until they lived at around 500 meters (1,650 feet) above sea level, the study found. At that altitude and higher, children's height-for-age scores began to decrease.

研究發(fā)現(xiàn)，生活在理想的家庭環(huán)境中的兒童，直到他們生活在海拔500米(1650英尺)的地方，才會以世界衛(wèi)生組織認為標準的速度成長。在那個海拔和更高海拔的地方，兒童的身高年齡分數(shù)開始下降。

At levels of 1,500 meters, or approximately 5,000 feet, above sea level, children were "born at shorter length and remained on a lower growth trajectory" than children who lived in cities at lower sea levels, according to the study published Monday in JAMA Pediatrics.

周一發(fā)表在《美國醫(yī)學會雜志兒科學》上的這項研究稱，在海拔1500米(約5000英尺)的地方，與生活在海拔較低城市的孩子相比，孩子“出生時長度較短，生長軌跡也較低”。

A worldwide study

一個世界性的研究

The study looked at height-for-age data for more than 950,000 children in 59 countries.

這項研究查看了59個國家超過95萬名兒童的年齡身高數(shù)據(jù)。

"More than 800 million people live at 1,500 meters above sea level or higher, with two-thirds of them in Sub-Saharan Africa, and Asia," said study co-author Kalle Hirvonen, a senior research fellow at the International Food Policy Research Institute, in a statement.

“超過8億人生活在海拔1500米或更高的地方，其中三分之二生活在撒哈拉以南的非洲和亞洲，”該研究的合著者、國際糧食政策研究所的高級研究員卡勒·希爾沃寧在一份聲明中說。

However, there are a number of cities in the United States that fall above 5,000 feet, including Butte, Montana; Cheyenne, Jackson and Laramie, Wyoming; Flagstaff, Arizona; Las Vegas, Albuquerque and Santa Fe, New Mexico; Mammoth Lake, Big Bear Lake and South Lake Tahoe in California; and about 37 cities in Colorado, among others.

然而，美國有許多城市的海拔都在5000英尺以上，包括蒙大拿州的比特;夏延，杰克遜和拉勒米，懷俄明州;亞利桑那州的弗拉格斯塔夫;新墨西哥州的拉斯維加斯、阿爾伯克基和圣達菲;加利福尼亞州的猛犸湖、大熊湖和南太浩湖;以及科羅拉多州的37個城市。

In fact, Aspen, Breckenridge and Telluride in Colorado and Santa Fe in New Mexico are all above 7,000 feet above sea level.

事實上，科羅拉多州的阿斯彭、布雷肯里奇、特柳賴德和新墨西哥州的圣達菲都在海拔7000英尺以上。

Pregnancy highest risk
懷孕風險最高

The study found most of the risk was in the period leading up to and immediately after birth and may be due to lower oxygen levels at higher altitudes.

研究發(fā)現(xiàn)，大多數(shù)風險發(fā)生在出生前和出生后不久，可能是由于高海拔地區(qū)的低氧水平造成的。

"Pregnancies at high-altitudes are characterized by chronic hypoxia, or an inadequate supply of oxygen," Hirvonen said.

“在高海拔地區(qū)懷孕的特點是慢性缺氧，或者氧供應不足，”希爾沃寧說。

It was thought that genetic adaption to residing at high altitude over multiple generations might mitigate the stunting, but the study did not show that, Hirvonen said.

希爾沃寧說，曾有人認為，在高海拔地區(qū)多代人的遺傳適應可能會減輕發(fā)育遲緩，但這項研究并沒有表明這一點。

"After birth, the growth curve for children in areas 1,500 (meters) or more above sea level was consistently lower," the study found.

研究發(fā)現(xiàn):“生活在海拔1500米以上地區(qū)的兒童出生后生長曲線一直較低。”

The results should educate health professionals to more closely work with pregnant women to control the effects of high altitude on the fetus, the study authors said.

該研究的作者說，研究結果應該訓練衛(wèi)生專業(yè)人員與孕婦密切合作，以控制高海拔對胎兒的影響。

"A first step is to unravel the complex relationship linking altitude, hypoxia and fetal growth to identify effective interventions," said study co-author Kaleab Baye director of the Center for Food Science and Nutrition in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

“第一步是闡明海拔高度、缺氧和胎兒生長之間的復雜關系，以確定有效的干預措施，”該研究的合著者、埃塞俄比亞的首都亞的斯亞貝巴食品科學與營養(yǎng)中心主任卡勒巴·貝亞說。