Infant Growth After Mass Administration of Azithromycin

Does mass administration of azithromycin promote infant growth?This analysis of secondary outcomes of a 3-arm cluster randomized clinical trial in Mali in which all infants aged 1 to 11 months received placebo, azithromycin twice yearly, or azithromycin quarterly evaluated infant growth at 15, 18, 21, and 24 months after village enrollment. Anthropometric assessments among 1789 children aged 6 to 8 months and 12 to 14 months showed no significant differences between groups in mean weight and length; weight-for-age, length-for-age, weight-for-length, or mid-upper-arm circumference scores; or the prevalence of underweight, stunting, or wasting.These findings do not support a hypothesis that mass administration of azithromycin promotes infant growth.

Corresponding Author: Laura Adubra, PhD, Center for Child, Adolescent and Maternal Health Research, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Arvo Building, Room D523, FIN-33014 Tampere, Finland (laura.adubra@tuni.fi).

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