# Child Nutrition, Systemic Inflammation, and Cognitive Development in South Africa

> **NIH NIH R03** · BOSTON UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CAMPUS · 2020 · $67,879

## Abstract

Project Summary
Millions of children in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) struggle to reach their developmental
potential. Early life exposures that are common in high-poverty settings, including undernutrition and chronic
infection, contribute to cognitive deficits that have persistent effects into adulthood. The biological pathways
that underlie the relationships between nutrition, inflammation, and cognitive development are complex and not
entirely understood, in part due to measurement challenges in LMICs, where most undernutrition occurs.
Characterizing these pathways is critical to inform the design of early interventions to promote global child
health and cognitive development.
This study will combine a novel dataset from an ongoing prospective cohort study in South Africa with
collection of new data to examine the relationship of systemic inflammation with undernutrition and cognitive
development. Whole blood samples to assess biomarkers of systemic inflammation will be collected during a
lab visit already planned for the parent study. The study has two aims: 1) to examine the association of
biomarkers of systemic inflammation (IL-1β, IL-6, and C-reactive protein) at 24 months of age with indicators of
undernutrition, including low birthweight and repeated measures of stunting at 7 months, 15 months, and 24
months of age; and 2) to examine the relationship between biomarkers of systemic inflammation and two
objective measures of cognitive development—EEG gamma power and saccadic reaction time—at 24 months
of age.
This study is significant because our results will strengthen understanding of the biological pathways affecting
cognitive development in LMICs like South Africa. A growing body of evidence suggests that the negative
impact of early adversity can be mitigated through appropriate early-life interventions. However, limitations in
our current understanding of the root causes of deficits in cognitive development in LMICs are a barrier to
developing more effective interventions. The new evidence this study generates will inform the future design of
more effective interventions.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10013274
- **Project number:** 5R03HD099439-02
- **Recipient organization:** BOSTON UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CAMPUS
- **Principal Investigator:** Peter Rockers
- **Activity code:** R03 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $67,879
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-09-09 → 2022-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10013274

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10013274, Child Nutrition, Systemic Inflammation, and Cognitive Development in South Africa (5R03HD099439-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10013274. Licensed CC0.

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