Early life height and weight production functions with endogenous energy and protein inputs

TL;DR

This study investigates how protein and energy intake influence growth in children aged 6-24 months in Guatemala and the Philippines, highlighting the positive impact of protein on height and weight development.

Contribution

It introduces a novel analysis controlling for endogeneity to quantify the specific effects of protein and energy intake on early childhood growth.

Findings

Protein intake positively affects height and weight growth.

Energy from other macronutrients shows no significant relation.

Increased protein intake can improve growth in undernourished children.

Abstract

We examine effects of protein and energy intakes on height and weight growth for children between 6 and 24 months old in Guatemala and the Philippines. Using instrumental variables to control for endogeneity and estimating multiple specifications, we find that protein intake plays an important and positive role in height and weight growth in the 6-24 month period. Energy from other macronutrients, however, does not have a robust relation with these two anthropometric measures. Our estimates indicate that in contexts with substantial child undernutrition, increases in protein-rich food intake in the first 24 months can have important growth effects, which previous studies indicate are related significantly to a range of outcomes over the life cycle.