Dietary aflatoxin exposure and impaired growth in young children from Benin and Togo: cross sectional study

Fetal and early childhood environment, including the status of the pregnant mother and the , are considered critical for growth and risk of in later life. Many people in developing coun­ are not only malnourished but also chronically to high levels of toxic fungal metabolites (mycotoxins). One family of mycotoxins, the aflatoxins, carcinogenic and immunotoxic and cause growth in animals. Aflatoxins contaminate staple in West Africa, particularly maize and ground­ , as a result of hot, humid storage conditions that fungal growth. High exposure to aflatoxins throughout childhood in the region, suggest­ that growth and development could be critically .We assessed exposure to aflatoxins in relation anthropometric measures in children in Benin and .