ABSTRACT
In order to observe the nutritional and health status of pre-school children, the outcome of two formal health services-health post and creche- for this vulnerable groupin two urban slum areas of Belo Horizonte, Brazil were studied in 1986. A total of 420 were surveyed, 254 children randomly selected from the communities and 156 from three creches. Growth monitoring was not undertaken systematically, and mothers did not have qroeth control charts. When a child had diarrhea, mothers to apply home remedies or to buy proprietary drugs rather that to consult medical personnel. 72% of mothers reported using ORT, and 11% suspending feeding completely. after three month of file, 50% of infants were receiving some breast milk. 75% of children were inmunized completely. The prevalence of health and nutrition indicators such as anemia (50% vs. 30%), parasitosis (87% vs. 70%), and stunting (28% vs. 20%) was worse in the creches that in the communities