Apolipoprotein E4 influences growth and cognitive responses to micronutrient supplementation in shantytown children from northeast Brazil

OBJECTIVE: Apolipoprotein E4 may benefit children during early periods of life when the body is challenged by infection and nutritional decline. We examined whether apolipoprotein E4 affects intestinal barrier function, improving short-term growth and long-term cognitive outcomes in Brazilian shantytown children. METHODS: A total of 213 Brazilian shantytown children with below-median height-for-age z-scores (HAZ) received 200,000 IU of retinol (every four months), zinc (40 mg twice weekly), or both for one year, with half of each group receiving glutamine supplementation for 10 days. Height-for-age z-scores, weight-for-age z-scores, weight-forheight z-scores, and lactulose:mannitol ratios were assessed during the initial four months of treatment. An average of four years (range 1.4-6.6) later, the children underwent cognitive testing to evaluate non-verbal intelligence, coding, verbal fluency, verbal learning, and delayed verbal learning. Apolipoprotein E4 carriage was determined by PCR analysis for 144 children. RESULTS: Thirty-seven children were apolipoprotein E4(+), with an allele frequency of 13.9 percent. Significant associations were found for vitamin A and glutamine with intestinal barrier function. Apolipoprotein E4(+) children receiving glutamine presented significant positive Pearson correlations between the change in height-for-age z-scores over four months and delayed verbal learning, along with correlated changes over the same period in weight-for-age z-scores and weight-for-height z-scores associated with non-verbal intelligence quotients. There was a significant correlation between vitamin A supplementation of apolipoprotein E4(+) children and improved delta lactulose/mannitol. Apolipoprotein E4(-) children, regardless of intervention, exhibited negative Pearson correlations between the change in lactulose-to-mannitol ratio over four months and verbal learning and non-verbal intelligence. CONCLUSIONS: During development, apolipoprotein E4 may function concomitantly with gut-tropic nutrients to benefit immediate nutritional status, which can translate into better long-term cognitive outcomes.

Percepção de mães sobre a síndrome da erupção dentária e suas manifestações clínicas na infância / Percepción de las madres acerca del síndrome de erupción dental y manifestaciones clínicas de la infancia / Mothers perception of dental eruption syndrome and its clinical manifestation during childhood

Objetivo Este estudo objetivou identificar a percepção de mães primíparas e multíparas sobre a erupção dentária e suas manifestações, ao mesmo tempo em que relacionou e discutiu a ocorrência destas manifestações a luz da literatura pertinente. Método Trata-se de um estudo qualitativo descritivo, onde os sujeitos foram 61 mães, com bebês na faixa etária entre 3 e 12 meses de idade, usuários do Hospital de Pediatria da UFRN, na cidade de Natal, RN, Brasil. Utilizou-se uma entrevista semi-estruturada para coleta das informações. A análise dos dados foi feita pelo Software ALCESTE 4.5, utilizando-se as variáveis primíparas, para designar mães com apenas um filho e multíparas para mães com dois filhos ou mais. Resultados A presença de sintomatologia foi relatada por 75 por cento das mães entrevistadas. A percepção das mães de ambas as classes, provavelmente reflete desconhecimento do processo de desenvolvimento infantil e convergem para a presença de sintomas clínicos atribuídos ao processo eruptivo, porém, o grande diferencial está na forma de apreensão desta realidade. As primíparas manifestam claramente que o conhecimento foi adquirido através do senso comum, enquanto que as multíparas reproduzem este mesmo conhecimento baseado na experiência com os filhos anteriores. Discussão Concluiu-se que durante essa fase de erupção dentária os profissionais tenham uma posição firme e definida, baseada em evidências fartamente colocadas pela literatura, da relação direta entre erupção dentária e sintomatologia geral, dando a devida atenção a cada paciente e suas queixas, para desmistificar e melhor compreender esse processo na sua totalidade.

Objective This study was aimed at identifying primiparous and multiparous mothers perceptions about tooth eruption and related symptoms as well as discussing such events occurrence in the light of the relevant literature. Methods The research adopted a qualitative, descriptive design; 61 mothers who had already given birth to babies aged 3 to 12 months old were studied. Their children were outpatients at Rio Grande do Norte Federal Universitys Paediatric Hospital in Natal, RN, Brazil. A semi-structured interview was used for collecting data. ALCESTE 4.5 software was used for analysing data based on primiparous and multiparous mothers as variables; the former term referred to mothers bearing a child for the first time and multiparous to those who had born more than one child. Results Symptomatology was related by 75 percent of the mothers interviewed here. The perception of the mothers from both groups probably pointed to a lack of knowledge regarding child development and the process leading to the presence of clinical symptoms due to tooth eruption. However, the great difference lay in how this reality was perceived; mothers having a single child clearly affirmed that knowledge was acquired by common sense, whilst mothers of more than one child reproduced such knowledge according to their experience with previous children. Discussion It was concluded that during this phase of tooth eruption, professionals must adopt a firm and defined position based on the literature providing evidence of the real relationship between tooth eruption and general symptoms, paying attention to every patient and their complaints to demystify and better understand this whole process.

Objetivo Este estudio tuvo como objetivo identificar la percepción de las madres primíparas y multíparas en la erupción de los dientes y sus manifestaciones, así como examinar la ocurrencia de estos hechos a la luz de la documentación pertinente. Método La investigación tuvo un diseño cualitativo descriptivo y 61 madres cuyos bebés habían entre 3 y 12 meses de edad fueron estudiadas. Sus hijos eran pacientes del Hospital de Pediatría de la Universidad Federal de Rio Grande do Norte, en la ciudad de Natal, RN, Brasil. Para recoger los datos, se utilizó una entrevista semi-estructurada. El ALCESTE 4.5 fue utilizado para analizar los datos basados en las primíparas y multíparas madres como variables. El primero se utilizó para las madres que lleven a un niño por primera vez y multíparas que los cuales habían nacido más de un niño. Resultados La sintomatología fue referida por 75 por ciento de las madres entrevistadas. La percepción de las madres de ambos grupos probablemente señala desconocimiento del desarrollo del niño y el proceso converge a la presencia de síntomas clínicos debido a la erupción del diente. Sin embargo, la gran diferencia está en la forma de recoger esta realidad. Madres de un niño afirmaron claramente que el conocimiento fue adquirido por el sentido común, mientras que las madres de más de un niño se reproducen en este mismo conocimiento de acuerdo con la experiencia basada en los niños mayores. Discusión Se concluyó que durante esta fase de la erupción de los dientes, los profesionales deben tener una postura firme definida, basados por la literatura, la relación directa entre la erupción de los dientes y los síntomas generales, prestando atención a cada paciente y sus quejas, para así desmitificar y comprender mejor este proceso en su totalidad.

Perceptions of and management practices for Diarrhoeal Diseases by traditional healers in northeastern Nigeria.

In Nigeria, there is a paucity of data on the beliefs and practices of traditional healers concerning diarrhoeal diseases. This study was undertaken to provide baseline data for integrating activities of traditional healers into the national Control of Diarrhoeal Diseases (CDD) programme. Interviews of 14 traditional healers, drawn from two large ethnic groups in northeastern Nigeria, were conducted. All but one of them willingly discussed their beliefs and practices. Almost all traditional healers used herbs expecting that it would stop diarrhoea episode. Most traditional healers (n = 11) were, however, aware of the sugar-salt solution (SSS), and six of them had positive impression about it. Ten were willing to be further trained in the preparation/use of SSS, and five reported its past use. Some healers strongly believed that breast-feeding was an important cause of diarrhoea and that, in some cases, diarrhoea was only amenable to traditional treatment. The results of this study suggest that the traditional healers in the region may contribute to promoting the appropriate home management of diarrhoea. However, their perceptions and practices need to be upgraded to ensure success.

Knowledge of diarrhea and socioeconomic factors in relation to the use of oral rehydration therapy in Samut Songkhram Province, Thailand.

A study to determine the association between the use of oral rehydration therapy (ORT) by mothers who had children under five years old with diarrhea and their knowledge of diarrhea was conducted in 19 health centers and a hospital at Muang District, Samut Songkhram Province. It was found that in general there was significant association between the use of ORT and mother's knowledge of diarrhea. This significant association was still evident after considering socioeconomic factors such as age, occupation, education and economic status. It was also noted that mothers with high knowledge of diarrhea gave ORT to their children under five with diarrhea two times more frequently than mothers with low knowledge of diarrhea. The present study confirms the impact of knowledge of diarrhea on the use of ORT.