Effect of morning exercise in sunlight on the sleep-wake cycle in adolescents

A delay in bedtime occurs in adolescence compared with childhood. However, the early waking that morning school hours impose leads to partial sleep deprivation. Although exposure to light is the most important regulator of circadian rhythm in mammals, physical exercise influences circadian synchronization. To assess the effect of morning physical exercise in sunlight on the sleep-wake cycle (SWC) in adolescents, 160 first- and second-year high-school students were exposed to classes in their usual classroom (Group C) or in a swimming pool exposed to sunlight (Group E) while physically exercising (EE; i.e., swimming) or resting (EL). At baseline, we applied Health and Sleep and Horne & Ostberg chronotype assessment questionnaires. One week later and during the intervention, we applied the Sleep Diary and Karolinska Sleepiness Scale. During the intervention we observed no changes in bedtime, time in bed and in indices of irregularity of bedtime and wake-up time. The changes observed in wake-up time (i.e., a delay in the EE group on Saturday), sleep quality (i.e., an improvement), and sleepiness (i.e., an increase) were also observed in the control group, discarding an intervention effect. We suggest that morning physical exercise in sunlight had no effect on SWC parameters, sleep quality, or daytime sleepiness, possibly because of the large irregularity in the SWC between weekdays and weekends in adolescent students as well as the low frequency and duration of exercise during the intervention. Therefore, studies that evaluate a higher frequency or duration of exercise are needed to assess its effect on the SWC in adolescents.

Patrones de lactancia en bebés, su primer contacto con el azúcar y el dentista / Patterns of breastfeeding in infants, their first contact with the sugar and the dentist

El objetivo de esta investigación fue evaluar el patrón de lactancia, primer contacto con el azúcar y primera visita al dentista de los bebés con relación al estado socioeconómico familiar. Participaron 129 niños de 0 a 36 meses, cuyos datos fueron obtenidos por medio de un cuestionario realizado a las madres y exámenes clínicos bucales de los bebés en ambulatorios públicos y privados. La forma de lactancia más utilizada fue artificial (59%), siendo empleada desde el inicio de la vida y volviéndose más prevalente con el aumento de la edad. El primer contacto con el azúcar ocurrió principalmente después de los 3 meses de edad, sin embargo, 20% de las madres ofrecieron azúcar a sus hijos antes de los tres primeros meses de vida. El mayor número de bebés acudieron durante el primer año de vida al dentista (43%) siendo la prevención su principal motivo (65%). La prevalencia de actividad de caries para la muestra fue de 17%. Estos resultados correspondieron a madres que poseían grado escolar secundario y superior completo y recibían de 1 a 3 salarios mínimos. Conclusión: el patrón de amamantamiento en bebés es esencialmente artificial en los primeros meses de vida, lo que contribuye para que ocurra el primer contacto con el azúcar muy precozmente. La primera visita al dentista ocurre generalmente durante el primer año de vida del bebé

To analyze the pattern of feeding, first contact with sugar and first babies visit to the dentist with respect to family socioeconomic status. One hundred and twenty nine children, from 0 to 36 months, participated in the study. The data was obtained through a questionnaire conducted for their mothers and clinical oral exams of the babies in public and private outpatient departments. Results: bottle feeding was most widely used (59%), being employed since the beginning of the life and becoming more prevalent with the increasing age. The first contact with sugar occurred mostly after 3 months of life; however, 20% of mothers offered sugar for their children before the first three months of life. Most of the babies visited the dentist within their first year of life (43%) and the main reason was prevention (65%). All these results corresponded to mothers who had completed high school and higher education, as well as perceive 1 to 3 minimum wages. The pattern of breastfeeding in babies is essentially artificial in the first months of life, which contributes to appear the first contact with the sugar very early. The first visit to the dentist occurs during the first year of life of the baby

O simbólico na sessão de fonoterapia / The simbolic in a speech therapy section

Neste artigo, os autores realizaram uma breve análise de excerto de uma sessão de fonoterapia, com uma criança de 4 anos, na Clínica de Fonoaudiologia da Universidade de Ribeirão Preto, com a finalidade de estudarem, através de uma situação de brinquedo entre a criança e a estagiária, alguns conceitos relacionados à disciplina de Construção simbólica na Infância.