Evaluación de dos fórmulas de yogur enriquecido con harina de Acheta domesticus y harina de Brosimum alicastrum Swartz como alimentos complementarios / Evaluation of two formulas of yogurt enriched with Acheta domesticus flour and Brosimum alicastrum flour, as complementary foods

La prevalencia de desnutrición en niños en Guatemala es constante y se ha mantenido alta por años. Tomando en cuenta esta problemática se planteó un modelo de alimentación complementaria a base de yogur enriquecido con harinas de alto valor proteico en niños de edad preescolar en el suroccidente de Guatemala. Los tratamientos evaluados fueron yogur con harina de Acheta domesticus (grillo), yogur con harina de Brosimum alicastrum Swartz (ramón) y un grupo control. Se evaluó el peso, talla y velocidad de crecimiento durante cuatro meses brindando 125 mL de yogur cinco días por semana. La ganancia media (desviación estándar) de peso en kg fue de 3.21 (1.84), 2.22 (1.14) y 1.67 (0.64) para A. domesticus, B. alicastrum y grupo control, respectivamente. Mostrando la mezcla de yogur con harina de A. domesticus diferencia significativa frente al control (p < .05), por el contrario, no se encontró diferencia significativa (p > .05) cuando se comparó con yogur con harina de B. alicastrum. Para el incremento en talla en cm los resultados fueron 4.61 (1.13), 4.25 (1.54) y 3.07 (1.84) para A. domesticus, B. alicastrum y grupo control, respectivamente, mostrando ambas diferencias significativas frente al control (p < .05). Se determinaron los costos por dosis los cuales fueron US$0.56 (A. domesticus) y US$0.36 (B. alicastrum). Se concluye que el yogur con harina de A. domesticus fue el que presentó mejor respuesta en las variables de estudio.

The prevalence data on malnutrition of children in Guatemala are constant. Taking into account this problem, a yogurt-based supplementary feeding model was proposed, enriched with high-protein flours in pre-school children in southwestern Guatemala. The treatments evaluated were yogurt with Acheta domesticus flour (cricket), yogurt with Brosimum alicastrum Swartz flour (ramon) and control group. The weight, height and growth rate were evaluated during four months providing 125 mL of yogurt five days per week. The weight gain in kg was 3.21 (1.84), 2.22 (1.14) and 1.67 (0.64) for A. domesticus, B. alicastrum and control group respectively, showing significant difference (p < .05). The costs per dose were determined, which were US $ 0.56 (A. domesticus) and US $ 0.36 (B. alicastrum). The study concludes that yogurt with A. domesticus flour was the one that presented the best response in the study variables.

Neutralising antibodies for Mayaro virus in Pantanal, Brazil

The Pantanal hosts diverse wildlife species and therefore is a hotspot for arbovirus studies in South America. A serosurvey for Mayaro virus (MAYV), eastern (EEEV), western (WEEV) and Venezuelan (VEEV) equine encephalitis viruses was conducted with 237 sheep, 87 free-ranging caimans and 748 equids, including 37 collected from a ranch where a neurologic disorder outbreak had been recently reported. Sera were tested for specific viral antibodies using plaque-reduction neutralisation test. From a total of 748 equids, of which 264 were immunised with vaccine composed of EEEV and WEEV and 484 had no history of immunisation, 10 (1.3%) were seropositive for MAYV and two (0.3%) for VEEV using criteria of a ≥ 4-fold antibody titre difference. Among the 484 equids without history of immunisation, 48 (9.9%) were seropositive for EEEV and four (0.8%) for WEEV using the same criteria. Among the sheep, five were sero- positive for equine encephalitis alphaviruses, with one (0.4%) for EEEV, one (0.4%) for WEEV and three (1.3%) for VEEV. Regarding free-ranging caimans, one (1.1%) and three (3.4%), respectively, had low titres for neutralising antibodies to VEEV and undetermined alphaviruses. The neurological disorder outbreak could not be linked to the alphaviruses tested. Our findings represent strong evidence that MAYV and all equine encephalitis alphaviruses circulated in the Pantanal.

A randomized placebo-controlled trial of iron supplementation in breastfed young infants initiated on complementary feeding: effect on haematological status.

To combat iron deficiency manifesting around six months of age, iron-fortified complementary feeding has been recommended. In developing countries, in view of the poor bioavailability of iron from predominantly cereal-based diets and the high cost of fortification, medicinal iron supplementation is an alternative intervention. This double-blind randomized placebo-controlled trial was conducted from April 1999 to March 2000 in the Out-patient Department of a tertiary hospital in New Delhi, India, to evaluate the haematological effects of medicinal iron supplementation to breastfed young infants initiated on complementary feeding. One hundred healthy non-low birth-weight, predominantly breastfed infants aged 4-6 months were randomized into two groups to receive either iron (2 mg/kg/day) (IS group; n=49) or placebo drops (P group; n=51) beginning with the initiation of home-based non-fortified complementary feeding. Haematological parameters and anthropometry of mothers and infants were measured at baseline and repeated for infants after four and eight weeks of recruitment. Seventy-one subjects (35 in the IS group and the 36 in P group) came for the first follow-up, and of these, 43 (19 in the IS group and 24 in the P group) reported for the second visit. The adjusted (for maternal and baseline infant ferritin) serum ferritin levels were significantly higher in the IS group at both the follow-ups (p=0.006). The adjusted (for maternal ferritin and baseline infant ferritin) change in haemoglobin was significantly higher only at the second follow-up (0.7 g/dL; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.3-1.0 g/dL). The adjusted rise in haemoglobin was higher in initially anaemic infants (at second follow-up by 1 g/dL; 95% CI 0.5-1.6 g/dL). Medicinal iron supplementation, at the time of initiating complementary feeding, to breastfed young infants resulted in an elevation of serum ferritin and haemoglobin. The response was higher in initially anaemic infants. From a programmatic perspective, evidence needs to be generated on the relative merits of selective (anaemic) versus general supplementation and daily versus weekly supplementation.

Suplementación con hierro en escolares anémicos

Se estudiaron 60 niños, con un promedio de edad de 6 años a 7 meses en una localidad subtropical del Ecuador. Se obtuvieron valores de hemoglobina (Hb) antes del tratamiento y luego de 30 días de administración de hierro oral 3 mg/kg/día. el cumplimiento de las indicaciones terapéuticas se evaluó siguiendo la metodología vigente en unidades de salud y por profesinales médicos. Se analizó el patrón de rendimiento escolar por calificaciones globales y se obtuvo datos antropométricos (edad, peso, talla). Se encontró una prevalencia de anemia de 33.3 por ciento, más acentuada en hombre y en el grupo de niños nutricionalmnente normales (36.3 por ciento). La prevalencia de desnutrición global, crónica y aguda fue de 42.5 por ciento, 38.3 por ciento y 20.07 por ciento respectivamente. Llama la atención este último dato, el cual es mayor que las cifras de referencia. El cumplimiento del tratamiento fue del 80 por ciento y la corrección de anemia fue únicamente del 18 por ciento. No se encontró cambios en el rendimiento escolar luego de la suplementación con hierro...