Levels of Aflatoxin M1 in Breast Milk of Lactating Mothers in Monterrey, Mexico: Exposure and Health Risk Assessment of Newborns.

The present study aimed to determine the presence of the aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) in breast milk samples from 123 nursing women and the degree of exposure of infants to this toxin, in the metropolitan area of Monterrey, Nuevo Leon state (northeast Mexico). Upon analysis, 100% of the samples were found to be contaminated with the toxin at an average concentration of 17.04 ng/L, with a range of 5.00 to 66.23 ng/L. A total of 13.01% of the breast milk samples exceeded the regulatory limit of 25 ng/L for AFM1 concentration, set by the European Union. The estimated daily intake for AFM1 and the carcinogenic risk index were also determined in the 0- to 6-, 7- to 12-, 13- to 24-, and 25- to 36-month-old age groups. The AFM1 intake through breast milk ranged from 1.09 to 20.17 ng/kg weight/day, and was higher than the tolerable daily intake, indicating a carcinogenic risk for infants in the age groups of 0- to 24-months old. This evidence demonstrates a susceptibility of breast milk to AFM1 contamination that may suggest a carcinogenic risk for the breastfed infants in Monterrey city, Nuevo Leon state, and the need to control the presence of aflatoxins in foods eaten by nursing mothers.

Association between Bone Mineral Density and Metabolic Syndrome among Reproductive, Menopausal Transition, and Postmenopausal Women.

The menopausal transition stage brings physiological changes associated with the development of metabolic syndrome (MetS), which can affect bone mineral density (BMD), and may be more evident in the postmenopausal stage. The aim of this study was assessing the association between low BMD and MetS and its components among reproductive/menopausal transition and postmenopausal women in the northeast region of Mexico. A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out (2015-2016) in 40-60-year-old women (n = 376) who were residents in the metropolitan area of Monterrey, in Nuevo Leon State, Mexico. Anthropometric measurements, blood pressure, a dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) evaluation of BMD of two anatomical sites (lumbar spine and dual femur), and a biochemical analysis were obtained. The prevalence of MetS was 57.2%. In participants without MetS, the prevalence of osteopenia was 27.3% in the lumbar spine and 18.6% in the dual femur, while in participants with MetS, the prevalence of osteopenia was 35.8% in the lumbar spine and 14.4% in the dual femur. Osteoporosis in participants without MetS was present in 6.8% in the lumbar spine and in 1.8% in the dual femur, while in women with MetS, its prevalence was 4.7% in the lumbar spine and 0.5% in the dual femur. An association between low BMD at the lumbar spine and dual femur and components of MetS diseases was identified in Mexican women as follows: waist circumference ≥ 88 cm showed an increase risk for low BMD at femoral site in both reproductive/menopausal transition (OR 7.638; 95% CI: 1.607-36.298; p = 0.011) and postmenopausal women (OR 2.600; 95% CI: 1.023-6.609; p = 0.045); HDL < 50 mg/dL was associated with low BMD in both the femur (OR 3.639; 95% CI: 1.039-12.743; p = 0.043) and lumbar spine (OR 2.654; 95% CI: 1.092-6.447; p = 0.031); hypertension in postmenopausal women increased the risk for low BMD in the femur (OR 2.634; 95% CI: 1.150-6.035; p = 0.022). In conclusion, we found that components of the MetS were associated with low BMD, thus indicating that MetS increases the risk for developing osteopenia or osteoporosis. Furthermore, age was found to be an independent risk factor for low BMD.

[Concurrent validity and efficiency of the CBTD for the surveillance of mental health on children and adolescents at a primary health care center in Mexico]. / Eficiencia y validez concurrente del CBTD para la vigilancia de la salud mental de niños y adolescentes en un centro de atención primaria de México.

BACKGROUND: Child psychopathology can e understood as normal development gone awry. Attention to psychosocial and behavioural problems has long been recommended as a critical component of well-child care. Likewise, screening for emotional and behavioural problems has been recommended as a routine part of health supervision visits. Different screening instruments have been developed and are widely used. Most of them include a dimensional measurement for internalizing, externalizing, and attention problems, but there is also the need to develop screening algorithms for specific psychiatric syndromes. OBJECTIVE: To present the concurrent validity and efficiency indicators of the Brief Screening and Diagnostic Questionnaire, CBTD, in a primary care health center (PCHC) at Mexico City, as a tool for the surveillance of mental health on children and adolescents. MATERIALS AND METHOD: A sample of 667 consecutive patients (4-16 years old) whose parents responded the CBTD. All patients who obtained a score of five or more symptoms were clinically interviewed using the MINI-KID, together with one of every ten subjects with a lower score. RESULTS: Efficiency showed a sensitivity of 68%, specificity of 82%, positive predictive value (PPV) of 88% and a negative predictive value (NPV) of 57%. When two or more CBTD syndromes are present the PPV is almost 100%. Concurrent validity showed a fair agreement for most of the CBTD syndromes as compared to DSM-IV diagnoses. Syndromes suggesting brain abnormalities, not included in scales of other widely used screening instruments, showed a PPV of 92% and NPV of 96.4%. CONCLUSIONS: The screening results from the CBTD can be used either categorically or dimensionally facilitating the surveillance of mental health on children and adolescents as different syndromatic profiles can be identified and followed for evaluation, along with complementary familial and psychosocial information.