Gaps between calcium recommendations to prevent pre-eclampsia and current intakes in one hospital in Argentina.

BACKGROUND: Hypertensive disorders are a major cause of maternal mortality. In Latin America and the Caribbean, pre-eclampsia accounts for approximately one in every four maternal deaths. The World Health Organization recommends calcium supplementation during pregnancy for the prevention and treatment of pre-eclampsia and eclampsia in locations where dietary calcium intake is low. Calcium intake in Argentina is reported to be below WHO recommended levels; however, calcium intake from supplements and water has not been fully evaluated. The objective of this study was to evaluate calcium intake from supplements and water in a group of pregnant women. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted at a maternity hospital in the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Questionnaires were verbally administered to women attending a routine antenatal care visit. Participants were 18 years of age or older and in their third trimester of pregnancy. Participants were first interviewed to evaluate nutritional supplement consumption and a subgroup was invited to undergo a 24-hour dietary recall. RESULTS: 137 women meeting inclusion criteria consented to participate. The average participant age was 27 years (SD±5.9), and all resided in an urban setting. None of the subjects took calcium supplements specifically, although 24 (17%) recalled taking supplements or antacids which contributed to their calcium intake. Mean calcium intake was 663 mg SD±389 for those women completing the 24-hour dietary recall,. This value increased to 706 mg SD±387 upon considering water intake and measuring chemical composition of water from the areas where women lived at the time of the interview and was further increased to 719 mg (SD±392) when calcium from supplements was taken into consideration. CONCLUSIONS: None of the subjects were consuming calcium supplements. Taking into account the low calcium intake in this population, diverse strategies would be required to comply with recommendations.

Pubertad en corderos pelibuey nacidos de ovejas con reproducción estacional o continua / Puberty in male pelibuey lambis offspring of seasonal or continuous breeding ewes

Corderos Pelibuey (n= 14) nacidos de siete madres con reproducción estacional (E) o de otras siete continuas (C) fueron mantenidos en condiciones intensivas con finalidad de determinar si existen diferencias en algunos eventos asociados a la pubertad. Los corderos, nacidos en noviembre, fueron pesados cada 15 días y una vez destetados a los 60 días fueron revisados semanalmente para registrar el momento del completo desprendimiento de adherencias prepuciales (DAP) y el grado de desarrollo de la circunferencia escrotal (CE). Al observarse el DAP, los corderos fueron sometidos semanalmente al electro-eyaculación (7,5 volts). No existieron diferencias (p>0.05) entre los grupos en la edad al DAP (92,29 ± 27,63 vs 95,43 ± 15,69 días para corderos E y C, respectivamente), y en el peso corporal al DAP (24,43 ± 24,14 ± 1,93 kg) y la CE (17,14 ± 2,17 vs 18,14 ± 1,44 cm) a esta edad. La CE se correlacionó con el DAP (r= 0,59, P= 0,026) y el peso corporal en este momento (r= 0,69, P= 0,007). Por otro lado, los corderos de ambos grupos tampoco mostraron diferencias (P>0,05) en el momento en que alcanzaron la pubertad, referida como el momento en que se obtuvo un eyaculado con al menos 50 x 10 elevado a la seis espermatozoides/mL y al menos 50% de motilidad (144,07 ± 8,43 días), el peso corporal (32,60 ± 3,94 kg) la CE (25,86 ± 2,24 cm) y el porcentaje de anormalidades espermáticas (18,33 ± 15,57%). La edad a la pubertad se correlacionó con la CE (r= 0,59, P= 0,027). Los resultados sugieren que los mecanismos fisiológicos que provocan la aparición de la pubertad en corderos Pelibuey son independientes del patrón de reproducción de sus madres.