ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: In infants and children recovering from severe malnutrition, iron deficiency is common, and the ability to absorb iron during such recovery is uncertain. The objective of this study was to determine iron absorption during recovery from malnutrition. METHODS: During the later stages of recovery from malnutrition, erythrocyte incorporation of orally administered 58Fe was determined as a surrogate for iron absorption. Based on four indices, subjects were classified as iron-sufficient, iron-deficient or indeterminate. RESULTS: Of the 25 subjects, 9 were classified as iron sufficient, 5 as indeterminate and 11 as iron deficient; all but 5 had evidence of inflammation or infection. Geometric mean erythrocyte incorporation of 58Fe was 32.0% of the dose in the iron-deficient subjects, which was not significantly different (p = 0.073) than the 13.1% in the iron-sufficient subjects. Incorporation of 58Fe by the iron-sufficient subjects did not differ significantly from that by normal subjects in the same age range. Surprisingly, we found no correlation of erythrocyte incorporation of 58Fe and reticulocyte count. CONCLUSIONS: Even in the presence of infection or inflammation, iron absorption by children during a late stage of recovery from malnutrition is not impaired.
Subject(s)
Iron/pharmacokinetics , Nutrition Disorders/metabolism , Absorption , Body Height , Body Weight , Child, Preschool , Cohort Studies , Erythrocytes/metabolism , Female , Humans , Infant , Iron/blood , Iron Deficiencies , Iron Isotopes , Male , Nutrition Disorders/therapy , Reticulocyte CountABSTRACT
They were analyzed the reasons for avoiding or interrupting the breast feeding habits of infants. We included 701 pairs mother-child, who belonged to the marginal neighborhoods of Guadalajara City. Through an interview, it was gotten information about family, socioeconomic and demographic characteristics, and feeding patterns. In addition, it was carried out anthropometric measurements to all children for the evaluation of the nutritional status. Mothers with lower schooling (P less than 0.05), lower levels of life (P less than 0.01), higher parity (P less than 0.01), and with no social security had the higher prevalence of breast feeding practices. Insufficient production was the major cause of avoiding or interrupting breast feeding (65 and 35% respectively). Infant rejection of the breast milk was, the second cause in both cases, (7.6 and 21.6% respectively). Most of the cases, insufficient production and infant rejection of breast milk is due to defects on feeding techniques. Therefore, it is necessary to give more support and advise to the mother who is willing to breast feed her child. Breast feeding; interruption of; causes of; in marginal neighborhoods.
