[Motivations and Perceived Barriers to Initiate or Sustain Breastfeeding among Spanish Women]. / Motivaciones y barreras percibidas por las mujeres españolas en relación a la lactancia materna.

OBJECTIVE: Breastfeeding for its multiple benefits is the best cost-effective health intervention and should be a public health priority. The aim of this study was to determine motivations and barriers perceived by mothers to initiate or to maintain breastfeeding. METHODS: A cross-sectional, observational study was carried in 2013 out among 569 mothers resident in Spain, with children under the age of 2, who completed a structured questionnaire. A two-stage sampling, stratified by Autonomous Communities and non-probabilistic within each community was used. RESULTS: 88% of the mothers were breastfeeding their children or had breastfed. At the time of the survey 66.6% had stopped breastfeeding, and the average age for weaning was 6.4 (SD 3.8) months. The main reason for stopping breastfeeding was maternal perceptions of insufficient milk supply (29%). The second reason was going back to work (18%). 67% of the mothers said that they made the decision to breastfeed on their own. The main disadvantages reported were: the difficulty to reconcile breastfeeding and work (43%), breastfeeding in public places (39%), more frequent nighttime awakenings (62%) and the reduced weight gain of the baby (29%). Going back to work was the main reason for choosing formula feeding (34%) and also for initiating partial breastfeeding (39%). CONCLUSIONS: The main disadvantages reported were: the difficulty to reconcile breastfeeding and work, breastfeeding in public places, more frequent nighttime awakenings and the reduced weight gain of the baby. Going back to work was the main reason for choosing formula feeding and also for initiating partial breastfeeding.

OBJETIVO: La lactancia materna (LM) por sus múltiples beneficios es la mejor intervención coste-efectiva en salud y debería constituir un objetivo prioritario de salud pública. El objetivo de este estudio fue conocer las motivaciones y barreras percibidas por las madres para iniciar o mantener la LM. METODOS: Estudio observacional transversal con 569 madres residentes en España en 2013, con hijos menores de 2 años que cumplimentaron un cuestionario estructurado. Muestreo bietápico, estratificado por comunidades autónomas y no probabilístico en cada comunidad. RESULTADOS: El 88% de las madres daban LM o lo habían hecho. La edad media del destete fue 6.4 (DE 3.8) meses. El principal motivo para suspender la lactancia fue la sensación de baja producción de leche (29%) seguido de la incorporación al trabajo (18%). El 67% de las madres indicaron que la decisión de amamantar la habían tomado ellas mismas. La dificultad para combinar la LM con la actividad laboral (43%), dar el pecho en lugares públicos (39%), los despertares nocturnos (62%) y el menor aumento de peso del lactante (29%) fueron los inconvenientes más referidos. La incorporación laboral fue el principal motivo para elegir la lactancia artificial (34%) y para iniciar la lactancia parcial (39%). CONCLUSIONES: La dificultad para combinar la LM con la actividad laboral, dar el pecho en lugares públicos, los despertares nocturnos y la menor ganancia de peso del lactante fueron los inconvenientes más referidos. La incorporación laboral fue el principal motivo para elegir la lactancia artificial y para iniciar la lactancia parcial.

Effect of nutritional supplementation upon pregnancy rates of goats under semiarid rangelands and exposed to the male effect.

The aim of this study was to evaluate possible effects of improved protein and energy diet upon reproductive outcomes of adult goats under marginal rangeland grazing conditions and exposed to the male effect during the anoestrous-dry season. Adult goats (Nubian × Criollo, nonpregnant, nonlactating, n = 160, 22° 50' N, 100° 59' W, 1,653 m) were randomly divided in two experimental groups: Control (CG; n = 80) and Supplemented (SG; n = 80). Both CG and SG goats were kept together during the day for ranging a semiarid rangeland while separated accordingly at night. SG goats were individually supplemented [400 g kg(-1) day(-1); 14% CP and 2.92 Mcal DE kg(-1)] during a 30-day period. Thereafter, both the CG [35.5 ± 0.94 kg LW, 1.95 ± 0.06 U, body condition score (BCS)] and the SG [39.5 ± 0.94 kg LW, 2.29 ± 0.06 BCS] were exposed to adult males (Nubian, n = 4, two per group) of proven libido and fertility and kept together at night (1700-0900) during a 42-day experimental breeding period. At the beginning of the breeding period, both LW (P < 0.001) and BCS (P < 0.001) were higher in the SG, which was also reflected in higher pregnancy rate (92.5 vs. 76.3%, P < 0.01). Nonetheless, both CG and SG depicted an increased abortion rate (52.5 vs. 41.9% P > 0.05), respectively. Results suggest that nutritional supplementation and the male effect were able to successfully invoke neurophysiological pathways to increase ovarian activity and to promote a uterine milieu prone to the establishment of pregnancy during the anoestrus season. However, the increased abortion rates observed in the study occurred irrespective of the nutritional regime offered during the premating stage. Therefore, there is a need to align the last third of gestation to the onset of the grazing season in order to increase reproductive and economic efficiency in those rangeland-based marginal goat production systems.

Relative roles of photoperiodic and nutritional cues in modulating ovarian activity in goats.

The objective of the current study was to evaluate the influence of nutrition and its interaction with the photoperiod on the ovarian activity of Criollo goats. In early February (22 degrees NL, anestrous season) goats were randomly assigned to the two experimental groups: high (HN; n=10) and low (LN; n=10) nutrition goats. The HN group was fed in mixed prairies with grass and clover (17.3-/+7.5% of crude protein, CP; 66.3-/+5.7% dry organic matter, DOM) and received 150 g of concentrate (12% CP) per goat and day. The LN group received only corn stubble (6.2-/+0.7% CP, 53.7-/+1.9% DOM). Serum progesterone (P(4)) and triiodothyronine (T(3)) concentrations were measured (RIA) at three selected periods of seasonal anestrous: early (8-24(th) March), mid (13(th) April - 3(rd) May) and late (26(th) May - 14(th) June) anestrous. Body weight, body condition and body condition index were determined at the beginning of the study and every 14 days. Body weight was positively correlated with serum T(3) (r=0.704; p<0.05). The percentage of cycling does during the three examined periods was higher (p<0.05) in the HN group than in the LN group (80 vs. 30%, 80 vs. 20%, and 60 vs. 10%, respectively). The high nutrition level increased reproductive activity of Criollo goats during all three periods of the anestrous season including deep anestrous.

Factors influencing pregnancy outcome in women with type 2 versus type 1 diabetes mellitus.

AIM: To compare pregnancy outcome and factors related to adverse perinatal outcome in women with type 1 versus type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Multicentre retrospective study. Some 404 women were studied, 257 with type 1 DM and 147 with type 2 DM. Main outcome measures were rates of prematurity, macrosomia, instrumental deliveries, congenital malformations, need for neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), and perinatal mortality. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in pregnancy outcome between women with type 1 and type 2 DM, except for an increased rate of instrumental deliveries in women with type 1 DM. In these women, duration of diabetes was a significant predictor of caesarean delivery (OR =1.06 (1.01-1.12); p=0.02). Chronic hypertension was positively related to prematurity (p=0.02), and proved to be a significant predictor of birth weight lower than 2,500 g (OR =3.54 (1.4-12.49); p=0.043) and perinatal mortality (OR =10.6 (1.15-117.6); p=0.04). In women with type 2 DM, third trimester higher glycosylated haemoglobin was related to both prematurity (OR 4.9 (1.7-14.4; p=0.004) and low birth weight. Macrosomia was a significant risk factor for caesarean section. First trimester glycosylated haemoglobin was related to congenital malformations and proved to be a significant predictor of perinatal mortality (OR =2.4 (1.02-5.74); p=0.04). CONCLUSIONS: Duration of DM and chronic hypertension were the most influential factors related to adverse perinatal outcomes in women with type 1 DM, and poor metabolic control and macrosomia in women with type 2 DM.

Efectos de la inclusión de un concentrado de proteína de soya y dos fuentes de energía en el substituto de leche en el comportamiento productivo de cabritos nubios / Effect of a soy protein concetrate and two energy sources as milk substitutes on productive performance nubian kids

El objetivo de este trabajo fue evaluar la inclusión de un concentrado de proteína de soya y dos fuentes de energía en el substituto de leche sobre el comportamiento productivo de cabritos Nubios desde el nacimiento hasta el destete, manejados en la Unidad Caprina de la Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, México. Se utilizaron sesenta y ocho cabritos (35 hembras y 33 machos) asignados de manera aleatoria a los tratamientos: T1: proteína láctea + sebo de res, T1: 20,0 por ciento de concentrado de proteína de soya + sebo de res, T1: 40,0 por ciento de concentrado de proteína de soya + sebo de res, T1: proteína láctea + sebo de puerco, T1: 20,0 por ciento de concentrado de proteína de soya + sebo de puerco y, T1: 40,0 por ciento de concentrado de proteína de soya + sebo de puerco. El concentrado de proteína de soya no afectó (P>0,05) el consumo de dieta líquida ni la ganancia diaria de peso promedio, pero afectó significativamente (P<0,05) el consumo de concentrado de iniciación (95;95 y 97 g d-¹ animal-¹). Las fuentes de energía no afectaron (P>0,05) el consumo de la dieta líquida ni la ganancia diaria de peso promedio, pero afectaron (P<0,05) el consumo de concentrado de iniciación (97 vs 95 g d-¹ animal-¹). El sexo de los cabritosno afectó (P>0,05) el consumo del substituto de leche ni la ganancia diaria de peso promedio, pero si afectó (P<0,05) el consumo de concentrado de iniciación (100 vs. 92 g d-1animal-1para machos y hembras, respectivamente). El periodo experimental (semanas) afectó significativamente (P<0,05) todas las variables. Los niveles de concentrado de proteína de soya, fuentes de energía y sexo de la cría no afectaron (P>0,05) la conversión de alimento en base a sólidos totales de la leche. Se presentaron algunas interacciones significativas (P<0,05) en el consumo de substituto de leche y concentrado de iniciación.

The objective of this work was to evaluate the inclusion of a concentrate of soy protein and two energy sources as milk substitutes on productive performance of Nubian kids from birth to weaning, managed at the Goat Unit of the Faculty of Agronomy, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, México. Sixty eight kids (35 females and 33 males) were randomly assigned to the treatments: T1 : lactic protein + cow lard, T2 : 20.0% of concentrate of soy protein + cow lard, T3 : 40.0% of concentrate of soy protein + cow lard, T4 : lactic protein + pork lard, T5 : 20.0% concentrate of soy protein + pork lard and, T6 : 40.0% of concentrate of soy protein + pork lard. The concentrate of soy protein did not affect (P>0.05) neither the consumption of liquid diet nor average daily weight gain, but it affected (P<0.05) consumption of the starting concentrate (95; 95, and 97 g d-¹ animal-¹). The energy sources did not affect (P>0.05) neither consumption of the liquid diet nor average daily weight gain, but they affected (P<0.05) consumption of the starting concentrate (97 vs 95 g d-¹ animal-¹). Sex of kid did not affect (P>0.05) neither consumption of the milk substitute nor average daily weight gain, but it affected (P<0.05) consumption of the starting concentrate (100 vs 92 g d-¹ animal-¹ for males and females, respectively). The experimental period (weeks) affected (P<0.05) all variables. The levels of the concentrate of soy protein, energy sources, and sex of kids did not affect (P>0.05) feed conversion based on milk total solids. There were some significant interactions (P<0.05) on consumption of the milk substitute and starting concentrate. It is concluded that it is possible to raise kids with milk substitutes prepared with a concentrate of soy protein, cow and/or pork lard.