Saude da crianca no final do seculo XX: analise dos indicadores de saude publicados pelo UNICEF em 1990. II - no mundo / Health of the child in the final of century XX: evaluation of the indicators published by UNICEF in 1990. II - in the world

Analisamos um conjunto de indicadores de saude infantil em 30 paises do mundo e caracterizamos 4 grupos de paises: G1 compreende 18 paises nos quais a condicao de saude infantil e satisfatoria, destacando-se neste grupo o predominio de paises desenvolvidos, os paises europeus e o Japao como os melhores. Os EUA situam-se isoladamente em G1 em decorrencia de seus baixos indices de vacinacao. G2 onde se encontra o Brasil e G3 sao intermediarios. E finalmente G4 que compreende Bolivia, Camaroes, Republica Centro Africana, Paquistao, India e Bamgladesh, paises com as piores condicoes economicas, de desenvolvimento e de saude infantil. Esses dados alertam para a necessidade de maior investimento na area de saude infantil nos paises em desenvolvimento a fim de se tentar atingir a meta "Saude para todos no ano 2000" .

Saude da crianca no final do seculo XX: Avaliacao dos indicadores publicados pelo UNICEF em 1990 - I - Nas Americas / Health of the child in the final of the century XX: evaluation of the indicators published by UNICEF in 1990. I - In the Americans

Analisamos um conjunto de indicadores de saude a fim de avaliar as condicoes de saude da crianca em paises das Americas do Sul e do Norte. Caracterizamos 3 grupos de paises: G1 (Argentina, Uruguai, Chile, Canada e Estados Unidos) com melhores condicoes de saude; G2 (Brasil, Guiana, Mexico, Colombia e Venezuela) intermediarios e G3 (Equador, Peru, Paraguai e no extremo Bolivia) onde as condicoes de saude sao menos favoraveis. Os EUA embora pertencam ao primeiro grupo, situam-se isoladamente em decorrencia de seus baixos indices de vacinacao. Esses dados demonstram que a saude da crianca nao e um privilegio de paises desenvolvidos e deve ser encarada como prioridade social na maioria dos paises americanos .

Alkaline ribonuclease activity in maternal serum and in serum of newborns from birth up to thirty days of age. A study made with full-term appropriate-, full-term small- and preterm appropriate-for-gestational-age infants.

We have studied the alkaline ribonuclease (RNase) activity in maternal serum and serum of full-term small- (T-SGA), full-term appropriate- (T-AGA) and preterm appropriate-for-gestational age (PT-AGA) newborns. A significantly lower level of RNase was observed in T-AGA and T-SGA newborns on the 30th day of age and in PT-AGA newborns on the 15th and 30th days of age, as compared to other T-AGA, T-SGA and PT-AGA groups of infants at birth. RNase activity was significantly higher in cord blood than in the maternal blood in all categories studied. Moreover, in preterm newborns, RNase activity in cord blood was significantly higher in those presenting a lower gestational age. We did not observe any significant difference in RNase levels in the cord blood of newborns from the 3 categories studied. The same results were observed concerning maternal blood. We, therefore, conclude that RNase activity in cord blood or in maternal blood is not a very satisfactory indicator of fetal malnutrition.

Effects of intrauterine malnutrition on brain free amino acids of young rats, after nutritional recovery during lactation period.

The effect of protein-calorie malnutrition during gestation on the brain amino acids of rat pups was studied following nutritional recovery during lactation. The brain amino acids of rat pups born to dam rats malnourished during gestation were studied after these rat pups received proper nutrition during lactation. Pregnant rats were fed a 1% protein diet with total caloric intake restricted to half that of controls. After birth, the offspring of rats fed on deficient diets were nurtured up to the 28th day postpartum by foster mothers receiving adequate diets. At this time, the offspring were killed. The control group consisted of offspring from pregnant rats fed a diet with adequate protein (21%) and calories during the entire gestation and lactation period. Quantitation of brain amino acids in the pups at 28 days postpartum showed lower concentrations of essential and nonessential amino acids in the rats malnourished during gestation. Concentrations of histidine, glycine, and alpha-aminobutyric acid were all reduced. These findings demonstrate that the brains of rat pups malnourished during gestation show persistent decreases in specific brain amino acids after adequate postpartum nutrition.

[Intrauterine malnutrition in rats. II. Study of weight and mortality of the offspring]. / Desnutrição intrauterina em ratos. II Estudo do peso e mortalidade do produto da concepção.

Rats were submitted to protein-calorie deprivation during different periods of gestation and the body weight and mortality of offspring were evaluated at 0, 28 and 90 days of age. The body weight was considered adequate (n) when the values were up to 2 SD below the mean values of control animals, or inadequate (d) when the values were below 2 SD. Rats of the control group (C) were fed ad libitum (protein 21%), and the rats of the experimental groups were fed during all gestational period (D), during the first half (D1) or second half of pregnancy (D2), with a diet containing 1% of protein, and the intake reduced to 50%. Significant differences were observed in the ponderal evolution for all experimental groups. Group D was the most damaged, with the greatest ponderal deficiency and the greatest mortality rates. Similar behavior was observed for D2. Group D1 was similar to C with the best results and the lowest mortality rate.

[Intrauterine malnutrition in rats. I. Impact on weight gain, length of pregnancy and number of offspring]. / Desnutricão intrauterina em ratos. I. Repercussões no ganho de peso, tempo de gestação e no número de recém--nascidos.

Rats were submitted to protein-caloric deprivation during different periods of gestation. Maternal body weight gain, duration of pregnancy and number of offspring were evaluated. Rats of the control group (C) were fed ad libitum (protein 21%), and rats of the experimental groups were fed during all gestational period (D), during the first half (D1) or second half of pregnancy (D2) with a diet containing 1% of protein, and the intake was reduced to 50%. We concluded that malnutrition during pregnancy induced lower maternal weight (C greater than D1 greater than D2 greater than D) and lower number of offspring ( [C = D1] greater than D2 greater than D). No differences were observed in the duration of pregnancy in all groups studied.

Desnutricao intrauterina em ratos. I.Repercussoes no ganho de peso, tempo de gestacao e no numero de recem-nascidos. / Intrauterine malnutrition in rats: I. Repercussions in Weight gain, lenght of pregnancy and number of offsprings

Os autores verificaram a influencia da desnutricao proteico-calorica, em ratas, durante determinados periodos da gestacao, no que se refere a ganho de peso na gravidez, tempo de gestacao e numero de recemnascidos. Para tanto, foram constituidos quatro grupos experimentais: controle (C), receberam, a vontade, racao com 21% de proteinas; desnutrido toda gestacao (D), (D1), desnutrido na segunda metade da gestacao (D2). As ratas dos grupos desnutridos receberam racao com l% de proteina e em quantidade igual a metade da oferecida ao grupo C. Foram observadas diferencas significativas no ganho de peso entre os grupos estudados (C > D1 > D2 > D), sendo que o grupo D, em media, perdeu peso. Nao foram constatadas diferencas significativas quanto a duracao da gestacao e sim quanto ao numero de recem-nascidos (C=D1) > D2 > D

Desnutricao intrauterina em ratos.II. Estudo do peso e mortalidade do produto da concepcao. / Intrauterine malnutrition in rats. II. Study of the weight and mortality of the offspring

Ratas foram submetidas a desnutricao proteico-calorica durante varios periodos da gestacao e o peso corporal e mortalidade da ninhada foram estabelecidos aos 0,28 e 90 dias de vida. O peso corporal foi considerado adequado (n), quando se situava ate dois desvios-padrao abaixo da media de animais controles, ou inadequado (d) quando se situava abaixo de dois desviospadrao. As ratas do grupo controle (C) foram alimentadas ad libitum (proteina 21%) e os grupos experimentais foram alimentados durante toda a gestacao (D), na primeira metade (Dl) ou segunda metade (D2) com dieta contendo l% de proteina, sendo a quantidade oferecida reduzida a 50%. Foram observadas diferencas significativas na evolucao ponderal para todos os grupos experimentais. O grupo D foi o mais seriamente comprometido, com os maiores deficits ponderais e maiores indices de mortalidade; comportamento semelhante foi observado para o grupo D2. O grupo Dl apresentou comportamento proximo ao C, com os melhores resultados e menores indices de mortalidade