Dietary practices and nutritional status of 0-24-month-old children from brazilian amazonia.

Auteur(s) :
Cardoso MA., Castro TG., Muniz PT., Baraldi LG.
Date :
Déc, 2009
Source(s) :
PUBLIC HEALTH NUTR. #12:12 p2335-42
Adresse :
Department of Nutrition, School of Public Health, University of São Paulo, Av Dr Arnaldo 715, São Paulo, Brazil.

Sommaire de l'article

Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To assess the nutritional status and dietary practices of 0-24-month-old children living in Brazilian Amazonia. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. Information on children’s dietary intakes was obtained from diet history data. Weight and length were measured for anthropometric evaluation. Fe status was assessed using fasting venous blood samples; Hb, serum ferritin and soluble transferrin receptor concentrations were measured. SETTING: The towns of Assis Brasil and Acrelândia in the state of Acre, north-west Brazil. SUBJECTS: A total of sixty-nine randomly selected 0-24-month-old children. RESULTS: Of these children, 40.3 % were anaemic, 63.1 % were Fe-deficient, 28.1 % had Fe-deficiency anaemia and 11.6 % were stunted. Breast-feeding was initiated by 97.1 % of mothers, followed by early feeding with complementary foods. The dietary pattern reflected a high intake of carbohydrate-rich foods and cow’s milk, with irregular intakes of fruit, vegetables and meat. All infants and 92.3 % of toddlers were at risk of inadequate Fe intakes. Fe from animal foods contributed on average 0.5 % and 14.3 % to total dietary Fe intake among infants and toddlers, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Poor nutritional status and inadequate feeding practices in this study population reinforce the importance of exclusive breast-feeding during the first 6 months of life. Greater emphasis is required to improve the bioavailability of dietary Fe during complementary feeding practices.

Source : Pubmed
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