Beatriz Lobo

Crecimiento de niños amamantados y alimentados con biberón hasta los 2 años de vida: estudio CLACYD, 1993-1995

The growth in weight and height from birth to 24 months were compared for 2 groups of breast- or bottle-fed infants in Cordoba Argentina and the growth pattern of the breast-fed infants was compared to the reference norms of the US National Center for Health Statistics/WHO and the WHO 12-month breast-fed pooled data set. Information on 74 infants breast-fed for 1 year and 108 infants weaned within 60 days and bottle-fed were recorded using standardized procedures at birth and 6 12 and 24 months from the Cordoba lactation feeding growth and development study (CLACYD). The infants were stratified by socioeconomic status (SES). The 2 groups were homogeneous in parental age and education SES birth order maternal height and childrens birth weight and length. Living conditions as indicated by housing construction potable water and sewage services were significantly better for the bottle-fed group. The breast-fed infants showed slower increases in both weight and length at 6 12 and 24 months than did the bottle-fed infants. They also showed slowing of growth in comparison to the NCHS/WHO norms beginning at 6 months. Infants in the upper and middle social strata were similar in weight and length to the values of the WHO 12-month pooled data set. Infants in low and very low social strata were similar in weight to the norms in the pooled data set but not in length reflecting the influence of their living conditions. The study findings suggest that the NCHS/WHO norms may not be ideal for evaluating the growth of breast-fed children in Cordoba.

Talla final de mujeres de Córdoba, Argentina, y exploración de la tendencia secular (1978­1988)

Este trabajo tuvo por objeto aportar datos locales sobre la talla final de mujeres de Cordoba, Argentina, y explorar la posibilidad de una tendencia secular en su crecimiento. Se examinaron 513 mujeres de 18 a 40 anos de edad, madres de ninos incluidos en el estudio CLACYD (Cordoba: lactancia, alimentacion, crecimiento y desarrollo). Las mediciones se realizaron segun tecnicas estandarizadas, durante mayo y junio de 1994. Usando como normas de referencia datos del Centro Nacional de Estadisticas de Salud de los Estados Unidos de America, la media de la talla final de la poblacion estudiada (157,9 cm) correspondio a una desviacion estandar (DE) de 0,97 con respecto al percentil 50 de la norma de referencia de ese centro; la del grupo de estrato social alto (159,7 cm), a una DE de 0,67 y la del estrato muy bajo (156,2 cm), a una DE de 1,25. La diferencia entre los valores de los estratos sociales fue estadisticamente significativa (P : 24 anos) y G 2 ( : 34 anos). Las mujeres del primer grupo registraton una talla final 0,4 cm mayor que la observada en las del segundo grupo (P = 0,47). El aumento secular registrado es notoriamente inferior a los publicados en relacion con otras provincias argentinas (1,2 y 1,4 cm/decenio) y algo menor al promedio que se notifica en estudios de poblaciones en Australia, Belgica, los Estados Unidos, Japon y Noruega (0,6 cm/decenio). Se concluye que en el periodo analizado (19781988) las condiciones de vida en la ciudad de Cordoba no han mejorado de forma que se refleje en un aumento significativo de la talla de las mujeres adultas. Se recomienda que los programas de salud y nutricion materna concentren sus recursos en las madres de estrato social muy bajo que registran tallas inferiores a 145 cm.Data on the height of 513 women 18-40 years old was used in an analysis of height of women in the city of Cordoba Argentina and the possible existence of a secular trend in height. The women were mothers of infants included in a long-term study of child nutrition and development that began in 1993. The mothers were measured in May and June 1994 when the children were 1 year old. The study population was classified into 6 social strata defined by occupation. The mean full height of the study population was 157.9 cm 0.97 standard deviation below the reference norm which was the 50th-percentile level obtained from the US National Center for Health Statistics. The average height of the highest status group was 159.7 cm 0.67 standard deviation below the reference norm while that of the lowest status group 156.2 cm was 1.25 standard deviation below the norm. The difference between the highest and lowest strata was statistically significant. 2.3% of the study population were under 145 cm tall the level generally defined as at increased risk in childbearing. A comparison of the final heights of 344 women whose mean age was 24 with those of 169 women whose mean age was 34 showed the younger women to be 0.4 cm taller on average. The increase was less than the 1.2 and 1.4 cm observed for other Argentine provinces. It was concluded that living conditions in the city of Cordoba did not improve sufficiently to reflect a significant increase in the height of women.