Clecio Homrich da Silva

Consumption of medicines among adolescent students: a concern

OBJECTIVE To study the prevalence of medicine consumption among adolescent students and to correlate it with school type (public or private), grades and school shift, age and gender of the students, education level of the parents and family habit of medicine consumption. METHODS This is a cross-sectional study with a representative sample of the school population attending high school in Porto Alegre: 1,281 students from 58 groups, distributed in proportional strata of public and private schools. The questionnaire was answered individually and anonymously by the students inside of the classroom. The students provided information about their consumption of medicines during the seven previous days, specifying the kind of medicine used. Descriptive analysis of the variables, linear association and multiple logistic regression tests were used. RESULTS The use of medicines occurred in 49.5% of the sample. The most consumed pharmacological groups were analgesics/anti-inflammatories and anti-gout agents (32.5% of the consumption), and hormones and similar (12.1%). Analgesics/antipyretics/anti-inflammatories and estrogens/progestogens were, respectively, the most consumed medicines of the pharmacological groups above mentioned. Aspirin was the most consumed analgesic substance. Female students (RC = 2.24), 17 years old or over (RC = 1.41), with low maternal education (RC = 1.40), and whose relatives have the habit of consuming medicines (RC = 1.39), presented increased risk for medicine consumption. CONCLUSIONS It was found that the consumption of medicines is high among school adolescents, especially among girls and older students. Family habit of consumption and low maternal education also favor the use of medicines.

Maternal education level and low birth weight: a meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE To assess the association between maternal education level and birth weight, considering the circumstances in which the excess use of technology in healthcare, as well as the scarcity of these resources, may result in similar outcomes. METHODS A meta-analysis of cohort and cross-sectional studies was performed; the studies were selected by systematic review in the MEDLINE database using the following Key**words socioeconomic factors, infant, low birth weight, cohort studies, cross-sectional studies. The summary measures of effect were obtained by random effect model, and its results were obtained through forest plot graphs. The publication bias was assessed by Eggers test, and the Newcastle-Ottawa scale was used to assess study quality. RESULTS The initial search found 729 articles. Of these, 594 were excluded after reading the title and abstract; 21, after consensus meetings among the three reviewers; 102, after reading the full text; and three for not having the proper outcome. Of the nine final articles, 88.8% had quality ≥ six stars (Newcastle-Ottawa Scale), showing good quality studies. The heterogeneity of the articles was considered moderate. High maternal education showed a 33% protective effect against low birth weight, whereas medium degree of education showed no significant protection when compared to low maternal education. CONCLUSIONS The hypothesis of similarity between the extreme degrees of social distribution, translated by maternal education level in relation to the proportion of low birth weight, was not confirmed.

The rise of multiple births in Brazil

Aim: The aim of this study was to assess the rise in multiple births and its influence on trends of low birth weight (LBW) rates in Porto Alegre, Brazil.

Impact of Perinatal Different Intrauterine Environments on Child Growth and Development in the First Six Months of Life--IVAPSA Birth Cohort: rationale, design, and methods.

BackgroundIn the last twenty years, retrospective studies have shown that perinatal events may impact the individual health in the medium and long term. However, only a few prospective studies were designed to address this phenomenon. This study aims to describe the design and methods of the Impact of Perinatal Environmental Variations in the First Six Months of Life - the IVAPSA Birth Cohort.Method/DesignThis is a clinical study and involves the recruitment of a birth cohort from hospitals in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Mothers from different clinical backgrounds (hypertensive, diabetics, smokers, having an intrauterine growth restricted child for idiopathic reasons, and controls) will be invited to join the study twenty-four hours after the birth of their child. Data on economic, social, and maternal health care, feeding practices, anthropometric measures, physical activity, and neuropsychological evaluation will be obtained in interviews at postpartum, 7 and 15 days, 1, 3 and 6 months of life.DiscussionTo our knowledge, this is the first thematic cohort focused on the effects of intrauterine growth restriction to prospectively enroll mothers from different clinical backgrounds. The IVAPSA Birth Cohort is a promising research platform that can contribute to the knowledge on the relationship between perinatal events and their consequences on the childrens early life.

Análise de tendências das taxas de mortalidade infantil e de seus fatores de risco na cidade de Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil, no período de 1996 a 2008

The aim of this article was to determine trends in infant mortality and related risk factors in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil. The study was based on data from a live birth and infant death registry for the years 1996 to 2008. Times trends were analyzed for overall and partial infant mortality rates according to maternal schooling, number of prenatal visits, maternal age, number of live and dead children, sex of the newborn, type of delivery, birth weight, and type of hospital. Poisson regression was used to estimate the influence of socioeconomic status and other risk factors. The infant mortality rate dropped among mothers with less than 11 years of schooling. There were no significant changes among newborns of mothers with 12 or more years of schooling. Maternal socioeconomic status was the factor most closely associated with the reduction in infant mortality. Still, the downward trend failed to achieve its full potential, due to the increase in low birth weight.

Secular trend of very low birth weight rate in Porto Alegre, Southern Brazil.

The strong association of very low birth weight (VLBW; <1500 g) with infant mortality is well known. There are no data related to VLBW trends in Brazil although findings from some large surveys carried out in small- and medium-sized cities have demonstrated an increase in low birth weight (LBW; <2500 g) rates over the last 30 years. The aim of this study was to evaluate the secular trend of VLBW in the city of Porto Alegre, a large city in a developed area in southern Brazil, and the potential determinants of this trend during the 1990s and early 2000s. This is a registry-based study. Data were obtained from birth certificates of all live births in the city from 1994 to 2005. The variables analysed were: VLBW as the dependent variable and maternal age and schooling, type of delivery, type of hospital, number of live births, gestational age, newborn gender and unemployment rate. The incidence ratio rate (IRR) using Poisson regression was calculated to identify possible trends in VLBW rates. Poisson regressions were performed in order to assess the influence of some independent variables on VLBW. A total of 257,740 singleton newborns were delivered in the city during the period, with a steady reduction in the total number of live births per year from 23,296 in 1994 to 18,325 in 2005. The results showed a small but significant increase in VLBW (p for trend=0.049). There was a significant trend towards adequacy for gestational age per birth weight, suggesting a reduction in rates of intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) (p<0.001). The findings showed a significant increase of 1% per year in the probability of VLBW. The main risk factors were related to VLBW mothers with low levels of schooling, public hospitals and multiparity and nulliparity. After adjustment, nulliparity remained as a significant risk factor. The interaction between type of hospital and type of delivery indicated that the probability for VLBW was 3.6 times higher (p<0.001) among those born in public hospitals by Caesarean section than those born in private hospitals by vaginal delivery. The results show that southern Brazil is going through a demographic transition characterized by a significant decrease in number of live births associated with a small increase in VLBW rates, a decrease in IUGR rates and stabilization of LBW.

Temporal evolution of the risk factors associated with low birth weight rates in Brazilian capitals (1996-2011)

To analyze the trend of low birth weight (LBW) and its determinants in Brazilian state capitals between 1996 and 2011. We intended to determine which variables are associated with LBW during the period studied. This is a cross-sectional study that used data from the National Information System of Live Births from 26 state capitals and Brasilia (the federal capital), divided into five geographical regions. The Average Annual Percentage of Change (AAPC) was used to assess the possible time trend in the low birth weight rates for considering all regions together and each region separately, according to each variable, and the Poisson regression was calculated in order to demonstrate time trends in low birth weight and the impact of variables (age and educational maternal level, antenatal visits, type of delivery, and gestational age) during the period. All variables were analyzed together using the Poisson regression as well. From the total of 11,200,255 live births used in this study, there was a significant reduction in the number of live births, especially in the more developed regions. The low birth weight rate was 8 %, and it was stable during the period. Considering regional trends, the rate was higher in the Southeast and South regions, and significantly higher in the North, Northeast, and Central West regions. Improvements in maternal education and antenatal care coverage reduced the risk for low birth weight in all regions. Also, there was an increase in caesarean sections in all regions, with a small impact on low birth weight rates. Improvements in education and health care reduced the risk for low birth weight in all Brazilian regions during the period of study. Trends in low birth weight rates and the associated factors differ from region to region, showing different stages of demographic, epidemiological and developmental transition in Brazil. The present study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee at the Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (Protocol 120323).

Caffeine Intake During Pregnancy in Different Intrauterine Environments and its Association with Infant Anthropometric Measurements at 3 and 6 Months of Age

Objective To investigate the association between maternal caffeine intake during pregnancy and infant anthropometric measurements at age 3 and 6 months. Methods Longitudinal observational study of mother–child pairs stratified into five groups: diabetic women (DM), hypertensive women (HYP), smoking mothers (SMO), mothers of infants small for gestational age (SGA), and controls (CTL). Pairs were recruited from three public hospitals in Porto Alegre, Brazil, from 2011 to 2015, using a convenience sampling strategy. The Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) was administered on postpartum day 7 to evaluate maternal caffeine intake during pregnancy. The anthropometric measurements of interest (weight, length, and skinfold thickness) were assessed at birth and at age 3 and 6 months. Linear regression was used to analyze the interaction between caffeine intake and skinfold thickness. Results Overall, 272 mother–child pairs were investigated (41 DM, 26 HYP, 68 SMO, 25 SGA, and 112 CTL). There were no differences in anthropometric measurements between infants born to mothers who had and had not consumed caffeine during pregnancy (P > 0.05). Children of mothers in the DM group had the highest adjusted average skinfold thicknesses at 3 months. An interaction between maternal caffeine intake during pregnancy and the sum of skinfolds at age 3 months was found in the DM and CTL groups (P < 0.05). However, significant differences were not observed at 6 months. Conclusions Maternal caffeine intake influenced infants skinfold thickness measurements at 3 months of age. This parameter was reduced in infants born to mothers with DM and increased in those born to healthy control mothers.

A method for the assessment of facial hedonic reactions in newborns

OBJECTIVE This study describes a quantitative and qualitative methodology to assess hedonic responses to sweet stimulus in healthy newborns. METHODS A descriptive, cross-sectional, observational study, with healthy newborns (up to 24h of life), between 37 and 42 gestational weeks, vaginally born and breastfed previously to all tests. The evaluation of the newborns reactions was performed by hedonic facial expression analysis, characterized by facial expressions with rhythmic serial tongue protrusion after neutral or sweet solution intake. Initially, 1mL of water solution was provided to the newborn, followed by a 1-minute recording. Afterwards, the same amount of 25% sucrose solution was provided, performing a second recording. The concordance between researchers was analyzed by the Bland-Altman statistical method. RESULTS A total of 100 newborns (n=49 males, n=51 females; mean lifetime=15h 12min±6h 29min) were recorded for neutral and sucrose solution intake, totaling 197 videos (n=3 missing in the water treatment). These videos were double-blind analyzed and the test revealed a 90% concordance between the two trained researchers, in relation to both solutions. The intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.99 for both solutions, with a significant increase in frequency of hedonic expressions evoked by sucrose solution intake. CONCLUSIONS These results confirm that the proposed method has an efficient power to detect significant differences between neutral and sucrose stimuli. In conclusion, this evaluation method of hedonic facial reactions in newborns reflects the response to a specific taste.