RESUMEN

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The assessment of child feeding practices has received renewed attention through the development of an infant and child feeding index (ICFI). However, the advantages and shortcomings of such a summary index are still not well known. The aim of this study was to assess the usefulness of ICFI as an analytical tool (1) by studying its association with complementary food energy intake and mean micronutrient density adequacy (MMDA) and (2) by testing whether ICFI and its components are associated with length-for-age z-score (LAZ) of 6-23 months children in urban Madagascar. SUBJECTS/METHODS: ICFI was constructed using data from questionnaires on feeding practices and quantitative 24-h recalls (n=1589). Multivariate analysis was used to control for household wealth and other confounding factors. RESULTS: ICFI was positively correlated with complementary food energy intake (P<0.0001) and MMDA (P<0.0001). ICFI was associated with LAZ among 6-8 months children (P=0.02). For all ages combined, there was a tendency towards an association that did not reach statistical significance (P=0.08). Among feeding practices that formed ICFI, breastfeeding was associated with LAZ (P=0.03) but not in the expected direction with +0.16 z-score difference in favour of non-breast-fed children. When breastfeeding was removed and introduced separately into the multivariate model, the relationship between the modified ICFI and LAZ became significant (P=0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that the ICFI could be a useful analytical tool, which needs however to be constructed according to its final use and which should be adapted to each context.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

Traditional cereal-based fermented foods are frequently used as complementary foods for infants and young children in Africa. This is the case for ben-saalga, a popular fermented gruel produced from pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) in Burkina Faso. Detailed knowledge of traditional processing is a prerequisite for investigating ways to improve both the nutritional and sanitary qualities of the corresponding foodstuff. In this work, the traditional processing of pearl millet into ben-saalga was investigated in 24 production units, and fermentation kinetics were studied in pilot scale experiments. Processing steps include: washing (optional), soaking of the grains (first fermentation step), grinding and sieving of the wet flour, settling (second fermentation step), and cooking. The soaking step was mainly characterized by alcoholic fermentation whereas lactic acid fermentation occurred during the settling step. Fermentation kinetics during settling indicates a temporal variation of metabolic activity. Initially, both homofermentative and heterofermentative pathways were simultaneously active, and later only a homofermentative pathway was active. The paste produced at the end of settling had a low pH (4.0+/-0.4) and its microflora was dominated by lactic acid bacteria (LAB) with an amylolytic LAB/LAB ratio of 12%. Sucrose disappeared in the grains during soaking but was not detected in the soaking water, whereas glucose, fructose and maltose appeared transiently. Glucose and fructose were the main substrates observed for lactic acid fermentation during the settling step; however unbalanced fermentation led to the hypothesis that starch hydrolysis products may also serve as substrates for lactic acid formation. At the end of the processing, a 75% and 83% decrease was observed in phytate (IP6) and raffinose, respectively. The sour gruel ben-saalga resulting from cooking the sour paste had inadequate nutritional characteristics with respect to infants' and young children's requirements; it was characterized by fluid consistency (Bostwick flow: 137 mm/30 s) and low energy density (about 30 kcal/100 g of gruel).

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of the incorporation of amylase in maize-based flours prepared as gruels on the energy intake and growth of Congolese infants. DESIGN: A randomised controlled trial. At 18 weeks of age, infants were randomised into either an intervention group, where they were provided with a maize/soya-based flour that contained amylase, or a control group, where they were provided with a similar flour that did not contain amylase. SETTING: Urban borough of Poto-Poto in Brazzaville, The Congo. SUBJECTS: Eighty infants (40 in each group) were randomised into intervention and control groups. Three infants in the intervention group and two controls subsequently dropped out. RESULTS: At 24 weeks, the addition of amylase resulted in a significant increase in energy intake (in kJ kg-1 day-1) from gruels without affecting breast milk consumption. In contrast, total energy intake (in kJ kg-1 day-1) did not differ significantly between groups (P= 0.08). After adjustment for morbidity and previous growth, infants in the intervention group showed better growth in length during the trial (+0.22 cm month-1; P= 0.04), especially between 24 and 31 weeks of age (+0.51 cm month-1; P< 0.01). There were no differences in weight velocity between groups. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study suggest that the consumption of amylase-treated gruels allows an increase in energy intake from these gruels without affecting breast milk consumption but has no impact on total daily energy intake. However, if started after 6 months, it could be effective in preventing faltering of infant linear growth.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

Numerous studies have been carried out to investigate energy density and consistency of gruels for infants in developing countries. However, starch-rich gruels have a complex rheological behavior and their consistency is difficult to characterize. Many published gruel viscosity data are available, but the lack of standardized viscosity measurement procedures makes comparisons and interpretations difficult. The influences of viscometer type and viscosity measurement conditions on gruels prepared with simple or multicomponent flours were assessed in this study. The results showed a drastic decrease in apparent viscosity when the shear rate increased. Other factors like shear time and gruel temperature also had a marked influence on apparent viscosity. For two types of gruel (maize or multicomponent flour) prepared at different concentrations, correspondences between a short qualitative description of the consistency and apparent viscosity values obtained with several viscometers in different measurement conditions are given. Finally, recommendations are put forward on techniques to obtain valid data on gruel consistency, adapted to each type of study (laboratory, field or large-scale surveys).

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

In free living conditions, 24 breastfed infants, aged 6 to 10 months, were given successively five experimental gruels to study the effect of energy density (ED) and sweetness (sweet taste) on energy intakes (EI). Four gruels (G0, G1, G9 and G20) were prepared with experimental flours which were composed of the same local ingredients and which contained different levels of sucrose. The fifth gruel (GC) was prepared with an industrial flour. G0 had an average ED of 45 kcal/100 g (189 kJ/100 g) and the other gruels an average ED of 110 kcal/100 g (461 kJ/100 g). Although the sugar contents of the flours were 1% for G1, 9% for G0 and G9 and 20% for G20, because of flour composition and gruel dry matter content, the gruel G1 had the same sweetness as G0, G20 the same sweetness as GC and G9 a sweetness between that of G1 and G20. The results show that the amounts of G0 consumed were significantly higher than those of high ED gruels (7.84 for G0 vs 6.12, 5.63, 4.46, 4.72 g/kg body weight/meal, respectively for G20, G9, G1 and GC, P < 0.05). However, EI from high ED gruels were significantly (P < 0.001) higher than those from G0 (6.65, 6.10, 4.86, 4.83 kcal/kg/meal, respectively for G20, G9, G1 and GC vs 3.46 for G0). Energy intakes from G9 and G20 gruels were not significantly different but were significantly higher than those from GC and G1 (P < 0.001). So, consumption of sweet gruels with high ED and composed of local ingredients increased, at least by 76%, the EI from gruels in comparison with those from low ED gruels, but the amounts consumed by the infants remained too low to cover more than 15% of their daily total energy needs.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

The effects of the January 1994 devaluation of the African Financial Community (CFA) franc on the nutritional situation of the populations concerned has been little documented. We report in this article on two nutritional cross-sectional surveys that were conducted before and after this devaluation (1993 and 1996) in two districts of Brazzaville, Congo. The surveys involved a representative sample of 4206 households with a child aged 4-23 months. Complementary feeding practices and the anthropometric indices of the children and their mothers were compared, adjusting for changes in household socioeconomic characteristics. The results show a decline in the quality of the first complementary foods offered to the infants, i.e. less frequent use of special transitional foods and imported complementary flours (of higher nutritional quality), and preparation of less nutritious local gruels. Overall, the nutritional situation had deteriorated, with greater levels of stunting and wasting among children, mothers with lower body mass index, and infants with reduced birth weights. Increased food prices would appear to be the direct cause of the decreased quality in complementary feeding, but factors other than the devaluation have also had an impact on household welfare. The influence of these factors on nutritional-status is discussed.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

Increasing the roasting time of soybeans from 15 (RSF15) to 25 (RSF25) min led to an important decrease in the antitryptic activity and immunoreactivity of the storage globulins, but it did not seem to greatly affect the concentrations of the indispensable amino acids in the protein. The RSF15 and RSF25 flours were used as the only protein sources in balanced diets for growing rats, and they were compared to a diet based on casein in a pair-feeding experiment. When roasted as usually happens at the workshop level (RSF15), soybean flour induced a significant hypertrophy of the pancreas. Increasing the roasting time by up to 25 min considerably improved the nutritional value of the soybean protein, without apparent consequence on the levels of free amino acid pools in the plasma and muscles. The data also indicated that the tissues of the small and large intestines of the young rat were sensitive to the hyperactivity of the intestinal microflora, and also possibly to the residual activity of some antinutritional factors.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

Forty market samples of locally produced (33) and imported (7) cereal-based flours used for complementary feeding in some African countries and Vietnam were studied in order to characterise their macronutrient content and, when prepared as gruels, their viscosity, energy density, and osmolality. The results show that less than half were fairly balanced with respect to their protein and lipid content. When prepared as gruels following the manufacturers' instructions, out of the 21 locally produced flours with complete instructions, ten had energy densities too low to provide sufficient energy to complement breastmilk for 9-11-month-old infants even at three meals a day (< 77 kcal or 322 kJ/100 g), nine were satisfactory if fed more than twice a day, and two if fed twice a day (> 116 kcal or 485 kJ/100 g). Two of the 11 with acceptable energy density had osmolality values higher than those reported in literature for complementary feeding (< 660 mOsm/kg H2O). In addition, when prepared as gruels with viscosities within the range of viscosity (1 to 3 Pa.s) usually observed in African countries, 14 of the 32 (44%) locally produced flours had insufficient energy densities to meet the energy requirements of infants even at three meals a day. These results call for greater concern and effort towards improving the nutritive value and energy density of cereal-based complementary foods produced in developing countries.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

An LC method was developed for the determination of phytic acid in food. The separation was carried out by gradient elution on an anion-exchange column using a conductivity detector. Earlier reversed-phase LC procedures for the quantitation of phytic acid usually required a prepurification step. The prepurification can be avoided by the separation method described in this paper. The method is sensitive and selective, and can be rapidly and easily performed. It is therefore suitable for routine determination.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

It has been known for at least 25 years that high energy density and low viscosity are desirable attributes of complementary foods. However, the effects of increasing energy density and reducing viscosity of gruels on infant energy intake have only been studied in the last 10 years. Works published between 1986 and 1992 were carried out with infants randomly selected in urban slums or rural areas in India and Tanzania. When gruels are given in a single meal, all of them showed higher energy intake with both high energy-dense and low viscosity gruels. But these studies do not give information about the effects of these gruels on daily energy intake from gruels and on total daily energy intake when they are given with feeding frequencies corresponding to traditional weaning practices. Works published since 1992 were conducted among infants suffering from or recovering from acute diarrhoea or severe malnutrition. A positive effect of increasing energy density of gruels was observed not only on energy intake from gruels but also on total energy intake. On the other hand, effectiveness of reducing viscosity was not clearly demonstrated. Further studies are required, particularly to identify the conditions for which high energy dense gruels prepared from bulk-reduced starchy staples are able to significantly improve infant energy intake.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

The biochemical changes occurring during growth and storage of two yam cultivars (Dioscorea rotundata cv. Oshei and Dioscorea dumetorum cv. Jakri) were studied. Tubers were harvested at monthly intervals from the fourth to the tenth month after 50% emergence of the planted yam sets. For storage studies, Oshei and Jakri tubers were harvested 9.5 and 9 months post-emergence, respectively. These were stored under prevailing tropical ambient conditions (18-31 degrees C, 62-100% RH) for 1,2,3 and 4 months. All samples were analysed for dry matter, crude protein, carbohydrate, essential amino acids and mineral contents. The maximum dry matter was reached in both cultivars 9 months post-emergence, being 40.4 and 26.4%, respectively for Oshei and Jakri tubers. This was judged to be the optimum time for harvesting. Starch reached maximum values of 86.7 and 78.3 g/100g, respectively after 6 months. Ethanol-soluble sugars declined from 9.4 to 2.3 g/100g in Oshei but remained constant at over 6.0 g/100g in Jakri tubers during growth. Crude protein values increased slightly to a maximum of 5.4 and 8.0 g/100g, respectively for Oshei and Jakri tubers. During storage, weight losses reached 31% in Oshei tubers and 35% in Jakri after 110 days due to sprouting and dehydration. Starch decreased by approximately 3.5-4.5 g/100g while sugars and fibre values increased slightly in both cultivars.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

Developing countries frequently see their currency depreciated to varying degrees. The consequences of such monetary disturbances on the nutrition of young children are not well known, though children are the most vulnerable in nutritional terms. One year after the 50% devaluation of the CFA Franc (communauté financière africaine, "African Financial Community"), which took place on 12 January 1994 simultaneously in fourteen countries, nine of which are on the UNDP list of least developed countries, we wanted to find out the long-term effects of the devaluation, and the strategies that families had adopted to cope with it. In Brazzaville, Congo, in December 1994, an epidemiological survey was conducted on a representative sample of 893 children between the ages of 4 and 12 months in two districts, and indicators of child nutrition were established. A comparable survey had been conducted in December 1993, before the devaluation. In Senegal, in the absence of a previous survey which could be used in comparison, a qualitative survey using RAP methodology, was conducted in January 1995 in two towns near the capital. In three districts in each of these towns, a cluster of ten plots was chosen at random and surveyed, with a combination of semi-structured individual interviews with mothers (n = 60) and group interviews with all the women together (n = 6). The information was put together with interviews of 25 local traders selling food. In the Congo, comparison of the two surveys shows that the practice of breast-feeding had hardly changed, nor had the age at which baby food was introduced (90% of children of 4-5 months take semi-solid and solid foods); on the other hand, more children are being given the ordinary family meal earlier, at 6-9 months. The proportion of baby foods based on commercially imported flour has fallen (from 32% in 1993 to 18% in 1994), and has been replaced with local products based on maize; this change is more marked among poorer families. The low nutritional value of such preparations is in part compensated by the addition of sugar, though less milk is added (28% in 1994 as opposed to 43% in 1993). In Senegal, mothers do not seem to have changed their breast-feeding practices either, the age at which baby foods are introduced, or the number of times they are provided daily. The most important change is the drop in quality of food given to children, and the poorer family food for the older children. The partial switch from imported products to local produce was an expected consequence of devaluation; it is clearly confirmed here for nutrition of young children, with the consequent loss of nutritional quality (a reduction in energy density and in nutrients). The first thing needed is, therefore, an improvement in local manufacture of food supplements of good nutritional quality, for young children. Mothers also complain of the increased difficulty in managing a family diet so as to take account of economic needs, cultural values and nutrition. They therefore criticize a number of nutritional education messages that are clearly no longer appropriate to the new economic context. Finally the fact that young children are getting poorer quality nutrition is worrying for the future: if it lasts, the nutritional status of children will deteriorate; whenever possible, monitoring must be established so that measures can be taken when necessary to forestall any dramatic deterioration that would endanger the health of the children.

Asunto(s)

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

Au Congo; les etats de denutrition apparaissent tot et leur prevalence est particulierement elevee pendant la periode de sevrage. En vue d'aider a l'elaboration et la mise en oeuvre d'interventions nutritionnelles; des donnees relatives a l'alimentation des enfants de moins de 24 mois; en milieu rural et en milieu urbain; ont ete collectees. La pratique de l'allaitement maternel est encore generalisee et de longue duree; en depit d'une tendance au raccourcissement en milieu urbain. En revanche; les pratiques alimentaires; notamment de sevrage; la qualite des bouillies contribuent fortement au mauvais etat nutritionnel et aux deficits de croissance des enfants. En milieu rural les bouillies sont donnees trop tot puis arretees egalement trop tot pour etre remplacees sans veritable transition par les aliments du plat familial. En milieu urbain l'installation des bouillies de sevrage est plus rationnelle et les enfants sont amenes plus progressivement au sevrage total. Leur alimentation est egalement moins monotone

Asunto(s)