Adding alpha-amylase to weaning food to increase dietary intake in children. A randomized controlled trial.

The addition of alpha-amylase to a food supplement for weaning-age children was proposed as an alternative to traditionally prepared Amylase-Rich Foods (ARF) for reducing the dietary bulk of weaning diets. In a self-controlled clinical trial including 30 healthy children, aged 10-24 months, the effect of the addition of alpha-amylase and extra cereal to a diet including three meals, was determined in terms of dietary intake. A mean increased intake of 23.

Changes in the anthropometric status of rural African under-fives during a decade of primary health care.

Protein energy malnutrition (PEM) is a major cause of hospital admissions and death in most impoverished Third World countries. In the Gelukspan Health Ward, in rural Western Transvaal, a primary health care (PHC) programme, based on the GOBI-FFF strategy, commenced in 1980. Community health surveys on African under-five children were regularly undertaken.

Is the lesser growth of African schoolchildren essentially prejudicial to their present and future health?

In African and other Third World countries, 20-50% of schoolchildren lie under the 5th centile of US National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) growth reference standards for weight- and height-for-age. Such lesser growth, orthodoxly, categorizes those affected as malnourished, at greater risk of disease, of lesser intelligence, and in need of nutritional supplementation. Questions arising include: 'Are there limitations to the application of NCHS reference standards?' In African schoolchildren, is lesser growth attributable largely, or marginally, to insufficient food intake? How powerful are the non-dietary influencing factors? What are the associated disadvantages to health? Conversely, could lesser growth around puberty even be beneficial respecting possible lessening of subsequent risk of degenerative diseases? Discussion indicates that there are numerous complexities in the whole subject of anthropometry, malnutrition and its stigmata, and interventions, dietary and non-dietary, in the youth of poor populations.

Maximal genetic potential for adult stature: is this aim desirable?

Current nutrition theory holds that maximization of human growth and stature is a desired anthropometric outcome. However, some evidence demonstrates that lower energy intakes may actually confer a degree of future protection against degenerative processes, particularly atherosclerosis and cancer.

The cumulative dose response effect of eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acid on blood pressure, plasma lipid profile and diet pattern in mild to moderate essential hypertensive black patients.

In this study eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) were given in a cumulative manner, every 6 weeks, starting with 10 mg, then 100 mg, 1000 mg and 10,000 mg EPA daily to mild to moderate essential hypertensive black patients. The corresponding DHA doses were 3, 33, 333 and 3333 mg. A control group was given olive oil as placebo for the entire 24 weeks.

Perplexing features in the occurrence of dental caries and its relationship to sugar intake.

Epidemiologically, there are numerous perplexing features, insufficiently appreciated, in the occurrences of degenerative diseases, and in the roles of their risk factors. This applies particularly to dental caries, the commonest of all diseases, and the risk factor, sugar intake. In some contexts, caries scores are much lower, or are much higher, than expected.

Combating protein-energy-malnutrition in a rural/peri-urban southern African black population.

PROTEIN-ENERGY-malnutrition (PEM) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in young children in Africa. In South Africa, in 1987, to help combating and preventing PEM in the rural black population, the Gold Fields Nutrition Unit was inaugurated at the Medical University of Southern Africa. In 1987-9, 442 patients (rural/peri-urban) plus their mothers or child carers were admitted, and 406 attended as outpatients.

Protein-energy malnutrition: the role of nutrition education in rehabilitation.

A randomized trial was carried out to test the effectiveness of nutrition education as a rehabilitation measure for childhood protein-energy malnutrition. The intervention comprised a series of home-based nutrition counselling sessions for the mothers/caretakers of 65 children (hospital outpatients) aged 7-36 months, who were suffering from mild to moderate protein-energy malnutrition. Both the intervention and control groups of children and their caretakers were assessed over a 12-month period: the children on admission and at 3-monthly intervals for weight-for-age, weight-for-height, height-for-age, triceps skinfold-for-age and clinical features; the caretakers on admission and at the final follow-up for nutrition knowledge.

Effects of a nutrition education programme on the psychological performance of malnourished children. A 3-year follow-up study.

A group of 63 black children who were treated for protein energy malnutrition within their first 3 years of life were followed up after a period of 3 years. Half the group had undergone a home-based nutrition education programme in addition to receiving routine medical care, while the remaining children received only medical care and formed a control group. No differences were found at follow-up between these two groups on either growth or psychological performance measures.