The Case for Investing in Young Children: Contributions of the INCAP Longitudinal Study.

This article highlights the important contributions that the Institute of Nutrition of Central America and Panama longitudinal study has made to global development efforts. The studies have made a unique contribution to our understanding of the role of early life nutrition on many outcomes of interest to the global nutrition community and have strengthened narratives such as human capital.

Parent and caregiver perspectives on home-based newborn care in low-income settings: protocol for a systematic review of qualitative studies.

Introduction: Newborn health and survival are closely linked to essential newborn care provided within the first days and weeks of an infant's life by parents and caregivers at home and within the community. Newborn care practices are often socially and culturally determined and have been explored in qualitative and formative research related to improving neonatal survival. We aim to provide a comprehensive review of qualitative studies on parent and caregiver experiences of newborn care practices with a view to identifying barriers and facilitators that may impact on newborn health.

Family experiences of infant and young child feeding in lower-income countries: protocol for a systematic review of qualitative studies.

Background: Infant and young child feeding practices, including breastfeeding and complementary feeding of children under 2 years old, are crucially influenced by parent and family perceptions and experiences. Given the urgent need to improve nutrition of young children in low- and low-middle-income countries, both for reduction of morbidity and mortality in childhood and for future health outcomes, we propose to systematically review and synthesize available qualitative data specifically related to infant and young child feeding practices of parents and families in these settings, which may provide greater insights into barriers and facilitators to recommended feeding practices.

Methods/design: The proposed study will systematically review existing qualitative research reporting infant and young child feeding practices from low- and low-middle-income settings.

Efficacy of a Guideline-Recommended Risk-Reduction Program to Improve Cardiovascular and Limb Outcomes in Patients With Peripheral Arterial Disease.

Importance: Patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) are at a high risk for cardiovascular events, yet, to our knowledge, no studies have examined the effect of a comprehensive risk-reduction program on long-term outcomes for patients with PAD.

Objective: To investigative whether a program that focuses on 8 major guideline-recommended risk-management therapies reduces cardiovascular and limb events in patients with PAD.

Design, Setting And Participants: An observational cohort study with up to 7 years of follow-up was conducted using data from administrative databases from Ontario, Canada, between July 1, 2004, and March 31, 2013.

Serum IL-6, IL-10, and TNFα levels in pediatric sickle cell disease patients during vasoocclusive crisis and steady state condition.

Vaso-occlusive crisis (VOC) is a significant complication of sickle cell disease (SCD), and altered production of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory molecules contributed to its pathogenesis. In view of the association of chronic inflammation with VOC onset, and given the capacity of interleukin (IL)-10 as anti-inflammatory, and IL-6, and TNFα as pro-inflammatory cytokines, we tested the association of altered IL-10, IL-6, and TNFα secretion with VOC pathogenesis and its severity. Study subjects comprised 147 SCD patients with active VOC (VOC Group), and 63 pain-free SCD patients for at least 9 months before blood collection (Steady-state Group).

The first 500 days of life: policies to support maternal nutrition.

Background: From conception to 6 months of age, an infant is entirely dependent for its nutrition on the mother: via the placenta and then ideally via exclusive breastfeeding. This period of 15 months--about 500 days--is the most important and vulnerable in a child's life: it must be protected through policies supporting maternal nutrition and health. Those addressing nutritional status are discussed here.

Opportunities for improving maternal nutrition and birth outcomes: synthesis of country experiences.

Background: Undernutrition in women in poor countries remains prevalent and affects maternal, neonatal and child health (MNCH) outcomes. Improving MNCH outcomes requires better policies and programs that enhance women's nutrition.

Objective: The studies aimed to better understand awareness, perceptions, barriers to intervention, and policy and program priorities and approaches, through different platforms, addressing three related priority problems: anemia, intra-uterine growth retardation (IUGR), and maternal thinness and stunting (including incomplete growth with early pregnancy).

Policies and program implementation experience to improve maternal nutrition in Ethiopia.

Background: Maternal undernutrition persists as a serious problem in Ethiopia. Although there are maternal nutrition interventions that are efficacious and effective in improving maternal, neonatal, and child health (MNCH) outcomes, implementation has been limited.

Objective: This study explored needs, perceptions, priorities,facilitatingfactors and barriers to implementation of relevant policies and programs to find opportunities to improve maternal nutrition in Ethiopia

Methods: Background information was compiled and synthesized for a situation analysis.

Effects on vitamin A deficiency in children of periodic high-dose supplements and of fortified oil promotion in a deficient area of the Philippines.

Regular semi-annual distribution of high-dose (200,000 IU) vitamin A capsules (VACs) to children 1 - 5 years of age (previously identified as underweight), in Leyte Province, the Philippines, was compared to providing extra VACs to give three-monthly dosing, and to vitamin A-fortified cooking oil (VAFO) promotion (with continued VACs every 6 months). Serum retinol (SR) was measured at baseline and after 12 or 18 months (for VAFO). No sustained increase in SR was determined from the three-month VAC dosing regimen, and the prevalence of vitamin A deficiency (VAD) as assessed by SR (< 20 mcg / dL) remained around 30 % (in line with national survey estimates over the previous 15 years).