Environmental inequalities among children in Europe--evaluation of scientific evidence and policy implications.

Background: Socio-economic inequalities in the living environment are major contributing factors to health inequalities. Consequently, protecting children from undesirable environmental exposures by taking socio-economic conditions into account has been identified as a policy priority area in Europe. This review aims to evaluate the evidence on environmental inequalities among children in Europe and to discuss its policy implications.

Infant feeding practices and associated factors through the first 9 months of life in Bavaria, Germany.

Objectives: To investigate infant feeding and breast-feeding practices during the first 9 months of life in Bavaria, Germany, in relation to recommendations and to identify factors associated with early feeding of semisolid food.

Materials And Methods: Data from 3103 infants throughout Bavaria, Germany, were collected in a prospective cohort study. Questionnaires were administered at the age of 6 days, and 2, 4, 6, and 9 months.

Breastfeeding duration and exclusivity associated with infants' health and growth: data from a prospective cohort study in Bavaria, Germany.

Aim: To investigate the relationship between breastfeeding and infant health and to describe growth in the first 9 months.

Methods: Mothers delivering a baby in April 2005 were recruited throughout Bavaria, Germany, for a prospective birth cohort study. These mothers reported breastfeeding data, health and growth data of 1901 infants assessed by a physician in questionnaires on day 2-6, and in months 2, 4, 6 and 9.

Breastfeeding rates and duration in Germany: a Bavarian cohort study.

Breastfeeding is the recommended feeding for all healthy infants. The aim of our study was to assess the current state of breastfeeding prevalence, duration and behaviour in Bavaria, Germany as a basis for targeting breastfeeding promotion measures. The Bavarian Breastfeeding Study is a prospective cohort study of 3822 mothers who delivered in April 2005 in Bavaria, Germany.

Exposure to multiple environmental agents and their effect.

Introduction: All children are exposed to multiple physical, chemical and biological challenges that can result in adverse health effects before and after birth. In this context, the danger of multiple exposures cannot be assessed from a single-chemical approach as used in classical toxicology.

Aim: To open up a 'negotiation space' for the problem of multiple exposure to environmental stressors, defined as any physical, chemical or biological entity that can induce an adverse response.

Children's environmental health: why should social disparities be considered?

Background/methods: The aim of workpackage 5 'Environmental exposures and children's health: impact of socioeconomic factors' in the EU-funded network PINCHE (Policy Interpretation Network on Children's Health and Environment) was to review and interpret the current knowledge of social inequalities in environmental exposures and children's health. Socioeconomic factors may impact on children's environmental health in two ways: 1) environmental exposures may differ according to socioeconomic status; 2) given a certain level of harmful environmental exposure, socioeconomic factors may modify the health effects by influencing the susceptibility characteristics of children.

Results: There is a lack of information to evaluate and quantify the effect of socioeconomic factors on environmental exposures and children's health in Europe.

Today's epidemics in children: possible relations to environmental pollution and suggested preventive measures.

Background: Facts and hypotheses on the relationship between some children's diseases or disorders and external stressors during the developmental stage of a child, both prenatally and postnatally are described in literature. In this paper the following changes in patterns and causes of the main childhood illnesses are summarized and recommendations for actions are made. Prematurity.

Social inequality in perceived environmental exposures in relation to housing conditions in Germany.

In Germany the impact of socioeconomic factors on environmental exposures and adverse housing conditions has been rarely studied up to now. The aim of our study was to assess whether and, if yes, how perceived exposure to noise and air pollution is influenced by socioeconomic status in Germany. We used data from a large-scale population-based survey.

Socioeconomic factors in EU-funded studies of children's environmental health.

We performed a survey on socioeconomic factors in 27 studies of children's environmental health funded by EU FP4 and FP5. Parental education was the most common measure (74%). Socioeconomic factors were predominantly considered as confounder (74%) and less often as effect modifier (33%) or independent variable (37%).