Background: We were interested in identifying possible nutritional reasons for growth faltering among breastfed infants in the rural farming community of San Mateo, Capulhuac, Mexico (2800 m above sea level).
Objective: We examined the prevalence of inadequate iron and folate status among lactating Otomi women and determined to what extent their iron and folate nutriture influenced the milk concentrations of these nutrients.
Design: Lactating women (n = 71) provided blood and milk samples and dietary information at a mean (+/- SD) of 22 +/- 13 d postpartum. Blood indexes included hemoglobin, hematocrit, serum iron, total-iron-binding capacity, ferritin, transferrin receptor, mean cell volume, plasma folate, and erythrocyte folate.
Results: Approximately 62% and 58% of the women had nutritional anemia defined as a hemoglobin concentration = 133 g/L and a hematocrit value of 41.0%, respectively. With the use of a 3-index iron assessment model, 2 of the 66 women whose iron status was assessed (3%) had iron-deficient erythropoiesis, and 24 (36%) had iron deficiency anemia. Among the 67 women whose folate status was assessed, 29 (43%) had a low plasma folate concentration, and 13 (19%) had a low blood folate concentration in conjunction with a low hemoglobin concentration. Milk iron content was unrelated to maternal iron status, and the milk provided more than adequate amounts of iron to the infants. In contrast, the infants' predicted folate intake was approximately 45 micro g/d, or 70% of the current recommended intake.
Conclusion: Milk folate concentrations in Otomi women are low and may not support optimal folate status in all breastfed infants.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/78.4.782 | DOI Listing |
Viruses
December 2024
Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Avenida Antônio Carlos, 6627, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, Brazil.
Since its first report in Brazil in 1999, outbreaks of exanthematous diseases caused by vaccinia virus (VACV) have been a recurring concern, particularly impacting rural regions. Minas Gerais (MG) State, Brazil, has emerged as the epicenter of bovine vaccinia (BV) outbreaks. This study presents a comprehensive overview of VACV circulation in MG State over the past two decades, examining the occurrence and distribution of poxvirus cases and outbreaks and the demographic characteristics of affected populations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLancet Planet Health
January 2025
Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA.
Background: Weather extremes are predicted to influence pathogen exposure but their effects on specific faecal-oral transmission pathways are not well investigated. We evaluated associations between extreme rain and temperature during different antecedent periods (0-14 days) and Escherichia coli along eight faecal-oral pathways in rural Bangladeshi households.
Methods: We used data from the WASH Benefits Bangladesh cluster-randomised controlled trial (NCT01590095).
PLoS One
January 2025
School of Public Health, University of Memphis, Memphis, Tennessee, United States of America.
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) has become a global health concern. It is a deeply entrenched harmful practice involving partial or total removal of the external female genitalia for non-medical reasons. To inform effective policymaking and raise awareness about FGM's health risks, understanding socioeconomic and demographic factors influencing the timing of girls' circumcision is crucial.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFront Public Health
January 2025
Institute of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Tokyo, Japan.
Background: Effective use of health services by pregnant and postpartum woman (PPWs) is crucial to maternal and child health. Most maternal deaths are attributed to inadequate maternal health services, especially in rural areas. As a vulnerable group, rural PPWs can effectively prevent and reduce maternal and infant health risk factors through whole-process health management and ensure the health and safety of mothers and infants.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPEC Innov
June 2025
Kansas Infant Death and SIDS (KIDS) Network, 300 W Douglas Ave # 145, Wichita, KS 67202, USA.
Objectives: Safe Sleep Community Baby Showers (CBS) provide group education to reduce risk factors of sudden unexpected infant death (SUID). Based on CBS success, Safe Sleep Crib Clinics were developed to provide individual education. This study assessed Crib Clinic outcomes and differences in Crib Clinics compared to CBSs.
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