Early life risk factors and their cumulative effects as predictors of overweight in Spanish children

Objectives: To explore early life risk factors of overweight/obesity at age 6 years and their cumulative effects on overweight/obesity at ages 2, 4 and 6 years. Methods: Altogether 1031 Spanish children were evaluated at birth and during a 6-year follow-up. Early life risk factors included: parental overweight/obesity, parental origin/ethnicity, maternal smoking during pregnancy, gestational weight gain, gestational age, birth weight, caesarean section, breastfeeding practices and rapid infant weight gain collected via hospital records. Cumulative effects were assessed by adding up those early risk factors that significantly increased the risk of overweight/obesity. We conducted binary logistic regression models. Results: Rapid infant weight gain (OR 2.29, 99% CI 1.54–3.42), maternal overweight/obesity (OR 1.93, 99% CI 1.27–2.92), paternal overweight/obesity (OR 2.17, 99% CI 1.44–3.28), Latin American/Roma origin (OR 3.20, 99% CI 1.60–6.39) and smoking during pregnancy (OR 1.61, 99% CI 1.01–2.59) remained significant after adjusting for confounders. A higher number of early life risk factors accumulated was associated with overweight/obesity at age 6 years but not at age 2 and 4 years. Conclusions: Rapid infant weight gain, parental overweight/obesity, maternal smoking and origin/ethnicity predict childhood overweight/obesity and present cumulative effects. Monitoring children with rapid weight gain and supporting a healthy parental weight are important for childhood obesity prevention

Avaliação in vitro da eficácia de acaricidas sobre Boophilus microplus (Canestrini, 1887) (Acari: Ixodidae) de bovinos no município de Ilhéus, Bahia, Brasil In vitro valuation of acaricides efficiency to Boophilus microplus (Canestrini, 1887) (Acari: Ixodidae) from bovines at the region of Ilhéus, Bahia, Brazil

O carrapato Boophilus microplus é a espécie de maior distribuição geográfica e importância econômica para os países produtores de bovinos em áreas tropicais e sub-tropicais do planeta. No Brasil, a Região Nordeste apresenta algumas áreas mais favoráveis para as infestações do gado. O controle químico ainda é a forma mais eficaz de combate deste ectoparasita, mas o manejo inadequado dos acaricidas tem contribuído com o aparecimento de resistência de populações aos produtos disponíveis no mercado. O município de Ilhéus, na Região Cacaueira da Bahia, vem incrementando sua atividade pecuária em substituição à lavoura cacaueira devastada. Foram realizados 30 testes de imersão in vitro (biocarrapaticidogramas) com fêmeas ingurgitadas de B. microplus colhidas em propriedades rurais aleatoriamente selecionadas num grupo de 96 entrevistadas na região. O estudo revelou a existência de resistência ou sensibilidade de populações de B. microplus frente aos carrapaticidas de contato mais utilizados nas propriedades de exploração pecuária da região de Ilhéus. Os quatro carrapaticidas testados apresentaram as seguintes eficiências médias: Amitraz - 30,95%; Deltametrina - 65,04%; Cipermetrina / diclorvos - 75,73%; e Triclorfon / coumaphos / cyfluthrin - 75,13%.<br>The tick Boophilus microplus is the species with the greatest geographical distribution and economic importance for the countries situated at tropical and sub-tropical zones of the planet. In Brazil, the Northwest Region is showed as the most favorable to the cattle infestation. Chemical control is an efficient control method employed, but the inadequate handling of acaricides contributed for to the onset of resistant ticks to the available acaricides in the market. The county of Ilhéus, at the Cocoa's Region from Bahia, has been increasing the cattle activity instead of the devastated cocoa's plantations. Between April and September 2000, in vitro imersion tests were performed with engorged females of B. microplus collected from 30 farms randomly chosen in a group of 96 interviewed at the region. The current study showed the existence of resistance or sensibility of the populations of B. microplus to the contact acaricides commonly used at cattle properties of the region of Ilhéus. The four acaricides tested showed the following levels of efficiency: Amidin - 30.95%; Deltamethrin - 65.04%; Cipermethrin / diclorvos - 75.73%; and Triclorfon / coumaphos / cyfluthrin - 75.13%