VISUOMOTOR BEHAVIOUR OF PRETERM INFANTS IN THE FIRST MONTH OF LIFE. A COMPARISON BETWEEN THE CHRONOLOGICAL AND CORRECTED AGES

Introduction. Technological advances have helped to lower the rate of infantile mortality and to raise the survival rate of preterm infants. Thus, studies need to be conducted in this segment of the population, while prematurity continues to be one of the risk factors for neuro-sensory-motor disorders. There is evidence to show that these children present visual and visuoperceptual disorders. With regard to visual problems, the literature suggests the hypothesis that the gestational age at the moment of birth exerts an influence on the child's visual behaviour Bearing this evidence in mind, doubts are raised as to whether such alterations can be detected in periods that are appropriate for the development of vision. Subjects and methods. We carried out a cross-sectional follow-up study of preterm infants hi the first month of life who had their visuomotor behaviour evaluated at the chronological and corrected age. A 11 of them were evaluated by applying the method for assessing the visual behaviour of infants, which is based on tests from the Bayley scales of infant development, as tot instrument for investigating visuomotor behaviour Results. Most of the preterm infants presented a response, with a higher frequency in the eye contact tests, smiling as a social response, horizontal and vertical visual tracking, and increased mobility of the upper limbs on seeing the object tit the corrected age. Conclusions. The responses obtained in this study allow its to confirm the importance of taking into account the corrected age when measuring the parameters involved in the development of visuomotor behaviour [REV NEUROL 2009; 48: 13-6]481131

Eficácia da suplementação de ferro associado ou não à vitamina A no controle da anemia em escolares Efficacy of iron supplementation with or without vitamin A for anemia control

Com o objetivo de avaliar a eficácia da suplementação de ferro, associado ou não à vitamina A, na anemia ferropriva, administrado semanalmente, realizou-se ensaio clínico comunitário, randomizado, não controlado por placebo, em 1999. Uma amostra probabilística de 267 escolares de ambos os sexos com 6 a 14 anos de idade foram casualizados em bloco segundo dois tipos de intervenção: um grupo (144) recebeu 200mg de sulfato ferroso com (40mg de ferro elementar) e o outro (123) recebeu dose similar de sulfato ferroso associado a 10.000 UI de vitamina A, durante 30 semanas. A prevalência de anemia ao final foi reduzida de 48,4%, para 17,7% (p < 0,001), no grupo que recebeu sulfato ferroso, e de 58,1%, para 14,3% (p < 0,001), no grupo que recebeu sulfato ferroso associado à vitamina A. Não houve diferença significante entre os grupos, ao final do estudo, quanto às médias de Hb (p = 0,355) e à proporção de anêmicos (p = 0,479). Corrigiu-se significantemente a anemia ferropriva com suplementação semanal de sulfato ferroso, mas não houve vantagem adicional com a associação da vitamina A. Sugerem-se novos estudos sobre o sinergismo desses micronutrientes.<br>This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of weekly iron supplementation with or without vitamin A in the treatment of iron deficiency anemia, using an experimental, randomized, non-placebo-controlled design in 1999. 267 schoolchildren 6 to 14 years of age were randomized to two treatment groups: one group (144) received 200mg iron sulfate alone, with 40mg of elemental iron, while the other (123) received the same iron supplementation dose plus 10,000 IU of vitamin A (both groups for 30 weeks). Final anemia prevalence was reduced from 48.4% to 17.7% (p < 0.001) in the group receiving iron supplementation alone and 58.1% to 14.3% (p < 0.001) in the group receiving iron plus vitamin A. There was no significant difference between the groups at the end of the study according to mean Hb (p = 0.355) and anemia (p = 0.479). There was a significant correction for iron deficiency anemia with weekly iron-alone supplementation, but with no additional advantage of vitamin A. New studies on the synergism between these two micronutrients are recommended