Impact of intermittent preventive anti-malarial treatment on the growth and nutritional status of preschool children in rural Senegal (west Africa).

Negative consequences of malaria might account for seasonality in nutritional status in children in the Sahel. We report the impact of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of seasonal intermittent preventive anti-malarial treatment on growth and nutritional status in 1,063 Senegalese preschool children. A combination of artesunate and sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine was given monthly from September to November. In the intervention arm, mean weight gain was significantly greater (122.9 +/- 340 versus 42.9 +/- 344 [SD] g/mo, P < 0.0001) and losses in triceps and subscapular skinfold measurements were less (-0.39 +/- 1.01 versus -0.66 +/- 1.01 mm/mo, and -0.15 +/- 0.64 versus -0.36 +/- 0.62 mm/mo, respectively, P < 0.0001 for both). There was no difference in height increments. The prevalence of wasting increased significantly in the control arm (4.6% before versus 9.5% after, P < 0.0001), but remained constant in intervention children: 5.6% versus 7.0% (P = 0.62). The prevention of malaria would improve child nutritional status in areas with seasonal transmission

Épidémiologie des infections à mycobactéries non tuberculeuses d’expression respiratoire en Guyane française, étude rétrospective 2008–2018

International audienceIntroductionL’épidémiologie des infections causées par les mycobactéries non tuberculeuses d’expression respiratoire (MBNTER) est mal connue en Amérique latine, et en Guyane française en particulier. L’objectif principal de cette étude était de déterminer les caractéristiques de ces infections en Guyane. Les objectifs secondaires étaient de déterminer l’incidence des maladies pulmonaires liées aux MBNTER (MBNT-MP), et les caractéristiques spécifiques des malades infectés à Mycobacterium avium complexe (MAC) ou M. abscessus et de ceux infectés par le VIH.MéthodesIl s’agit d’une étude rétrospective observationnelle multicentrique entre 2008 et 2018, réalisée sur tous les hôpitaux de Guyane. Étaient inclus les patients ayant eu au moins une culture positive à MBNTER sur prélèvement respiratoire. Les cas étaient classés en 2 catégories : porteurs non malades et malades dues à une atteinte pulmonaire liée à MBNTER selon les critères définis par l’American Thoracic Society/Infectious Disease Society of America (ATS/IDSA) en 2007.RésultatsSur la période d’étude, 178 cas ont été inclus, parmi lesquels 147 étaient porteurs non malades et 31 malades. Les patients étaient plutôt des hommes (61 %), jeunes (âge médian 49 ans), vivant dans la précarité (64 %) avec des comorbidités respiratoires (33 %) ou une immunodépression avec des CD4 ≤ 50/mm3 dans 39 % des 46 % de patients séropositifs pour le VIH. Les MAC suivies de M. fortuitum puis M. abscessus étaient les plus fréquentes (38 %, 19 % et 6 % respectivement). Le taux d’incidence annuel moyen de MBNT-MP était à 1,07/100 000 habitants par an. La MBNT-MP était significativement associée à l’infection par le VIH, à la dénutrition, et aux espèces MAC et M. abscessus qui représentaient respectivement 81 % et 16 % des maladies pulmonaires à MBNT. La mortalité à un an toutes causes confondues était de 29 % chez les malades.ConclusionIl s’agit de la première étude réalisée sur les infections à MBNTER en Guyane. L’épidémiologie des MBNTER y est spécifique avec une population différente de celle de France métropolitaine. MAC et M. abscessus sont les espèces responsables de maladies respiratoires favorisées par une infection par le VIH, ou par des comorbidités respiratoires et la dénutrition, respectivement. Les caractéristiques chez le séropositif pour le VIH sont différentes et les critères ATS/IDSA n’y sont pas extrapolables rendant le diagnostic difficile. La mortalité est plus élevée en Guyane qu’en France métropolitaine

A young child feeding index is not associated with either height-for-age or height velocity in rural Senegalese children.

Ruel and Menon recently published a young child feeding index based on characteristics taken from 24-h and 7-d recalls. A strong positive association was found in 7 Latin American Demographic and Health Surveys for 12- to 36-mo-old children (1). The aim of this study was to test for associations of this index with height-for-age and linear growth in African children. Children (n = 500), aged 12-42 mo, living in a rural area of Senegal were visited in their homes in April-May, and 24-h and 7-d food recalls were conducted with their mothers. Height was measured, and measurements taken 7 mo earlier were used to compute linear growth rates. General linear models were used to adjust for potential confounders (child age and sex, maternal height, BMI, and socioeconomic status). The feeding index was not associated with either height-for-age (adjusted means: -1.01, -1.06, and -1.20 Z-scores for the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd tercile, respectively) or with linear growth (6.2, 6.0, and 6.3 cm/7 mo for the 3 terciles, respectively). Continuing breast-feeding was negatively associated with height-for-age (P < 0.05) and positively associated with linear growth (P < 0.01). Frequent consumption of fruit was positively associated with both (P = 0.059 and P = 0.027, respectively, in adjusted models), whereas food consumption from an animal source was not. In conclusion, the composite feeding index was independent of height and linear growth in these rural African children, due in part to reverse causality between breast-feeding duration and stunting

A summary index of infant and child feeding practices is associated with child growth in urban Shanghai

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Recently, an infant and child feeding index (ICFI) constructed on brief recalls of breastfeeding, feeding frequency and food diversification was assumed to provide long-term prediction about child feeding practices. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between the cross-sectional ICFI (CS-ICFI) or longitudinal ICFI (L-ICFI) and child anthropometric indices in downtown Shanghai, China.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The prospective cohort study included 180 infants aged 5-7 mo with their main caregivers who were visited 3 times every 6 months over 12 months. A CS-ICFI was constructed for each visit by using data on feeding practices based on 24-h and 7-d recalls. An L-ICFI was constructed with use of the 3 CS-ICFIs. The associations between ICFI and length-for-age z score (LAZ), weight-for-age z score (WAZ), and weight-for-length z score (WLZ) were examined. The stability of the CS-ICFI was assessed by using repeatability coefficient (RC).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The L-ICFI was positively associated with LAZ and WAZ at Visit 3(<it>beta</it> = 0.151, <it>P</it> = 0.040 and <it>beta</it> = 0.173, <it>P</it> = 0.024, respectively). Moreover, the CS-ICFI at Visit 1 was positively associated with LAZ, WAZ and WLZ (<it>beta</it> = 0.160, <it>P</it> = 0.029; <it>beta</it> = 0.191, <it>P</it> = 0.009; <it>beta</it> = 0.176, <it>P</it> = 0.020) at Visit 3, and the CS-ICFI at Visit 3 was also positively associated with LAZ (<it>beta</it> = 0.176, <it>P</it> = 0.016). Stability of the CS-ICFI was shown by the value of 0.14 (95% CI: 0.07, 0.31) of the RC, which differed significantly from 0 (P < 0.05).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The ICFI constructed on brief recalls based on cross-sectional studies can be used to evaluate the effects of child feeding practice on child growth.</p