Guideline: fortification of wheat flour with vitamins and minerals as a public health strategy

This guideline provides locally adaptable, clear, evidence-informed global recommendations on the fortification of wheat flour with vitamins and minerals as a public health strategy to improve the micronutrient status of populations, which are grounded in gender, equity and human rights approaches with the aim of leaving no one behind. The focus of this document is on the use of this intervention as a public health strategy and not on market-driven fortification of wheat flour or products. This guideline aims to help Member States and their partners to make informed decisions on the appropriate nutrition actions to achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and the global targets set in the World Health Organization (WHO) comprehensive implementation plan on maternal, infant and young child nutrition. The recommendations in this guideline are intended for a wide audience, including policymakers, expert advisers, and technical and programme staff in ministries and organizations involved in the design, implementation and scaling-up of nutrition actions for public health. The recommendations are particularly relevant to the design and implementation of appropriate food-fortification programmes, as part of a comprehensive food-based strategy for combating micronutrient inadequacies and deficiencies. These recommendations supersede the previous WHO recommendation on the fortification of wheat flour.

Eficacia y seguridad de la fórmula nutricional con bajo contenido lipídico y alto contenido de triglicéridos de cadena media para el tratamiento de pacientes menores de 18 años con linfangiectasia intestinal primaria / Efficacy and safety of nutritional formula with low lipid content and high content of medium chain triglycerides for the treatment of patients under 18 years of age with primary intestinal lymphangiectasia

ANTECEDENTES: En el marco de la metodología ad hoc para evaluar solicitudes de tecnologías sanitarias, aprobada mediante Resolución de Institución de Evaluación de Tecnologías en Salud e Investigación N° 111-IETSI-ESSALUD-2021, se ha elaborado el presente dictamen, el que expone la evaluación de tecnología acerca de la eficacia y seguridad de la fórmula nutricional con bajo contenido lipídico y alto contenido de triglicéridos de cadena media (TCM) para el tratamiento de pacientes menores de 18 años con linfangiectasia intestinal primaria (LIP). Así, el Dr. Marco Morales Acosta, médico especialista en pediatría del Hospital Nacional Edgardo Rebagliati Martins perteneciente a la Red Prestacional Rebagliati, siguiendo la Directiva N° 003-IETSI-ESSALUD-2016, envía al Instituto de Evaluación de Tecnologías en Salud e Investigación - IETSI la solicitud de uso, por fuera del petitorio, del producto fórmula nutricional con bajo contenido lipídico y alto contenido de TCM. ASPECTOS GENERALES: La linfangiectasia intestinal primaria (LIP) es una condición causada por una deformidad congénita del sistema linfático del intestino delgado; la cual se caracteriza por la dilatación (local o difusa) de los vasos linfáticos de la mucosa y submucosa del intestino delgado (Suresh et al., 2009; Vignes & Bellanger, 2008; Waldmann et al., 1961). Esta dilatación de vasos linfáticos conduciría a la fuga de la linfa hacia el intestino delgado (enteropatía perdedora de proteínas); ocasionando hipoproteinemia, hipogammaglobulinemia, hipoalbuminemia, linfopenia; los que, a su vez, conducen a edema, pérdida de peso, entre otros (Abramowsky et al., 1989; Vignes & Bellanger, 2008). Aunque también se ha sugerido que el paso de la linfa hacia el lumen del intestino delgado podría deberse a una ruptura directa de los vasos linfáticos a través de la mucosa (Waldmann et al., 1961). La LIP es una enfermedad infrecuente que suele presentarse en menores de 3 años; aunque también se han reportado casos en la adultez (Freeman & Nimmo, 2011; Vignes & Bellanger, 2008). A la fecha, la prevalencia e incidencia mundial de LIP sigue siendo desconocida. En el Perú, solo se ha identificado un reporte de caso publicado en el año 2019 (Usnayo et al., 2019). Los médicos especialistas en pediatría del Servicio de Nutrición Pediátrica del Hospital Nacional Edgardo Rebagliati Martins reportan que en los últimos 10 años han atendido a tres pacientes con LIP. METODOLOGÍA: Se llevó a cabo una búsqueda bibliográfica exhaustiva con el objetivo de identificar la mejor evidencia sobre la eficacia y seguridad la fórmula nutricional con bajo contenido lipídico y alto contenido de TCM para el tratamiento de pacientes menores de 18 años con LIP. La búsqueda bibliográfica se realizó en las bases de datos PubMed, The Cochrane Library y LILACS. Asimismo, se realizó una búsqueda manual dentro de las páginas web pertenecientes a grupos que realizan evaluación de tecnologías sanitárias y guías de práctica clínica (GPC) incluyendo el National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH), Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC), Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN), Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER), Instituto de Calidad y Eficiencia en la Atención de la Salud (IQWiG, por sus siglas en alemán), Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), Guidelines International Network (GIN), National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), Haute Autorité de Santé (HAS), International HTA Database, la Base Regional de Informes de Evaluación de Tecnologías en Salud de las Américas (BRISA), la Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS), el Instituto de Evaluación de Tecnologías en Salud e Investigación (IETSI) y la Agencia de Evaluación de Tecnologías Sanitarias del País Vasco. Asimismo, se realizó una búsqueda de GPC de las principales sociedades o instituciones especializadas en enfermedades raras como la National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) y Orphanet. Finalmente, se realizó una búsqueda en la página web de registro de ensayos clínicos (EC) www.clinicaltrials.gov, para identificar EC en curso o que no hayan sido publicados aún. RESULTADOS: Luego de la búsqueda bibliográfica, realizada hasta el 25 de setiembre del 2021, se incluyeron tres estudios. El primero fue un estudio observacional que comparó tres dietas en pacientes con linfangiectasia intestinal (Aoyagi et al., 2005). El segundo fue un estudio observacional que realizó un análisis pre-post de una dieta alta en proteínas (1.5 ­ 3.0 g/Kg/día) y baja en lípidos (15 ­ 20 % del total de calorías); de los cuales el 60 % fueron TCM, en pacientes menores de 18 años con LIP (Prasad et al., 2019). El tercer estudio fue una revisión de evidencia científica en la cual se compararon los reportes de pacientes tratados con TCM y pacientes que recibieron otros tratamientos (Desai et al., 2009). Adicionalmente, se incluyó una ETS realizada por el Ministerio de Sanidad, Servicios Sociales e Igualdad de España (Güemes et al., 2013). CONCLUSIÓN: Por lo expuesto, el Instituto de Evaluación de Tecnologías en Salud e Investigación 9.~ aprueba el uso de la fórmula nutricional con bajo contenido lipídico (25 % del requerimiento calórico) y alto contenido de TCM (mayor o igual al 56 %) para el tratamiento de los pacientes con LIP, como producto farmacéutico no incluido en el Petitorio Farmacológico de EsSalud, según lo establecido en el Anexo N° 1. La vigencia del presente dictamen preliminar es de un año a partir de la fecha de publicación. Así, la continuación de dicha aprobación estará sujeta a la evaluación de los resultados obtenidos y de mayor evidencia que pueda surgir en el tiempo.

Eficacia y seguridad de la fórmula nutricional con bajo contenido lipídico y alto en triglicéridos de cadena media en pacientes pediátricos con quilotorax / Efficacy and safety of nutritional formula with low lipid content and high medium chain triglycerides in pediatric patients with chylothorax

ANTECEDENTES: En el marco de la metodología ad hoc para evaluar solicitudes de tecnologías sanitarias, aprobada mediante Resolución de Instituto de Evaluación de Tecnologías en Salud e Investigación N° 111-IETSI-ESSALUD-2021, se ha elaborado el presente dictamen, el que expone la evaluación de la eficacia y seguridad de la fórmula nutricional con bajo contenido lipídico y alto en triglicéridos de cadena media (TCM) en pacientes pediátricos con quilotórax. Así, el médico Marco Morales Acosta, especialista en pediatría, del Servicio de Pediatría Clínica del Hospital Nacional Edgardo Rebagliati Martins, perteneciente a la Red Prestacional Rebagliati, siguiendo la Directiva N.° 003-IETSIESSALUD-2016, envió al Instituto de Evaluación de Tecnologías en Salud e Investigación - IETSI la solicitud de uso, por fuera del petitorio del producto: fórmula nutricional con bajo contenido lipídico y alto en TCM. ASPECTOS GENERALES: El quilotórax es la acumulación de líquido linfático en la cavidad pleural, que resulta de fugas provenientes de los vasos linfáticos (Tutor, 2014). El quilotórax se diagnostica tras la detección de concentración de triglicéridos en el líquido pleural mayor a 110 mg/dl (Rocha et al., 2006). En la población pediátrica, el quilotórax es causado, principalmente, por defectos congénitos o por daños al conducto torácico como resultado de complicaciones posquirúrgicas (Soto-Martinez & Massie, 2009). La incidencia aproximada del quilotórax congénito es de 1 por cada 10,000 nacidos vivos (Zheng et al., 2020); mientas que, la incidencia del quilotórax post-cirugía cardíaca en población pediátrica varía de 0.85 % a 9.2 % (Rocha et al., 2006). A pesar de no tener alta incidencia, los pacientes menores de 18 años con quilotórax tienen riesgo de mortalidad de hasta el 50 % cuando no reciben tratamiento, mayor morbilidad y tienen mayor tiempo de estancia hospitalaria (mediana = 38.8 días; rango intercuartil [R1Q) = 27.8 - 52.3, frente a mediana = 27.0 días, RIQ = 18.9 - 39.1 días; p < 0.001), comparado con los que no desarrollaron quilotórax luego de una cirugía cardiaca (Bai et al., 2021; Yeh et al., 2013). METODOLOGÍA: Se llevó a cabo una búsqueda bibliográfica exhaustiva con el objetivo de identificar la mejor evidencia disponible sobre la eficacia y seguridad de la fórmula con bajo contenido lipídico y alto contenido de TCM. La búsqueda bibliográfica se realizó en las bases de datos bibliográfica de PubMed, The Cochrane Library y LILACS. Asimismo, se realizó una búsqueda manual dentro de las páginas web pertenecientes a grupos que realizan evaluación de tecnologías sanitarias (ETS) y guías de práctica clínica (GPC) incluyendo la World Health Organization (WHO), la National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), la Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's (AHRQ), la Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN), la New Zealand Guidelines Group (NZGG), la National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), el Instituto de Evaluación de Tecnologías en Salud e Investigación (IETSI), el Centro Nacional de Excelencia Tecnológica en Salud (CENETEC), la Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH), el Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWIG), el Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC), la Comissáo Nacional de Incorporção de Tecnologias no Sistema Único de Saúde (CONITEC), el Instituto de Evaluación Tecnológica en Salud (IETS) y el Instituto de Efectividad Clínica y Sanitaria (IECS). Finalmente, se realizó una búsqueda adicional en la página web de registro de ensayos clínicos (EC) www.clinicaltrials.gov, para identificar EC en curso o que no hayan sido publicados aún. RESULTADOS: Luego de la búsqueda bibliográfica, no se encontró alguna GPC, ETS o ECA fase III que cumpla con los primeros criterios de inclusión. Tras la ampliación de los criterios de elegibilidad, se incluyeron tres estudios observacionales (Bellini et al., 2012; Cormack et al., 2004; Zheng et al., 2020). Dos de estos estudios (Cormack 2004 & Zheng 2020), usaron el diseño de cohortes de tipo retrospectivo, y compararon el tiempo hasta la resolución del quilotórax (solo en Zheng et al 2020), duración de drenaje pleural (solo en Cormack et al 2004), tiempo de hospitalización y mortalidad en los pacientes con quilotórax posquirúrgico que usaron la fórmula con bajo contenido lipídico alto en TCM versus los que usaron la NPT. El último estudio (Bellini et al 2012), se trata de una serie de casos de neonatos con quilotórax congénito, donde se reporta la experiencia de tratamiento de estos pacientes usando la fórmula nutricional con bajo contenido lipídico y alto en TCM con o sin la octreotida. Los desenlaces de interés evaluados fueron la resolución del quilotórax y la mortalidad. CONCLUSIÓN: Por lo expuesto, el Instituto de Evaluación de Tecnologías en Salud e Investigación aprueba el uso de la fórmula con bajo contenido lipídico y alto en TCM, con o sin octreotida, en pacientes menores de 18 años con diagnóstico de quilotórax debido a cualquier etiología (congénito o adquirido) que pueden recibir nutrición enteral, como producto farmacéutico no incluido en el Petitorio Farmacológico de EsSalud, según lo establecido en el Anexo N° 1. La vigencia del presente dictamen preliminar es de un año a partir de la fecha de publicación. Así, la continuación de dicha aprobación estará sujeta a la evaluación de los resultados obtenidos y de mayor evidencia que pueda surgir en el tiempo.

Modern India and Dietary Calcium Deficiency-Half a Century Nutrition Data-Retrospect-Introspect and the Road Ahead.

Calcium and vitamin D are inseparable nutrients required for bone health. In the past half a century, the dietary calcium intake of rural, tribal, and urban India has declined. Though India is the largest producer of milk and cereals, the major source of calcium in India is through non-dairy products. The highest intake of cereals and lowest intake of milk & milk products was observed in rural and tribal subjects whereas, the intake of cereals, milk & milk products were similar in both urban and metropolitan subjects. One of the reasons for lower calcium intake was the proportion of calcium derived from dairy sources. Over the past half a century, the average 30-day consumption of cereals in the rural and urban population has declined by 30%. The Per Capita Cereal Consumption (PCCC)has declined despite sustained raise in Monthly Per capita Consumption Expenditure (MPCE) in both rural and urban households. The cereal consumption was the highest in the lowest income group, despite spending smaller portion of their income, as cereals were supplied through public distribution system (PDS). About 85% of the Indian population are vitamin D deficient despite abundant sunlight. Dietary calcium deficiency can cause secondary vitamin D deficiency. Though India as a nation is the largest producer of milk, there is profound shortage of calcium intake in the diet with all negative consequences on bone health. There is a decline in dietary calcium in the background of upward revision of RDI/RDA. There is a gap in the production-consumption-supply chain with respect to dietary calcium. To achieve a strong bone health across India, it is imperative to have population based strategies addressing different segments including supplementing dietary/supplemental calcium in ICDS, mid-day-meals scheme, public distribution system, educational strategies. Other measures like mass food fortification, biofortification, bioaddition, leveraging digital technologies, investments from corporate sector are some measures which can address this problem. India is a vast country with diverse social, cultural and dietary habits. No single measure can address this problem and requires a multi-pronged strategic approach to tackle the dietary calcium deficiency to achieve strong bone health while solving the problem of nutritional deficiency.

Large-scale food fortification has great potential to improve child health and nutrition.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Undernutrition, including micronutrient deficiencies, continues to plague children across the world, particularly in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). The situation has worsened alongside the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic because of major systemic disruptions to food supply, healthcare, and employment. Large-scale food fortification (LSFF) is a potential strategy for improving micronutrient intakes through the addition of vitamins and minerals to staple foods and improving the nutritional status of populations at large. RECENT FINDINGS: Current evidence unquestionably supports the use of LSFF to improve micronutrient status. Evidence syntheses have also demonstrated impact on some functional outcomes, including anemia, wasting, underweight, and neural tube defects, that underpin poor health and development. Importantly, many of these effects have also been reflected in effectiveness studies that examine LSFF in real-world situations as opposed to under-controlled environments. However, programmatic challenges must be addressed in LMICs in order for LSFF efforts to reach their full potential. SUMMARY: LSFF is an important strategy that has the potential to improve the health and nutrition of entire populations of vulnerable children. Now more than ever, existing programs should be strengthened and new programs implemented in areas with widespread undernutrition and micronutrient deficiencies.

Effects of food supplementation on cognitive function, cerebral blood flow, and nutritional status in young children at risk of undernutrition: randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effects of food supplementation on improving working memory and additional measures including cerebral blood flow in children at risk of undernutrition. DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial. SETTING: 10 villages in Guinea-Bissau. PARTICIPANTS: 1059 children aged 15 months to 7 years; children younger than 4 were the primary population. INTERVENTIONS: Supervised isocaloric servings (≈1300 kJ, five mornings each week, 23 weeks) of a new food supplement (NEWSUP, high in plant polyphenols and omega 3 fatty acids, within a wide variety and high fortification of micronutrients, and a high protein content), or a fortified blended food (FBF) used in nutrition programs, or a control meal (traditional rice breakfast). MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: The primary outcome was working memory, a core executive function predicting long term academic achievement. Additional outcomes were hemoglobin concentration, growth, body composition, and index of cerebral blood flow (CBFi). In addition to an intention-to-treat analysis, a predefined per protocol analysis was conducted in children who consumed at least 75% of the supplement (820/925, 89%). The primary outcome was assessed by a multivariable Poisson model; other outcomes were assessed by multivariable linear mixed models. RESULTS: Among children younger than 4, randomization to NEWSUP increased working memory compared with the control meal (rate ratio 1.20, 95% confidence interval 1.02 to 1.41, P=0.03), with a larger effect in the per protocol population (1.25, 1.06 to 1.47, P=0.009). NEWSUP also increased hemoglobin concentration among children with anemia (adjusted mean difference 0.65 g/dL, 95% confidence interval 0.23 to 1.07, P=0.003) compared with the control meal, decreased body mass index z score gain (-0.23, -0.43 to -0.02, P=0.03), and increased lean tissue accretion (2.98 cm2, 0.04 to 5.92, P=0.046) with less fat (-5.82 cm2, -11.28 to -0.36, P=0.04) compared with FBF. Additionally, NEWSUP increased CBFi compared with the control meal and FBF in both age groups combined (1.14 mm2/s×10-8, 0.10 to 2.23, P=0.04 for both comparisons). Among children aged 4 and older, NEWSUP had no significant effect on working memory or anemia, but increased lean tissue compared with FBF (4.31 cm2, 0.34 to 8.28, P=0.03). CONCLUSIONS: Childhood undernutrition is associated with long term impairment in cognition. Contrary to current understanding, supplementary feeding for 23 weeks could improve executive function, brain health, and nutritional status in vulnerable young children living in low income countries. Further research is needed to optimize nutritional prescriptions for regenerative improvements in cognitive function, and to test effectiveness in other vulnerable groups. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03017209.

Iodine status of non-pregnant women and availability of food vehicles for fortification with iodine in a remote community in Gulf province, Papua New Guinea.

Adequate iodine status of women of childbearing age is essential for optimal growth and development of their offspring. The objectives of the current study were to assess the iodine status of non-pregnant women, availability and use of commercial salt, extent to which it is iodised, and availability of other industrially processed foods suitable for fortification with iodine. This prospective cross-sectional study was carried out in 2018 in a remote area in Gulf province, Papua New Guinea. Multistage cluster sampling was used to randomly select 300 women visiting local markets. Of these, 284 met study criteria of being non-pregnant and non-lactating. Single urine samples were collected from each of them. Discretionary salt intake was assessed; salt samples were collected from a sub-sample of randomly selected households. A semi-structured, pre-tested questionnaire to assess use and availability of commercial salt and other processed foods was modified and used. Salt was available on the interview day in 51.6% of households. Mean iodine content in household salt samples was 37.8 ± 11.8 ppm. Iodine content was below 30.0 ppm in 13.1% and below 15.0 ppm in 3.3% of salt samples. Mean iodine content of salt available at markets was 39.6 ± 0.52 ppm. Mean discretionary intake of salt per capita per day was 3.9 ± 1.21 g. Median UIC was 34.0 µg/L (95% CI, 30.0-38.0 ppm), indicating moderate iodine deficiency. For women with salt in the household, median UIC was 39.5 µg/L (95% CI, 32.0-47.0 µg/L), compared to median UIC of 29.0 µg/L (95% CI, 28.0-32.0 µg/L) for those without salt. This community has low consumption of iodised salt, likely due to limited access. Investigation of other industrially processed foods indicated salt is the most widely consumed processed food in this remote community, although 39.8% of households did use salty flavourings.

Prevention of Micronutrient Deficiencies in Young Children: Consensus Statement from Infant and Young Child Feeding Chapter of Indian Academy of Pediatrics.

JUSTIFICATION: Micronutrient deficiencies have significant impact on the overall health and well-being of society and potential targets for supplementations. It is important to formulate a consensus statement in view of current evidence, and put in place strategies to meet targets. OBJECTIVE: To formulate by endorsement or adoption and disseminate a consensus statement for prevention of micronutrients deficiencies in young children for office practices from an Indian perspective. PROCESS: A National Consultative Meeting was convened by Infant and Young Child Feeding Chapter (IYCF) of Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP) on 17 December, 2016 at Mumbai. IYCF chapter, IAP, United Nations Children Fund, National Institute of Nutrition and Government of India were the participating agencies; and participants representing different parts of India were included. CONCLUSIONS: Micronutrient deficiencies are widespread. For its prevention proper maternal and infant-young child feeding strategies need to be practiced. Encourage delayed cord clamping, dietary diversification, germinated foods, soaking and fermentation processes. Existing Iron, Vitamin A, Zinc supplementation and universal salt iodization programs need to be scaled up, especially in high risk groups. Universal vitamin D supplementation need to be in place; though, the dose needs more research. Vitamin B12 deficiency screening and supplementation should be practiced only in high-risk groups. Availability of appropriately fortified foods needs to be addressed urgently.

The Availability and Nutritional Adequacy of Gluten-Free Bread and Pasta.

Management of coeliac disease (CD) requires the removal of gluten from the diet. Evidence of the availability, cost, and nutritional adequacy of gluten-free (GF) bread and pasta products is limited. GF flours are exempt from UK legislation that requires micronutrient fortification of white wheat flour. This study surveyed the number and cost of bread and pasta products available and evaluated the back-of-pack nutritional information, the ingredient content, and the presence of fortification nutrients of GF bread and pasta, compared to standard gluten-containing equivalent products. Product information was collected from four supermarket websites. Standard products were significantly cheaper, with more products available than GF (p < 0.05). GF bread products were significantly higher in fat and fiber (p < 0.05). All GF products were lower in protein than standard products (p < 0.01). Only 5% of GF breads were fortified with all four mandatory fortification nutrients (calcium, iron, niacin, and thiamin), 28% of GF breads were fortified with calcium and iron only. This lack of fortification may increase the risk of micronutrient deficiency in coeliac sufferers. It is recommended that fortification legislation is extended to include all GF products, in addition to increased regulation of the nutritional content of GF foods.

A 2017 global update on folic acid-preventable spina bifida and anencephaly.

BACKGROUND: Spina bifida and anencephaly are largely preventable birth defects through mandatory folic acid fortification. Our objective was to estimate the proportion of folic acid-preventable spina bifida and anencephaly (FAP SBA) prevented worldwide through mandatory fortification of wheat and/or maize flour with folic acid during the year 2017. METHODS: Using existing data, we identified countries with mandatory fortification policies that added at least 1.0 ppm folic acid to wheat and/or maize flour and had information on percentage of industrially milled flour that is fortified. We assumed mandatory folic acid fortification at 200 µg/day of folic acid fully protects against FAP SBA, reducing the prevalence of spina bifida and anencephaly to 0.5 per 1,000 live births. RESULTS: Overall, 59 countries met our criteria for implementing mandatory folic acid fortification of wheat and/or maize flour in 2017. These countries prevented about 50,270 out of 280,500 FAP SBA births in 2017. Thus, we have only achieved 18% prevention of FAP SBA worldwide. Several countries in Africa and Asia with a high number of FAP SBA-affected births do not have mandatory fortification. CONCLUSION: About 230,000 children unnecessarily developed FAP SBA globally in 2017. There is an urgent need for all countries to implement mandatory folic acid fortification, a proven, safe public health intervention that saves money and prevents infant mortality and disability. Prevention of FAP SBA can play an important role in helping countries to achieve their Sustainable Development Goals for health.

Management of severe acute malnutrition by cow milk in resource constraints settings: experience of the Nutritional Centre of the University Clinics of Graben.

BACKGROUND: Severe acute malnutrition is defined as a weight for height z-score < - 3 standard deviation. Since 2000, joint efforts of the World Health Organization and United Nations Children's Fund allowed to standardize the management of acute malnutrition by improving outcome and preventing complications with the introduction of therapeutic milk and ready-to-use therapeutic foods. However, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, many health facilities face therapeutic milk shortage while managing severe acute malnutrition. At the University Clinics of Graben, cow milk with porridge made of maize, soybean, vegetal oil and sugar is used during stockouts periods. This study was carried out to analyse the efficiency and safety of this treatment compared to the conventional one in SAM patients. METHODS: This study is based on the experience of the University Clinics of Graben in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo whose nutritional centre is often confronted with stockouts in nutritional supplements. During a three months shortage in 2015, patients received cow milk alternating with preparations made from sugar-maize-soybean- vegetal oil. The study compared the evolution of these children with those who had previously been treated with the WHO conventional preparations by analysing weight changes, oedema resolution, gastrointestinal tolerability and clinical outcome over 21 days. Data were analysed with SPSS 20. We used the ANOVA, Chi-square test, odd ratio and p-value to compare the differences. RESULTS: Seventy-nine patients had received cow milk while fifty-seven were submitted to classical therapeutic milk. There was no significant difference between the two groups regardless the type of malnutrition in terms of weight changes, oedema resolution, gastrointestinal tolerability and clinical outcome over 21 days. CONCLUSION: Cow milk alternately with sugar-maize-soybean- vegetal oil preparations is an acceptable alternative in case of stockouts in conventional therapeutic milk in these settings.

Targeting the pains of food insecurity and malnutrition among internally displaced persons with nutrient synergy and analgesics in organ meat.

Living with pain is one of the distressing effects of food insecurity and malnutrition among millions of internally displaced persons (IDPs) worldwide. Vulnerability to emotional pain, metabolic imbalance, chronic illnesses and non-communicable diseases by IDPs are associated with stressed livelihood and restricted access to balanced diets in their camps. Tackling the complexity of issues related to internal displacement is challenging as 45% are globally trapped in protracted conditions. In this review, a diet-based intervention is proposed considering the potential benefits of nutrient synergy and analgesic constituents in organ meat. Providing an affordable, value added and well packaged nutrient dense diet is suggested to meet daily protein and micronutrient requirements from organ meat. Also, unlocking health-promoting bioactive substances and analgesics in restructured organ meat product is proposed as personalized dietary remedy to exert opioid bioactivity in food matrix. Exploiting the nutrient synergy of this animal by-product will not only improve the nutritional status or wellbeing but also raise the composite score of dietary diversity or food security index among IDPs by 2030.

Neural tube defects: Risk factors and preventive measures.

For the last 25 years, it has been proven that the occurrence or recurrence of neural tube defects can be prevented with the administration of folic acid before and early pregnancy. At present, over 80 countries in the world, except Japan, have mandated the fortification of wheat flour and/or rice with folic acid, which has resulted in a significant reduction in the prevalence of neural tube defects. In 2000, the Japanese government recommended folic acid 400 µg daily for young women of childbearing age and women who are planning to conceive. In 2002, the government started to present information about the importance of folic acid in the development of fetuses in the Mother-Child Health Booklet annually. Despite these endeavors, the prevalence of neural tube defects has remained unchanged. We discuss the risk factors of neural tube defects and propose preventive measures to decrease the number of neonates with neural tube defects. We believe that the government should implement the fortification of staple food with folic acid very soon, which will eventually decrease not only the neonatal mortality and morbidity, but also the economic burden on our health care system.

A comparison of substrate oxidation during prolonged exercise in men at terrestrial altitude and normobaric normoxia following the coingestion of 13C glucose and 13C fructose.

This study compared the effects of coingesting glucose and fructose on exogenous and endogenous substrate oxidation during prolonged exercise at altitude and sea level, in men. Seven male British military personnel completed two bouts of cycling at the same relative workload (55% Wmax) for 120 min on acute exposure to altitude (3375 m) and at sea level (~113 m). In each trial, participants ingested 1.2 g·min-1 of glucose (enriched with 13C glucose) and 0.6 g·min-1 of fructose (enriched with 13C fructose) directly before and every 15 min during exercise. Indirect calorimetry and isotope ratio mass spectrometry were used to calculate fat oxidation, total and exogenous carbohydrate oxidation, plasma glucose oxidation, and endogenous glucose oxidation derived from liver and muscle glycogen. Total carbohydrate oxidation during the exercise period was lower at altitude (157.7 ± 56.3 g) than sea level (286.5 ± 56.2 g, P = 0.006, ES = 2.28), whereas fat oxidation was higher at altitude (75.5 ± 26.8 g) than sea level (42.5 ± 21.3 g, P = 0.024, ES = 1.23). Peak exogenous carbohydrate oxidation was lower at altitude (1.13 ± 0.2 g·min-1) than sea level (1.42 ± 0.16 g·min-1, P = 0.034, ES = 1.33). There were no differences in rates, or absolute and relative contributions of plasma or liver glucose oxidation between conditions during the second hour of exercise. However, absolute and relative contributions of muscle glycogen during the second hour were lower at altitude (29.3 ± 28.9 g, 16.6 ± 15.2%) than sea level (78.7 ± 5.2 g (P = 0.008, ES = 1.71), 37.7 ± 13.0% (P = 0.016, ES = 1.45). Acute exposure to altitude reduces the reliance on muscle glycogen and increases fat oxidation during prolonged cycling in men compared with sea level.

Prevalence of Vitamin D deficiency in Pakistan and implications for the future.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: vitamin D deficiency (25-hydroxyvitamin D) affects over one billion people worldwide. Vitamin D deficiency results in progression of osteoporosis as well as other conditions. Previous studies have shown high rates of vitamin D deficiency in Pakistan despite appreciable levels of sunshine. However, none have assessed vitamin D deficiency across all age groups, genders, incomes, and locations to guide future strategies. METHODS: Questionnaire and blood sampling among 4830 randomly selected citizens. RESULTS: High levels of deficiency among all age groups, genders, income levels, and locations. Amongst the selected citizens, 53.5% had vitamin D deficiency, 31.2% had insufficient vitamin D, and only 15.3% normal vitamin D. CONCLUSION: High rates of vitamin D deficiency in Pakistan despite high levels of sunshine and previous Food Acts asking for food fortification with vitamin D. Public health strategies are needed to address high deficiency rates, including food fortification, i.e. nurture, alongside increasing exposure to sunlight, i.e. nature. This will involve all key stakeholder groups.

[Effectiveness of the program "School Milk" for the prevention of iodine deficiency].

Republic of Bashkortostan refers to iodine-deficient regions of Russia. The incidence of endemic multinodular goiter in 2012 in the Republic amounted to 33.2 per 100 thousand of the population. The purpose of the study is to evaluate the effectiveness of group iodine prophylaxis of schoolchildren through the use of iodized milk. The study included 181 children of primary school (pre-pubertal) age (8-10 years), it has been carried out in accordance with the recommendations of the WHO and the International Council for Control of iodine deficiency disorders using a unified system of identification of iodine deficiency states. Level of physical development was assessed according to anthropometric measurements, which were conducted by centile distribution tables according to age and sex, and the individual assessment of physical development was determined by the level of feature by its position in a number of centile. Assessment of iodine deficiency was carried out by determining levels of iodine excretion in a single urine sample. Iodine concentration in urine was determined by ceric ion-arsenious acid method. Frequency of iodine deficiency varying degrees before the iodine prophylaxis among urban children was 57.0%, among rural-92.3%. Urban junior schoolchildren showed severe iodine deficiency in 12.7% and moderate one in 16.4% of the cases, while in the countryside their prevalence was higher--27.4 and 35.2%, respectively. It was revealed that the number of children whose body growth values are within the average values is 36% in urban children, and 48.4% in rural areas. It should be noted that the low and very low body height predominate in rural students, it makes up 16.1% (while in the town it makes-up 2.3%). Iodine prophylaxis contributed to a significant reduction of iodine deficiency in children. In the town the median urinary iodine exceeded 100 mg/L and amounted to 159.4 mg/L. After iodine prophylaxis 82.5% of urban children and 72.1% of rural showed normal urinary iodine. When comparing the results of clinical and laboratory studies before and after the group prevention of iodine deficiency there has been revealed a positive trend in terms of reflecting the tensions of thyroid status.

Suplemento alimentar com múltiplos micronutrientes em pó para implantação do NutriSUS / Multi-micronutrient food supplement for implantation of NutriSUS

CONTEXTO: No Brasil, 20,9% das crianças menores de 5 anos possuem anemia causada por deficiência de ferro (PNDS 2006). O público mais vulnerável são as crianças menores de 24 meses, pois tem como consequência danos ao desenvolvimento neuropsicomotor, repercussões futuras na idade escolar e na adolescência, gerando adultos com menor capacidade produtiva, o que repercute na economia dos países. A prevenção da anemia e, segundo estudos científicos, a suplementação da alimentação infantil com múltiplos micronutrientes, incluindo ferro é uma alternativa inovadora à suplementação com ferro e à biofortificação de alimentos. A DOENÇA: Os primeiros anos de vida se configuram em um período de intenso crescimento e desenvolvimento, sendo, portanto, uma fase dependente de vários estímulos para garantir que as crianças cresçam de forma saudável. As práticas alimentares inadequadas nos primeiros anos de vida estão intimamente relacionadas à morbimortalidade de crianças, representada por doenças infecciosas, afecções respiratórias, cárie dental, desnutrição, excesso de peso e carências específicas de micronutrientes como de ferro, zinco e vitamina A. As principais consequências da deficiência de ferro são anemia, deficiência cognitiva, de desempenho físico e aumento das mortalidades materna e infantil. Essa carência está associada a prejuízos no desenvolvimento neurológico e psicomotor das crianças, comprometendo a capacidade de aprendizagem, além da diminuição da imunidade celular, que resulta em menor resistência às infecções e baixa produtividade em adultos. A TECNOLOGIA: Suplemento alimentar para implantação da estratégia NutriSUS ­ fortificação da alimentação infantil com micronutrientes em pó. Em 2011, a Organização Mundial da Saúde passou a recomendar a estratégia de fortificação dos alimentos com múltiplos micronutrientes como alternativa à suplementação com ferro isolado, com o intuito de aumentar a ingestão de vitaminas e minerais em crianças (WHO, 2011). ESTUDO DE AVALIAÇÃO: O Estudo de Avaliação da Efetividade da Ação no Âmbito do SUS (ENFAC) foi realizado no período de junho de 2012 a julho de 2013 em quatro cidades brasileiras ­ Goiânia (GO), Olinda (PE), Porto Alegre (RS) e Rio Branco (AC). O objetivo do estudo foi avaliar a efetividade do sachê de micronutrientes, a adesão por mães e a aceitação por parte das crianças de 6 a 8 meses atendidas na rede de atenção do SUS e contribuir para a implementação da estratégia no Brasil. Em maio/2014, foram publicados os primeiros resultados do estudo comparando-se as crianças do grupo controle e intervenção (confirme Figura 1 que consta neste relatório). Para viabilizar a realização desta pesquisa, os sachês com múltiplos micronutrientes foram doados pelo Fundo das Nações Unidas para a Infância (UNICEF) e o financiamento foi do Ministério da Saúde/Coordenação-Geral de Alimentação e Nutrição - CGAN, com gerência administrativo-financeiro do Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq, processo nº 552747/2011-4). CONCLUSÃO: Por fim, considerando que a anemia configura-se como importante problema de saúde pública e traz graves repercussões no desenvolvimento infantil, propõem-se o NutriSUS como estratégia inovadora para a prevenção e controle da anemia e outras carências nutricionais específicas no Brasil. Para tal, a Secretaria de Atenção à Saúde do Ministério da Saúde solicitou a apreciação pela Comissão Nacional de Incorporação de Tecnologia no SUS ­ CONITEC/SCTIE quanto à incorporação deste suplemento na rede de atenção do SUS, tendo em vista que o sache com múltiplos micronutrientes ainda não está contemplado na Relação Nacional de Medicamentos (RENAME, 2013). RECOMENDAÇÃO DA CONITEC: Na 26ª reunião da CONITEC, realizada no dia 09/06/2014, os membros da CONITEC deliberaram, por unanimidade, pela incorporação de suplemento de vitaminas e minerais na educação infantil.

Fatores sociodemográficos e excesso de peso em crianças participantes de programa governamental de distribuição de leite fortificado / Sociodemographic factors and overweight in children participating in governmental program for the distribution of fortified milk

Estudos anteriores mostraram a efetividade do Projeto VIVALEITE para o ganho de peso de crianças menores de dois anos. Como o programa é efetivo, é possível que crianças ingressantes com peso próximo ao limite considerado adequado para idade o ultrapassem no decorrer de sua participação. Verificar se há variáveis sociodemográficas associadas ao excesso de peso poderá permitir o estabelecimento de medidas preventivas por parte dos gestores do programa. Objetivo: Analisar a associação entre fatores sociodemográficos e excesso de peso em participantes do Projeto VIVALEITE. Métodos: Estudo de coorte com dados de 1.039 crianças de famílias de baixa renda do interior do Estado de São Paulo, ingressantes no projeto VIVALEITE com seis meses de idade e peso próximo ao limite superior de adequação, no período de janeiro de 2003 a setembro de 2008. Investigou-se a proporção de crianças que ficam com excesso de peso durante a participação no programa e as associações com as condições sociodemográficas de cada criança (amamentação aos seis meses, sexo e peso ao nascer) e dos respectivos responsáveis (condição conjugal, idade, situação de trabalho e escolaridade). A modelagem foi feita por meio de regressão logística, com as variáveis socioeconômicas em cada idade de pesagem (9 a 23 meses) e regressão logística multinível das variáveis socioeconômicas e o conjunto das idades de pesagem. O processamento foi feito com o pacote estatístico Stata 10.1. Resultados: Conforme análise...

Previous studies have shown the effectiveness of VIVALEITE Project to gain weight in children under two years old. As the program is effective, it is possible that children who began weighting close to the limit considered appropriate for the age during their participation this weight exceed the limit. Examine for sociodemographic variables associated with overweight may allow the establishment of preventive measures by program managers. Objective: To analyze the association between sociodemographic factors and overweight in participants of VIVALEITE Project. Methods: Cohort study with data from 1,039 infants from low-income families in the state of São Paulo, who were admitted on Vivaleite design with six months of age and weight near the upper limit of adequacy, from January 2003 to September 2008. Investigate the proportion of children who became overweight during participation in the program and associations with sociodemographic conditions of each child (breastfeeding at six months, sex and birth weight) and their guardians (marital status, age, employment status and education). The modeling was performed using logistic regression with socioeconomic variables in each age in the moment by weigh (9-23 months) and multilevel logistic regression of socioeconomic variables and all the ages of weighing. Stata 10.1 program version was used for analysis. Results: As multilevel analysis, the category yes of breastfeeding at six months (OR = 0.29, p = 0.000) and...

Fatores sociodemográficos e proporção de crianças que deixam de ter baixo peso para idade, em programa governamental de distribuição de leite fortificado, nas idades de 6 a 23 meses / Sociodemographic factors and proportion of children who stop having low weight for age in program government distribution of fortified milk in ages 6-23 months

INTRODUÇÃO: É importante que programas de intervenção nutricional sejam avaliados. Estudo anterior mostrou que o Projeto Vivaleite, programa de distribuição de leite fortificado no Estado de São Paulo, é efetivo quando se comparam as médias dos escores z do indicador de peso para idade (P/I) de crianças ainda fora do programa com as crianças no programa, na faixa etária de 6 a 23 meses, independentemente de variáveis sociodemográficas. OBJETIVO: Estudar a associação entre fatores sociodemográficos e a proporção de crianças que deixam de ter baixo P/I, nas idades de 6 a 23 meses, durante sua participação, no período de janeiro/2003 a setembro/2008, em programa governamental de distribuição de leite fortificado. MÉTODOS: Estudo de coorte prospectiva com dados de 327 crianças residentes no interior do Estado de São Paulo que ingressaram, aos seis meses de idade.