ABSTRACT
Background: Dietary habits are established in childhood and are often maintained into adulthood [Thompson RA et al., 2005]. Early childhood is the perfect time to teach children good eating habits, especially in nurseries where they spent most of their time [Dosso JA et al., 2017]. Currently, the nutrients intake of many children does not meet the dietary guidelines [Pem D et al., 2015]. Overweight/obesity is common, and increases rapidly in early childhood. Thus, nutrition education and interventions are key to improve children's health; nursery educators being the main target [Al Mohtadi RM and Al Zboon HS, 2017]
Objective: This study aims to determine the effectiveness of a nutrition education intervention on nutrition status of children aged one to three years old and nutritional knowledge of nursery educators in private and public Lebanese nurseries
Design: 137 children were assessed at baseline. Fifty-six of them were included in the study. Pre and post surveys were conducted including a demographic questionnaire addressed to nurseries' directors and a nutritional standardized questionnaire addressed to nurseries' educators. The intervention consisted of nutrition education trainings, anthropometric measurements for children and nutrition activities program during the six-month Period
Results: Results indicated an improvement in the full intervention nursery versus the minimal intervention nurseries. The prevalence of overweight children was 44.6 Percent and 36.6Percent after intervention with an improvement of 8Percent. Post intervention, the percentage of stunted children remained the same in all nurseries; children in healthy range increased from 55.3Percent to 62.5Percent and the percentage of children in excessive range decreased by 4 Percent. The intervention made a significant impact on the nutrition knowledge [p value = 0.064], with a 6.13Percent improvement between pre and post results. Results demonstrated also a lack of conformity between the offered nutrient intakes and the recommended corresponding references. This non-compliance is due to a deficiency of recommended energy [770.05 Kcal vs. 1100 Kcal] and carbohydrates intake [101.86g vs. 130g], whereas proteins [14.0Percent] and fat [33Percent] intake appears to be consistent. The dietary patterns of children revealed a carbohydrate-based diet with very few consuming a variety of fruit and vegetables. Some changes were made in the dietary choices of the children after the intervention, with the inclusion of more fruits and vegetables and decreased intake of carbohydrate-rich food
Conclusion o Results analysis indicated a need to enhance nurseries educators' nutrition knowledge and to improve the quality and quantity of food provided to children. A typical menu and directed children activities might be a good additional approach to enhance nutrition and behavioral outcomes. Parent's involvement seems a good axis for future research
ABSTRACT
Early childhood is the perfect time to teach the child good eating habits, especially in nurseries through their educators and the offered menu. These nurseries should therefore ensure that their menus are varied and balanced. This study aims to analyze nutritionally the menus offered to children, from one to three years old in Lebanese nurseries located in Metn. For this purpose, a survey was made including a demographic standardized questionnaire addressed to nurseries heads, with another nutritional standardized questionnaire addressed to nurseries teachers and a checklist also standardized to locate the current nutritional status of nurseries. Among fifty-three visited nurseries, a sampling of thirty menus acquired was used for this analysis and the results demonstrated the lack of conformity between the offered nutrient intakes and the recommended American corresponding reference. This non-compliance is due to an excess of 28.2Percent of recommended energy intake, 23.6Percent and 51Percent respectively of carbohydrates and proteins, whereas only fat intake appears consistent. The iron intake exceeded recommendations by 39.3Percent, while zinc exceeded by 65Percent; only vitamin A intake was 46.2Percent below the recommended intake. Nurseries educators' nutritional knowledge was found to be insufficient. Accordingly, these results indicate the need to improve the quality and quantity of food provided to children in nurseries and the necessity for nurseries educators training and education in early childhood nutrition
ABSTRACT
During infancy, children spend most of their time in child care. The aim of our study is to evaluate the nutritional knowledge level of educators and to show that nutritional education initiated in the preschool age [0 to 3 years] helps to improve children's eating habits. For this purpose, a pilot study was conducted between July 15, 2015 and October 15, 2015, covering one nursery and five educators, in which interventions have allowed educators to learn the basics of child nutrition and strategies to improve eating behaviors of children. After analyzing the results, desirable changes in eating habits of the children were noticeable, for instance an 80Percent improvement in fruit consumption and 55Percent in vegetable consumption; similarly there was a 21Percent increase in the knowledge of educators. However, despite this nutritional intervention, 80Percent of children persist to prefer sweets and treats. Thus continuous nutrition education might be the solution to this problem
ABSTRACT
We relate a case of an 18-year-old man, resident of Xapuri (state of Acre, Brazil), with a history of repeated episodes of meningoencephalitis (three in one year), each one was examined by a local doctor. In our service (Emílio Ribas Institute of Infectology) we observed a patient with polyjoint aches, radiological and bronchoscopic pulmonary alterations (without clinical features), meningeal and brain stem manifestations--with normal brain computed tomography and cerebrospinal fluid. Blood eosinophils and serological Toxocara canis test (ELISA) were greatly increased. With the hypothesis of Toxocariasis (visceral larva migrans) we administered thiabendazole that brought complete clinical and laboratory remission. Inspite of a new episode of headache with meningeal manifestation approximately one month later (treated with dexamethasone resulting in a full remission after three days) we have not found other manifestations in approximately three and a half years of ambulatory care.