[Evaluation of a diet and nutritional status of breast feeding women on the basis of a questionnaire study]. / Ocena sposobu zywienia i stanu odzywienia kobiet karmiacych piersia na podstawie badania ankietowego.

The subjects were 120 breast-feeding mothers whose children were admitted for outpatient or inpatient treatment at the Institute of Mother and Child in Warsaw, between March, 1998 and July, 1999. A special nutritional questionnaire was elaborated with the aim to evaluate subjects' nutritional status as well as their diet. All subjects completed the questionnaire and then selected parameters of their nutritional status and diet were evaluated. For 43 of the women under study it was the first month of lactation, for 33--the fourth month, for 23--the sixth and 21 women had been breast-feeding for more then six months. The subjects were of different age, coming from both urban and rural areas. In the studied group the nutritional status, i.e. body mass indices (BMI) before pregnancy, at the end of pregnancy and during lactation were within the normal range. 65 of the subjects had changed their diet due to pregnancy and 52 due to lactation. Women declared to be used to eating 3-4 meals per day. Having additional snacks was declared by 62.5%. Liquids' intake was on average about 2.5 l/24 hr, range 2-31. Average daily energy intake--2938 kcal/12,980 kJ, the lowest--in a diet of a mother with diabetes, the highest--in a diet of a vegetarian mother. The proportion of protein in energy intake was 15.1%, whereas fat--36.3%. Dietary practices of women under study in the period of lactation were well adjusted to nutritional recommendations for this group, as evidenced by indices of nutritional status (i.e. BMI). Among 120 women, 71 were taking supplementary preparations of vitamins and minerals. It turned out that a level of some vitamins in a daily food intake together with supplementation was definitely too high.

[An evaluation of vitamin A status based on the measurement of retinol in the serum of children and infants]. / Ocena stanu odzywiania witamina A na podstawie pomiaru stezenia retinulo w surowicy krwi dzieci i neimowlat.

A statistical comparison of serum vitamin A content among groups of children of various age ranges, revealed a much lower vitamin A level in infants (p < 0.001). The possibility of vitamin A deficiency among ill infants points to the necessity of supplementation with this vitamin.

[Metabolic balance of zinc in infants and children]. / Bilanse metaboliczne cynku u niemowlat i dzieci.

Zinc metabolism in infants and children was evaluated on the basis of chemical balance studies of this element. The zinc intake chemically measured oscillated in the broad limits from 0,2 to 17,1 mg/d according to the age and to the manner of feeding; the highly positive zinc retentions were obtained only in infants with high intake of this element. Zinc in the diet of infants in some part derived from water. Low positive retentions were observed by intake in the limits of daily allowances (3-5 mg/d) and by the low content of calcium in the diet. About one half of zinc balances was negative because of relatively low zinc intake and the high calcium intake. The negative zinc balances could be caused also by the suggested presence of antinutritive substances in the diet. The low zinc intake founded in older children (3-10 years) and the low retention of this element could be the reason zinc deficiency states in children of different age.

[Calcium requirement in infants with intrauterine dystrophy. Report I. Indicators of calcium balance in infants with intrauterine dystrophy]. / Próba oceny zapotrzebowania na wapn u niemowlat urodzonych z dystrofia wewnatrzmaciczna. Doniesienie I. Zachowanie sie wskazników bilansu wapniowego u niemowlat urodzonych z dystrofia wewnatrzmaciczna.

Observations of many investigators point at a lower amount of calcium in body composition of Small-for-Date infants (S-f-D). So far, only few investigations indicated that the calcium metabolism is disturbed in the postnatal life of S-f-D infants as well. Taking into consideration these data, the authors attempt to define calcium-requirement in S-f-D infants. In this report the cross-sectional observations of 30 infants are described . They were born after 37 weeks of gestation. The mean body weight was 2318 and it ranged between 1200-2760 g. Their body weight at birth was below 10 percentile according to Brzozowska . In these infants 3-days balance studies were carried out once a month. The calcium balance indices were compared with the indices of the Full-Size infants (FS) who were observed during the former years. The S-f-D and FS infants were fed similar diets based on unmodified cow's milk formulas. It was noted that the percentage absorption index in S-f-D infants was significantly lower than in the control group in 1-st and 2-nd trimester of life (table III, fig. 2). The S-f-D infants had a good appetite in first semester of life and they ate a big volume of milk formula and calcium in it. It seems that this is the reason that calcium retention in S-f-D infants in spite of lower ability of calcium retention, did not differ statistically from calcium retention in FS infants. The mean values were a little lower however. In the 2-nd half year of life statistically significant difference between any of the balance indices in S-f-D and FS infants was not found.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Calcium requirement in infants with intrauterine dystrophy (ID). Report II. Effect of differentiated diets with regard to quantity and quality of protein and fat on the calcium balance in infants with intrauterine dystrophy]. / Próba oceny zapotrzebowania na wapn u niemowlat urodzonych z dystrofia wewnatrzmaciczna (DW). Doniesienie II. Wplyw diet zróznicowanych pod wzgledem zawartosci i jakosci bialka i tluszczu na bilans wapnia u niemowlat (-) DW.

In the former report on he calcium requirement in Small-for Date (S-f-D) infants it was observed that the ability of calcium absorption of S-f-D infants is lowered in 1-st semester of life. From this point of view it seemed purposeful to study the influence of 3 modified cow's milk formulas (see table) on the calcium absorption in S-f-D infants. Modification of these diets in regard to cow's milk depended on: 1) partial replacement of cow's milk fat with soya oil. 2) change of the proportion between fat and protein. 3) partial replacement of milk casein with lactoalbumin . The infants were divided into 3 groups G, H and C according to the kind of diet. Observation in the first 2 groups lasted for the whole first year of life, C group of infants was observed only in 1-st half year of life. In the first month of life G and H infants were fed the same unmodified cow's milk formulas (diet S) 3-day balance-studies. Were carried out once a month. The data of these 3 groups of infants were compared with each other and the data of S-f-D infants fed unmodified cow's milk formulas (group S) described in he former report. In group S, calcium intake was the highest in 1-st and in 2-nd semester of life among all compared infant groups, but the difference was not statistically significant. The lowest (%) absorption was noted in group G infants (fig. 2, table III and IV). The difference was statistically significant in 1-st semester of life between group G and S and in 2-nd semester between G and S as well as G and H groups. Calcium retention mg/kg was also the lowest in group G infants, and the difference was statistically significant in 1-st and in 2-nd semester between G and S groups. The infants fed H formula in spite of the lowest indices of calcium absorption % and retention mg/kg in the first (see table) and the second month of life and in spite of the lowest intake of calcium among all compared infants groups cough up absorption (%) and retention (mg/kg b.w.) with groups S in 2 semester of life.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)