Mortality in children under 5 years of age with congenital syphilis in Brazil: A nationwide cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Congenital syphilis (CS) is a major and avoidable cause of neonatal death worldwide. In this study, we aimed to estimate excess all-cause mortality in children under 5 years with CS compared to those without CS. METHODS AND FINDINGS: In this population-based cohort study, we used linked, routinely collected data from Brazil from January 2011 to December 2017. Cox survival models were adjusted for maternal region of residence, maternal age, education, material status, self-declared race and newborn sex, and year of birth and stratified according to maternal treatment status, non-treponemal titers and presence of signs and symptoms at birth. Over 7 years, a total of 20 057 013 live-born children followed up (through linkage) to 5 years of age, 93 525 were registered with CS, and 2 476 died. The all-cause mortality rate in the CS group was 7·84/1 000 person-years compared with 2·92/1 000 person-years in children without CS, crude hazard ratio (HR) = 2·41 (95% CI 2·31 to 2·50). In the fully adjusted model, the highest under-five mortality risk was observed among children with CS from untreated mothers HR = 2·82 (95% CI 2·63 to 3·02), infants with non-treponemal titer higher than 1:64 HR = 8·87 (95% CI 7·70 to 10·22), and children with signs and symptoms at birth HR = 7·10 (95% CI 6·60 to 7·63). Among children registered with CS, CS was recorded as the underlying cause of death in 33% (495/1 496) of neonatal, 11% (85/770) of postneonatal, and 2·9% (6/210) of children 1 year of age. The main limitations of this study were the use of a secondary database without additional clinical information and the potential misclassification of exposure status. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed an increased mortality risk among children with CS that goes beyond the first year of life. It also reinforces the importance of maternal treatment that infant non-treponemal titers and the presence of signs and symptoms of CS at birth are strongly associated with subsequent mortality. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Observational study.

Maternal and congenital syphilis in Indigenous Peoples: a scoping review of the worldwide literature.

BACKGROUND: Syphilis is among the most common sexually transmitted infections worldwide. When it occurs during pregnancy, it can seriously affect the fetus and newborn`s health. The scarcity of studies on maternal and congenital syphilis in Indigenous Peoples remains an obstacle to its control in these populations. This study aimed to explore the breadth of the literature, map updated evidence, and identify knowledge gaps on maternal and congenital syphilis in Indigenous Peoples worldwide. METHODS: We conducted a Scoping review following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses - Extension for Scoping Reviews. In March 2021, we collected data through a priority search on PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and SciELO. RESULTS: The strategy yielded 24 studies for analysis. Data in the articles were collected from 1989 to 2020, half from 2015 onwards. Studies were in Oceania and the Americas, mainly in South America (66.7%), particularly in Brazil (50.0%). The topics assessed were Data quality related to maternal and congenital syphilis (20.8%); Diagnosis, provision, access, and use of health services (62.5%); Disease frequency and health inequities (54.2%); Determinants of maternal syphilis and congenital syphilis (20.8%); and Outcomes of maternal and congenital syphilis in the fetus (20.8%). The results show that the available literature on maternal and congenital syphilis is sparse and concentrated in some geographic areas; the frequency of these diseases in Indigenous Peoples varies but is generally higher than in the non-indigenous counterparts; the quality of surveillance data and health information systems is poor; multiple healthcare barriers exist; and the diversity of terms to identify Indigenous Peoples is a challenge to mapping scientific outputs on Indigenous Peoples' health. CONCLUSIONS: Maternal and congenital syphilis in Indigenous Peoples is a double-neglected condition and research in this area should be given the priority and encouragement it deserves globally. Reliable data and improving access to health care are needed to reduce the burden of syphilis and correctly inform policies and health services response to mitigate ethnic-racial inequalities in maternal and congenital syphilis.

Baixo peso ao nascer, prematuridade e restrição de crescimento intra-uterino: resultados dos dados de base da primeira coorte de nascimentos indígenas no Brasil (coorte de nascimentos Guarani).

ABSTRATO: FUNDO: O baixo peso ao nascer (BPN) continua sendo um importante problema de saúde global, associado a uma série de resultados adversos de saúde ao longo da vida. As evidências sugerem que o BPN é um determinante relevante de morbidade e mortalidade em grupos indígenas, que geralmente têm acesso limitado às políticas públicas de saúde e nutrição. O conhecimento da prevalência de BPN e de suas causas subjacentes pode contribuir com etapas essenciais para a prevenção de seus efeitos sobre a saúde. O estudo teve como objetivo estimar as prevalências de BPN, prematuridade e restrição de crescimento intra-uterino (RCIU) e investigar seus determinantes na primeira coorte de nascimentos indígenas no Brasil. MéTODOS: Este estudo transversal utilizou dados de linha de base coletados da primeira coorte de nascimentos indígenas no Brasil, a Coorte de Nascimentos Guarani. O Brasil é um dos países com maior diversidade étnica do mundo, com 305 povos indígenas e 274 línguas nativas. Os Guarani são uma das cinco maiores etnias, com aldeias localizadas principalmente na região sul. Todos os nascimentos únicos de 1º de junho de 2014 a 31 de maio de 2016 foram selecionados em 63 aldeias indígenas Guarani nas regiões Sul e Sudeste. Foi realizada regressão logística múltipla hierárquica. RESULTADOS: As taxas de prevalência de BPN, prematuridade e RCIU foram 15,5, 15,6 e 5,7%, respectivamente. As chances de BPN foram menores em recém-nascidos de mães que vivem em casas de tijolo e argamassa (OR: 0,25; IC 95%: 0,07-0,84) e foram maiores em filhos de mães ≤20 anos de idade (OR: 2,4; IC 95%: 1,29-4,44) e com anemia crônica antes da gravidez (OR: 6,41; IC 95%: 1,70-24,16). A prematuridade foi estatisticamente associada ao tipo de fonte de energia para cozinhar (fogão a lenha - OR: 3,87; IC 95%: 1,71-8,78 e fogueiras - OR: 2,57; IC 95%: 1,31-5,01). RCIU foi associado à primiparidade (OR: 4,66; IC 95%: 1,68-12,95) e anemia materna crônica antes da gravidez (OR: 7,21; IC 95%: 1,29-40,38). CONCLUSõES: Idade materna, estado nutricional e paridade, condições de moradia e exposição à poluição interna foram associados com resultados perinatais na população indígena Guarani. Esses resultados indicam a necessidade de investir no acesso e melhoria da assistência pré-natal; também no fortalecimento do Subsistema de Saúde Indígena, e em ações intersetoriais para o desenvolvimento de políticas habitacionais e de saneamento e melhorias ambientais ajustadas às necessidades e conhecimentos dos povos indígenas.

The First National Survey of Indigenous People's Health and Nutrition in Brazil: rationale, methodology, and overview of results.

BACKGROUND: Although case studies indicate that indigenous peoples in Brazil often suffer from higher morbidity and mortality rates than the national population, they were not included systematically in any previous national health survey. Reported here for the first time, the First National Survey of Indigenous People's Health and Nutrition in Brazil was conducted in 2008-2009 to obtain baseline information based on a nationwide representative sample. This paper presents the study's rationale, design and methods, and selected results. METHODS: The survey sought to characterize nutritional status and other health measures in indigenous children less than 5 years of age and indigenous women from 14 to 49 years of age on the basis of a survey employing a representative probabilistic sample of the indigenous population residing in villages in Brazil, according to four major regions (North, Northeast, Central-West, and South/Southeast). Interviews, clinical measurements, and secondary data collection in the field addressed the major topics: nutritional status, prevalence of hypertension and diabetes mellitus in women, child hospitalization, prevalence of tuberculosis and malaria in women, access to health services and programs, and characteristics of the domestic economy and diet. RESULTS: The study obtained data for 113 villages (91.9% of the planned sample), 5,305 households (93.5%), 6,692 women (101.3%), and 6,128 children (93.1%). Multiple household variables followed a pattern of greater economic autonomy and lower socioeconomic status in the North as compared to other regions. For non-pregnant women, elevated prevalence rates were encountered for overweight (30.3%), obesity (15.8%), anemia (32.7%), and hypertension (13.2%). Among children, elevated prevalence rates were observed for height-for-age deficit (25.7%), anemia (51.2%), hospitalizations during the prior 12 months (19.3%), and diarrhea during the prior week (23.6%). CONCLUSIONS: The clinical-epidemiological parameters evaluated for indigenous women point to the accentuated occurrence of nutrition transition in all regions of Brazil. Many outcomes also reflected a pattern whereby indigenous women's and children's health indicators were worse than those documented for the national Brazilian population, with important regional variations. Observed disparities in health indicators underscore that basic healthcare and sanitation services are not yet as widely available in Brazil's indigenous communities as they are in the rest of the country.

Corrigendum to "How, what, and why: housing, water & sanitation and wealth patterns in a cross-sectional study of the Guarani Birth Cohort, the first indigenous birth cohort in Brazil" [The Lancet Regional Health - Americas 2023;21: 100496].

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.lana.2023.100496.].

Suicide among Indigenous peoples in Brazil from 2000 to 2020: a descriptive study.

Background: Previous studies in Australia, Canada, and Brazil, found that suicide among ethnic minority groups is higher than in the general population. Indigenous peoples in Brazil have been reported to have a high suicide rate, with reports of suicide clusters occurring in several communities. The objective of this study was to report trends in countrywide suicide rates among Indigenous peoples in Brazil between 2000 and 2020, and to compare these with the non-Indigenous population. Methods: This ecological study used Indigenous suicide data collected from all regions of Brazil during a 21-year period, between 2000 and 2020. We used suicide estimates from the Mortality Information System (SIM), available at the Brazilian Health Ministry website (DATASUS). Suicide mortality rates by state and region were calculated using the estimated Indigenous population from the 2010 census, and estimated population proportions for the other years. We performed a trend analysis and compared trends in suicide between the Indigenous and non-Indigenous population during the period studied. Findings: Suicide rates among Indigenous Brazilians have reached more than two and a half times the levels for the overall Brazilian population in 2020 (17.57 suicide deaths versus 6.35 suicide deaths per 100,000 inhabitants, respectively). The Central-West region of Brazil had the highest suicide rates among Indigenous Brazilians over the study period, reaching 58.8 deaths/100,000 inhabitants in 2008. The younger age group (10-24 years old) had the highest suicide rates for all the years studied. Time-series analyses showed a trend of statistically significant increases in suicide rates in Brazil for both the Indigenous and non-Indigenous population during the study period. The North region, and specifically Amazonas state, has shown a decisive increase in suicide rates among the Indigenous populations. The suicide rate for Indigenous people in Brazil, excluding cases in Amazonas and Mato Grosso do Sul states, were similar to those for the entire Brazilian population, showing that the Indigenous peoples who are the most vulnerable to suicide reside in these locations. Interpretation: While there were statistically significant increases in suicide rates for all Brazilians over the study period, they remained alarmingly high among Indigenous people, compared to their non-Indigenous counterparts. The high suicide rates among Indigenous people, and younger individuals in particular (aged between 10 and 24), reinforces the need for specific prevention strategies for these populations. Further studies should be concentrated on determining risk factors in distinct ethnic groups, specifically within regions experiencing an elevated risk, such as the states of Amazonas and Mato Grosso do Sul. Funding: Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Institute of Mental Health of the National Institutes of Health under award number R01MH128911-01. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

How, what, and why: housing, water & sanitation and wealth patterns in a cross-sectional study of the Guarani Birth Cohort, the first Indigenous birth cohort in Brazil.

Background: Despite the importance of social determinants of health, studies on the effects of socioeconomic, sanitary, and housing conditions on Indigenous child health are scarce worldwide. This study aims to identify patterns in housing, water & sanitation, and wealth (HSW) in the first Indigenous birth cohort in Brazil-The Guarani Birth Cohort. Methods: Cross-sectional study using baseline data from The Guarani Birth Cohort. We used Multiple Correspondence Analysis and Cluster Analysis. The clusters identified were ordered in increasing degrees of access to public policies and wealth, defining the patterns of HSW. Finally, we explored the association between the patterns and one of the health outcomes, hospitalization, in the birth cohort. Findings: Three patterns were identified for housing and water & sanitation, and four for wealth status, resulting in 36 combinations of patterns (3 × 3 × 4). More than 62% of children in the cohort were found with the lowest wealth patterns. The distribution of children across patterns in one dimension was not fully determined by the other two dimensions. Statistically significant associations were found between precarious households and extreme poverty, and hospitalization. Interpretation: We observed substantial heterogeneity in the distribution of children across the 36 combinations. These findings highlight that, should the dimensions of HSW be associated with health outcomes, as seen for hospitalization, they should be considered separately in multivariable models, in order to improve the estimation of their independent effects. Funding: National Council for Scientific and Technological Development, Brazil (CNPq); Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Brazil (Fiocruz); Research Foundation of the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (FAPERJ).

A completeness indicator of gestational and congenital syphilis information in Brazil.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the quality of information on gestational syphilis (GS) and congenital syphilis (CS) on the Sistema de Informação de Agravos de Notificação (SINAN-Syphilis Brazil - Notifiable Diseases Information System) by compiling and validating completeness indicators between 2007 and 2018. METHODS: Overall, care, and socioeconomic completeness scores were compiled based on selected variables, by using ad hoc weights assigned by experts. The completeness scores were analysed, considering the region and area of residence, the pregnant woman's race/colour, and the year of case notification. Pearson's correlation coefficients were used to validate the scores obtained by the weighted average method, compared with the values obtained by principal component analysis (PCA). RESULTS: Most selected variables presented a good or excellent degree of completeness for GS and CS, except for clinical classification, pregnant woman's level of education, partner's treatment, and child's race/colour, which were classified as poor or very poor. The overall (89.93% versus 89.69%) and socioeconomic (88.71% versus 88.24%) completeness scores for GS and CS, respectively, were classified as regular, whereas the care score (GS-90.88%, and CS-90.72%) was good, despite improvements over time. Differences in the overall, care and socioeconomic completeness scores according to region, area of residence, and ethnic-racial groups were reported for syphilis notifications. The completeness scores estimated by the weighted average method and PCA showed a strong linear correlation (> 0.90). CONCLUSION: The completeness of GS and CS notifications has been improving in recent years, highlighting the variables that form the care score, compared with the socioeconomic scores, despite differences between regions, area of residence, and ethnic-racial groups. The weighted average was a viable methodological alternative easily operationalised to estimate data completeness scores, allowing routine monitoring of the completeness of gestational and congenital syphilis records.

Maternal and congenital syphilis attributable to ethnoracial inequalities: a national record-linkage longitudinal study of 15 million births in Brazil.

BACKGROUND: This study estimated ethnoracial inequalities in maternal and congenital syphilis in Brazil, understanding race as a relational category product of a sociopolitical construct that functions as an essential tool of racism and its manifestations. METHODS: We linked routinely collected data from Jan 1, 2012 to Dec 31, 2017 to conduct a population-based study in Brazil. We estimated the attributable fraction of race (skin colour) for the entire population and specific subgroups compared with White women using adjusted logistic regression. We also obtained the attributable fraction of the intersection between two social markers (race and education) and compared it with White women with more than 12 years of education as the baseline. FINDINGS: Of 15 810 488 birth records, 144 564 women had maternal syphilis and 79 580 had congenital syphilis. If all women had the same baseline risk as White women, 35% (95% CI 34·89-36·10) of all maternal syphilis and 41% (40·49-42·09) of all congenital syphilis would have been prevented. Compared with other ethnoracial categories, these percentages were higher among Parda/Brown women (46% [45·74-47·20] of maternal syphilis and 52% [51·09-52·93] of congenital syphilis would have been prevented) and Black women (61% [60·25-61·75] of maternal syphilis and 67% [65·87-67·60] of congenital syphilis would have been prevented). If all ethnoracial groups had the same risk as White women with more than 12 years of education, 87% of all maternal syphilis and 89% of all congenital syphilis would have been prevented. INTERPRETATION: Only through effective control of maternal syphilis among populations at higher risk (eg, Black and Parda/Brown women with lower educational levels) can WHO's global health initiative to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of syphilis be made feasible. Recognising that racism and other intersecting forms of oppression affect the lives of minoritised groups and advocating for actions through the lens of intersectionality is imperative for attaining and guaranteeing health equity. Achieving health equality needs to be addressed to achieve syphilis control. Given the scale and complexity of the problem (which is unlikely to be unique to Brazil), structural issues and social markers of oppression, such as race and education, must be considered to prevent maternal and congenital syphilis and improve maternal and child outcomes globally. FUNDING: Wellcome Trust, CNPq-Brazil. TRANSLATION: For the Portuguese translation of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section.

Estimating the real burden of gestational syphilis in Brazil, 2007-2018: a Bayesian modeling study.

Background: Although several studies have estimated gestational syphilis (GS) incidence in several countries, underreporting correction is rarely considered. This study aimed to estimate the level of under-registration and correct the GS incidence rates in the 557 Brazilian microregions. Methods: Brazilian GS notifications between 2007 and 2018 were obtained from the SINAN-Syphilis system. A cluster analysis was performed to group microregions according to the quality of GS notification. A Bayesian hierarchical Poisson regression model was applied to estimate the reporting probabilities among the clusters and to correct the associated incidence rates. Findings: We estimate that 45,196 (90%-HPD: 13,299; 79,310) GS cases were underreported in Brazil from 2007 to 2018, representing a coverage of 87.12% (90%-HPD: 79.40%; 95.83%) of registered cases, where HPD stands for the Bayesian highest posterior density credible interval. Underreporting levels differ across the country, with microregions in North and Northeast regions presenting the highest percentage of missed cases. After underreporting correction, Brazil's estimated GS incidence rate increased from 8.74 to 10.02 per 1000 live births in the same period. Interpretation: Our findings highlight disparities in the registration level and incidence rate of GS in Brazil, reflecting regional heterogeneity in the quality of syphilis surveillance, access to prenatal care, and childbirth assistance services. This study provides robust evidence to enhance national surveillance systems, guide specific policies for GS detection disease control, and potentially mitigate the harmful consequences of mother-to-child transmission. The methodology might be applied in other regions to correct disease underreporting. Funding: National Council for Scientific and Technological Development; The Bill Melinda Gates Foundation and Wellcome Trust.

[Ethnic and racial iniquities in infant mortality: implications of changes in recording color/race in national health information systems in Brazil]. / Iniquidades étnico-raciais na mortalidade infantil: implicações de mudanças do registro de cor/raça nos sistemas nacionais de informação em saúde no Brasil.

This descriptive study aimed to discuss the repercussions of the change in the methodology for recording the color/race variable in the Brazilian Information System on Live Births (SINASC) on infant mortality rates (IMR) according to color/race in Brazil. Annual variations were analyzed in the rates of live births and infant deaths according to color/race from 2009 to 2017. The IMR according to color/race were estimated using three strategies: (1) direct method; (2) for every year, setting the same proportions of live births by color/race as observed in 2009; and (3) for every year, setting the same proportions of deaths by color/race as observed in 2009. The strategies aimed to explore the single effect of the variations in the proportions of live births or of deaths according to color/race on the estimated IMR before and after the change in the color/race variable in the SINASC database. Between 2011 and 2012 (the year of the change in the color/race variable in SINASC), there was a sudden increase in birthdates with black, brown, and indigenous color/race, along with a reduction in birthdates with white color/race, without no corresponding variations in deaths. The increase of more socially vulnerable color/race categories in the IMR denominator resulted in the attenuation of IMR for black and indigenous infants and in an increase in the IMR for white infants and consequently an artificial reduction in iniquities in infant mortality according to color/race. The change in the color/race variable in SINASC interrupted the historical series of live births by color/race, affecting indicators that potentially depend on these data for their calculation, in this case the IMR. The resulting argument is that infant mortality rates by color/race before versus after the change in the SINASC database are distinct and noncomparable indicators.

Trata-se de estudo descritivo que teve como objetivo discutir as repercussões da mudança na metodologia de coleta da variável cor/raça no Sistema de Informações sobre Nascidos Vivos (SINASC) sobre as taxas de mortalidade infantil (TMI) segundo cor/raça no Brasil. Foram analisadas as variações anuais nas frequências de nascidos vivos e óbitos infantis por cor/raça entre 2009 e 2017. As TMI por cor/raça foram estimadas segundo três estratégias: (1) método direto; (2) fixando-se, em todos os anos, as proporções de nascidos vivos por cor/raça observadas em 2009; e (3) fixando-se, em todos os anos, as proporções de óbitos por cor/raça observadas em 2009. As estratégias visaram explorar o efeito isolado das variações nas proporções de nascidos vivos ou de óbitos por cor/raça sobre as estimativas de TMI antes e após a mudança da variável cor/raça no SINASC. De 2011 para 2012 (ano de mudança da variável cor/raça no SINASC), verificou-se súbito incremento das Declarações de Nascidos Vivos (DNV) de cor/raça preta, parda e indígena, acompanhado de redução de DNV de cor/raça branca, sem variações correspondentes nos óbitos. O incremento do denominador da TMI das categorias de cor/raça socialmente mais vulnerabilizadas resultou na atenuação das TMI de pretos e indígenas, no incremento da TMI de brancos e, consequentemente, na redução artificial das iniquidades na mortalidade infantil por cor/raça. A mudança da variável cor/raça no SINASC interrompeu a série histórica de nascidos vivos por cor/raça, afetando os indicadores que potencialmente dependem desses dados para seu cálculo, como a TMI. Argumenta-se que as TMI por cor/raça antes e após a mudança no SINASC são indicadores distintos e não comparáveis.

Estudio descriptivo que tuvo como objetivo discutir las repercusiones del cambio en la metodología de recogida de la variable color/raza en el Sistema de Información sobre Nacidos Vivos (SINASC) sobre las tasas de mortalidad infantil (TMI), según color/raza en Brasil. Se analizaron las variaciones anuales en las frecuencias de nacidos vivos y óbitos infantiles por color/raza entre 2009 y 2017. Las TMI por color/raza se estimaron según tres estrategias: (1) método directo; (2) fijándose, en todos los años, las proporciones de nacidos vivos por color/raza observadas en 2009; y (3) fijándose, en todos los años, las proporciones de óbitos por color/raza observadas en 2009. Las estrategias tuvieron como objetivo explorar el efecto aislado de las variaciones en las proporciones de nacidos vivos o de óbitos por color/raza sobre las estimaciones de TMI antes y tras el cambio de la variable color/raza en el SINASC. De 2011 a 2012 (año de cambio de la variable color/raza en el SINASC), se verificó un súbito incremento de las Declaraciones de Nacidos Vivos (DNV) de color/raza negra, mestiza e indígena, acompañado de una reducción de DNV de color/raza blanca, sin variaciones correspondientes en los óbitos. El incremento del denominador de la TMI de las categorías de color/raza socialmente más vulnerabilizadas resultó en la atenuación de las TMI de negros e indígenas y en el incremento de la TMI de blancos y, consecuentemente, en la reducción artificial de las inequidades en la mortalidad infantil por color/raza. El cambio de la variable color/raza en el SINASC interrumpió la serie histórica de nacidos vivos por color/raza, afectando los indicadores que potencialmente dependen de esos datos para su cálculo, como la TMI. Se argumenta que las TMI por color/raza antes y después del cambio en el SINASC son indicadores distintos y no comparables.

Profile of cervical cancer screening in Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil: an evaluative study, 2006-2018. / Perfil do rastreamento do câncer do colo do útero em Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul: um estudo avaliativo do período 2006-2018.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the coverage and quality of screening by the Cervical Cancer Control Program in Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, between 2006 and 2018. METHODS: This was a descriptive study of the cytology screening time series among women living in Campo Grande. A descriptive analysis of the demographic characteristics of these women and the quality of the tests performed in the last five years of the period was carried out. Temporal trends were analyzed using polynomial regression models. RESULTS: 578,417 cytology tests were recorded, of which 1.8% showed pre-malignant/malignant cytological changes. There was a 48.4% reduction in the number of tests performed in the Program's target age group. Test positivity varied between 2.2% and 3.3% and the percentage of unsatisfactory samples increased. CONCLUSION: The cervical cancer screening program has weaknesses that need to be overcome, such as low coverage of the target population, growth in the number of unsatisfactory samples and a low positivity rate.

Birth weight of indigenous children in Brazil: results of the First National Survey of Indigenous People's Health and Nutrition.

Birth weight is an important predictor of perinatal, infant, and preschool-age children morbimortality. However, information about indigenous children's birth weight is still scarce. This study aimed to analyze the birth weight of indigenous children based on data from the First National Survey of Indigenous People's Health and Nutrition, Brazil (2008-2009). This is the first study to address indigenous children's birth weight based on a nationwide representative sample. Mean birth weights and the respective standard deviations were calculated according to geopolitical region, sex, type of birth, and birthplace. The chi-square test was used to analyze differences in proportions, and Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U tests in means, considering sample design and data normality. We found no records on birth weight in the researched documents for 26.7% of the 6,128 sampled children. The mean birth weight for the 3,994 children included in the analyses was 3,201g (standard deviation - SD ± 18.6g), regardless of sex, type of birth, and birthplace. The prevalence of low birth weight was 7.6% (n = 302) and was significantly higher among girls. Boys presented significantly higher mean birth weight than girls, regardless of the geopolitical region. Low birth weight was slightly less frequent among indigenous children when compared to Brazilian children in general. Our study indicates the need to improve prenatal care and the quality of consultation records for indigenous women as a strategy to promote safe pregnancy and childbirth.

[Ethnic and racial inequalities in hospital admissions due to avoidable causes in under-five Brazilian children, 2009-2014]. / Iniquidades étnico-raciais nas hospitalizações por causas evitáveis em menores de cinco anos no Brasil, 2009-2014.

There has been a global increase in hospital admissions for primary care-sensitive conditions (PCSCs) as an indicator of effectiveness in primary health care. This article analyzes ethnic and racial inequalities in cause-related hospitalizations in under-five children in Brazil as a whole and the country's five major geographic regions, with an emphasis on PCSCs and acute respiratory infections (ARIs). Using data from the Hospital Information Systems of the Brazilian Unified National Health System (SIH/SUS), 2009-2014, the authors calculated proportions, rates, and rate ratios for PCSCs, adjusted by sex and age after multiple imputation of missing data on color/race. The principal causes of hospitalization were respiratory tract infections (37.4%) and infectious and parasitic diseases (19.3%), and indigenous children were proportionally the most affected. Crude PCSC rates (per 1,000) were highest in indigenous children (97.3; 95%CI: 95.3-99.2), followed by brown or mixed-raced children (40.0; 95%CI: 39.8-40.1), while the lowest rates were in Asiandescendant children (14.8; 95%CI: 14.1-15.5). The highest adjusted rate ratios for PCSCs were seen among indigenous children compared to white children - 5.7 (95%CI: 3.9-8.4) for Brazil as a whole, reaching 5.9 (95%CI: 5.0-7.1) and 18.5 (95%CI: 16.5-20.7) in the North and Central, respectively, compared to white children. ARIs remained as important causes of pediatric hospitalizations in Brazil. Alarming ethnic and racial inequalities were observed in PCSCs, with indigenous children at a disadvantage. Improvements are needed in living conditions, sanitation, and subsistence, as well as guaranteed timely access to high-quality primary health care in the more vulnerable population groups, especially the indigenous peoples of the North and Central, in order to mitigate the health inequalities and meet the guidelines of the SUS and the Brazilian Constitution.

Internacionalmente, observa-se um incremento no uso das internações por condições sensíveis à atenção primária (ICSAP) como indicador de efetividade da atenção primária à saúde. Este artigo analisa as iniquidades étnico-raciais nas internações por causas em menores de cinco anos no Brasil e regiões, com ênfase nas ICSAP e nas infecções respiratórias agudas (IRA). Com dados do Sistema de Informações Hospitalares do Sistema Único de Saúde (SIH/SUS), 2009-2014, calcularam-se proporções por causas, taxas e razões de taxas de ICSAP ajustadas por sexo e idade após a imputação múltipla de dados faltantes de cor/raça. As principais causas de internação foram doenças do aparelho respiratório (37,4%) e infecciosas e parasitárias (19,3%), sendo as crianças indígenas as mais acometidas. As taxas brutas de ICSAP (por 1.000) foram mais elevadas em indígenas (97,3; IC95%: 95,3-99,2), seguidas das pardas (40,0; IC95%: 39,8-40,1), e as menores foram nas amarelas (14,8; IC95%: 14,1-15,5). As maiores razões de taxas ajustadas de ICSAP foram registradas entre crianças de cor/raça indígena e branca - 5,7 (IC95%: 3,9-8,4) no país, atingindo 5,9 (IC95%: 5,0-7,1) e 18,5 (IC95%: 16,5-20,7) no Norte e Centro-oeste, respectivamente. As IRA permanecem como importantes causas de hospitalização em crianças no Brasil. Foram observadas alarmantes iniquidades étnico-raciais nas taxas de ICSAP, com situação de desvantagem para indígenas. São necessárias melhorias nas condições de vida, saneamento e subsistência, bem como garantia de acesso oportuno e qualificado à atenção primária à saúde das populações mais vulneráveis, com destaque para os indígenas no Norte e no Centro-oeste, a fim de minimizar iniquidades em saúde e fazer cumprir as diretrizes do SUS e da Constituição do Brasil.

Internacionalmente, se observa un incremento en las hospitalizaciones por condiciones sensibles a la atención primaria (ICSAP), como un indicador de efectividad de la atención primaria a la salud. Este artículo analiza las inequidades étnico-raciales en las hospitalizaciones por causas evitables em menores de cinco años en Brasil y sus regiones, con énfasis en las ICSAP y en las infecciones respiratorias agudas (IRA). Con datos del Sistema de Informaciones Hospitalarias del Sistema Único de Salud (SIH/SUS), 2009-2014, se calcularon porcentajes por causas, tasas y razones de tasas de ICSAP ajustadas por sexo y edad, tras la imputación múltiple de datos faltantes de color/raza. Las principales causas de hospitalización fueron enfermedades del aparato respiratório (37,4%) e infecciosas y parasitarias (19,3%), siendo los niños indígenas los más afectados. Las tasas brutas de ICSAP (por 1.000) fueron más elevadas en indígenas (97,3; IC95%: 95,3-99,2), seguidas de las mulatos/mestizos (40,0; IC95%: 39,8-40,1), mientras que las menores fueron en las de origen asiática (14,8; IC95%: 14,1-15,5). Las mayores razones de tasas ajustadas de ICSAP fueron en los niños indígenas comparados a los niños de color/raza blanca - 5,7 (IC95%: 3,9-8,4) en el país, alcanzando 5,9 (IC95%: 5,0-7,1) y 18,5 (IC95%: 16,5-20,7) en el Norte y Centro-oeste, respectivamente, en comparación con El color/raza blanca. Las IRA permanecen como importantes causas de hospitalización en niños em Brasil. Se observaron alarmantes inequidades étnico-raciales en las tasas de ICSAP, con situación de desventaja para los indígenas. Se necesitan mejoras en las condiciones de vida, saneamiento y subsistencia, así como la garantía de un acceso oportuno y cualificado a la atención primaria a La salud de las poblaciones más vulnerables, destacando los indígenas en el Norte y Centro-oeste, a fin de minimizar inequidades en salud y hacer cumplir las directrices del SUS y de la Constitución de Brasil.

[Assessment of prenatal care for indigenous women in Brazil: findings from the First National Survey of Indigenous People's Health and Nutrition]. / Avaliação da atenção pré-natal ofertada às mulheres indígenas no Brasil: achados do Primeiro Inquérito Nacional de Saúde e Nutrição dos Povos Indígenas.

This study assesses prenatal care for indigenous women 14-49 years of age with children under five years of age in Brazil. The First National Survey of Indigenous People's Health and Nutrition assessed 3,967 women who met these criteria, of whom 41.3% in the North, 21.2% in the Central, 22.2% in the Northeast, and 15% in the South/Southeast. Prenatal care was offered to 3,437 (86.6%) of these women. The North of Brazil showed the highest proportion of indigenous women who did not receive prenatal care. Coverage was 90.4%, but only some 30% began prenatal care in the first trimester, and only 60% of the eligible women were vaccinated for diphtheria and tetanus. Only 16% of indigenous pregnant women had seven or more prenatal visits. Access to at least one clinical-obstetric consultation was found in 97% of the records, except for breast examination (63%). Laboratory test rates were low (blood glucose 53.6%, urinalysis 53%, complete blood count 56.9%, Pap smear 12.9%, syphilis test 57.6%, HIV serology 44.2%, hepatitis B 53.6%, rubella 21.4%, and toxoplasmosis 32.6%), as was prescription of ferrous sulfate (44.1%). As a whole, the proportion of orders for recommended laboratory tests was only 53%. The percentages of prenatal care procedures for indigenous women are lower than for non-indigenous Brazilian women as a whole, and are even lower than among women in regions with high social vulnerability and low healthcare coverage, like the Legal Amazonia and the Northeast. The results confirm the persistence of ethnic-racial inequalities that compromise the health and well-being of indigenous mothers.

Este estudo avalia a atenção pré-natal de mulheres indígenas com idades entre 14-49 anos, com filhos menores de 60 meses no Brasil. O Primeiro Inquérito Nacional de Saúde e Nutrição dos Povos Indígenas avaliou 3.967 mulheres que atendiam a tais requisitos, sendo 41,3% da Região Norte; 21,2% do Centro-oeste; 22,2% do Nordeste; e 15% do Sul/Sudeste. O pré-natal foi ofertado a 3.437 (86,6%) delas. A Região Norte registrou a maior proporção de mulheres que não fizeram pré-natal. A cobertura alcançada foi de 90,4%, mas somente cerca de 30% iniciaram o pré-natal no 1º trimestre e apenas 60% das elegíveis foram vacinadas contra difteria e tétano. Somente 16% das gestantes indígenas realizaram 7 ou mais consultas de pré-natal. Ter acesso a pelo menos um cuidado clínico-obstétrico foi observado em cerca de 97% dos registros, exceto exame de mamas (63%). Foi baixa a solicitação de exames (glicemia 53,6%, urina 53%, hemograma 56,9%, citologia oncótica 12,9%, teste de sífilis 57,6%, sorologia para HIV 44,2%, hepatite B 53,6%, rubéola 21,4% e toxoplasmose 32,6%) e prescrição de sulfato ferroso (44,1%). No conjunto, a proporção de solicitações de exames laboratoriais preconizados não ultrapassou 53%. Os percentuais de realização das ações do pré-natal das indígenas são mais baixos que os encontrados para mulheres não indígenas no conjunto do território nacional, e até mesmo para as residentes em regiões de elevada vulnerabilidade social e baixa cobertura assistencial como a Amazônia Legal e o Nordeste. Os resultados reafirmam a persistência de desigualdades étnico-raciais que comprometem a saúde e o bem-estar de mães indígenas.

Este estudio evalúa la atención prenatal a mujeres indígenas con edades comprendidas entre los 14-49 años, con hijos menores de 60 meses en Brasil. La Primera Encuesta Nacional de Salud y Nutrición de los Pueblos Indígenas evaluó a 3.967 mujeres que reunían tales requisitos, procediendo un 41,3% de la Región Norte; un 21,2% del Centro-oeste; un 22,2% del Nordeste; y un 15% del Sur/Sudeste. El servicio prenatal se le ofreció a 3.437 (86,6%) de ellas. La Región Norte registró la mayor proporción de mujeres que no realizaron el seguimiento prenatal. La cobertura alcanzada fue de un 90,4%, pero solamente cerca de un 30% comenzaron el seguimiento prenatal durante el primer trimestre y sólo un 60% de las elegibles fueron vacunadas contra la difteria y tétanos. Solamente un 16% de las gestantes indígenas realizaron 7 o más consultas de prenatal. Alrededor de un 97% de los registros se observó que tuvieron acceso a por lo menos un cuidado clínico-obstétrico, excepto el examen de mamas (63%). Fue baja la solicitud de exámenes (glucemia 53,6%, orina 53%, hemograma 56,9%, citología oncológica 12,9%, test de sífilis 57,6%, serología para VIH 44,2%, hepatitis B 53,6%, rubeola 21,4% y toxoplasmosis un 32,6%) y la prescripción de sulfato ferroso (44,1%). En conjunto, la proporción de solicitudes de exámenes de laboratorio previstos no sobrepasó el 53%. Los porcentajes de realización de acciones del seguimiento prenatal por parte de las indígenas son más bajos que los encontrados en mujeres no indígenas, en el conjunto del territorio nacional, y hasta incluso en comparación con las residentes en regiones de elevada vulnerabilidad social y baja cobertura asistencial como la Amazonia Legal y el Nordeste. Los resultados reafirman la persistencia de desigualdades étnico-raciales que comprometen la salud y el bienestar de las madres indígenas.

Investigation of an outbreak of acute respiratory disease in an indigenous village in Brazil: Contribution of Influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 and human respiratory syncytial viruses.

Analyses of the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic and post-pandemic years showed high attack rates and severity among indigenous populations. This study presents the characteristics of the first documented influenza outbreak in indigenous peoples in Brazil, that occurred from 30th March to 14th April 2016 in a Guarani village in Southeast Region. Acute respiratory infections were prospectively investigated. The majority of the 73 cases were influenza-like illness (ILI) (63.0%) or severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) (20.5%). The ILI+SARI attack rate (35.9%) decreased with increasing age. There was a high influenza vaccination rate (86.3%), but no statistically significant difference in vaccination rates between severe and non-severe cases was seen (p = 0.334). Molecular analyses of 19.2% of the cases showed 100% positivity for influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 and/or hRSV. Influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 was included in the 6B.1 genetic group, a distinct cluster with 13 amino acid substitutions of A/California/07/2009-like. The hRSV were clustered in the BA-like genetic group. The early arrival of the influenza season overlapping usual hRSV season, the circulation of a drifted influenza virus not covered by vaccine and the high prevalence of risk factors for infection and severity in the village jointly can explain the high attack rate of ARI, even with a high rate of influenza vaccination. The results reinforce the importance of surveillance of respiratory viruses, timely vaccination and controlling risk factors for infection and severity of in the indigenous populations in order to preventing disease and related deaths, particularly in children.

ACUTE LOWER RESPIRATORY INFECTION IN GUARANI INDIGENOUS CHILDREN, BRAZIL. / INFECÇÃO RESPIRATÓRIA AGUDA BAIXA EM CRIANÇAS INDÍGENAS GUARANI, BRASIL.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the clinical profile and treatment of Brazilian Guarani indigenous children aged less than five years hospitalized for acute lower respiratory infection (ALRI), living in villages in the states from Rio de Janeiro to Rio Grande do Sul. METHODS: Of the 234 children, 23 were excluded (incomplete data). The analysis was conducted in 211 children. Data were extracted from charts by a form. Based on record of wheezing and x-ray findings, ALRI was classified as bacterial, viral and viral-bacterial. A bivariate analysis was conducted using multinomial regression. RESULTS: Median age was 11 months. From the total sample, the ALRI cases were classified as viral (40.8%), bacterial (35.1%) and viral-bacterial (24.1%). It was verified that 53.1% of hospitalizations did not have clinical-radiological-laboratorial evidence to justify them. In the multinomial regression analysis, the comparison of bacterial and viral-bacterial showed the likelihood of having a cough was 3.1 times higher in the former (95%CI 1.11-8.70), whereas having chest retractions was 61.0% lower (OR 0.39, 95%CI 0.16-0.92). Comparing viral with viral-bacterial, the likelihood of being male was 2.2 times higher in the viral (95%CI 1.05-4.69), and of having tachypnea 58.0% lower (OR 0.42, 95%CI 0.19-0.92). CONCLUSIONS: Higher proportion of viral processes was identified, as well as viral-bacterial co-infections. Coughing was a symptom indicative of bacterial infection, whereas chest retractions and tachypnea showed viral-bacterial ALRI. Part of the resolution of non-severe ALRI still occurs at hospital level; therefore, we concluded that health services need to implement their programs in order to improve indigenous primary care.

OBJETIVO: Descrever o perfil clínico e o tratamento realizado nas crianças da etnia Guarani menores de cinco anos hospitalizadas por infecção respiratória aguda baixa (IRAB), residentes em aldeias nos estados do Rio de Janeiro ao Rio Grande do Sul. MÉTODOS: Das 234 crianças, 23 foram excluídas (dados incompletos), sendo analisadas 211. Os dados foram extraídos dos prontuários por meio de formulário. Com base no registro de sibilância e padrão radiológico, a IRAB foi classificada em: bacteriana, viral e viral-bacteriana. Foi utilizada regressão multinomial para análise bivariada. RESULTADOS: A mediana de idade foi de 11 meses. Do total da amostra, os casos de IRAB foram assim distribuídos: viral (40,8%), bacteriana (35,1%) e viral-bacteriana (24,1%). Verificou-se que 53,1% das hospitalizações não possuíam evidências clínico-radiológico-laboratoriais que as justificassem. Na análise de regressão multinomial, ao comparar a IRAB bacteriana com a viral-bacteriana, a chance de ter tosse foi 3,1 vezes maior na primeira (intervalos de 95% de confiança - IC95% 1,11-8,70) e de ter tiragem 61,0% menor (Odds Ratio - OR 0,39, IC95% 0,16-0,92). Na comparação da IRAB viral com a viral-bacteriana, a chance de ser do sexo masculino foi 2,2 vezes maior na viral (IC95% 1,05-4,69) e de ter taquipneia, 58,0% menor (OR 0,42, IC95% 0,19-0,92) na mesma categoria. CONCLUSÕES: Identificou-se maior proporção de processos virais do que processos bacterianos, bem como a presença de infecção viral-bacteriana. A tosse foi um sintoma indicativo de infecção bacteriana, enquanto a tiragem e a taquipneia apontaram infecção viral-bacteriana. Parte da resolubilidade da IRAB não grave ocorreu em âmbito hospitalar; portanto, propõe-se que os serviços priorizem ações que visem à melhoria da assistência à saúde indígena na atenção primária.

A completeness indicator of gestational and congenital syphilis information in Brazil

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE To evaluate the quality of information on gestational syphilis (GS) and congenital syphilis (CS) on the Sistema de Informação de Agravos de Notificação (SINAN-Syphilis Brazil - Notifiable Diseases Information System) by compiling and validating completeness indicators between 2007 and 2018. METHODS Overall, care, and socioeconomic completeness scores were compiled based on selected variables, by using ad hoc weights assigned by experts. The completeness scores were analysed, considering the region and area of residence, the pregnant woman's race/colour, and the year of case notification. Pearson's correlation coefficients were used to validate the scores obtained by the weighted average method, compared with the values obtained by principal component analysis (PCA). RESULTS Most selected variables presented a good or excellent degree of completeness for GS and CS, except for clinical classification, pregnant woman's level of education, partner's treatment, and child's race/colour, which were classified as poor or very poor. The overall (89.93% versus 89.69%) and socioeconomic (88.71% versus 88.24%) completeness scores for GS and CS, respectively, were classified as regular, whereas the care score (GS-90.88%, and CS-90.72%) was good, despite improvements over time. Differences in the overall, care and socioeconomic completeness scores according to region, area of residence, and ethnic-racial groups were reported for syphilis notifications. The completeness scores estimated by the weighted average method and PCA showed a strong linear correlation (> 0.90). CONCLUSION The completeness of GS and CS notifications has been improving in recent years, highlighting the variables that form the care score, compared with the socioeconomic scores, despite differences between regions, area of residence, and ethnic-racial groups. The weighted average was a viable methodological alternative easily operationalised to estimate data completeness scores, allowing routine monitoring of the completeness of gestational and congenital syphilis records.