ABSTRACT
PIP: The number of day care centers in Brazil has doubled over the last few years; with this increase has come a rise in the numbers of cases of communicable disease, particularly pneumonia (the main cause of child mortality in Brazil). A study by Dr. Walter V.C. da Fonseca states that a day care child is 5 times more likely to contact pneumonia. However, since the income earned by women in Brazil today is necessary to meet basic needs, children must be left at home with relatives or sent to day care. Most of the centers taking in children under 6 years of age are urban; they care for, on average, 125-200 children. These children are usually from low income families who live on the outskirts of cities; free day care is only provided to working mothers. There are 3 social factors involved: the greater number of single-parent families, more households supported solely by the mother, and an economic crisis that has hit the poor particularly hard. Financial and administrative responsibility for these centers varies. The centers provide meals, baths, rest, education (including some special education services), and health care (doctors, dentists, and nurses). Some accept abandoned children, who are cared for until they are adopted. However, new studies indicate that the centers represent the primary risk factor for respiratory illnesses and were, until recently, the principal causes of diarrhea and child mortality. An ongoing comparative study by da Fonseca is analyzing the incidence rates of respiratory and infectious diseases among 400 children attending a nursery in Fortaleza in comparison to those for 400 cared for at home by family. Doctor Aluiso Barros, in another study, is observing 1000 children in 40 nurseries in Campinas. For 8 weeks, data was collected on the health, socioeconomic situation, medical history, and family medical history of each child. The nurseries were examined and information was collected regarding the number of diseases reported each month, their causes, possible associations with services provided, and possibilities of transmission. Dr. Barros' research is supported by IDRC; Dr. da Fonseca's is supported by the British Overseas Development Agency.^ieng