Breastfeeding, Infant Formula, and Introduction to Complementary Foods-Comparing Data Obtained by Questionnaires and Health Visitors' Reports to Weekly Short Message Service Text Messages.

BACKGROUND: Studies on prevalence and effects of breastfeeding call for reliable and precise data collection to optimize infant nutrition, growth, and health. Data on breastfeeding and infant nutrition are at risk of, for example, recall bias or social desirability bias. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present analysis was to compare data on infant nutrition, that is, breastfeeding, use of infant formula, and introduction to complementary foods, obtained by four different methods. We assumed that weekly short message service (SMS) questions were the most reliable method, to which the other methods were compared. DESIGN: The study population was part of the Odense Child Cohort. The four methods used were: (a) self-administered questionnaire 3 months postpartum, (b) self-administered questionnaire 18 months postpartum, (c) registrations from health visitors visiting the families several times within the first year of life, and (d) weekly SMS questions introduced shortly after birth. RESULTS: In total, 639 singleton mothers with data from all four methods were included. The proportion of mothers initiating breastfeeding varied from 86% to 97%, the mean duration of exclusive breastfeeding from 12 to 19 weeks, and the mean age when introduced to complementary foods from 19 to 21 weeks. The mean duration of any breastfeeding was 33 weeks across methods. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with the weekly SMS questions, the self-administered questionnaires and the health visitors' reports resulted in a greater proportion of mothers with an unknown breastfeeding status, a longer duration of exclusive breastfeeding and later introduction to complementary foods, while the duration of any breastfeeding did not differ.

The Odense Child Cohort: aims, design, and cohort profile.

BACKGROUND: The importance of the environment on the development of the fetus and infant throughout early life is increasingly recognised. To study such effects, biological samples and accurate data records are required. Based on multiple data collection from a healthy pregnant population, the Odense Childhood Cohort (OCC) study aims to provide new information about the environmental impact on child health by sequential follow-up to 18 years of age among children born between 2010 and 2012. METHODS: A total of 2874 of 6707 pregnancies (43%) were recruited between January 2010 and December 2012. Three hundred seventy-four have since left the study, leaving 2500 active families. The non-participants act as controls contributing data through local registries. Biological material, questionnaires, and registry data were compiled. Anthropometric data and other physical data were collected. RESULTS: Two thousand five hundred families actively participated in the study with 2549 children. Sixty-four per cent of the fathers and 60% and 58% of the mothers, respectively, donated a blood sample at 10 and 28 weeks of gestation. On average, 69% completed questionnaires, 78% of the children were regularly examined, and had a blood sample taken (46%). The participating pregnant women differed from the non-participants in several respects: age, body mass index, smoking, parity, education, and ethnicity. The infants were comparable with respect to gender and mode of delivery. CONCLUSIONS: The OCC provides material for in-depth analysis of environmental and genetic factors that are important for child health and disease. Registry data from non-participating women and infants are available which ensures a high degree of comparable data.

Treatment of acute neonatal bacterial conjunctivitis: a comparison of fucidic acid to chloramphenicol eye drops.

PURPOSE: To compare the clinical and bacteriological effects of fucidic acid (Fucithalmic: 1.0%) and chloramphenicol (Minims(R): 0.5%) eye drops in neonates with a clinical diagnosis of acute conjunctivitis of suspected bacterial origin. METHODS: A TOTAL OF 456 N: ewborns with gestational age > 32 weeks with acute conjunctivitis of suspected bacterial origin acquired within the first 28 days of life were included in the study. They were randomly assigned to a 7-day treatment with eye drops using either fucidic acid (1.0%) (Fucithalmic) applied twice per day, or chloramphenicol (0.5%) (Minims Chloramphenicol) applied six times per day. The subjects were followed up with two visits (on days 1 and 8) and by telephone 2 weeks after the end of treatment. RESULTS: Eighty-nine per cent of the neonates treated with Fucithalmic were cured, compared to 87.9% of those treated with Minims Chloramphenicol (n.s). The drug was used as instructed in 90.7% of patients treated with Fucithalmic and in 78.0% of those treated with Minims Chloramphenicol (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Treating neonatal conjunctivitis with fucidic acid is easier than with chloramphenicol and is equally effective.