Role of maternal drug use and environmental exposure during pregnancy and delivery pattern in allergic infants and toddlers / 中华流行病学杂志

Objective To understand correlation between maternal drug use and environmental exposure during pregnancy and delivery pattern and allergy in infants and toddlers,and provide theoretical bases for the early prevention and intervention of infantile allergies.Methods Case control study based on cross-sectional investigation was conducted.Thirty-three cities were selected in China.Randomly cluster sampling method was used to select a community in each city as the study sample,the women with infants aged 0-24 months were interviewed in the form of face-to-face questionnaire survey.Infants and toddlers were divided into two groups:case group,including 2113children who had allergic symptoms and were diagnosed with allergic disease,and control group,including 6303 children who never had symptoms of allergic disease.Results Children whose parents had allergic disease histories were more likely to have allergic disease (OR=3.950) compared with the children whose mother or father had allergic disease histories (0R=2.277).Maternal use of antibiotics (OR=1.396),disinfector exposure (0R=1.386),smoking exposure (OR=1.301) during pregnancy and cesarean delivery (OR=1.255) were risk factors for allergic disease in infants and toddlers,the differences were significant (P＜0.05).Conclusion It is essential to conduct primary prevention of infant allergy during pregnancy,and it is necessary to avoid unnecessary cesarean delivery and irrational antibiotic use,disinfector and smoking exposures during pregnancy.

Role of maternal drug use and environmental exposure during pregnancy and delivery pattern in allergic infants and toddlers / 中华流行病学杂志

Objective To understand correlation between maternal drug use and environmental exposure during pregnancy and delivery pattern and allergy in infants and toddlers,and provide theoretical bases for the early prevention and intervention of infantile allergies.Methods Case control study based on cross-sectional investigation was conducted.Thirty-three cities were selected in China.Randomly cluster sampling method was used to select a community in each city as the study sample,the women with infants aged 0-24 months were interviewed in the form of face-to-face questionnaire survey.Infants and toddlers were divided into two groups:case group,including 2113children who had allergic symptoms and were diagnosed with allergic disease,and control group,including 6303 children who never had symptoms of allergic disease.Results Children whose parents had allergic disease histories were more likely to have allergic disease (OR=3.950) compared with the children whose mother or father had allergic disease histories (0R=2.277).Maternal use of antibiotics (OR=1.396),disinfector exposure (0R=1.386),smoking exposure (OR=1.301) during pregnancy and cesarean delivery (OR=1.255) were risk factors for allergic disease in infants and toddlers,the differences were significant (P＜0.05).Conclusion It is essential to conduct primary prevention of infant allergy during pregnancy,and it is necessary to avoid unnecessary cesarean delivery and irrational antibiotic use,disinfector and smoking exposures during pregnancy.

Relationship of parental characteristics and feeding practices to overweight in infants and young children in Beijing, China.

BACKGROUND: Childhood obesity has become a major public health problem in many countries. To explore the risk factors of overweight in infants and young children might be helpful in developing an early overweight intervention strategy. OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence of overweight and the relationship of parental characteristics and feeding practices to overweight in infants and young children in Beijing, China. DESIGN: Data on weight and length/height were collected on 4654 children aged 1-35 months in twelve communities in Beijing from a cross-sectional study. Overweight was defined as weight-for-length/height > or = 2SD above the median of the WHO reference. Two hundred and fifteen families with overweight children and 215 families with normal-weight children were interviewed using a questionnaire to obtain feeding practices. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of overweight was 4.7%. Both parental overweight and low parental education were significantly higher among overweight than normal-weight children. The total energy intake was significantly higher in overweight than in normal-weight children at 12-35 months of age. Compared with normal-weight children, significantly fewer overweight children were breast-fed for at least 4 months. Overweight children were also more likely to have been introduced to infant formula and semi-solid foods during the first 4 months. CONCLUSION: Early prevention strategies should include feeding practices identified as putting children at risk of obesity. These include early cessation of breast-feeding and premature introduction of other foods.

Prevalence of subclinical vitamin A deficiency and its affecting factors in 8 669 children of China / 中华预防医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>The survey will reveal current status of subclinical vitamin A deficiency (SVAD) and explore its affecting factors in children of China.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Totally 8 669 children aged under 6 years were randomly selected from 14 provinces for clinical examination, health and dietary questionnaire and serum level of vitamin A measurement with fluorescence method. The cut-off value for SVAD was defined as </= 0.70 micro mol/L.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Prevalence of SVAD was 11.7% and that of suspected SVAD 39.2% in all subjects, which decreased with the increase of gross domestic product, average annual family income, mother's schooling and children's age. Prevalence of SVAD and suspected SVAD higher in rural areas (15.0%) than in urban areas (5.2%), and higher in children with a minority mother (22.6%) than in those with a Han nationality mother (8.7%). Prevalence of SVAD and suspected SVAD was higher in children whose blood samples were collected within one week in-taking vitamin A-rich food (12.6%-22.6%) than those in-taking vitamin A daily (4.1%-10.0%), and higher in children suffering from respiratory infection, fever and diarrhea two weeks before their blood collection (15.2%-20.3%) than in those without those diseases (10.1%-11.1%). Logistic regression analysis showed that poor family economic status, living in rural areas, children with a minority mother, younger age, no-dairy milk products intake, and respiratory infection and fever all were risk factors for SVAD.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>More than half of children under six years old in China (50.9%) had vitamin A nutrition problem. Varied factors played roles to different extent in SVAD in children.</p>

Survey on vitamin A deficiency in children under-6-years in China / 中华预防医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To understand the prevalence and spatial distribution of vitamin A deficiency (VAD) in China among children at ages under six years.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>About 8,600 children under 6 years of age in 14 cities and 28 counties of 14 provinces were selected with stratified cluster sampling for survey, including interview with questionnaire for their family information and nutritional status. Blood specimens were collected for measuring serum level of VA with fluorescent spectrophotometry in laboratory.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Totally, 8,669 children under 6 (2,877 in urban area and 5,792 in rural area) were surveyed in 14 provinces, with 4,629 males and 4,040 females. Eight cases of night blindness and seven cases of xerophthalmia were found among the children at ages of two to five years. Sixty-one mothers of the children in this group were also found suffering from night blindness. All the cases of night blindness and xerophthalmia both in children and mothers were living in rural areas. Based on their serum levels of VA, 11.7% of the all 1 018 children were diagnosed as VAD, with serum VA concentrations below or equal to 0.70 micro mol/L. Prevalence of VAD was 15.0% and 5.8% in rural (23.3% in the poverty-stricken counties) and urban areas, respectively, and 5.8%, 11.5% and 16.8% in the coastal, inland and remote areas, respectively. The average serum level of VA was 1.20 micro mol/L and 0.99 micro mol/L for urban and rural areas, respectively, with a national average of 1.06 micro mol/L. And, babies under six months of age with an average serum levels of VA < or = 0.70 micro mol/L accounted for 33.4%, and those at ages of four to five years with the same level of VA accounted for 8%. There was significant difference in serum levels of VA between ages, but no significant difference between genders.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>VAD did exist in children of China, especially in the remote and poverty-stricken rural areas and VA supplementation is urgently needed for the children in these regions.</p>