[Chronic diarrhea in nonspecific colopathies in children. Trial of etiological classification]. / Diarrhées chroniques des colopathies non spécifiques de l'enfant. Essai de démembrement étiologique.

305 children with non specific colopathies were studied with respect to the etiologic factors which may be responsible for the onset of the diarrheic syndrome. Epidemiologic factors (ethnic group, mode of housing, standard of living, parents's age and profession) did not appear to play a significant role and studies of familial and personal histories did not appear to be of any help. On the contrary, analysis of the diet showed a high incidence of nutritional imbalances (75.2% of cases) especially with respect to hyperprotidic diets. The role of a major and repeated antibiotic therapy and of psychologic problems may be suggested in 46 (15%) and 36 (11.8%) of the 305 cases, respectively. Fiberoptic and histologic investigations of the proctosigmoid mucosa were performed in 67 children: an inflammatory aspect was found in 22. In 21 of these 22 cases, no etiologic factors could be found and these cases, especially those occurring before 6 months of age, might belong to a special clinical entity.

[Food consumption of children eating lunch in school restaurants]. / Consommation alimentaire des enfants au cours du repas de midi pris en restaurants scolaires.

In order to study the dietary intakes of children having lunch at school, 150 children were observed: 60 aged 5-6 years, 60 aged 9-10 years and 30, aged 5-13 years, attending 5 different schools (4 in town, 1 in the country). The estimation of spontaneous ingesta was made according to the weighing method. Energizing rations, the percentages of caloric intakes, the amounts of total, animal and vegetal lipids, of total carbohydrates and pure carbohydrates, of total, animal and vegetal proteins were estimated for each meal and each child. The analysis of these ingesta suggests that the dietary habits of children at school is a major factor of nutritional lack of balance, much more important than that related with the quality of the proposed food.