RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: Recent measles outbreaks in the United States and Europe have highlighted the threat of the disease. We studied the 1917-1918 epidemic in Puerto Rico to better understand the social and place-specific risk factors and severity of such crises. METHODS: We reviewed medical and government reports, newspapers and private contemporary documents. RESULTS: The epidemic developed over two years, encompassed the Island, and caused nearly 2,000 deaths among more than 9,000 registered cases (with much underreporting). During the first six months, 59% of fatalities were children under 2 years of age. Officials recognized poor nutrition and living conditions as an important determinant of epidemic severity. Responses came from different social sectors before the central government mobilized to help. In San Juan, Catholic and Protestant churches and philanthropic women from both Spanish and Englishlanguage communities joined to provide free milk to needy children and create a temporary Infants' Hospital. Despite food scarcity and wartime conditions, central and municipal governments established hospitals and milk stations. CONCLUSION: Studies that examine the impact of reemerging diseases in a time and place-specific context look at disease severity together with the socioeconomic conditions of patients and health care systems. This type of investigation also suggests avenues into the history of pediatrics, the use of epidemiologic methods, the utility of historical statistics, nutritional history, and the history of disaster response. Historical and recent outbreaks show the need for health care professionals and public health systems to be prepared to confront measles epidemics.
Assuntos
Transtornos da Nutrição Infantil/história , Surtos de Doenças/história , Desnutrição/história , Sarampo/história , Fatores Etários , Transtornos da Nutrição Infantil/complicações , Pré-Escolar , História do Século XX , Humanos , Desnutrição/complicações , Sarampo/epidemiologia , Sarampo/mortalidade , Saúde Pública/história , Porto Rico/epidemiologia , Fatores de Risco , Índice de Gravidade de Doença , Fatores SocioeconômicosRESUMO
The Institute of Nutrition of Central America and Panama (INCAP) has made major contributions to the study of the effects of malnutrition on learning. This report summarizes work on the relationship of nutrition to children's learning and development from the 1960's through 1998. The Oriente Longitudinal Study examined the effects of two types of supplementation for mothers and young children on their growth and development (an energy-only drink compared with a protein-energy drink) using a quasi-experimental design. Both drinks were supplemented with micronutrients, and were offered daily. As a result of the research on malnutrition and mental development, researchers could conclude by 1993 that supplementary feeding of infants and young children resulted in significant increases cognitive development and school performance through adolescence. The research also suggested that the pathways that link malnutrition with later development are not only through the neurological system but also operate through changes in child behavior which affect the kinds of care children receive. Other research on learning and development showed that families understood the concept of intelligence, demonstrated the link between micronutrients and cognitive development, and documented the amount of wastage or repetition and drop-out that occurs in Guatemalan schools.
Assuntos
Academias e Institutos/história , Transtornos da Nutrição Infantil/história , Cognição/fisiologia , Aprendizagem/fisiologia , América Central/epidemiologia , Criança , Desenvolvimento Infantil/fisiologia , Transtornos da Nutrição Infantil/complicações , Transtornos da Nutrição Infantil/epidemiologia , Transtornos da Nutrição Infantil/fisiopatologia , Pré-Escolar , Transtornos Cognitivos/complicações , Transtornos Cognitivos/etiologia , Transtornos Cognitivos/história , Dieta , Suplementos Nutricionais , História do Século XX , Humanos , Lactente , Deficiências da Aprendizagem/complicações , Deficiências da Aprendizagem/etiologia , Deficiências da Aprendizagem/história , Estado NutricionalRESUMO
Tendo como principal fonte de informações três estudos transversais realizados nas décadas de 70, 80 e 90, faz-se uma análise da transiçäo nutricional do Brasil, referenciada no rápido declínio da prevalência de desnutriçäo em crianças e elevaçäo, num ritmo mais acelerado, da prevalência de sobrepeso/obesidade em adultos. (AU)
Assuntos
Transtornos da Nutrição Infantil/história , Estado Nutricional , Estudos Transversais , BrasilAssuntos
Desenvolvimento Infantil , Transtornos da Nutrição Infantil/história , Transtornos Cognitivos/história , Criança , Transtornos da Nutrição Infantil/complicações , Cognição , Transtornos Cognitivos/etiologia , Transtornos Cognitivos/prevenção & controle , Guatemala , História do Século XX , Humanos , Lactente , México , Pesquisa/históriaRESUMO
This book examines the role of various nutritional and other health problems on child development and provides an excellent overview of results of early childhood supplementation and stimulation programs. Echoing one of the workshop's undercurrents, the chapters in this book emphasize the importance of approaching child development in an integrated way that considers how its building blocks-health, nutrition, and psychosocial stimulation-interact with one another. For if we are to truly help these children who lag behind, our interventions must embrace not only their physical health, but also their functional well-being. PAHO is proud to issue this joint publication with TMRU and the World Bank. Policy-makers, international agencies, nutrition researchers, and program developers and managers should all find useful information here as we work together to enhance our Region's human capital (Director-PAHO)