Brazilian health professionals’ perception about the Baby-Led Weaning (BLW) method for complementary feeding: an exploratory study

Objective: To describe Brazilian health professionals’ perception about the Baby-Led Weaning (BLW) method use for complementary feeding. Methods: Cross-sectional, descriptive study including 458 health professionals graduated in Nursing, Speech Therapy, Medicine, Nutrition or Dentistry and working in Pediatrics, being directly or indirectly involved with pediatric nutrition. We used a convenience non-probability sampling. The questionnaire applied to participants addressed demographic characteristics, academic degree, workplace, knowledge about clinical practice and perceptions about the possible advantages of the BLW method. Results: Participants had a mean age of 34.5±8.5 years, 64.6% of them working in Southeast Brazil and 65.3% being nutritionists. Most participants reported being acquainted with the BLW method (82.0%). Regarding clinical practice, 38.3% mentioned having recommended the BLW some times, 37.5% often and 20.5% always. Most participants fully agreed that the BLW method could have advantages for babies, for example, having them more likely to share family meals, facilitating adaptation to food flavors and consistencies, enhancing chewing and favoring the development of motor skills. On the other hand, important disagreements were also expressed regarding the BLW convenience and the possibility to create less concerns or anxiety in parents. Conclusions: The BLW method reported as advantageous, but disagreements were also raised, probably because scientific evidences on the suject are scarse. Further investigation is needed so we can better understand the risks and benefits and health care professionals can feel effectively assisted to offer support and advice to parents and caretakers.

STUDY ON PRECISE FEEDING CONTROL OF DAIRY COWS BASED ON WIRELESS COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY AND DAIRY COW INFORMATION MANAGEMENT TECHNOLOGY

In order to improve the quality of modern dairy industry, it is an inevitable trend to implement intensive control feeding of dairy cows, which is also the development direction in the future. Different feeding methods have different important effects on the health of dairy cows. For example, calves grow and develop rapidly during lactation, change their physiological structure quickly, have strong plasticity, poor inversion and imperfect digestive function. In the production of dairy farms, the scientific feeding mode of calves indirectly affects the overall benefits of dairy farms. Therefore, aiming at the above problems, this paper studies how to accurately control the quality of dairy cows. A cow precise feeding control system based on wireless communication technology and cow information management technology is studied, which solves the problems of wireless information transmission, automatic and accurate cow identification and dual-mode operation of feeder, and ensures the accurate supply of cow concentrate.

The Absence of Abdominal Pigmentation in Livestock Associated Culicoides following Artificial Blood Feeding and the Epidemiological Implication for Arbovirus Surveillance

Culicoides midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae), the vectors of economically important arboviruses such as bluetongue virus and African horse sickness virus, are of global importance. In the absence of transovarial transmission, the parity rate of a Culicoides population provides imperative information regarding the risk of virus dispersal. Abdominal pigmentation, which develops after blood feeding and ovipositioning, is used as an indicator of parity in Culicoides. During oral susceptibility trials over the last three decades, a persistent proportion of blood engorged females did not develop pigment after incubation. The present study, combining a number of feeding trials and different artificial feeding methods, reports on this phenomenon, as observed in various South African and Italian Culicoides species and populations. The absence of pigmentation in artificial blood-fed females was found in at least 23 Culicoides species, including important vectors such as C. imicola, C. bolitinos, C. obsoletus, and C. scoticus. Viruses were repeatedly detected in these unpigmented females after incubation. Blood meal size seems to play a role and this phenomenon could be present in the field and requires consideration, especially regarding the detection of virus in apparent “nulliparous” females and the identification of overwintering mechanisms and seasonally free vector zones.

New Zealand's extinct giant raptor ( Hieraaetus moorei ) killed like an eagle, ate like a condor

The extinct Haast's eagle or harpagornis ( Hieraaetus moorei ) is the largest known eagle. Historically, it was first considered a predator, then a scavenger, but most recent authors have favoured an active hunting ecology. However, the veracity of proposed similarities to carrion feeders has not been thoroughly tested. To infer feeding capability and behaviour in harpagornis, we used geometric morphometric and finite-element analyses to assess the shape and biomechanical strength of its neurocranium, beak and talons in comparison to five extant scavenging and predatory birds. The neurocranium of harpagornis is vulture-like in shape whereas its beak is eagle-like. The mechanical performance of harpagornis is closer to extant eagles under biting loads but is closest to the Andean condor ( Vultur gryphus ) under extrinsic loads simulating prey capture and killing. The talons, however, are eagle-like and even for a bird of its size, able to withstand extremely high loads. Results are consistent with the proposition that, unlike living eagles, harpagornis habitually killed prey larger than itself, then applied feeding methods typical of vultures to feed on the large carcasses. Decoupling of the relationship between neurocranium and beak shape may have been linked to rapid evolution.

NUTRITIONAL PROBLEMS AND FACTORS FORMING HEALTH STATUS OF CHILDREN OVER THEIR FIRST YEAR

Purpose: to investigate the impact of the type of feeding on the incidence and physical development of infants. Material and methods. During a year, 250 children of the first year of life under control received different types of feeding (breast milk and milk formulas, differing in composition). Physical development was assessed according to the generally accepted measurement technique in terms of absolute values, monthly increases in anthropometric indicators and mass-growth indices. Outpatient records of children, protocols of examination of a 1-year-old child were studied. The inclusion criteria for the main group of infants were: breastfeeding for at least 9 months; the age of children up to 1 year. The second comparison group included children who received mixed feeding, which includes probiotics. Results. In the girls of the second group, who received mixed feeding with probiotics (7100.0±95.9 g), the weight gain in the first year was significantly higher than the weight gain in the girls who received breast milk and standard formula - 6671 , 0±72.6 g. and 6733.3±91.8 g, respectively. Despite the fact that there were no significant differences in the medians of body weight and height in children of the main group and the comparison groups, it was found that children in the main group were overweight / obese at the age of 2 months had twice as less indicators than children who received mixed feeding. Breastfed children began to sit without support much earlier, on average at 7.6±0.05 months after birth, and children of the other two groups who are bottle-fed, on average, at 8.0±0.13 and 8,1±0.12 months, respectively (p <0.05). When studying the most common diseases of children over their first year of life, depending on the type of feeding, the following results were found out: acute intestinal infections made up the largest share in both groups, 7.7±2.34% of children in the I group, and 11.7±2.93% of children in the II group (p = 0.3905). Conclusion. The study has demonstrated that breastfeeding in the first year of life reduces the risk of overweight and ensures harmonious physical development, neuropsychic development, cuts down the frequency of infectious diseases, alimentary disorders, functional digestive disorders, and contributes to the normalization of intestinal microflora. It is also important to introduce optimal combinations of feeding methods for young children and adding probiotics.

Access and Utilisation of Child Nutrition Information by Mothers in Rural Delta State, Nigeria

Infant and Young Child nutrition information is an aspect of health that covers a wide range of issues, including what a child should consume, when, how, and under what circumstances. Although intake of nutritious food is essential for the physical, mental and psychological wellbeing of children, there exists gaps nutrition-related information in Nigeria. The paper examines mothers’ access to, and utilisation of, under-two child nutrition information in selected rural communities of Delta State. Findings reveal hygiene (94.1%) and exclusive breastfeeding (80.8%) as the most “always” accessed information, and breastfeeding-related messages constituting a half of all available messages to nursing mothers. Utilisation of child nutrition information is also high but modulated. While 70% of the information is utilised, feeding the child to full satisfaction before stopping (94.0%) is highest and breastfeeding for two years is the least (28.9%) utilised. However, access is incongruous with utilisation. Pearson Correlation Coefficient shows no significant relationship between information access and feeding patterns as the information accounted only for 7.3 percent of the adopted feeding methods. Implementation of child nutrition information is related to mothers’ sociodemographic background and sociocultural beliefs, which have implications for child health and development. The paper calls for a more inclusive approach to child nutrition information, education and intervention.

Association Between Mental Health and Feeding Methods among 1- Month Postpartum Women in Japan: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: The rate of predominant breastfeeding was 51.3% at 1 month postpartum, even though 93.4% of Japanese mothers expressed a desire to predominantly breastfeed during pregnancy. A wide range of historical, socioeconomic, cultural, and individual factors, as well as mental health, affect breastfeeding practices. However, the relationship between breastfeeding and mental health—depressive symptoms—has been controversial. Purpose: The aim of this study was to identify factors relationship including mental health and the feeding methods adopted by mothers at 1 month postpartum in Japan. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at 2 Tokyo area hospitals between July and October 2014. We recruited a total of 560 eligible women. The participants included 392 women without severe illnesses or low birth weight babies at 1 month postpartum. The feeding methods were “mainly breastfeeding” (exclusively or mostly breastfeeding) and “mixed feeding and formula only”. Depressive symptoms as a mental health were assessed using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). Multiple logistic regression analysis clarified the factors associated with mainly breastfeeding. Results: The mean (SD) age for the categories of mainly breastfeeding and mixed feeding and formula only was 33.0 (5.1) and 33.9 (5.5) years, respectively (p = 0.085). Women who were mainly breastfeeding at 1 month postpartum were more likely to be multiparous (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 1.80, CI:1.11 - 2.94), had EPDS score < 9 (AOR:1.87, CI:1.09 – 3.20), and had been desirous of breastfeeding from their pregnancy (AOR: 7.73, CI: 4.68 – 12.74). Conclusion: Our results suggested that healthcare providers should focus on the relationship between feeding methods and new mothers’ mental health. Further research must identify effective care strategies for women who desire to breastfeed exclusively.