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Food supplementation of Apis mellifera honeybee colonies is, together with management and genetic breeding, one of the bases for high productivity in beekeeping. However, the proper balance of nutrients that make up the diet is essential for supplementation to have productive benefits for colonies and, consequently, for the beekeeper’s profits. Nutrients play a key role in a variety of physiological functions of individuals and the colony, including reproduction, growth, development, production and overwinter survival. Food is obtained through the collection of floral resources in nature, but the beekeeper can assist the colony by providing food supplementation during periods of scarcity or during productive activities with a high demand for energy and protein, such as the raising of the queen and the production of royal jelly. Furthermore, well-nourished individuals are more productive and resistant to pests and diseases. Thus, the objective of this review was to present the main nutrients in the honeybee diet and the importance of colony supplementation., La suplementación alimentaria de las colonias de abejas melíferas de Apis mellifera es, junto con el manejo y la cría genética, una de las bases para una alta productividad en la apicultura. Sin embargo, el equilibrio adecuado de nutrientes que componen la dieta es esencial para que la suplementación tenga beneficios productivos para las colonias y, en consecuencia, para las ganancias del apicultor. Los nutrientes juegan un papel clave en una variedad de funciones fisiológicas de los individuos y la colonia, incluyendo la reproducción, el crecimiento, el desarrollo, la producción y la supervivencia durante el invierno. Los alimentos se obtienen a través de la recolección de recursos florales en la naturaleza, pero el apicultor puede ayudar a la colonia proporcionando suplementos alimenticios durante períodos de escasez o durante actividades productivas con una alta demanda de energía y proteínas, como la crianza de la reina y la producción de jalea real. Además, los individuos bien alimentados son más productivos y resistentes a plagas y enfermedades. Por lo tanto, el objetivo de esta revisión fue presentar los principales nutrientes en la dieta de las abejas melíferas y la importancia de la suplementación con colonias.

Artificial food supplementation of wildlife is an increasing practice for species conservation, as well as for hunting and viewing tourism. Yet, our understanding of the implications of wildlife supplementary feeding is still very limited. Concerns have been raised over the potential negative impact of artificial feeding, but the effects of this practice on animal movements and rhythms of activity are just beginning to be investigated. Here, with the aim of studying whether the artificial feeding of brown bears may affect their behaviour, we analysed (1) the probability and intensity of feeding site use at different temporal scales, (2) how the use of artificial feeding sites is related to the bear's age and sex, main periods of the bear's annual cycle (i.e. mating and hyperphagia) and characteristics of the feeding sites, and (3) how the use of artificial feeding may be affecting bear movement patterns. We analysed the movements of 71 radio-collared brown bears in southern-central Finland and western Russian Karelia. Artificial feeding sites had several effects on brown bears in boreal habitats. The probability of a feeding site being used was positively correlated to the stability of this food resource over time, whereas sexes and bear classes (subadults, adults and females with cubs) did not show significant differences in the use of feeding sites, which were visited predominantly at night and slightly more during hyperphagia. The probability of using an artificial feeding site affected the daily net distance only (bears using feeding sites: 3.5 ± 4.5 km, range: 0–29 km; bears not using feeding sites: 4.4 ± 4.9 km, range: 0–47 km). Those brown bears using artificial feeding more intensively moved shorter distances at a lower speed within smaller home ranges compared to bears that used this food sources less. Highly predictable and continuously available anthropogenic food may therefore have substantial impacts on brown bear movement patterns, ecology and health.

Nutritious complementary feeding is often not affordable in Benin, and iron deficiency exists. This research aimed at formulating an affordable and sensory acceptable complementary food supplement using local food ingredients to increase iron intake among children aged 6–59 months in Benin. The complementary food supplement was formulated to ensure that 10 g would cover 25% of the estimated average requirements for iron for children aged 6 to 12 months. Adansonia digitata fruit pulp, Moringa oleifera leaf powder, and Cochlospermum tinctorium root powder were used to compose the complementary food supplement, which was mixed with maize and sorghum ogi porridges before being presented to the mothers and children for the acceptability test. The mineral contents of Adansonia digitata fruit pulp in mg/100 g dw were 9.9 ± 0.1 for iron and 0.9 ± 0.1 for zinc. The iron and zinc contents of Moringa oleifera leaf powder and Cochlospermum tinctorium root powder in mg/100 g dw were 34.1 ± 2.2 and 26.8 ± 2.7 and 9 ± 0.0 and 0.9 ± 0.0, respectively. The complementary food supplement contained, in mg/100 g dw, 17.4 ± 1.1 of iron and 1.2 ± 0.1 of zinc. The maize and sorghum ogi porridges enriched with the complementary food supplement at substitution rates of 15% and 16% (in dry weight), respectively, were acceptable to 85% of children for sorghum ogi porridge and 87% for maize ogi porridge. The present study demonstrated the potential of local food ingredients in the formulation of an iron-rich and acceptable complementary food supplement for children aged 6–59 months in Benin.

Iron nanoparticles (NPs) have been proposed as a tool in very different fields such as environmental remediation and biomedical applications, including food fortification against iron deficiency, even if there is still concern about their safety. Here, we propose Xenopus laevis embryos as a suitable model to investigate the toxicity and the bio-interactions at the intestinal barrier of Fe3O4 and zerovalent iron (ZVI) NPs compared to Fe(II) and (III) salts in the 5 to 100 mg Fe/L concentration range using the Frog Embryo Teratogenesis Assay in Xenopus (FETAX). Our results demonstrated that, at concentrations at which iron salts induce adverse effects, both iron NPs do not cause acute toxicity or teratogenicity even if they accumulate massively in the embryo gut. Prussian blue staining, confocal and electron microscopy allowed mapping of iron NPs in enterocytes, along the paracellular spaces and at the level of the basement membrane of a well-preserved intestinal epithelium. Furthermore, the high bioaccumulation factor and the increase in embryo length after exposure to iron NPs suggest greater iron intake, an essential element for organisms. Together, these results improve the knowledge on the safety of orally ingested iron NPs and their interaction with the intestinal barrier, useful for defining the potential risks associated with their use in food/feed fortification.

Female promiscuity can function to acquire both direct and indirect benefits from their social mate and extra-pair males. In many raptor species, intense mate-feeding significantly contributes to female energy requirements before and during egg laying. Moreover, females may use mate-feeding effort to assess male quality. In this study of the lesser kestrel Falco naumanni, we aimed at experimentally manipulating the female's perception of mate quality by providing females with extra food during egg laying, and evaluated the occurrence of extra-pair paternity in food-supplemented and control broods by parentage analyses. No extra-pair offspring (EPO) was found among 19 food-supplemented broods, whereas EPO occurred in five out of 17 control broods. No significant differences in morphological traits, body condition and reproductive success were found between faithful and unfaithful females. However, clutches containing EPO were laid later in the breeding season. Moreover, un-cuckolded males had longer tarsi than cuckolded ones, indicating larger body size. Hence, extra food provisioning and early breeding reduced the occurrence of EPO in lesser kestrels. In addition, we confirmed the occurrence of intraspecific brood parasitism, as five nestlings were not the offspring of the brooding female. The results of our food-provisioning experiment support the idea that mate-feeding ability is a reliable indicator of male quality, and are in accordance with the hypothesis that male mate-feeding behaviour is a sexually selected trait.

Iron nanoparticles (NPs) have been proposed as a tool in very different fields such as environmental remediation and biomedical applications, including food fortification against iron deficiency, even if there is still concern about their safety. Here, we propose Xenopus laevis embryos as a suitable model to investigate the toxicity and the bio-interactions at the intestinal barrier of Fe3O4 and zerovalent iron (ZVI) NPs compared to Fe(II) and (III) salts in the 5 to 100 mg Fe/L concentration range using the Frog Embryo Teratogenesis Assay in Xenopus (FETAX). Our results demonstrated that, at concentrations at which iron salts induce adverse effects, both iron NPs do not cause acute toxicity or teratogenicity even if they accumulate massively in the embryo gut. Prussian blue staining, confocal and electron microscopy allowed mapping of iron NPs in enterocytes, along the paracellular spaces and at the level of the basement membrane of a well-preserved intestinal epithelium. Furthermore, the high bioaccumulation factor and the increase in embryo length after exposure to iron NPs suggest greater iron intake, an essential element for organisms. Together, these results improve the knowledge on the safety of orally ingested iron NPs and their interaction with the intestinal barrier, useful for defining the potential risks associated with their use in food/feed fortification.

[EN] The timing of fledging is critical in altricial birds as it affects offspring survival probability and thereby both parental and offspring fitness. The high vulnerability of offspring to predation soon after fledging may induce a parent-offspring conflict with respect to the age of fledging, as parents would benefit more than offspring from reducing the period of whole-brood vulnerability before fledging. Parents also benefit from inducing early fledging through reduced commuting costs and a decreased exposure to predators. A reliable food resource near the nest could thus favour a relaxation of parental drives to induce fledging and enable an approach to the optimal fledging age from the offspring point of view. A population of a cavity nester, the European Pied Flycatcher Ficedula hypoleuca, was offered food supplements (live mealworms) at the nest-box to randomly selected pairs throughout the nestling period and fledging ages were compared with those at nests without supplements. Provisioning parents were also trapped at the nest-box to estimate their willingness to incur predation risks in terms of easiness of capture (trappability). Fledging ages ranged from 15 to 20 days. Fledging was delayed in food-supplemented nests (n = 21) compared with control nests (n = 20) by one day on average, a significant difference. This was not due to the size and mass of nestlings at 13 days, which were similar under both treatments. Moreover, fledging age was positively related to parental trappability. Parents with easy access to food near the nest and those more willing to risk predation were those whose nestlings fledged at older ages. Parents apparently adjust the timing of offspring fledging to their foraging costs., [ES] El abandono del nido es una transición clave entre etapas de la vida en aves nidícolas ya que afecta a la probabilidad de supervivencia de la descendencia y, por tanto, a la eficacia biológica tanto de reproductores como de la propia nidada. La elevada vulnerabilidad de los volantones a la depredación en los primeros días después de abandonar el nido puede inducir un conflicto entre padres e hijos que afecta a la edad de abandono del nido, ya que los adultos se beneficiarán más que sus hijos de una reducción del período de vulnerabilidad de la nidada completa antes del abandono. Los reproductores se benefician también de un abandono temprano a través de la reducción de costes de transporte de alimento al nido y de su propia exposición a depredadores. Un recurso alimentario fiable cerca del nido podría por tanto favorecer una reducción de los impulsos parentales a inducir el abandono del nido y con ello a una aproximación a la edad óptima de abandono desde la perspectiva de los pollos. En una población de una especie que cría en cavidades, el papamoscas cerrojillo Ficedula hypoleuca, ofrecí suplementos de alimento (gusanos de harina vivos) junto al nidal a parejas seleccionadas al azar durante el transcurso de la estancia de los pollos en el nido, y comparé las edades de abandono con las de nidadas sin suplemento de alimento. También capturé a los adultos mediante trampas en los nidales para estimar su predisposición a incurrir riesgos por medio de su facilidad de captura (tiempo desde la colocación dela trampa a la captura). Las edades de abandono del nido variaron entre 15 y 20 días. El abandono del nido se retrasó en los nidos suplementados (n = 21) con respecto a los nidos control (n = 20) con un día en promedio, una diferencia significativa. Ello no se debió a diferencias en tamaño y peso de los pollosa los 13 días de edad, que fueron similares en ambos tratamientos. Además, la edad de abandono estuvo positivamente asociada a la facilidad de captura de los

Nuclear accidents underpin the need to quantify the ecological mechanisms which determine injury to ecosystems from chronic low‐dose radiation. Here, we tested the hypothesis that ecological mechanisms interact with ionizing radiation to affect natural populations in unexpected ways. We used large‐scale replicated experiments and food manipulations in wild populations of the rodent, Myodes glareolus, inhabiting the region near the site of the Chernobyl disaster of 1986. We show linear decreases in breeding success with increasing ambient radiation levels with no evidence of any threshold below which effects are not seen. Food supplementation of experimental populations resulted in increased abundances but only in locations where radioactive contamination was low (i.e., below ≈ 1 μSv/h). In areas with higher contamination, food supplementation showed no detectable effects. These findings suggest that chronic low‐dose‐rate irradiation can decrease the stability of populations of key forest species, and these effects could potentially scale to broader community changes with concomitant consequences for the ecosystem functioning of forests impacted by nuclear accidents.

Oxidative stress occurs when reactive oxygen species (ROS) exceed antioxidant defences, which can have deleterious effects on cell function, health and survival. Therefore, organisms are expected to finely regulate pro-oxidant and antioxidant processes. ROS are mainly produced through aerobic metabolism and vary in response to changes in energetic requirements, whereas antioxidants may be enhanced, depleted or show no changes in response to changes in ROS levels. We investigated the repeatability, within-individual variation and correlation across different conditions of two plasmatic markers of the oxidative balance in 1108 samples from 635 free-living adult collared flycatchers (Ficedula albicollis). We sought to manipulate energy constraints by increasing wing load in 2012 and 2013 and by providing additional food in 2014. We then tested the relative importance of within- and between-individual variation on reactive oxygen metabolites (ROMs), a marker of lipid and protein peroxidation, and on non-enzymatic antioxidant defences (OXY test). We also investigated whether the experimental treatments modified the correlation between markers. Antioxidant defences were repeatable (range of repeatability estimates=0.128-0.581), whereas ROMs were not (0-0.061). Antioxidants varied neither between incubation and nestling feeding nor between sexes. ROMs increased from incubation to nestling feeding in females and were higher in females than males. Antioxidant defences and ROM concentration were globally positively correlated, but the correlation varied between experimental conditions and between years. Hence, the management of oxidative balance in wild animals appears flexible under variable environmental conditions, an observation which should be confirmed over a wider range of markers.

To evaluate the plants mixed leaves powder dietary supplementation with nutraceutical properties effect by (40 % A. occidentale, 20 % M. oleifera, 20 % M. citrifolia y 20 % P. guajava) on growth performance and diarrhea incidence in post-weaning pigs, were used 150 piglets, with an average body weight of 7.74 kg±0.71 (Yorkland x Yorkshire) of 33 days old. A completely randomized design with six replicates per treatment, and five piglets per replicate during 42 days was applied. Treatments were T0: A basal diet (BD) without antibiotic growth promoter (AGP); (T1): BD + AGP (Labionor 5 mL/kg of fodder); (T2): BD +0.5 % of mixed powder, (T3): BD+1.0 % of mixed powder, and (T4): BD+1.5 % of mixed powder. Viability improved (P<0.05) with dietary supplementation of the mixed leaves powder and AGP compared with the T0. Also, the T3 and T4 increased (P<0.05) the final alive body weight,related to T0 and T1, as well as, the T4 which showed the best (P<0.05) average daily gain and feed conversion ratio, with significant differences (P<0.05) with the T0 and T1. The mixed powder supplementation and AGP decreased (P<0.05) the diarrhea incidence in post-weaning pigs. It is recommended the dietary supplementation of 1.0 % mixed leaves powders of plants with nutraceutical properties as alternative to the AGP, in order to increase the growth performance indexes and diminish the diarrhea incidence in post-weaning pigs., Para evaluar el efecto de la suplementación dietética con polvo mixto de hojas de plantas con propiedades nutracéuticas (40 % A. occidentale, 20 % M. oleifera, 20 % M. citrifolia y 20 % P. guajava) en el comportamiento productivo y en la incidencia de diarrea en cerdos posdestete, se utilizaron 150 cerdos (Yorkland x Yorkshire) de 33 días de edad, con peso vivo promedio de 7.74 kg±0.71. Se aplicó un diseño completamente aleatorizado con seis repeticiones por tratamiento y cinco cerdos por repetición, durante 42 días. Los tratamientos fueron, T0: Dieta Basal (DB) sin Antibiótico Promotor de Crecimiento (APC); T1: DB+APC (Labionor 5 mL/kg de pienso); T2: DB+0.5 % de polvo mixto; T3: DB+1.0 % polvo mixto, y T4: DB+1.5 % de polvo mixto. La viabilidad mejoró (P<0.05) con la suplementación dietética del polvo mixto y el APC, comparada con el T0; los T3 y T4 incrementaron (P<0.05) el peso vivo final con relación al T0 y al T1, y el T4 mostró (P<0.05) la mejor ganancia media diaria y conversión alimenticia, con diferencias significativas (P<0.05) con el T0 y el T1. Las suplementaciones del polvo mixto y del APC disminuyeron (P<0.05) la incidencia de la diarrea en los cerdos posdestete. Se recomienda la suplementación dietética de 1.0 % del polvo mixto de hojas de plantas con propiedades nutracéuticas como alternativa a los APC, para incrementar los indicadores productivos y disminuir la incidencia de diarrea en los cerdos posdestete.

Introduction: Rugby is a popular sport consisting of a team with 15 regular players, who use their hands to carry and throw an oval ball. It is a sport that demands great physical effort, generating nutritional exhaustion, which can disrupt other normal activities of the studied age group. Aim: To evaluate the anthropometric profile, the feeding frequency and the use of ergogenic resources by the athletes of a juvenile team of Rugby. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out with a team of Rugby players from the city of Caxias do Sul. The anthropometric profile (weight, height, body mass index, waist circumference and folds cutaneous), food frequency and the use of ergogenic resources. Results: It was verified that the players were classified with overweight and a significant variation in the percentage of body fat. In addition, it was observed that the players do not have adequate diet and supplementation for sports practice. Conclusion: The anthropometric evaluation showed great variation among the players. It was observed that athletes do not have adequate diet or nutritional guidance regarding the use of dietary supplements, which may compromise performance and recovery during official training and games., Introdução: O Rugby é um esporte popular, que consiste em uma equipe formada por 15 jogadores titulares, praticado com uma bola oval e jogado com as mãos. Trata-se de um esporte que demanda grande esforço físico, gerando desgaste nutricional, o que pode atrapalhar outras atividades normais da faixa etária estudada. Objetivo: Avaliar o perfil antropométrico, a frequência alimentar e o uso de recursos ergogênicos pelos atletas do time juvenil de Rugby. Método: Tratou-se de um estudo transversal descritivo, que foi realizado com um time de jogadores de Rugby da cidade de Caxias do Sul. Foram avaliados o perfil antropométrico (através das variáveis peso, estatura, índice de massa corporal, circunferência da cintura e dobras cutâneas), a frequência alimentar e o uso de recursos ergogênicos. Resultados: Verificou-se com o estudo que os jogadores foram classificados com sobrepeso e uma variação no percentual de gordura corporal significativa. Além disso, observou-se que os mesmos não possuem alimentação e suplementação adequada para a prática esportiva. Conclusão: A avaliação antropométrica demonstrou grande variação entre os jogadores. Observou-se que os atletas não possuem alimentação adequada nem orientação nutricional com relação a utilização de suplementos alimentares, podendo assim, comprometer o desempenho e recuperação durante os treinos e jogos oficiais.

To evaluate the plants mixed leaves powder dietary supplementation with nutraceutical properties effect by (40 % A. occidentale, 20 % M. oleifera, 20 % M. citrifolia y 20 % P. guajava) on growth performance and diarrhea incidence in post-weaning pigs, were used 150 piglets, with an average body weight of 7.74 kg±0.71 (Yorkland x Yorkshire) of 33 days old. A completely randomized design with six replicates per treatment, and five piglets per replicate during 42 days was applied. Treatments were T0: A basal diet (BD) without antibiotic growth promoter (AGP); (T1): BD + AGP (Labionor 5 mL/kg of fodder); (T2): BD +0.5 % of mixed powder, (T3): BD+1.0 % of mixed powder, and (T4): BD+1.5 % of mixed powder. Viability improved (P<0.05) with dietary supplementation of the mixed leaves powder and AGP compared with the T0. Also, the T3 and T4 increased (P<0.05) the final alive body weight,related to T0 and T1, as well as, the T4 which showed the best (P<0.05) average daily gain and feed conversion ratio, with significant differences (P<0.05) with the T0 and T1. The mixed powder supplementation and AGP decreased (P<0.05) the diarrhea incidence in post-weaning pigs. It is recommended the dietary supplementation of 1.0 % mixed leaves powders of plants with nutraceutical properties as alternative to the AGP, in order to increase the growth performance indexes and diminish the diarrhea incidence in post-weaning pigs., Para evaluar el efecto de la suplementación dietética con polvo mixto de hojas de plantas con propiedades nutracéuticas (40 % A. occidentale, 20 % M. oleifera, 20 % M. citrifolia y 20 % P. guajava) en el comportamiento productivo y en la incidencia de diarrea en cerdos posdestete, se utilizaron 150 cerdos (Yorkland x Yorkshire) de 33 días de edad, con peso vivo promedio de 7.74 kg±0.71. Se aplicó un diseño completamente aleatorizado con seis repeticiones por tratamiento y cinco cerdos por repetición, durante 42 días. Los tratamientos fueron, T0: Dieta Basal (DB) sin Antibiótico Promotor de Crecimiento (APC); T1: DB+APC (Labionor 5 mL/kg de pienso); T2: DB+0.5 % de polvo mixto; T3: DB+1.0 % polvo mixto, y T4: DB+1.5 % de polvo mixto. La viabilidad mejoró (P<0.05) con la suplementación dietética del polvo mixto y el APC, comparada con el T0; los T3 y T4 incrementaron (P<0.05) el peso vivo final con relación al T0 y al T1, y el T4 mostró (P<0.05) la mejor ganancia media diaria y conversión alimenticia, con diferencias significativas (P<0.05) con el T0 y el T1. Las suplementaciones del polvo mixto y del APC disminuyeron (P<0.05) la incidencia de la diarrea en los cerdos posdestete. Se recomienda la suplementación dietética de 1.0 % del polvo mixto de hojas de plantas con propiedades nutracéuticas como alternativa a los APC, para incrementar los indicadores productivos y disminuir la incidencia de diarrea en los cerdos posdestete.

Growth patterns in early life are associated with later health. The effect of nutrition during in utero development on later body composition is unclear. We evaluated whether prenatal early invitation to food and/or multiple micronutrient supplementation (MMS) in pregnancy has an effect on offspring body composition at 54 months of age. In Maternal and Infant Nutrition Interventions in Matlab trial (ISRCTN16581394) in Bangladesh, 4436 pregnant women were randomised into six equally sized groups: double-masked supplementation with capsules of either 30mg Fe and 400g folic acid, or 60mg Fe and 400g folic acid, or MMS (15 micronutrients), was combined with a randomised early invitation (around 9 weeks) or a usual invitation (around 20 weeks) to start food supplementation (608kcal 6 days per week). At 54 months, the body composition of the offspring was assessed by leg-to-leg bioelectrical impedance analysis. Of the 3267 live singletons with birth anthropometry, 2290 children were measured at 54 months, representing 70% of the live births. There was no interaction between the food and micronutrient supplementation on body composition outcomes. There were no significant differences in a range of anthropometric and body composition measurements, including weight, height, mid-upper arm circumference, head circumference, skinfold thickness, and fat mass and fat-free mass between the different prenatal food and micronutrient groups using an intention-to-treat analysis. This analysis shows that early invitation to food supplementation and MMS provided to rural Bangladeshi women during pregnancy did not affect offspring body composition at 54 months of age.

Many farmland birds have difficulties finding sufficient food in intensely managed agricultural ecosystems, and in more extensively worked landscapes they are often attracted to human-induced dietary sources. European turtle doves Streptopelia turtur feed on seeds collected on the ground, and are readily attracted to supplementary provided grain at feeding stations. Supplementary feeding is a common management practice on hunting estates around the world. This study was conducted in 40 hunting estates located in central west Spain: 20 sites where supplementary food was provided to attract turtle doves and 20 control sites without feeding stations. At sites with supplemental feeding, the field age ratio was 20% higher and the hunted age ratio was 33% higher than at control sites, indicating a positive effect of the food supplementation of the breeding success around supplemented sites. Both the amount of food provided per day and the amount of time where supplemental food was given (20–120 days) were positively correlated with the field age ratio and, less strongly, with the hunted age ratio. These data suggest that providing extra food can increase the breeding success of this species when the amount provided is sufficiently large and when supplementary food is provided early in the breeding season. However, hunting pressure was also higher at supplemented sites. Future studies should therefore closely monitor the positive and negative effects in order to ascertain which management practices will ensure the viability of these important European turtle dove populations., Son numerosas las aves de los hábitats agrícolas que tienen dificultades para encontrar suficiente alimento en los ecosistemas agrícolas intensivos y que, en los hábitats explotados de forma más extensiva, suelen ser atraídas por las fuentes antrópicas de alimento. La tórtola europea, Streptopelia turtur, se alimenta de semillas que se hallan en el suelo y es atraída inmediatamente por los cereales que se aportan como complemento a los comederos. El aporte complementario de alimento es una práctica habitual en la gestión de los cotos de caza de todo el mundo. Este estudio se realizó en 40 cotos de caza ubicados en el centro y el oeste de España: 20 zonas en las que se aportó alimentación complementaria para atraer a las tórtolas y 20 zonas de control sin comederos. En las zonas con alimentación complementaria, las razones de edad en el campo y en las aves cazadas fueron, respectivamente, un 20% y un 33% más elevadas que en las zonas de control, lo que indica que la alimentación complementaria tiene un efecto positivo en el éxito reproductivo en torno a las zonas con aporte de alimento complementario. Tanto la cantidad de alimento suministrado por día como el período en el que se aportó (20-120 días) se correlacionaron positivamente con la razón de edad en el campo y, con menos intensidad, con la razón de edad en las aves cazadas. Estos datos sugieren que el suministro de alimento extra puede aumentar el éxito reproductivo de esta especie si la cantidad aportada es suficientemente abundante y si se empieza a proporcionar a principios de la temporada de cría. No obstante, la presión cinegética también fue mayor en las zonas con aporte de alimento complementario, por lo que sería necesario analizar minuciosamente los efectos positivos y negativos de dicho aporte con vistas a determinar qué prácticas de gestión garantizarán la viabilidad de estas importantes poblaciones de tórtola europea.

BACKGROUND: Evidence is often missing on social differentials in effects of nutrition interventions. We evaluated the adherence to and effect of prenatal food and micronutrient supplementations on mortality before the age of five years in different social groups as defined by maternal schooling. METHODS: Data came from the MINIMat study (Maternal and Infant Nutrition Interventions, Matlab), a randomized trial of prenatal food supplementation (invitation early, about 9 weeks [E], or at usual time, about 20 weeks [U] of pregnancy) and 30 mg or 60 mg iron with 400 μgm folic acid, or multiple micronutrients (Fe30F, Fe60F, MMS) resulting in six randomization groups, EFe30F, UFe30F, EFe60F, UFe60F, EMMS, and UMMS (n = 4436). Included in analysis after omissions (fetal loss and out-migration) were 3625 women and 3659 live births of which 3591 had information on maternal schooling. The study site was rural Matlab, Bangladesh. The main stratifying variable was maternal schooling dichotomized as <6 years and ≥6 years. We used Cox proportional hazard model for survival analyses. RESULTS: Overall, women having <6 years of schooling adhered more to food (81 vs. 69 packets, P=0.0001) but a little less to micronutrient (104 vs. 120 capsules, P = 0.0001) supplementation compared to women having more schooling, adjusted for maternal age (years), parity and body mass index (BMI, kg/m2) at week 8 pregnancy. Children of mothers with ≥6 years of schooling had lower under-five mortality, but the EMMS supplementation reduced the social difference in mortality risk (using standard program and schooling <6 years as reference; standard program and schooling ≥6 years HR 0.54, 95% CI 0.27-1.11; EMMS and schooling ≥6 years HR 0.28, 95% CI 0.12-0.70; EMMS and schooling <6 years HR 0.26, 95% CI 0.11-0.63), adjusted for maternal age (years), parity and body mass index (kg/m2) at week 8 pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of an early invitation to prenatal food supplementation and m

BACKGROUND: Evidence is often missing on social differentials in effects of nutrition interventions. We evaluated the adherence to and effect of prenatal food and micronutrient supplementations on mortality before the age of five years in different social groups as defined by maternal schooling. METHODS: Data came from the MINIMat study (Maternal and Infant Nutrition Interventions, Matlab), a randomized trial of prenatal food supplementation (invitation early, about 9 weeks [E], or at usual time, about 20 weeks [U] of pregnancy) and 30 mg or 60 mg iron with 400 μgm folic acid, or multiple micronutrients (Fe30F, Fe60F, MMS) resulting in six randomization groups, EFe30F, UFe30F, EFe60F, UFe60F, EMMS, and UMMS (n = 4436). Included in analysis after omissions (fetal loss and out-migration) were 3625 women and 3659 live births of which 3591 had information on maternal schooling. The study site was rural Matlab, Bangladesh. The main stratifying variable was maternal schooling dichotomized as <6 years and ≥6 years. We used Cox proportional hazard model for survival analyses. RESULTS: Overall, women having <6 years of schooling adhered more to food (81 vs. 69 packets, P=0.0001) but a little less to micronutrient (104 vs. 120 capsules, P = 0.0001) supplementation compared to women having more schooling, adjusted for maternal age (years), parity and body mass index (BMI, kg/m2) at week 8 pregnancy. Children of mothers with ≥6 years of schooling had lower under-five mortality, but the EMMS supplementation reduced the social difference in mortality risk (using standard program and schooling <6 years as reference; standard program and schooling ≥6 years HR 0.54, 95% CI 0.27-1.11; EMMS and schooling ≥6 years HR 0.28, 95% CI 0.12-0.70; EMMS and schooling <6 years HR 0.26, 95% CI 0.11-0.63), adjusted for maternal age (years), parity and body mass index (kg/m2) at week 8 pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of an early invitation to prenatal food supplementation and m

BACKGROUND: Evidence is often missing on social differentials in effects of nutrition interventions. We evaluated the adherence to and effect of prenatal food and micronutrient supplementations on mortality before the age of five years in different social groups as defined by maternal schooling. METHODS: Data came from the MINIMat study (Maternal and Infant Nutrition Interventions, Matlab), a randomized trial of prenatal food supplementation (invitation early, about 9 weeks [E], or at usual time, about 20 weeks [U] of pregnancy) and 30 mg or 60 mg iron with 400 μgm folic acid, or multiple micronutrients (Fe30F, Fe60F, MMS) resulting in six randomization groups, EFe30F, UFe30F, EFe60F, UFe60F, EMMS, and UMMS (n = 4436). Included in analysis after omissions (fetal loss and out-migration) were 3625 women and 3659 live births of which 3591 had information on maternal schooling. The study site was rural Matlab, Bangladesh. The main stratifying variable was maternal schooling dichotomized as <6 years and ≥6 years. We used Cox proportional hazard model for survival analyses. RESULTS: Overall, women having <6 years of schooling adhered more to food (81 vs. 69 packets, P=0.0001) but a little less to micronutrient (104 vs. 120 capsules, P = 0.0001) supplementation compared to women having more schooling, adjusted for maternal age (years), parity and body mass index (BMI, kg/m2) at week 8 pregnancy. Children of mothers with ≥6 years of schooling had lower under-five mortality, but the EMMS supplementation reduced the social difference in mortality risk (using standard program and schooling <6 years as reference; standard program and schooling ≥6 years HR 0.54, 95% CI 0.27-1.11; EMMS and schooling ≥6 years HR 0.28, 95% CI 0.12-0.70; EMMS and schooling <6 years HR 0.26, 95% CI 0.11-0.63), adjusted for maternal age (years), parity and body mass index (kg/m2) at week 8 pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of an early invitation to prenatal food supplementation and m

Background: Evidence is often missing on social differentials in effects of nutrition interventions. We evaluated the adherence to and effect of prenatal food and micronutrient supplementations on mortality before the age of five years in different social groups as defined by maternal schooling. Methods: Data came from the MINIMat study (Maternal and Infant Nutrition Interventions, Matlab), a randomized trial of prenatal food supplementation (invitation early, about 9 weeks [E], or at usual time, about 20 weeks [U] of pregnancy) and 30 mg or 60 mg iron with 400 mu gm folic acid, or multiple micronutrients (Fe30F, Fe60F, MMS) resulting in six randomization groups, EFe30F, UFe30F, EFe60F, UFe60F, EMMS, and UMMS (n = 4436). Included in analysis after omissions (fetal loss and out-migration) were 3625 women and 3659 live births of which 3591 had information on maternal schooling. The study site was rural Matlab, Bangladesh. The main stratifying variable was maternal schooling dichotomized as <6 years and >= 6 years. We used Cox proportional hazard model for survival analyses. Results: Overall, women having <6 years of schooling adhered more to food (81 vs. 69 packets, P = 0.0001) but a little less to micronutrient (104 vs. 120 capsules, P = 0.0001) supplementation compared to women having more schooling, adjusted for maternal age (years), parity and body mass index (BMI, kg/m(2)) at week 8 pregnancy. Children of mothers with >= 6 years of schooling had lower under-five mortality, but the EMMS supplementation reduced the social difference in mortality risk (using standard program and schooling <6 years as reference; standard program and schooling >= 6 years HR 0.54, 95% CI 0.27-1.11; EMMS and schooling >= 6 years HR 0.28, 95% CI 0.12-0.70; EMMS and schooling <6 years HR 0.26, 95% CI 0.11-0.63), adjusted for maternal age (years), parity and body mass index (kg/m(2)) at week 8 pregnancy. Conclusions: The combination of an early invitation to prenata

Background: Evidence is often missing on social differentials in effects of nutrition interventions. We evaluated the adherence to and effect of prenatal food and micronutrient supplementations on mortality before the age of five years in different social groups as defined by maternal schooling. Methods: Data came from the MINIMat study (Maternal and Infant Nutrition Interventions, Matlab), a randomized trial of prenatal food supplementation (invitation early, about 9 weeks [E], or at usual time, about 20 weeks [U] of pregnancy) and 30 mg or 60 mg iron with 400 mu gm folic acid, or multiple micronutrients (Fe30F, Fe60F, MMS) resulting in six randomization groups, EFe30F, UFe30F, EFe60F, UFe60F, EMMS, and UMMS (n = 4436). Included in analysis after omissions (fetal loss and out-migration) were 3625 women and 3659 live births of which 3591 had information on maternal schooling. The study site was rural Matlab, Bangladesh. The main stratifying variable was maternal schooling dichotomized as <6 years and >= 6 years. We used Cox proportional hazard model for survival analyses. Results: Overall, women having <6 years of schooling adhered more to food (81 vs. 69 packets, P = 0.0001) but a little less to micronutrient (104 vs. 120 capsules, P = 0.0001) supplementation compared to women having more schooling, adjusted for maternal age (years), parity and body mass index (BMI, kg/m(2)) at week 8 pregnancy. Children of mothers with >= 6 years of schooling had lower under-five mortality, but the EMMS supplementation reduced the social difference in mortality risk (using standard program and schooling <6 years as reference; standard program and schooling >= 6 years HR 0.54, 95% CI 0.27-1.11; EMMS and schooling >= 6 years HR 0.28, 95% CI 0.12-0.70; EMMS and schooling <6 years HR 0.26, 95% CI 0.11-0.63), adjusted for maternal age (years), parity and body mass index (kg/m(2)) at week 8 pregnancy. Conclusions: The combination of an early invitation to prenata

Background: Evidence is often missing on social differentials in effects of nutrition interventions. We evaluated the adherence to and effect of prenatal food and micronutrient supplementations on mortality before the age of five years in different social groups as defined by maternal schooling. Methods: Data came from the MINIMat study (Maternal and Infant Nutrition Interventions, Matlab), a randomized trial of prenatal food supplementation (invitation early, about 9 weeks [E], or at usual time, about 20 weeks [U] of pregnancy) and 30 mg or 60 mg iron with 400 mu gm folic acid, or multiple micronutrients (Fe30F, Fe60F, MMS) resulting in six randomization groups, EFe30F, UFe30F, EFe60F, UFe60F, EMMS, and UMMS (n = 4436). Included in analysis after omissions (fetal loss and out-migration) were 3625 women and 3659 live births of which 3591 had information on maternal schooling. The study site was rural Matlab, Bangladesh. The main stratifying variable was maternal schooling dichotomized as <6 years and >= 6 years. We used Cox proportional hazard model for survival analyses. Results: Overall, women having <6 years of schooling adhered more to food (81 vs. 69 packets, P = 0.0001) but a little less to micronutrient (104 vs. 120 capsules, P = 0.0001) supplementation compared to women having more schooling, adjusted for maternal age (years), parity and body mass index (BMI, kg/m(2)) at week 8 pregnancy. Children of mothers with >= 6 years of schooling had lower under-five mortality, but the EMMS supplementation reduced the social difference in mortality risk (using standard program and schooling <6 years as reference; standard program and schooling >= 6 years HR 0.54, 95% CI 0.27-1.11; EMMS and schooling >= 6 years HR 0.28, 95% CI 0.12-0.70; EMMS and schooling <6 years HR 0.26, 95% CI 0.11-0.63), adjusted for maternal age (years), parity and body mass index (kg/m(2)) at week 8 pregnancy. Conclusions: The combination of an early invitation to prenata

Caatinga is characterized for presenting up green during the rainy season, whitish and without leaves during the dry season, in theory, it has vegetation that can supply the energy and protein requirements of swarms of Africanized bees (Apis mellifera L.). This is justified by the fact of finding the shrubby, herbaceous and arboreal extracts throughout the year in some regions where human disturbance has not occurred. In addition to human disturbance, cyclical periods of severe drought still provide great losses in beekeeping, this why the beekeepers do not apply the minimum technical necessary for the mantainance of swarms of bees during the off season in the Caatinga. Other information, such as the physiological needs of bees are also not known to the majority of beekeepers, resulting to the Northeast, a low number of beekeepers who use artificial feeding to reduce the loss of swarms in apiaries. Considering these aspects, a literature review was conducted with the aim of obtain of a scientific nature of information on the nutritional aspects of bees and the alternatives to food supplementation during periods of drought in northeastern Brazil., A Caatinga é caracterizada por apresentar-se verdejante durante o período de chuvas e esbranquiçada e sem folhas durante o período seco, em tese, possui vegetação que pode suprir as necessidades energética e proteica dos enxames de abelhas africanizadas (Apis mellifera L.). Isto é justificado pelo fato de se encontrar os extratos arbustivos, herbáceos e arbóreos durante todo o ano em algumas regiões onde a antropização não ocorreu. Além da antropização, os períodos cíclicos de seca extrema ainda proporcionam grandes perdas na atividade apícola, isto por que os apicultores não aplicam as técnicas mínimas necessárias para a mantença dos enxames de abelhas durante a entressafra na Caatinga. Outras informações, como as necessidades fisiológicas das abelhas também não são conhecidas pela maioria dos apicultores, resultando para a região nordeste, um baixo número de apicultores que fazem uso da alimentação artificial para reduzir as perdas de enxames nos apiários. Tendo em vista estes aspectos, foi realizado um levantamento bibliográfico com o intuito de obter informações de cunho científico sobre os aspectos nutricionais das abelhas e as alternativas para suplementação alimentar durante os períodos de seca no nordeste brasileiro.

Caatinga is characterized for presenting up green during the rainy season, whitish and without leaves during the dry season, in theory, it has vegetation that can supply the energy and protein requirements of swarms of Africanized bees (Apis mellifera L.). This is justified by the fact of finding the shrubby, herbaceous and arboreal extracts throughout the year in some regions where human disturbance has not occurred. In addition to human disturbance, cyclical periods of severe drought still provide great losses in beekeeping, this why the beekeepers do not apply the minimum technical necessary for the mantainance of swarms of bees during the off season in the Caatinga. Other information, such as the physiological needs of bees are also not known to the majority of beekeepers, resulting to the Northeast, a low number of beekeepers who use artificial feeding to reduce the loss of swarms in apiaries. Considering these aspects, a literature review was conducted with the aim of obtain of a scientific nature of information on the nutritional aspects of bees and the alternatives to food supplementation during periods of drought in northeastern Brazil., A Caatinga é caracterizada por apresentar-se verdejante durante o período de chuvas e esbranquiçada e sem folhas durante o período seco, em tese, possui vegetação que pode suprir as necessidades energética e proteica dos enxames de abelhas africanizadas (Apis mellifera L.). Isto é justificado pelo fato de se encontrar os extratos arbustivos, herbáceos e arbóreos durante todo o ano em algumas regiões onde a antropização não ocorreu. Além da antropização, os períodos cíclicos de seca extrema ainda proporcionam grandes perdas na atividade apícola, isto por que os apicultores não aplicam as técnicas mínimas necessárias para a mantença dos enxames de abelhas durante a entressafra na Caatinga. Outras informações, como as necessidades fisiológicas das abelhas também não são conhecidas pela maioria dos apicultores, resultando para a região nordeste, um baixo número de apicultores que fazem uso da alimentação artificial para reduzir as perdas de enxames nos apiários. Tendo em vista estes aspectos, foi realizado um levantamento bibliográfico com o intuito de obter informações de cunho científico sobre os aspectos nutricionais das abelhas e as alternativas para suplementação alimentar durante os períodos de seca no nordeste brasileiro.

Background: Evidence is often missing on social differentials in effects of nutrition interventions. We evaluated the adherence to and effect of prenatal food and micronutrient supplementations on mortality before the age of five years in different social groups as defined by maternal schooling. Methods: Data came from the MINIMat study (Maternal and Infant Nutrition Interventions, Matlab), a randomized trial of prenatal food supplementation (invitation early, about 9 weeks [E], or at usual time, about 20 weeks [U] of pregnancy) and 30 mg or 60 mg iron with 400 mu gm folic acid, or multiple micronutrients (Fe30F, Fe60F, MMS) resulting in six randomization groups, EFe30F, UFe30F, EFe60F, UFe60F, EMMS, and UMMS (n = 4436). Included in analysis after omissions (fetal loss and out-migration) were 3625 women and 3659 live births of which 3591 had information on maternal schooling. The study site was rural Matlab, Bangladesh. The main stratifying variable was maternal schooling dichotomized as <6 years and >= 6 years. We used Cox proportional hazard model for survival analyses. Results: Overall, women having <6 years of schooling adhered more to food (81 vs. 69 packets, P = 0.0001) but a little less to micronutrient (104 vs. 120 capsules, P = 0.0001) supplementation compared to women having more schooling, adjusted for maternal age (years), parity and body mass index (BMI, kg/m(2)) at week 8 pregnancy. Children of mothers with >= 6 years of schooling had lower under-five mortality, but the EMMS supplementation reduced the social difference in mortality risk (using standard program and schooling <6 years as reference; standard program and schooling >= 6 years HR 0.54, 95% CI 0.27-1.11; EMMS and schooling >= 6 years HR 0.28, 95% CI 0.12-0.70; EMMS and schooling <6 years HR 0.26, 95% CI 0.11-0.63), adjusted for maternal age (years), parity and body mass index (kg/m(2)) at week 8 pregnancy. Conclusions: The combination of an early invitation to prenata

Background: Evidence is often missing on social differentials in effects of nutrition interventions. We evaluated the adherence to and effect of prenatal food and micronutrient supplementations on mortality before the age of five years in different social groups as defined by maternal schooling. Methods: Data came from the MINIMat study (Maternal and Infant Nutrition Interventions, Matlab), a randomized trial of prenatal food supplementation (invitation early, about 9 weeks [E], or at usual time, about 20 weeks [U] of pregnancy) and 30 mg or 60 mg iron with 400 mu gm folic acid, or multiple micronutrients (Fe30F, Fe60F, MMS) resulting in six randomization groups, EFe30F, UFe30F, EFe60F, UFe60F, EMMS, and UMMS (n = 4436). Included in analysis after omissions (fetal loss and out-migration) were 3625 women and 3659 live births of which 3591 had information on maternal schooling. The study site was rural Matlab, Bangladesh. The main stratifying variable was maternal schooling dichotomized as <6 years and >= 6 years. We used Cox proportional hazard model for survival analyses. Results: Overall, women having <6 years of schooling adhered more to food (81 vs. 69 packets, P = 0.0001) but a little less to micronutrient (104 vs. 120 capsules, P = 0.0001) supplementation compared to women having more schooling, adjusted for maternal age (years), parity and body mass index (BMI, kg/m(2)) at week 8 pregnancy. Children of mothers with >= 6 years of schooling had lower under-five mortality, but the EMMS supplementation reduced the social difference in mortality risk (using standard program and schooling <6 years as reference; standard program and schooling >= 6 years HR 0.54, 95% CI 0.27-1.11; EMMS and schooling >= 6 years HR 0.28, 95% CI 0.12-0.70; EMMS and schooling <6 years HR 0.26, 95% CI 0.11-0.63), adjusted for maternal age (years), parity and body mass index (kg/m(2)) at week 8 pregnancy. Conclusions: The combination of an early invitation to prenata

Previous studies have shown that antler mineral composition reflects diet. Thus, management involving diet can influence both the mineral composition and mechanical properties of antlers. However, it is not known if reducing population density, which increases availability of food, can compensate mineral deficiencies arising from lack of minerals in plants and, ultimately, in the soil. The present study aimed at assessing if private management often involving a balanced food supplementation produced differences in antler properties compared to both public management and reference antlers from deer farms. We also examined if low population density in a National Park could compensate for mineral deficiencies found in antlers of other public reserves or else, antlers still differed in antler characteristics compared to supplemented deer in private game estates. We used 120 antlers from three public reserves, four private game estates and two deer farms as reference to assess antler composition, mechanical properties, size and structure. Public managed antlers had shorter length compared to private and reference ones, thinner cortex (CT), were less dense, had lower second moment of area (I) and work to fracture (W). In addition, they had content in ash, Ca, Mg, Na, S and Zn lower than antlers from private game estates. In contrast, antlers from public reserves had greater values of Young's modulus of elasticity (E), Fe, Mn and Si. In most cases, antlers from private management and reference farms showed similar values. When comparing antlers from low population density in a National Park with antlers from private management, differences in antler length, CT, I and ash disappeared, but both differed still in density, E, bending strength, W and content in all minerals mentioned. In conclusion, low density can improve some structural variables, but it cannot compensate for mineral deficiencies whereas food supplementation can.

Background: Parenting programmes are effective in enhancing parenting practices and child development. This study evaluated the effects of a intervention with psychosocial stimulation (PS) on the quality of the home environment and mothers' child-rearing practices in a community-based trial with severely malnourished Bangladeshi children. Method: Severely underweight children (n = 507), 6-24 months of age, were randomly assigned to five groups: PS; food supplementation (FS); PS + FS; clinic-control (CC); and, hospital-control (CH). PS included fortnightly follow-up visits for six months at community clinics where a play leader demonstrated play activities and gave education on child development and child rearing practices. FS comprised cereal-based supplements (150-300 kcal/day) for three months. All groups received medical care, micronutrient supplements and growth monitoring. Mothers were given the Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment (HOME) inventory and a questionnaire on parenting at baseline and after six months to assess the outcome. Results: 322 children completed the study. After six months of intervention the PS + FS and PS groups benefitted in the total HOME score (depending on the comparison group, effect sizes varied from 0.66 to 0.33 SD) The PS + FS and PS groups also benefitted in two HOME subscales: maternal involvement (effect sizes: 0.8 to 0.55 SD) and play materials, (effect sizes: 0.46 to 0.6 SD), and child-rearing practices scores (effect size: 1.5 to 1.1 SD). The PS + FS group benefitted 4.0 points in total HOME score compared with CH, 4.8 points compared with CC and 4.5 points compared with FS (p < 0.001 for all). The PS group benefitted 2.4 points compared with CH (p = 0.035), 3.3 points compared with CC (p = 0.004), and 2.9 points compared with FS (p = 0.006). Child-rearing practice scores of the PS + FS group improved 7.7, 6.4 and 6.6 points and the PS group improved 8.5, 7.2 and 7.4 points more than CH, CC and FS, respect

Early childhood malnutrition is a global public health problem with serious short- and long-term consequences. The aim of this thesis is to evaluate the effects of psychosocial stimulation (PS) with or without food supplementation (FS) on growth and development of severely malnourished children, quality of home environment, mother’s child-rearing practices and depressive symptoms. The study setting was Dhaka, Bangladesh, and the participants were severely malnourished children, aged 6-24 months, admitted at Dhaka Hospital of the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B). A hospital-based study was conducted in Nutrition Rehabilitation Unit of ICDDR,B hospital, where a control group (n=43) was studied initially, followed by an intervention group (n=54). All received standard nutrition rehabilitation care. The intervention group received daily group meetings and play sessions in the hospital, and was thereafter visited at home for 6 months. A community-based randomised trial was conducted including children (n=507) admitted at hospital for initial treatment of an acute infection, and thereafter assigned to PS, FS, PS+FS, clinic control or hospital control groups. PS was delivered at follow-up visits, fortnightly for 6 months at community clinics. FS included distribution of cereal-based food packets (150–300 kcal/day depending on age) for 3 months. All groups received standard medical care and micronutrient supplementation. In the hospital-based study, the intervention group had significantly higher scores in mental (p<0.001, effect size 0.52 SD) and motor development (p=0.047, effect size 0.37 SD), and weight (p=0.03, effect size 0.39 SD), after 6- months intervention. In the community-based trial, there was a significant effect of stimulation after six months of intervention on children’s mental development (group*session interaction p=0.037, effect size=0.37 SD) and weight (group*session interaction p=0.02, effect size=0.26 SD) b

Undernutrition and oxidative stress in fetal life and infancy may lead to adverse health outcomes in the offspring. We studied nutrition and oxidative parameters in pregnancy and their associations with birth anthropometry and metabolic status in the children. In Matlab in rural Bangladesh, women were randomized to either early (Early) invitation to food supplementation or to start at their own liking (Usual). Women were also allocated to either; 1) 60 mg iron and 400 µg folic acid (Fe60F), 2) multiple micronutrients including 30 mg iron and folic acid (MMS), or 3) 30 mg iron and folic acid (Fe30F). Micronutrients (hemoglobin, iron, zinc, folic acid, vitamin B-12) were assessed in pregnancy week 14, lipid peroxidation in week 14 and 30, and DNA oxidation in week 19. The offspring were assessed for anthropometric measurements at birth and metabolic status at 4.5 years. Micronutrient deficiencies were common with zinc and vitamin B-12 deficiency being most prevalent. Anemia was present in approximately one third of women, however, iron deficiency was uncommon seen in only 2%. Maternal Early food supplementation group resulted in an improved lipid status in the children at 4.5 years compared to Usual food group. Prenatal use of MMS lowered the children’s glucose, insulin, HOMA-IR, and growth factors compared to Fe60F. Lipid peroxidation in early pregnancy was associated with size at birth and insulin and HOMA-IR levels in the children. Lipid peroxidation in late pregnancy, however, was associated with the children’s lipid status. Both increasing lipid peroxidation and increasing DNA oxidation was associated with decreasing IGF-1 levels. The beneficial effects of an Early start of food supplementation show that an improved prenatal nutrition may have lasting effects in the offspring and highlights the importance of early timing food supplementation. Use of MMS, however, resulted in lower insulin levels, which, considering the already low level of insulin in these chi

Background: Parenting programmes are effective in enhancing parenting practices and child development. This study evaluated the effects of a intervention with psychosocial stimulation (PS) on the quality of the home environment and mothers' child-rearing practices in a community-based trial with severely malnourished Bangladeshi children. Method: Severely underweight children (n = 507), 6-24 months of age, were randomly assigned to five groups: PS; food supplementation (FS); PS + FS; clinic-control (CC); and, hospital-control (CH). PS included fortnightly follow-up visits for six months at community clinics where a play leader demonstrated play activities and gave education on child development and child rearing practices. FS comprised cereal-based supplements (150-300 kcal/day) for three months. All groups received medical care, micronutrient supplements and growth monitoring. Mothers were given the Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment (HOME) inventory and a questionnaire on parenting at baseline and after six months to assess the outcome. Results: 322 children completed the study. After six months of intervention the PS + FS and PS groups benefitted in the total HOME score (depending on the comparison group, effect sizes varied from 0.66 to 0.33 SD) The PS + FS and PS groups also benefitted in two HOME subscales: maternal involvement (effect sizes: 0.8 to 0.55 SD) and play materials, (effect sizes: 0.46 to 0.6 SD), and child-rearing practices scores (effect size: 1.5 to 1.1 SD). The PS + FS group benefitted 4.0 points in total HOME score compared with CH, 4.8 points compared with CC and 4.5 points compared with FS (p < 0.001 for all). The PS group benefitted 2.4 points compared with CH (p = 0.035), 3.3 points compared with CC (p = 0.004), and 2.9 points compared with FS (p = 0.006). Child-rearing practice scores of the PS + FS group improved 7.7, 6.4 and 6.6 points and the PS group improved 8.5, 7.2 and 7.4 points more than CH, CC and FS, respect

Background: Parenting programmes are effective in enhancing parenting practices and child development. This study evaluated the effects of a intervention with psychosocial stimulation (PS) on the quality of the home environment and mothers' child-rearing practices in a community-based trial with severely malnourished Bangladeshi children. Method: Severely underweight children (n = 507), 6-24 months of age, were randomly assigned to five groups: PS; food supplementation (FS); PS + FS; clinic-control (CC); and, hospital-control (CH). PS included fortnightly follow-up visits for six months at community clinics where a play leader demonstrated play activities and gave education on child development and child rearing practices. FS comprised cereal-based supplements (150-300 kcal/day) for three months. All groups received medical care, micronutrient supplements and growth monitoring. Mothers were given the Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment (HOME) inventory and a questionnaire on parenting at baseline and after six months to assess the outcome. Results: 322 children completed the study. After six months of intervention the PS + FS and PS groups benefitted in the total HOME score (depending on the comparison group, effect sizes varied from 0.66 to 0.33 SD) The PS + FS and PS groups also benefitted in two HOME subscales: maternal involvement (effect sizes: 0.8 to 0.55 SD) and play materials, (effect sizes: 0.46 to 0.6 SD), and child-rearing practices scores (effect size: 1.5 to 1.1 SD). The PS + FS group benefitted 4.0 points in total HOME score compared with CH, 4.8 points compared with CC and 4.5 points compared with FS (p < 0.001 for all). The PS group benefitted 2.4 points compared with CH (p = 0.035), 3.3 points compared with CC (p = 0.004), and 2.9 points compared with FS (p = 0.006). Child-rearing practice scores of the PS + FS group improved 7.7, 6.4 and 6.6 points and the PS group improved 8.5, 7.2 and 7.4 points more than CH, CC and FS, respect

Nutritional insults and conditions in fetal life and infancy may influence later growth and body composition as well as the development of chronic diseases in adult life. We studied the effects of maternal food and micronutrient supplementation and exclusive breast-feeding counseling on offspring growth 0-54 months and body composition at 54 months of age. We also validated and developed equations for a leg-to-leg bioimpedance analyzer in order to assess body composition of Bangladeshi children aged 4-10 years. In the MINIMat trial in Matlab, Bangladesh, pregnant women were randomized to Early (around 9 weeks) or a Usual invitation (around 20 weeks) to food supplementation and to one of three daily micronutrient supplementations with capsules of either 30 mg Fe and 400 µg folic acid, or 60 mg Fe and 400 µg folic acid, or multiple micronutrient supplements (MMS) (15 micronutrients including 30 mg Fe and 400 µg folic acid). They were also randomized to exclusive breastfeeding counseling (EBC) or to usual health messages (UHM). Growth of their children was measured from birth to 54 months, when body composition also was assessed. There were no differences in background characteristics across the different intervention groups. There was no differential effect by prenatal interventions on birth weight or length. Early invitation to food supplementation reduced stunting from early infancy up to 54 months for boys (average difference 6.5 percent units, 95% CI=1.7 to 11.3, p=0.01), but not for girls (average difference 2.4 percent units, 95% CI=-2.2 to 7.0, p=0.31). MMS resulted in more stunting than standard Fe60F (average difference 4.8 percent units, 95% CI=0.8 to 8.9, p=0.02). Breast-feeding counseling prolonged the duration of exclusive breastfeeding (difference 35.0 days, 95% CI 30.6-39.5, p<0.001). Neither the pregnancy interventions nor the breast-feeding counseling influenced body composition at 54 months. Early food supplementation in pregnancy reduced the occu

Early childhood malnutrition is a global public health problem with serious short- and long-term consequences. The aim of this thesis is to evaluate the effects of psychosocial stimulation (PS) with or without food supplementation (FS) on growth and development of severely malnourished children, quality of home environment, mother’s child-rearing practices and depressive symptoms. The study setting was Dhaka, Bangladesh, and the participants were severely malnourished children, aged 6-24 months, admitted at Dhaka Hospital of the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B). A hospital-based study was conducted in Nutrition Rehabilitation Unit of ICDDR,B hospital, where a control group (n=43) was studied initially, followed by an intervention group (n=54). All received standard nutrition rehabilitation care. The intervention group received daily group meetings and play sessions in the hospital, and was thereafter visited at home for 6 months. A community-based randomised trial was conducted including children (n=507) admitted at hospital for initial treatment of an acute infection, and thereafter assigned to PS, FS, PS+FS, clinic control or hospital control groups. PS was delivered at follow-up visits, fortnightly for 6 months at community clinics. FS included distribution of cereal-based food packets (150–300 kcal/day depending on age) for 3 months. All groups received standard medical care and micronutrient supplementation. In the hospital-based study, the intervention group had significantly higher scores in mental (p<0.001, effect size 0.52 SD) and motor development (p=0.047, effect size 0.37 SD), and weight (p=0.03, effect size 0.39 SD), after 6- months intervention. In the community-based trial, there was a significant effect of stimulation after six months of intervention on children’s mental development (group*session interaction p=0.037, effect size=0.37 SD) and weight (group*session interaction p=0.02, effect size=0.26 SD) b

Undernutrition and oxidative stress in fetal life and infancy may lead to adverse health outcomes in the offspring. We studied nutrition and oxidative parameters in pregnancy and their associations with birth anthropometry and metabolic status in the children. In Matlab in rural Bangladesh, women were randomized to either early (Early) invitation to food supplementation or to start at their own liking (Usual). Women were also allocated to either; 1) 60 mg iron and 400 µg folic acid (Fe60F), 2) multiple micronutrients including 30 mg iron and folic acid (MMS), or 3) 30 mg iron and folic acid (Fe30F). Micronutrients (hemoglobin, iron, zinc, folic acid, vitamin B-12) were assessed in pregnancy week 14, lipid peroxidation in week 14 and 30, and DNA oxidation in week 19. The offspring were assessed for anthropometric measurements at birth and metabolic status at 4.5 years. Micronutrient deficiencies were common with zinc and vitamin B-12 deficiency being most prevalent. Anemia was present in approximately one third of women, however, iron deficiency was uncommon seen in only 2%. Maternal Early food supplementation group resulted in an improved lipid status in the children at 4.5 years compared to Usual food group. Prenatal use of MMS lowered the children’s glucose, insulin, HOMA-IR, and growth factors compared to Fe60F. Lipid peroxidation in early pregnancy was associated with size at birth and insulin and HOMA-IR levels in the children. Lipid peroxidation in late pregnancy, however, was associated with the children’s lipid status. Both increasing lipid peroxidation and increasing DNA oxidation was associated with decreasing IGF-1 levels. The beneficial effects of an Early start of food supplementation show that an improved prenatal nutrition may have lasting effects in the offspring and highlights the importance of early timing food supplementation. Use of MMS, however, resulted in lower insulin levels, which, considering the already low level of insulin in these chi

Nutritional insults and conditions in fetal life and infancy may influence later growth and body composition as well as the development of chronic diseases in adult life. We studied the effects of maternal food and micronutrient supplementation and exclusive breast-feeding counseling on offspring growth 0-54 months and body composition at 54 months of age. We also validated and developed equations for a leg-to-leg bioimpedance analyzer in order to assess body composition of Bangladeshi children aged 4-10 years. In the MINIMat trial in Matlab, Bangladesh, pregnant women were randomized to Early (around 9 weeks) or a Usual invitation (around 20 weeks) to food supplementation and to one of three daily micronutrient supplementations with capsules of either 30 mg Fe and 400 µg folic acid, or 60 mg Fe and 400 µg folic acid, or multiple micronutrient supplements (MMS) (15 micronutrients including 30 mg Fe and 400 µg folic acid). They were also randomized to exclusive breastfeeding counseling (EBC) or to usual health messages (UHM). Growth of their children was measured from birth to 54 months, when body composition also was assessed. There were no differences in background characteristics across the different intervention groups. There was no differential effect by prenatal interventions on birth weight or length. Early invitation to food supplementation reduced stunting from early infancy up to 54 months for boys (average difference 6.5 percent units, 95% CI=1.7 to 11.3, p=0.01), but not for girls (average difference 2.4 percent units, 95% CI=-2.2 to 7.0, p=0.31). MMS resulted in more stunting than standard Fe60F (average difference 4.8 percent units, 95% CI=0.8 to 8.9, p=0.02). Breast-feeding counseling prolonged the duration of exclusive breastfeeding (difference 35.0 days, 95% CI 30.6-39.5, p<0.001). Neither the pregnancy interventions nor the breast-feeding counseling influenced body composition at 54 months. Early food supplementation in pregnancy reduced the occu

Early childhood malnutrition is a global public health problem with serious short- and long-term consequences. The aim of this thesis is to evaluate the effects of psychosocial stimulation (PS) with or without food supplementation (FS) on growth and development of severely malnourished children, quality of home environment, mother’s child-rearing practices and depressive symptoms. The study setting was Dhaka, Bangladesh, and the participants were severely malnourished children, aged 6-24 months, admitted at Dhaka Hospital of the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B). A hospital-based study was conducted in Nutrition Rehabilitation Unit of ICDDR,B hospital, where a control group (n=43) was studied initially, followed by an intervention group (n=54). All received standard nutrition rehabilitation care. The intervention group received daily group meetings and play sessions in the hospital, and was thereafter visited at home for 6 months. A community-based randomised trial was conducted including children (n=507) admitted at hospital for initial treatment of an acute infection, and thereafter assigned to PS, FS, PS+FS, clinic control or hospital control groups. PS was delivered at follow-up visits, fortnightly for 6 months at community clinics. FS included distribution of cereal-based food packets (150–300 kcal/day depending on age) for 3 months. All groups received standard medical care and micronutrient supplementation. In the hospital-based study, the intervention group had significantly higher scores in mental (p<0.001, effect size 0.52 SD) and motor development (p=0.047, effect size 0.37 SD), and weight (p=0.03, effect size 0.39 SD), after 6- months intervention. In the community-based trial, there was a significant effect of stimulation after six months of intervention on children’s mental development (group*session interaction p=0.037, effect size=0.37 SD) and weight (group*session interaction p=0.02, effect size=0.26 SD) b

Background: Parenting programmes are effective in enhancing parenting practices and child development. This study evaluated the effects of a intervention with psychosocial stimulation (PS) on the quality of the home environment and mothers' child-rearing practices in a community-based trial with severely malnourished Bangladeshi children. Method: Severely underweight children (n = 507), 6-24 months of age, were randomly assigned to five groups: PS; food supplementation (FS); PS + FS; clinic-control (CC); and, hospital-control (CH). PS included fortnightly follow-up visits for six months at community clinics where a play leader demonstrated play activities and gave education on child development and child rearing practices. FS comprised cereal-based supplements (150-300 kcal/day) for three months. All groups received medical care, micronutrient supplements and growth monitoring. Mothers were given the Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment (HOME) inventory and a questionnaire on parenting at baseline and after six months to assess the outcome. Results: 322 children completed the study. After six months of intervention the PS + FS and PS groups benefitted in the total HOME score (depending on the comparison group, effect sizes varied from 0.66 to 0.33 SD) The PS + FS and PS groups also benefitted in two HOME subscales: maternal involvement (effect sizes: 0.8 to 0.55 SD) and play materials, (effect sizes: 0.46 to 0.6 SD), and child-rearing practices scores (effect size: 1.5 to 1.1 SD). The PS + FS group benefitted 4.0 points in total HOME score compared with CH, 4.8 points compared with CC and 4.5 points compared with FS (p < 0.001 for all). The PS group benefitted 2.4 points compared with CH (p = 0.035), 3.3 points compared with CC (p = 0.004), and 2.9 points compared with FS (p = 0.006). Child-rearing practice scores of the PS + FS group improved 7.7, 6.4 and 6.6 points and the PS group improved 8.5, 7.2 and 7.4 points more than CH, CC and FS, respect

Early childhood malnutrition is a global public health problem with serious short- and long-term consequences. The aim of this thesis is to evaluate the effects of psychosocial stimulation (PS) with or without food supplementation (FS) on growth and development of severely malnourished children, quality of home environment, mother’s child-rearing practices and depressive symptoms. The study setting was Dhaka, Bangladesh, and the participants were severely malnourished children, aged 6-24 months, admitted at Dhaka Hospital of the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B). A hospital-based study was conducted in Nutrition Rehabilitation Unit of ICDDR,B hospital, where a control group (n=43) was studied initially, followed by an intervention group (n=54). All received standard nutrition rehabilitation care. The intervention group received daily group meetings and play sessions in the hospital, and was thereafter visited at home for 6 months. A community-based randomised trial was conducted including children (n=507) admitted at hospital for initial treatment of an acute infection, and thereafter assigned to PS, FS, PS+FS, clinic control or hospital control groups. PS was delivered at follow-up visits, fortnightly for 6 months at community clinics. FS included distribution of cereal-based food packets (150–300 kcal/day depending on age) for 3 months. All groups received standard medical care and micronutrient supplementation. In the hospital-based study, the intervention group had significantly higher scores in mental (p<0.001, effect size 0.52 SD) and motor development (p=0.047, effect size 0.37 SD), and weight (p=0.03, effect size 0.39 SD), after 6- months intervention. In the community-based trial, there was a significant effect of stimulation after six months of intervention on children’s mental development (group*session interaction p=0.037, effect size=0.37 SD) and weight (group*session interaction p=0.02, effect size=0.26 SD) b

Undernutrition and oxidative stress in fetal life and infancy may lead to adverse health outcomes in the offspring. We studied nutrition and oxidative parameters in pregnancy and their associations with birth anthropometry and metabolic status in the children. In Matlab in rural Bangladesh, women were randomized to either early (Early) invitation to food supplementation or to start at their own liking (Usual). Women were also allocated to either; 1) 60 mg iron and 400 µg folic acid (Fe60F), 2) multiple micronutrients including 30 mg iron and folic acid (MMS), or 3) 30 mg iron and folic acid (Fe30F). Micronutrients (hemoglobin, iron, zinc, folic acid, vitamin B-12) were assessed in pregnancy week 14, lipid peroxidation in week 14 and 30, and DNA oxidation in week 19. The offspring were assessed for anthropometric measurements at birth and metabolic status at 4.5 years. Micronutrient deficiencies were common with zinc and vitamin B-12 deficiency being most prevalent. Anemia was present in approximately one third of women, however, iron deficiency was uncommon seen in only 2%. Maternal Early food supplementation group resulted in an improved lipid status in the children at 4.5 years compared to Usual food group. Prenatal use of MMS lowered the children’s glucose, insulin, HOMA-IR, and growth factors compared to Fe60F. Lipid peroxidation in early pregnancy was associated with size at birth and insulin and HOMA-IR levels in the children. Lipid peroxidation in late pregnancy, however, was associated with the children’s lipid status. Both increasing lipid peroxidation and increasing DNA oxidation was associated with decreasing IGF-1 levels. The beneficial effects of an Early start of food supplementation show that an improved prenatal nutrition may have lasting effects in the offspring and highlights the importance of early timing food supplementation. Use of MMS, however, resulted in lower insulin levels, which, considering the already low level of insulin in these chi

Nutritional insults and conditions in fetal life and infancy may influence later growth and body composition as well as the development of chronic diseases in adult life. We studied the effects of maternal food and micronutrient supplementation and exclusive breast-feeding counseling on offspring growth 0-54 months and body composition at 54 months of age. We also validated and developed equations for a leg-to-leg bioimpedance analyzer in order to assess body composition of Bangladeshi children aged 4-10 years. In the MINIMat trial in Matlab, Bangladesh, pregnant women were randomized to Early (around 9 weeks) or a Usual invitation (around 20 weeks) to food supplementation and to one of three daily micronutrient supplementations with capsules of either 30 mg Fe and 400 µg folic acid, or 60 mg Fe and 400 µg folic acid, or multiple micronutrient supplements (MMS) (15 micronutrients including 30 mg Fe and 400 µg folic acid). They were also randomized to exclusive breastfeeding counseling (EBC) or to usual health messages (UHM). Growth of their children was measured from birth to 54 months, when body composition also was assessed. There were no differences in background characteristics across the different intervention groups. There was no differential effect by prenatal interventions on birth weight or length. Early invitation to food supplementation reduced stunting from early infancy up to 54 months for boys (average difference 6.5 percent units, 95% CI=1.7 to 11.3, p=0.01), but not for girls (average difference 2.4 percent units, 95% CI=-2.2 to 7.0, p=0.31). MMS resulted in more stunting than standard Fe60F (average difference 4.8 percent units, 95% CI=0.8 to 8.9, p=0.02). Breast-feeding counseling prolonged the duration of exclusive breastfeeding (difference 35.0 days, 95% CI 30.6-39.5, p<0.001). Neither the pregnancy interventions nor the breast-feeding counseling influenced body composition at 54 months. Early food supplementation in pregnancy reduced the occu

Background: Parenting programmes are effective in enhancing parenting practices and child development. This study evaluated the effects of a intervention with psychosocial stimulation (PS) on the quality of the home environment and mothers' child-rearing practices in a community-based trial with severely malnourished Bangladeshi children. Method: Severely underweight children (n = 507), 6-24 months of age, were randomly assigned to five groups: PS; food supplementation (FS); PS + FS; clinic-control (CC); and, hospital-control (CH). PS included fortnightly follow-up visits for six months at community clinics where a play leader demonstrated play activities and gave education on child development and child rearing practices. FS comprised cereal-based supplements (150-300 kcal/day) for three months. All groups received medical care, micronutrient supplements and growth monitoring. Mothers were given the Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment (HOME) inventory and a questionnaire on parenting at baseline and after six months to assess the outcome. Results: 322 children completed the study. After six months of intervention the PS + FS and PS groups benefitted in the total HOME score (depending on the comparison group, effect sizes varied from 0.66 to 0.33 SD) The PS + FS and PS groups also benefitted in two HOME subscales: maternal involvement (effect sizes: 0.8 to 0.55 SD) and play materials, (effect sizes: 0.46 to 0.6 SD), and child-rearing practices scores (effect size: 1.5 to 1.1 SD). The PS + FS group benefitted 4.0 points in total HOME score compared with CH, 4.8 points compared with CC and 4.5 points compared with FS (p < 0.001 for all). The PS group benefitted 2.4 points compared with CH (p = 0.035), 3.3 points compared with CC (p = 0.004), and 2.9 points compared with FS (p = 0.006). Child-rearing practice scores of the PS + FS group improved 7.7, 6.4 and 6.6 points and the PS group improved 8.5, 7.2 and 7.4 points more than CH, CC and FS, respect

Early childhood malnutrition is a global public health problem with serious short- and long-term consequences. The aim of this thesis is to evaluate the effects of psychosocial stimulation (PS) with or without food supplementation (FS) on growth and development of severely malnourished children, quality of home environment, mother’s child-rearing practices and depressive symptoms. The study setting was Dhaka, Bangladesh, and the participants were severely malnourished children, aged 6-24 months, admitted at Dhaka Hospital of the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B). A hospital-based study was conducted in Nutrition Rehabilitation Unit of ICDDR,B hospital, where a control group (n=43) was studied initially, followed by an intervention group (n=54). All received standard nutrition rehabilitation care. The intervention group received daily group meetings and play sessions in the hospital, and was thereafter visited at home for 6 months. A community-based randomised trial was conducted including children (n=507) admitted at hospital for initial treatment of an acute infection, and thereafter assigned to PS, FS, PS+FS, clinic control or hospital control groups. PS was delivered at follow-up visits, fortnightly for 6 months at community clinics. FS included distribution of cereal-based food packets (150–300 kcal/day depending on age) for 3 months. All groups received standard medical care and micronutrient supplementation. In the hospital-based study, the intervention group had significantly higher scores in mental (p<0.001, effect size 0.52 SD) and motor development (p=0.047, effect size 0.37 SD), and weight (p=0.03, effect size 0.39 SD), after 6- months intervention. In the community-based trial, there was a significant effect of stimulation after six months of intervention on children’s mental development (group*session interaction p=0.037, effect size=0.37 SD) and weight (group*session interaction p=0.02, effect size=0.26 SD) b

Nutritional insults and conditions in fetal life and infancy may influence later growth and body composition as well as the development of chronic diseases in adult life. We studied the effects of maternal food and micronutrient supplementation and exclusive breast-feeding counseling on offspring growth 0-54 months and body composition at 54 months of age. We also validated and developed equations for a leg-to-leg bioimpedance analyzer in order to assess body composition of Bangladeshi children aged 4-10 years. In the MINIMat trial in Matlab, Bangladesh, pregnant women were randomized to Early (around 9 weeks) or a Usual invitation (around 20 weeks) to food supplementation and to one of three daily micronutrient supplementations with capsules of either 30 mg Fe and 400 µg folic acid, or 60 mg Fe and 400 µg folic acid, or multiple micronutrient supplements (MMS) (15 micronutrients including 30 mg Fe and 400 µg folic acid). They were also randomized to exclusive breastfeeding counseling (EBC) or to usual health messages (UHM). Growth of their children was measured from birth to 54 months, when body composition also was assessed. There were no differences in background characteristics across the different intervention groups. There was no differential effect by prenatal interventions on birth weight or length. Early invitation to food supplementation reduced stunting from early infancy up to 54 months for boys (average difference 6.5 percent units, 95% CI=1.7 to 11.3, p=0.01), but not for girls (average difference 2.4 percent units, 95% CI=-2.2 to 7.0, p=0.31). MMS resulted in more stunting than standard Fe60F (average difference 4.8 percent units, 95% CI=0.8 to 8.9, p=0.02). Breast-feeding counseling prolonged the duration of exclusive breastfeeding (difference 35.0 days, 95% CI 30.6-39.5, p<0.001). Neither the pregnancy interventions nor the breast-feeding counseling influenced body composition at 54 months. Early food supplementation in pregnancy reduced the occu

Undernutrition and oxidative stress in fetal life and infancy may lead to adverse health outcomes in the offspring. We studied nutrition and oxidative parameters in pregnancy and their associations with birth anthropometry and metabolic status in the children. In Matlab in rural Bangladesh, women were randomized to either early (Early) invitation to food supplementation or to start at their own liking (Usual). Women were also allocated to either; 1) 60 mg iron and 400 µg folic acid (Fe60F), 2) multiple micronutrients including 30 mg iron and folic acid (MMS), or 3) 30 mg iron and folic acid (Fe30F). Micronutrients (hemoglobin, iron, zinc, folic acid, vitamin B-12) were assessed in pregnancy week 14, lipid peroxidation in week 14 and 30, and DNA oxidation in week 19. The offspring were assessed for anthropometric measurements at birth and metabolic status at 4.5 years. Micronutrient deficiencies were common with zinc and vitamin B-12 deficiency being most prevalent. Anemia was present in approximately one third of women, however, iron deficiency was uncommon seen in only 2%. Maternal Early food supplementation group resulted in an improved lipid status in the children at 4.5 years compared to Usual food group. Prenatal use of MMS lowered the children’s glucose, insulin, HOMA-IR, and growth factors compared to Fe60F. Lipid peroxidation in early pregnancy was associated with size at birth and insulin and HOMA-IR levels in the children. Lipid peroxidation in late pregnancy, however, was associated with the children’s lipid status. Both increasing lipid peroxidation and increasing DNA oxidation was associated with decreasing IGF-1 levels. The beneficial effects of an Early start of food supplementation show that an improved prenatal nutrition may have lasting effects in the offspring and highlights the importance of early timing food supplementation. Use of MMS, however, resulted in lower insulin levels, which, considering the already low level of insulin in these chi

Objective: Lactulose/mannitol (L/M) intestinal permeability tests were completed to compare the intestinal function of severely underweight children recovering from diarrhea and other illnesses and of nonmalnourished children from the same communities, and to evaluate the effects of food supplementation, with or without psychosocial stimulation, on the changes in intestinal function among the underweight children. Patients and Methods: Seventy-seven malnourished children completed intestinal permeability studies at baseline and 3 months after receiving 1 of the following randomly assigned treatment regimens: group-C-fortnightly follow-up at community-based follow-up units, including growth monitoring and promotion, health education, and micronutrient supplementation, n = 17; group-SF-same as group-C plus supplementary food (SF) to provide 150 to 300 kcal/day, n = 23; group-PS-same as group-C plus psychosocial stimulation (PS), n = 17; or group-SF+PS-same as group-C plus SF and PS, n = 20. Seventeen nonmalnourished children were included as comparison subjects. Results: The malnourished children's mean +/- SD initial age was 13.1 +/- 4.0 months, their mean weight-for-age z score was -3.82 +/- 0.61, and their median (interquartile range) urinary L/M recovery ratio was 0.16 (0.10-0.28). Eighty-four percent of the children had L/M >= 0.07, suggestive of impaired intestinal function. The median L/M of the malnourished children was significantly greater than that of 17 relatively well-nourished children (median 0.09; interquartile range 0.05-0.12; P = 0.001). There were no significant differences in baseline characteristics of the severely malnourished children by treatment group. Following treatment, the L/M ratio improved in all of the groups (P < 0.001), but there were no significant differences in these changes by treatment group. There was a significant positive association between weight gain and the magnitude of improvement in L/M ratio (r = 0.30, P = 0.012).

Food supplementation is increasingly used as a conservation tool. However, little is known about how much supplemental food is used by target populations or the degree to which the abundance of natural food affects the utilization of supplemental food. Long-term supplementation programmes could cause individuals to rely almost exclusively upon supplemental food and, consequently, lose some skills needed to forage efficiently on natural food. This may result in reduced fitness upon discontinuation of supple- mental food. The Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus) preys almost exclusively upon European wild rabbits (Oryc- tolagus cuniculus), and some populations are thought to be food limited. We quantified the contribution of supplemented domestic rabbits, whose guard hairs could be distinguished from hairs of wild rabbits, to the diet of the Iberian lynx. We also examined whether the consumption of domestic rabbits varied with the availability of wild rabbits, and with the duration of exposure to supplemental food. Domestic rabbits made up over 50% of the diet. Consumption of domestic rabbits decreased non-linearly as the relative abundance of wild rabbits increased; however, this pattern was true only above a threshold density of one wild rabbit km—1. Below this threshold, supplementation was apparently strictly necessary to retain Iberian lynx. The consumption of domestic rabbits did not increase with the length of the supplementa- tion period. Lynx continued consuming wild rabbits proportionally to their abundance, suggesting lynx did not become dependent upon supplemental food. Understanding how the abundance of natural food modulates consumption of supplemental food may help to adjust supplementation schedules to food availability and to the needs of the target populations

Many farmland bird species have declined markedly in Europe in recent decades because of changes in agricultural practice. The specific causes vary and are poorly known for many species. The Little Owl, which feeds extensively on large invertebrates and is strongly associated with the agricultural landscape, has declined over most of northwestern Europe, including Denmark. We investigated the likely reasons for the population decline in Denmark by identifying patterns of local extinction (scale, 5 x 5 km2) and estimating demographic parameters affecting local survival, focusing on changes over time and their relationship to habitat characteristics. The distribution of the Little Owl in Denmark contracted considerably between 1972-74 and 1993-96. The extent of contraction varied across the country, and the only habitat correlate was that local disappearance was associated with smaller amounts of agricultural land. Analyses of ring recovery data suggested a constant annual adult survival rate of 61% from 1920 to 2002, which is similar to estimates from countries with stable populations. First-year annual survival rates were much lower than values previously reported. From the 1970s into the 21st century, the mean number of fledglings declined from around 3 to <2 young per territory, but the decline in clutch size was considerably less. Reproductive parameters were higher closer to habitat types known to be important foraging habitats for Little Owls, and were also positively correlated with the amount of seasonally changing land cover (mostly farmland) within a 1-km radius around nests as well as temperatures before and during the breeding season. Experimental food supplementation to breeding pairs increased the proportion of eggs that resulted in fledged young from 27 to 79%, supporting the hypothesis that the main proximate reason underlying the ongoing population decline is reduced productivity induced by energetic constraints after egg-laying. Conservation effo, Many farmland bird species have declined markedly in Europe in recent decades because of changes in agricultural practice. The specific causes vary and are poorly known for many species. The Little Owl, which feeds extensively on large invertebrates and is strongly associated with the agricultural landscape, has declined over most of northwestern Europe, including Denmark. We investigated the likely reasons for the population decline in Denmark by identifying patterns of local extinction (scale, 5 x 5 km2) and estimating demographic parameters affecting local survival, focusing on changes over time and their relationship to habitat characteristics. The distribution of the Little Owl in Denmark contracted considerably between 1972-74 and 1993-96. The extent of contraction varied across the country, and the only habitat correlate was that local disappearance was associated with smaller amounts of agricultural land. Analyses of ring recovery data suggested a constant annual adult survival rate of 61% from 1920 to 2002, which is similar to estimates from countries with stable populations. First-year annual survival rates were much lower than values previously reported. From the 1970s into the 21st century, the mean number of fledglings declined from around 3 to <2 young per territory, but the decline in clutch size was considerably less. Reproductive parameters were higher closer to habitat types known to be important foraging habitats for Little Owls, and were also positively correlated with the amount of seasonally changing land cover (mostly farmland) within a 1-km radius around nests as well as temperatures before and during the breeding season. Experimental food supplementation to breeding pairs increased the proportion of eggs that resulted in fledged young from 27 to 79%, supporting the hypothesis that the main proximate reason underlying the ongoing population decline is reduced productivity induced by energetic constraints after egg-laying. Conservation effo

Many farmland bird species have declined markedly in Europe in recent decades because of changes in agricultural practice. The specific causes vary and are poorly known for many species. The Little Owl, which feeds extensively on large invertebrates and is strongly associated with the agricultural landscape, has declined over most of northwestern Europe, including Denmark. We investigated the likely reasons for the population decline in Denmark by identifying patterns of local extinction (scale, 5 x 5 km2) and estimating demographic parameters affecting local survival, focusing on changes over time and their relationship to habitat characteristics. The distribution of the Little Owl in Denmark contracted considerably between 1972-74 and 1993-96. The extent of contraction varied across the country, and the only habitat correlate was that local disappearance was associated with smaller amounts of agricultural land. Analyses of ring recovery data suggested a constant annual adult survival rate of 61% from 1920 to 2002, which is similar to estimates from countries with stable populations. First-year annual survival rates were much lower than values previously reported. From the 1970s into the 21st century, the mean number of fledglings declined from around 3 to <2 young per territory, but the decline in clutch size was considerably less. Reproductive parameters were higher closer to habitat types known to be important foraging habitats for Little Owls, and were also positively correlated with the amount of seasonally changing land cover (mostly farmland) within a 1-km radius around nests as well as temperatures before and during the breeding season. Experimental food supplementation to breeding pairs increased the proportion of eggs that resulted in fledged young from 27 to 79%, supporting the hypothesis that the main proximate reason underlying the ongoing population decline is reduced productivity induced by energetic constraints after egg-laying. Conservation effo, Many farmland bird species have declined markedly in Europe in recent decades because of changes in agricultural practice. The specific causes vary and are poorly known for many species. The Little Owl, which feeds extensively on large invertebrates and is strongly associated with the agricultural landscape, has declined over most of northwestern Europe, including Denmark. We investigated the likely reasons for the population decline in Denmark by identifying patterns of local extinction (scale, 5 x 5 km2) and estimating demographic parameters affecting local survival, focusing on changes over time and their relationship to habitat characteristics. The distribution of the Little Owl in Denmark contracted considerably between 1972-74 and 1993-96. The extent of contraction varied across the country, and the only habitat correlate was that local disappearance was associated with smaller amounts of agricultural land. Analyses of ring recovery data suggested a constant annual adult survival rate of 61% from 1920 to 2002, which is similar to estimates from countries with stable populations. First-year annual survival rates were much lower than values previously reported. From the 1970s into the 21st century, the mean number of fledglings declined from around 3 to <2 young per territory, but the decline in clutch size was considerably less. Reproductive parameters were higher closer to habitat types known to be important foraging habitats for Little Owls, and were also positively correlated with the amount of seasonally changing land cover (mostly farmland) within a 1-km radius around nests as well as temperatures before and during the breeding season. Experimental food supplementation to breeding pairs increased the proportion of eggs that resulted in fledged young from 27 to 79%, supporting the hypothesis that the main proximate reason underlying the ongoing population decline is reduced productivity induced by energetic constraints after egg-laying. Conservation effo

In most cooperatively breeding bird species, individuals live year round in all-purpose territories that may vary greatly in quality. Territory resource availability is likely to influence the investment in provisioning the brood, and different group members may respond in different ways, according to individual strategies of investment in self-maintenance or current reproduction. Although this may be important for understanding division of labour within the group, few studies have investigated how individuals respond to changing conditions 'at home'. In cooperatively breeding carrion crows, Corvus corone, chick provisioning is costly and both breeders and helpers allocate additional resources to self-maintenance, rather than the current brood, when food availability is temporarily augmented during the breeding season. However, here we show that helpers, but not breeders, increased their chick-feeding rate when territory resources were experimentally enhanced throughout the year. These results indicate a role of year-round territory quality in shaping cooperation at the nest in this species. We suggest that the probabilities of reproducing in the following breeding season, which are higher for breeders than for helpers, modulate the effect of long-term resource abundance on individual provisioning decisions, leading to a higher investment in the current brood by helpers only.

Background: National nutrition programs in Bangladesh have included prenatal food supplementation to reduce maternal and child malnutrition. The knowledge base is weak regarding the effect of prenatal food supplementation on the birth weight (BW) of infants in populations in whom low BW is prevalent and regarding any variation in effect based on maternal nutritional status. Objective: We examined whether observational data support an effect of daily prenatal food supplementation on BW by considering the duration of supplementation and whether the effect is modified by maternal postpartum weight (a proxy of prepregnancy weight) groups. Design: A cohort of undernourished pregnant women (n = 777) who received prenatal food supplementation (608 kcal/d) was followed. The association between the uptake of food supplements and BW was analyzed after adjustment for potential confounders (n = 619 with complete information). Differential effects in lower and higher maternal postpartum weight groups were examined. Results: The average BW was 2521 g. On average, the women received daily supplements for 4 mo, which resulted in an increase in BW of 118 g (1.0 g/d). The strongest effect was found for births occurring in January and February. There was a linear dose-response relation between duration of supplementation and BW for women with higher postpartum weights (>= 42 kg, above the median). In women with lower weights (< 42 kg, below median), a shorter duration of supplementation (< 4 mo) had no such dose-response relation with BW, but there was a linear dose-response relation for longer durations of supplementation. Conclusions: The association between duration of prenatal food supplementation and BW varies with maternal postpartum weight. A large effect was observed after the season with food insecurity (mid-August to mid-November).