- Author: Lucia L Kaiser
With childhood obesity being a major health issue, getting off to the right start with a healthy diet is critical. Surprisingly, there are few studies, based on nationally representative samples, to guide nutrition advice given to parents of young children. In 2002, the Feeding Infants and Toddlers Study (FITS) was conducted for the first time to gather data on dietary patterns of children, ages 4 to 24 months. In 2008, a second cross-sectional, national FITS survey collected information on the diets of more than 3200 children, ages 0 to 47 months. An article, which appeared in the December 2010 Journal of the American Dietetic Association, describes the changes in dietary patterns among children, ages 4 to 24 months between 2002 and...
- Author: Lucia L Kaiser
About 12.7% of all births in the US are premature. Even though weekly injections of hydroxyprogesterone caproate can reduce the risk of preterm birth, the rate of prematurity is still about 36% among women at high-risk ( or those who have previously delivered preterm). The purpose of this study was to determine whether omega-3 fatty acid supplements could offer additional benefits to women at high-risk of a preterm delivery.
The study design involved a randomized, controlled, double-blind trial, conducted through 13 centers in the US. Pregnant women, who had previously given birth to at least one premature baby, were enrolled in the study between 16-21 weeks gestation. All women were given an injection of ...
- Author: Lucia L Kaiser
Exclusive breastfeeding--breast milk only--is recommended for babies in the first six months of life. However, among immigrant Latinas, exclusive breastfeeding is rare. Most interventions that have been successful in increasing breastfeeding have involved face-to-face counseling with skilled staff. Less is known about the effectiveness of lower cost strategies. A recent study, published in the Journal of Human Lactation, examined the the impact of a hospital-based breastfeeding clinic (staffed by paraprofessionals) on exclusive breastfeeding and among mixed feeders, amount of formula provided to the babies.
The study, carried out in Texas, involved a randomized design, with mothers and healthy infants being assigned at birth...
- Author: Lucia L Kaiser
