To identify the prevalence and factors associated with anemia in children attending Municipal Early Childhood Education Day Care Center (Centros Municipais de Educação Infantil [CMEI]) nurseries in Colombo-PR. Analytical, cross-sectional study with a representative sample of 334 children obtained by stratified cluster sampling, with random selection of 26 nurseries. Data collection was conducted through interviews with parents, assessment of iron intake by direct food weighing, and hemoglobin measurement using the finger-stick test. Bivariate association tests were performed followed by multiple logistic regression adjustment. The prevalence of anemia was 34.7%. Factors associated with anemia were: maternal age younger than 28 years old (p=0.03), male children (p=0.02), children younger than 24 months (p=0.01), and children who did not consume iron food sources (meat+beans+dark green leafy vegetables) (p=0.02). There was no association between anemia and iron food intake in CMEI. However, iron intake was well below the recommended levels according to the National Education Development Fund resolution, higher prevalence of anemia was observed in children whose intake of iron, heme iron, and nonheme iron was below the median. In terms of public health, the prevalence of anemia is characterized as a moderate problem in the studied population and demonstrates the need for coordination of interdisciplinary actions for its reduction in CMEI nurseries.

Acute leukemia commonly occurs in young children with peak incidence at the age of 2–5 years. However, the etiology is still unclear and many preventable risk factors still deserve to be reviewed. The focus of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to summarize the evidence concerning early life nourishment (breastfeeding, early life diet), neonatal vitamin K administration and the risk of acute leukemia. All epidemiological studies published up to June 2023 and assessing diet-related risk factors for childhood acute leukemia were identified in two electronic databases (PubMed and Web of Science), with no limits on publication year or language. A total of 38 studies (37 case–control studies and 1 study with pooled analysis) were included. The published risk estimates were combined into a meta-analysis using the Generic Inverse Variance method. The current evidence shows that breastfeeding (yes vs. no) has a protective effect against acute lymphoblastic leukemia (odds ratio = 0.85; 95% CI, 0.76–0.94). Evidence related to the role of other studied factors (foods and supplements) is inconclusive. Further research into the potential role of diet in early life and the risk of acute leukemia is needed to develop prevention strategies at population level. Review Registration: PROSPERO registration no. CRD42019128937.

Many studies have investigated the etiology of acute leukemia, one of the most common types of cancer in children; however, there is a lack of clarity regarding preventable risk factors. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to summarize the current evidence regarding the role of maternal dietary factors in the development of childhood leukemia. All epidemiological studies published until July 2022 that evaluated maternal dietary risk factors for childhood acute leukemia were identified in two electronic databases (PubMed and Web of Science) without limits of publication year or language. A total of 36 studies (1 prospective cohort study, 32 case-control studies and 3 studies with pooled analysis) were included. The published risk estimates were combined into a meta-analysis, using the Generic Inverse Variance method. The maternal consumption of fruits (two or more daily servings vs. less) was inversely associated with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (odds ratio = 0.71; 95% CI, 0.59–0.86), whereas maternal coffee intake (higher than two cups per day vs. no consumption) was associated with an increased risk of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (odds ratio = 1.45; 95% CI, 1.12–1.89). Despite these findings, more high-quality research from cohort studies and the identification of causal factors are needed to develop evidence-based and cost-effective prevention strategies applicable at the population level. Review Registration: PROSPERO registration no. CRD42019128937.

Although digital photos have the potential to improve the precision of reported portions in dietary assessment, there are few studies investigating its accuracy in comparison to printed photos. The aim of this study was to evaluate the perception of adults in quantifying food portion sizes using printed and digital photos, displayed on computer-screens and tablets. In total, 1165 evaluations were performed for 60 photos of portion sizes in Brazil. Each participant (n = 58) attended two sessions in the study center, with an interval of at least one week. In each session, twelve food portions were prepared and randomly evaluated by each participant in its printed and digital forms. The mean error (difference between the estimated and true portions) was not significantly different between the printed photos (2.1 g ± 47.2) and the digital ones (−6.4 g ± 53.7). The agreement on using the printed and digital photos was 91% and 90%, respectively. Furthermore, the use of the tablet was more prone to underestimation when compared to printed and computer-screen photos (p < 0.001). Overall, participants did not present major difficulties in perceiving the portion sizes using the printed and digital photos, but the use of tablets led to less accurate results, indicating that this needs to be further evaluated.

To identify the prevalence and factors associated with anemia in children attending Municipal Early Childhood Education Day Care Center (Centros Municipais de Educação Infantil [CMEI]) nurseries in Colombo‐PR. Analytical, cross‐sectional study with a representative sample of 334 children obtained by stratified cluster sampling, with random selection of 26 nurseries. Data collection was conducted through interviews with parents, assessment of iron intake by direct food weighing, and hemoglobin measurement using the finger‐stick test. Bivariate association tests were performed followed by multiple logistic regression adjustment. The prevalence of anemia was 34.7%. Factors associated with anemia were: maternal age younger than 28 years old (p = 0.03), male children (p = 0.02), children younger than 24 months (p = 0.01), and children who did not consume iron food sources (meat + beans + dark green leafy vegetables) (p = 0.02). There was no association between anemia and iron food intake in CMEI. However, iron intake was well below the recommended levels according to the National Education Development Fund resolution, higher prevalence of anemia was observed in children whose intake of iron, heme iron, and nonheme iron was below the median. In terms of public health, the prevalence of anemia is characterized as a moderate problem in the studied population and demonstrates the need for coordination of interdisciplinary actions for its reduction in CMEI nurseries. Identificar a prevalência e os fatores associados à anemia em crianças que frequentam berçários de Centros Municipais de Educação Infantil (CMEI) de Colombo (PR). Estudo analítico, de caráter transversal, com amostra representativa de 334 crianças obtida por amostragem estratificada por conglomerados, com seleção aleatória de 26 berçários. A coleta de dados foi feita por meio de entrevista com os pais, avaliação da ingestão de ferro por pesagem direta de alimentos e dosagem de hemoglobina por punção digital. Foram feitos testes de associação bivariados seguidos pelo ajuste de uma regressão logística múltipla. A prevalência de anemia foi de 34,7%. Os fatores associados à anemia foram: idade materna inferior a 28 anos (p = 0,03), crianças do sexo masculino (p = 0,02), com idade inferior a 24 meses (p = 0,01) e que não consumiam fontes alimentares de ferro (carne + feijão + verduras verde‐escuro) (p = 0,02). Não houve associação entre anemia e ingestão de ferro no CMEI. Porém, a ingestão de ferro foi bem abaixo da recomenda pela resolução do Fundo Nacional de Desenvolvimento da Educação. Foi possível observar maior prevalência de anemia nas crianças cuja ingestão de ferro, ferro heme e ferro não heme apresentava‐se abaixo da mediana. Em termos de saúde pública, a prevalência de anemia encontrada se caracteriza como um problema moderado na população estudada e demonstra a necessidade de articulação de ações interdisciplinares para a sua diminuição nos CMEIs.

The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of GH treatment on the body composition of children born with SGA. This study is a systematic review of the literature. CINAHL, Embase; Medline/Pubmed, Scopus and Web of Science were searched from inception to March 2022. Four studies met the inclusion criteria, with an intervention time of 1 to 3 years, using doses from 0.03 to 0.07 mg/kg/day of GH. Bone densitometry by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) with whole-body scans was the most used method to assess body composition. Most studies (n = 3) had SGA children as a control group with the same characteristics as the case group; the mean age was similar between the groups (minimum of 5.1 ± 1.4 years and maximum of 6.7 ± 1 0.8 years) and all participants had an average height ≤ -3DP. The Lean Mass (LM) and Fat Mass (FM) outcomes of the studies were not presented in a standardized manner; thus, they cannot be compared. There was a significant increase in LM in the group treated with GH in relation to the pre-treatment period and in comparison, to the untreated control group. Three studies showed a significant decrease in FM at the end of the intervention period, and in two studies, this decrease occurred in the control group. Despite the differences in the presentation of results and in the evaluation periods, the results of the studies showed that growth hormone favors the gain and maintenance of lean mass, and it also affects fat mass reduction and redistribution.