Estudo de coorte sobre a mortalidade neonatal na pesquisa Nascer no Brasil, com entrevista e avaliação de prontuários de 23.940 puérperas entre fevereiro de 2011 e outubro de 2012. Utilizou-se modelagem hierarquizada para análise dos potenciais fatores de risco para o óbito neonatal. A taxa de mortalidade foi 11,1 por mil; maior nas regiões Norte e Nordeste e nas classes sociais mais baixas. O baixo peso ao nascer, o risco gestacional e condições do recém-nascido foram os principais fatores associados ao óbito neonatal. A inadequação do pré-natal e da atenção ao parto indicaram qualidade não satisfatória da assistência. A peregrinação de gestantes para o parto e o nascimento de crianças com peso < 1.500g em hospital sem UTI neonatal demonstraram lacunas na organização da rede de saúde. Óbitos de recém-nascidos a termo por asfixia intraparto e por prematuridade tardia expressam a evitabilidade dos óbitos. A qualificação da atenção, em especial da assistência hospitalar ao parto se configura como foco prioritário para maiores avanços nas políticas públicas de redução das taxas e das desigualdades na mortalidade infantil no Brasil.

We report the early growth and neurologic findings of 48 infants in Brazil diagnosed with probable congenital Zika virus syndrome and followed to age 1–8 months. Most of these infants had microcephaly (86.7%) and craniofacial disproportion (95.8%). The clinical pattern included poor head growth with increasingly negative z-scores, pyramidal/extrapyramidal symptoms, and epilepsy.

This population-based birth cohort study examined whether normal weight obesity is associated with metabolic disorders in young adults in a middle-income country undergoing rapid nutrition transition. The sample involved 1,222 males and females from the 1978/79 Ribeirão Preto birth cohort, Brazil, aged 23–25 years. NWO was defined as body mass index (BMI) within the normal range (18.5–24.9 kg/m²) and the sum of subscapular and triceps skinfolds above the sex-specific 90th percentiles of the study sample. It was also defined as normal BMI and % BF (body fat) >23% in men and >30% in women. Insulin resistance (IR), insulin sensitivity and secretion were based on the Homeostasis Model Assessment (HOMA) model. In logistic models, after adjusting for age, sex and skin colour, NWO was significantly associated with Metabolic Syndrome (MS) according to the Joint Interim Statement (JIS) definition (Odds Ratio OR = 6.83; 95% Confidence Interval CI 2.84–16.47). NWO was also associated with HOMA2-IR (OR = 3.81; 95%CI 1.57–9.28), low insulin sensitivity (OR = 3.89; 95%CI 2.39–6.33), and high insulin secretion (OR = 2.17; 95%CI 1.24–3.80). Significant associations between NWO and some components of the MS were also detected: high waist circumference (OR = 8.46; 95%CI 5.09–14.04), low High Density Lipoprotein cholesterol (OR = 1.65; 95%CI 1.11–2.47) and high triglyceride levels (OR = 1.93; 95%CI 1.02–3.64). Most estimates changed little after further adjustment for early and adult life variables. NWO was associated with MS and IR, suggesting that clinical assessment of excess body fat in normal-BMI individuals should begin early in life even in middle-income countries.

Background: Caesarean section rates in Brazil have been steadily increasing. In 2009, for the first time, the number of children born by this type of procedure was greater than the number of vaginal births. Caesarean section is associated with a series of adverse effects on the women and newborn, and recent evidence suggests that the increasing rates of prematurity and low birth weight in Brazil are associated to the increasing rates of Caesarean section and labour induction. Methods: Nationwide hospital-based cohort study of postnatal women and their offspring with follow-up at 45 to 60 days after birth. The sample was stratified by geographic macro-region, type of the municipality and by type of hospital governance. The number of postnatal women sampled was 23,940, distributed in 191 municipalities throughout Brazil. Two electronic questionnaires were applied to the postnatal women, one baseline face-to-face and one follow-up telephone interview. Two other questionnaires were filled with information on patients’ medical records and to assess hospital facilities. The primary outcome was the percentage of Caesarean sections (total, elective and according to Robson’s groups). Secondary outcomes were: post-partum pain; breastfeeding initiation; severe/near miss maternal morbidity; reasons for maternal mortality; prematurity; low birth weight; use of oxygen use after birth and mechanical ventilation; admission to neonatal ICU; stillbirths; neonatal mortality; readmission in hospital; use of surfactant; asphyxia; severe/near miss neonatal morbidity. The association between variables were investigated using bivariate, stratified and multivariate model analyses. Statistical tests were applied according to data distribution and homogeneity of variances of groups to be compared. All analyses were taken into consideration for the complex sample design. Discussion: This study, for the first time, depicts a national panorama of labour and birth outcomes in Brazil. Regardless of the socioeconomic level, demand for Caesarean section appears to be based on the belief that the quality of obstetric care is closely associated to the technology used in labour and birth. Within this context, it was justified to conduct a nationwide study to understand the reasons that lead pregnant women to submit to Caesarean sections and to verify any association between this type of birth and it’s consequences on postnatal health.

BACKGROUND: Brazil has the highest caesarean section (CS) rate in the world (36.4% in 1996). METHODS: Risk factors for increasing CS rate were studied in two population-based cohorts of singleton live births in families residing in the municipality of Ribeirao Preto, State of Saõ Paulo, Southeast Brazil. The first comprised births from June 1978 to May 1979 (6750 births-one-year survey) and the second births from May to August 1994 (2846 births-4-month survey). Multiple unconditional logistic regression modelling was used to control for confounding. RESULTS: The CS rate rose from 30.3% in 1978-1979 to 50.8% in 1994. In 1978-1979, socioeconomic, reproductive and demographic variables, and health service factors were associated with CS rate. In 1994, only reproductive, demographic and health service factors remained associated, e.g. hour of delivery (from 7 a.m. to 12 p.m.), attendance by the same physician for prenatal care and delivery, > or =4 prenatal visits, maternal age > or =30 years, 1-3 previous live births and birthweight 3500-3999 g. CONCLUSION: Caesarean section in Brazil is widely performed for non-medical reasons in which physician convenience plays an important role. There is an urgent need for public health interventions to reduce the CS rate in Brazil, mainly directed towards cultural beliefs and physician behaviour.