HIV-exposure, early life feeding practices and delivery mode impacts on faecal bacterial profiles in a South African birth cohort.
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Claassen-Weitz S
PROVIDER: S-EPMC5864830 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Mar
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Similar Datasets
Project description:Childhood malnutrition is highly prevalent in low- and middle-income countries. The choices of complementary foods, which are important in infant nutrition, are poorly described in this setting. We investigated infant feeding practices in a South African birth cohort, the Drakenstein Child Health Study. Longitudinal feeding data were collected from March 2012 to March 2015. Feeding practices at birth, 6-10 and 14 weeks and 6, 9, and 12 months, were investigated using food frequency questionnaires. Anthropometry was measured at birth and 12 months. The quality of the diet was analyzed using the World Health Organization infant and young child feeding indicators. Regression models were used to explore associations between feeding and growth outcomes at 1 year. Exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months was low (13%), and 19% of infants were introduced to solid foods before 4 months. There was high daily consumption of processed meat (56%) and inappropriate foods such as fruit juice (82%), soft drinks (54%), and refined sugary foods (51%) at 1 year. Dietary diversity and consumption of iron rich foods were low at 6 months (5% and 3%, respectively) but higher by 12 months (75% and 78%). Longer duration of exclusive breastfeeding was associated with a lower height-for-age z-score at 1 year. Several dietary deficits and a rising trend in the consumption of inappropriate nutritionally poor foods were identified. These findings raise concern about poor dietary practices and the impact on child and long-term health.
| S-EPMC6866213 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Supplementary feeding of wildlife is widespread, being undertaken by more than half of households in many countries. However, the impact that these supplemental resources have is unclear, with impacts largely considered to be restricted to urban ecosystems. We reveal the pervasiveness of supplementary foodstuffs in the diet of a wild bird using metabarcoding of blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) faeces collected in early spring from a 220 km transect in Scotland with a large urbanization gradient. Supplementary foodstuffs were present in the majority of samples, with peanut (Arachis hypogaea) the single commonest (either natural or supplementary) dietary item. Consumption rates exhibited a distance decay from human habitation but remained high at several hundred metres from the nearest household and continued to our study limit of 1.4 km distant. Supplementary food consumption was associated with a near quadrupling of blue tit breeding density and a 5-day advancement of breeding phenology. We show that woodland bird species using supplementary food have increasing UK population trends, while species that do not, and/or are outcompeted by blue tits, are likely to be declining. We suggest that the impacts of supplementary feeding are larger and more spatially extensive than currently appreciated and could be disrupting population and ecosystem dynamics.
| S-EPMC8150026 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Background:Despite enormous interventions aimed at preventing mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV, cultural practices on mixed infant feeding remain prevalent. Complementary food provision to infants seems to be the most common and acceptable form of infant feeding highly endorsed by grandmothers. Aim:This study aimed to explore the perceptions of grandmothers and HIV-infected mothers on infant feeding practices in the context of prevention of mother-to-child transmission. Setting:This study was undertaken in two primary healthcare facilities in the Mpumalanga province, South Africa. Methods:A qualitative exploratory narrative design was used to conduct four focus group discussions with 32 purposefully selected grandmothers and 21 in-depth interviews with postnatal HIV-infected women in the two identified health facilities. Data were analysed using an interthematic inductive analysis approach, resulting in major themes and subthemes supported by participants' excerpts. Results:Four themes emerged showing (1) high mixed feeding endorsement because of the need to adhere to conventional practices, strengthen the umbilicus and have fuller, fat and calmer babies; (2) infant feeding fallacies and stigma reflected by exclusive breastfeeding period confusion, breastfeeding scepticism and infant feeding stigma; (3) breastfeeding endorsement for other disease prevention and family support for breastfeeding and (4) conflict between traditional and western infant feeding approaches. Conclusion:Total elimination of MTCT of HIV in a rural context calls for targeted education for grandmothers addressing their perceptions and practices of infant feeding. The knowledge of the identified factors encouraging mixed infant feeding can assist in designing programmes to change community beliefs on infant feeding. Cultural, social and psychosocial factors should be addressed when making recommendations for exclusive breastfeeding for HIV-positive mothers.
| S-EPMC7479409 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Iodine is important for normal growth and psychomotor development. While infants below 6 months of age receive iodine from breast milk or fortified infant formula, the introduction of complementary foods poses a serious risk for deteriorating iodine status. This cross-sectional analysis assessed the iodine status of six-month-old South African infants and explored its associations with feeding practices and psychomotor milestone development. Iodine concentrations were measured in infant (n = 386) and maternal (n = 371) urine (urinary iodine concentration [UIC]), and in breast milk (n = 257 [breast milk iodine concentrations]). Feeding practices and psychomotor milestone development were assessed in all infants. The median (25th-75th percentile) UIC in infants was 345 (213-596) μg/L and was significantly lower in stunted (302 [195-504] μg/L) than non-stunted (366 [225-641] μg/L) infants. Only 6.7% of infants were deficient. Maternal UIC (128 [81-216] μg/L; rs = 0.218, p < 0.001) and breast milk iodine concentrations (170 [110-270] μg/kg; rs = 0.447, p < 0.0001) were associated with infant UIC. Most infants (72%) were breastfed and tended to have higher UIC than non-breastfed infants (p = 0.074). Almost all infants (95%) consumed semi-solid or solid foods, with commercial infant cereals (60%) and jarred infant foods (20%) being the most common solid foods first introduced. Infants who reported to consume commercial infant cereals ≥4 days weekly had significantly higher UIC (372 [225-637] μg/L) than those reported to consume commercial infant cereals seldom or never (308 [200-517] μg/L; p = 0.023). No associations between infant UIC and psychomotor developmental scores were observed. Our results suggest that iodine intake in the studied six-month-old infants was adequate. Iodine in breast milk and commercial infant cereals potentially contributed to this adequate intake.
| S-EPMC6865918 | biostudies-literature
Project description:We assessed the influence of season of birth on duration of breastfeeding and other feeding patterns in three population-based birth cohort studies in the city of Pelotas, Southern Brazil.In 1982, 1993 and 2004, all hospital-born children in the city were enrolled in three cohort studies (n?=?5914, 5249 and 4287, respectively). Children and their mothers were periodically visited in the first 2 years of life, to collect information on the duration of breastfeeding and the ages at which different types of foods were introduced on a regular basis. Two independent variables were studied: month of birth and mean environmental temperature in the first month of life. Survival analyses and chi-squared tests were used to evaluate the associations. Temperature-based slope indices of inequality were also calculated.Duration of breastfeeding was lower among children born from April to June (months preceding winter) and spending their first month of life in colder temperatures. The influence of season of birth on breastfeeding patterns and the introduction of cow's milk differed according to maternal education, with the strongest effects among children belonging to less educated mothers. Early introduction of fruits (1982 and 1993 cohorts) and vegetables (1982 cohort) were also associated with lower environmental temperature in the first month of life, but not with trimester of birth.Colder temperatures adversely affect duration of breastfeeding and feeding patterns in infancy, especially among the poorest. This finding should be considered in breastfeeding promotion programmes.
| S-EPMC3396312 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Despite the nutritional, physiological and emotional benefits of breastfeeding, HIV-positive mothers cannot practise exclusive breastfeeding for six months because of a range of influences on their feeding choice - thereby creating a caveat for morbidity in infants.This study explored factors influencing the infant feeding choice of HIV-positive mothers at a peri-urban hospital in Tembisa, South Africa.This study was qualitative and was conducted among 30 purposefully selected postnatal HIV-positive mothers at Tembisa hospital, Gauteng, from May to June 2011. In-depth interviews were conducted mainly in isiZulu and Sepedi which were then transcribed into English. An open coding system of analysis was used for thematic analysis.Nurses significantly influenced the feeding choices of new mothers - sometimes with inconsistent information. The grandmothers of infants also influenced the new mothers' feeding options, in some cases with the new mother coming under duress. Other relatives like the sisters and aunts of mothers appeared to significantly affect feeding choices. The time frames expressed for the initiation of a supplementary diet were as follows: before 1 month, at 1 month and at 4 months. The main reason was the belief that infants required more than breast milk as sustenance during this period.In the postnatal hospital setting of this study, the feeding choices of mothers were influenced by nursing personnel. Nursing personnel could marry the influential 'authority' they have with correct and consistent information, in order to change feeding behaviour. Significant 'others' like grandmothers and other relatives also influenced decisions on infant feeding. As such, family dynamics need to be considered when encouraging breastfeeding.
| S-EPMC5566173 | biostudies-other
Project description:Effects of feeding levels below maintenance requirements of metabolizable energy (MER) and of feed supplementation on fecal nutrient and microbial C concentrations were evaluated. In experiment 1, Rhodes grass hay only was offered to Boran steers at 80%, 60%, and 40% of individual MER, while steers at 100% MER additionally received a concentrated mixture. This reduction in MER decreased N, increased fungal C but did not affect bacterial C concentrations in feces. In experiment 2, Holstein × Boran heifers were offered a poor-quality roughage diet without supplement, with sweet potato vine silage or with a urea-molasses block. These two supplements did not affect the fecal chemical composition or fungal C but increased bacterial C concentrations in feces. Across all data, the fungal C/bacterial C ratio was positively related to N and negatively to neutral detergent fiber concentrations in feces, indicating diet-induced shifts in the fecal microbial community.
| S-EPMC7927072 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The objective of this study was to assess plasma fatty acid (FA) patterns of 6-month-old South African infants and to determine their association with feeding practices, growth, and psychomotor development. Plasma total phospholipid FA composition (% of total FAs) of 6-month-old infants (n = 353) from a peri-urban township was analysed, and principal component and factor analysis were performed to identify plasma FA patterns. Feeding practices, anthropometric measurements, and psychomotor development scores were determined. Four major plasma phospholipid FA patterns were identified: A plant-based C18 FA, a high n-6 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA), a C16:1 and long-chain saturated fatty acid (SFA), and a high n-3 and low n-6 LCPUFA pattern. Formula feeding was associated with higher, whereas breastfeeding was associated with lower scores for the plant-based C18 FA and C16:1 and long-chain SFA patterns. On the other hand, breastfeeding, the consumption of cow's milk, and the consumption of semisolid foods were associated with higher scores, whereas formula feeding was associated with lower scores for the high n-6 LCPUFA pattern. Breastfeeding and the consumption of semisolids were also associated with higher high n-3 and low n-6 LCPUFA pattern scores. The C16:1 and long-chain SFA and high n-3 and low n-6 LCPUFA patterns were positively associated with psychomotor development scores. In 6-month-old South African infants, we identified distinct plasma FA patterns that presumably represent the FA quality of their diet and that are associated with psychomotor development. Our results suggest that breast milk is an important source of n-6 LCPUFAs and formula-fed infants may be at risk of inadequate LCPUFA intake.
| S-EPMC7199032 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectiveCaesarean section (CS) interrupts mother-to-newborn microbial transfer at birth. Beyond the neonatal period, the impact of CS on offspring gut microbiota and their short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) remains unclear. Here, we examine birth delivery mode (CS versus vaginal delivery) with the infant gut microbiota and faecal SCFAs measured 3 and 12 months after birth.DesignLongitudinal study.SettingNorth Carolina.PopulationIn 2013-15, we enrolled pregnant women and followed up their offspring for 12 months. We asked a subset of participants, enrolled over a 3-month period, to provide faecal samples at the 3- and 12-month follow-up visits.Methods and main outcomesWe sequenced the 16S rRNA V4 region with Illumina MiSeq and quantified SCFA concentrations using gas chromatography. We examined delivery mode with differential abundance of microbiota amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) using beta-binomial regression and faecal SCFAs using linear regression. We adjusted models for confounders.ResultsOf the 70 infants in our sample, 25 (36%) were delivered by CS. Compared with vaginal delivery, CS was associated with differential abundance of 14 infant bacterial ASVs at 3 months and 13 ASVs at 12 months (all FDR P < 0.05). Of note, CS infants had a higher abundance of the potential pathobionts Clostridium neonatale (P = 0.04) and Clostridium perfringens (P = 0.04) and a lower abundance of potentially beneficial Bifidobacterium and Bacteroides spp. (both P < 0.05) at 3 months. Other ASVs were differentially abundant at 12 months. Infants delivered by CS also had higher faecal butyrate concentration at 3 months (P < 0.005) but not at 12 months.ConclusionsCaesarean section was associated with increased butyrate excretion, decreased Bifidobacterium and Bacteroides spp., and more colonisation of the infant gut by pathobionts at 3 months of age. CS was also associated with altered gut microbiota composition, but not faecal SCFAs, at 12 months.Tweetable abstractCaesarean section delivery was associated with increased butyrate excretion, decreased Bifidobacterium, and increased colonisation of the infant gut by pathobionts at 3 months of age.
| S-EPMC8211907 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Labor and a vaginal delivery trigger changes in peripheral organs that prepare the mammalian fetus to survive ex utero. Surprisingly little attention has been given to whether birth also influences the brain, and to how alterations in birth mode affect neonatal brain development. These are important questions, given the high rates of cesarean section (C-section) delivery worldwide, many of which are elective. We examined the effect of birth mode on neuronal cell death, a widespread developmental process that occurs primarily during the first postnatal week in mice. Timed-pregnant dams were randomly assigned to C-section deliveries that were yoked to vaginal births to carefully match gestation length and circadian time of parturition. Compared with rates of cell death just before birth, vaginally-born offspring had an abrupt, transient decrease in cell death in many brain regions, suggesting that a vaginal delivery is neuroprotective. In contrast, cell death was either unchanged or increased in C-section-born mice. Effects of delivery mode on cell death were greatest for the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN), which is central to the stress response and brain-immune interactions. The greater cell death in the PVN of C-section-delivered newborns was associated with a reduction in the number of PVN neurons expressing vasopressin at weaning. C-section-delivered mice also showed altered vocalizations in a maternal separation test and greater body mass at weaning. Our results suggest that vaginal birth acutely impacts brain development, and that alterations in birth mode may have lasting consequences.
| S-EPMC6243246 | biostudies-literature