The energy allowance for under 6 month children is 34565Kcal, achieves 55.6% of level recommended by National Institute of Nutrition. The energy allowance for 6 to 12 month children is 59441Kcal, achieves 72% of recommended level. The dietary supplement form is multiple. The mean lipid content in allowances of under 6-month children and in 6 to 12 month children achieve only 30% and 43% of recommended level, respectively. More than 92% of mothers give their babies the first meal with sugar solution. The duration of exclusive breastfeeding is short. Early breastfeeding discontinuation is common here (80%).
Nutrition ; Infant, Newborn ; mothers

The incidence of malnutrition in 0 to 12-month children is high in Thanh Hãa province. Use of intestinal enzyme aplase as an augment, combining hamlet health workers and families to construct the structure of diet for children with available foods can reduce the malnutrition incidence to lower than 30%. Beside this, the interventional activities to provide the nutritional knowledge with mothers can change the nutritional practice rapidly and solidly.
Nutrition ; Infant, Newborn

Malnutrition status of children from 0 to 60 months of age in two agricultural communes in Thanh Hoa province from July 20 to October 20/2000 was investigated. The indicatior of weigh/age shows a rate of 54% of malnutrition. In graphic this rate increases dramatically in the period of 23-34 months of age, the highest is in 25-36 months of age. Digestive ferment Aplaza, a functional food, in combining with local available source of food improved significantly the nutritional state and prevented this malnutritional condition. This is an eligible way of high efficacy to strengthen the awareness and the practice of nutrition, aiding the poor population in rural area
Nutrition Therapy ; Powders ; Child

Background: Dengue virus infection is a major public health problem. A hypothesis put forward for severe dengue is the cytokine storm, a sudden increase in cytokines that induces vascular permeability. Previous studies and our recent meta-analysis showed that IL-6, IL-8, IFNγ, TNFα, VEGF-A and VCAM-1 are associated with dengue shock syndrome. Therefore, in this study we aim to validate the association of these cytokines with severe dengue. Methods & Findings: In a hospital based case control study in Vietnam, children with dengue fever, other febrile illness and healthy controls were recruited. Dengue virus infection was confirmed by several diagnostic tests. Multiplex Immunoassay using Luminex technology was used to measure cytokines simultaneously. A positive association with dengue shock syndrome was found for VCAM-1, whereas a negative association was found for IFNγ. Furthermore, the multivariate logistic analysis also showed that VCAM-1 and IFNγ were independently correlated with dengue shock syndrome. Conclusion: IFNγ and VCAM-1 were associated with dengue shock syndrome, although their role in the severe dengue pathogenesis remains unclear. Additional studies are required to further investigate the function of these cytokines in severe dengue.

Background: Dengue virus infection is a major public health problem. A hypothesis put forward for severe dengue is the cytokine storm, a sudden increase in cytokines that induces vascular permeability. Previous studies and our recent meta-analysis showed that IL-6, IL-8, IFNγ, TNFα, VEGF-A and VCAM-1 are associated with dengue shock syndrome. Therefore, in this study we aim to validate the association of these cytokines with severe dengue. Methods & Findings: In a hospital based-case control study in Vietnam, children with dengue fever, other febrile illness and healthy controls were recruited. Dengue virus infection was confirmed by several diagnostic tests. Multiplex immunoassay using Luminex technology was used to measure cytokines simultaneously. A positive association with dengue shock syndrome was found for VCAM-1, whereas a negative association was found for IFNγ. Furthermore, multivariate logistic analysis also showed that VCAM-1 and IFNγ were independently correlated with dengue shock syndrome. Conclusion: IFNγ and VCAM-1 were associated with dengue shock syndrome, although their role in the severe dengue pathogenesis remains unclear. Additional studies are required to shed further light on the function of these cytokines in severe dengue.