This study evaluated the nutritional status of lactating women with regard to vitamins A and E and the relationship between dietary intake and concentrations in serum and milk. A longitudinal study was conducted with 43 women at a hospital in northeastern Brazil. Blood and milk samples and food intake recalls were obtained at three moments during the breastfeeding period. Retinol and alphatocopherol were analysed by high-performance liquid chromatography. Dietary inadequacy was analysed according to the estimated average requirement, with intrapersonal variation adjusted by the multiple source method. Food intake was classified by quartiles of consumption. Serum retinol was 1.65 μmol/L, with 5% of low concentrations (<0.7 μmol/L) at the first collection. Serum alpha-tocopherol decreased from 30.18 to 25.49 μmol/L at the third collection (P = 0.008), with an increase in the percentage frequency of deficiency (<12 μmol/L). Both vitamins maintained stable concentrations in milk at the different collection times, and the overall dietary inadequacy of vitamins A and E was 58% and 100%, respectively.There was a correlation only between vitamin A intake and serum retinol (r = 0.403, P = 0.007), and higher retinol concentrations were found in women classified in the highest consumption quartile (P = 0.031). Over the course of lactation, there was a high degree of inadequacy in vitamin intake and a reduction in serum alpha-tocopherol, whereas its concentrations in milk remained unchanged.Dietary intake of vitamin A has been shown to influence serum retinol, which underscores the importance of adequate nutrition and monitoring of vitamin deficiency during lactation.

Background: Vitamin E supplementation might represent an efficient strategy to increase the vitamin E content in milk. The present study aimed to evaluate the impact of supplementation with 800 IU RRR-alpha-tocopherol on the alpha-tocopherol content of milk and the factors associated with the increase in vitamin E. Methods: Randomized clinical trial with 79 lactating women from Brazil, who were assigned to the control group, or to the supplemented group (800 IU of RRR-alpha-tocopherol). Milk and serum were collected between 30 and 90 days after delivery (collection 1), and on the next day (collection 2). Alpha-tocopherol was analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography. Results: In the supplemented group, the alpha-tocopherol content in serum and milk increased after supplementation (p < 0.001). In the multivariate analysis, only alpha-tocopherol in milk (collection 1) was associated with the level of this vitamin in milk after supplementation (β = 0.927, p < 0.001), and binary logistic regression showed that the dietary intake was the only determinant for the greater effect of supplementation in milk. Conclusion: The pre-existing vitamin level in milk and diet are determinants for the efficacy of supplementation in milk, suggesting that in populations with vitamin E deficiency, high-dose supplementation can be used to restore its level in milk.

Maternal vitamin A (VA) supplementation in risk areas for Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) was launched to improve the level of this nutrient in nursing mothers and in their breast milk. This longitudinal and randomized study aimed to evaluate the levels of retinol in breast milk after supplementation with VA in varying amounts (200,000 IU or 400,000 IU) and different postpartum intervals. Women were distributed into four intervention groups and given a single 200,000 IU postnatal dosage of VA at time 0 h (postnatal morning) (G200 0H); a single 200,000 IU dosage of VA in week four (G200 4W); 200,000 IU of VA at time 0 h + 200,000 IU of VA 24 h after the first supplementation (G400 24H); and 200,000 IU of VA at time 0 h + 200,000 IU of VA one week after the first supplementation (G400 1W). Breast milk samples were collected over a 12-week period (0 h, 24 h and 1, 4, 12 weeks post-natal). Retinol levels were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. The Generalized Estimated Equation (GEE) assessed the different retinol levels. The G200 (0H), G400 (24H), and G400 (1W) groups presented higher retinol levels at 24 h than the G200 (4W) group (p < 0.001). The retinol levels of all groups were similar at times 1, 4 and 12 weeks after delivery (p > 0.05). Maternal VA supplementation increased retinol levels in the colostrum. Different supplementation dosages or postpartum administration times did not result in added benefit to retinol levels in mature breast milk.

Objetivo: discutir sobre o impacto da pandemia da COVID-19 na segurança alimentar e nutricional (SAN) das populações, mostrando os desafios enfrentados e quais as estratégias emergentes dos países para impedir a expansão da insegurança alimentar durante e após essa crise social e sanitária. Metodologia: revisão narrativa realizada através de uma busca bibliográfica de artigos em português e inglês, disponíveis nas bases de dados PubMed, Scielo, Embase e Lilacs. Foram incluídos artigos publicados sem data limite de publicação e os quais se encontravam disponíveis na íntegra. Os descritores utilizados foram: “Segurança alimentar e nutricional”, “Insegurança alimentar”, “Pandemia” e “COVID-19”. Resultados: medidas para controlar os surtos da COVID-19 afetaram as cadeias de abastecimento de alimentos. Além disso, altos níveis de desemprego, perda de renda e aumento dos custos dos alimentos também dificultaram o acesso aos alimentos, principalmente, para a população mais vulnerável socialmente. Os processos de disponibilidade e acesso aos alimentos durante a pandemia têm impactado diretamente na escolha, preparo e consumo alimentar da população. Desta forma, medidas governamentais devem ajudar a promover a SAN das populações, por meio da criação ou expansão dos programas de proteção social, distribuição e melhoria no acesso aos alimentos, proteção de empregos e meios de subsistência e apoio aos pequenos produtores locais. Conclusão: As ações promovidas pelos governos devem garantir a SAN das populações, assegurando o acesso à alimentação adequada e saudável e objetivando a redução de impactos negativos promovidos pelo SARS-CoV-2 na condição da alimentação, saúde e nutrição da população, principalmente dos mais vulneráveis.

Objetivo: Realizar um levantamento na literatura científica dos impactos da COVID-19 na saúde mental de crianças. Metodologia: Trata-se de uma revisão integrativa realizada a partir de buscas nas bases científicas Scopus, PubMed, Embase e Medline. Foram incluídos artigos de pesquisas originais, open access e publicados entre 2020 a 2021. Para a chave de busca foram utilizados os descritores “Coronavirus Infections”, “Child Health”, Child Preschool” e “Mental Health” e sinonímias em inglês. Foram encontrados 280 estudos dos quais 6 foram incluídos. Resultados: Todos os estudos selecionados apontaram nível de evidência V e encontraram diferentes impactos negativos que a pandemia da COVID-19 causou na saúde mental de crianças, afetando suas ações, pensamentos e emoções. Conclusão: Diante das implicações causadas pela pandemia na saúde mental das crianças, é importante a adoção de medidas que possam mantê-las saudáveis, como a prática de atividades físicas dentro de suas próprias casas, brincadeiras que não envolvam a utilização de telas e a realização de refeições em família.