NUTRITION HEALTH PROGRAM EVALUATION FOR PREGNANT WOMEN IN SEVEN MUNICIPALITIES IN SÃO PAULO (BRAZIL)

• Main Author: STEFANINI, Maria Lucia Rosa
• Publication Date: 1988
• Other Authors: LEI, Doris Lucia Martini, LERNER, Barbara Regina, CHAVES, Sandra Pinheiro, MONDINI, Lenise
• Format: Article
• Language: por
• Source: Revista de Nutrição
• Download full: https://periodicos.puc-campinas.edu.br/nutricao/article/view/9023

A study was carried out in seven municipalities of the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo — Brazil, where the Nutrition in Health Program was held. The objective was to measure the effect of the supplementary feeding program in the birth weight of newborns of pregnant women attending the program: 1,281 pregnant women were included in the study. The incidence of low birth weight (< 2,5009) was 7.3%. When the mother's height was < 150cm this incidence.raised to 9.4%. When the mothers age was < 20 years old the incidence of low birth weight was of 10.6%. The pregnant women with height above 150cm and age above 20 years were separated in two groups, according to the attendance to the program: the first group attended the program for the last five months before the delivery, and the other attended only in the last month of the pregnancy. The children's average birth weight in the two groups did not show significative differences: 3,261g and 3,2259, respectively; the proportion of low birth weight was 3.3% and 7.3% respectively. These results show the importance of the pre-natal care and the assessment of the nutritional status based on the mother's weight gain. They also indicate the need for a more profound discussion on the issue of supplementary feeding programs, their existence and the objectives to be reached, by health professionals in the nutrition area.