1. Microbiological quality of complementary foods and its association with diarrhoeal morbidity and nutritional status of Bangladeshi children
- Author
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Islam, M.A., Ahmed, T., Faruque, A.S.G., Rahman, S., Das, S.K., Ahmed, D., Fattori, V., Clarke, R., Endtz, H.P., and Cravioto, A.
- Subjects
Food combining -- Health aspects ,Diarrhea -- Risk factors ,Food contamination -- Research ,Escherichia coli -- Research ,Malnutrition in children -- Risk factors ,Food/cooking/nutrition ,Health - Abstract
BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: To examine the bacteriological quality of complementary foods (CF) and to correlate the results with diarrhoeal morbidity and nutritional status of Bangladeshi children aged 6-24 months. SUBJECTS/METHODS: A total of 212 CF samples were tested, of which 72 were collected immediately before the first time of feeding ([less than or equal to] 1 h of food preparation) and 140 were collected at second/third time of feeding from 140 households located in urban and rural areas of Bangladesh. Anthropometry, food frequency data and demographic information of the children were collected. RESULTS: Of the first time feeding samples, 3% from each of urban and rural areas were found to be contaminated with faecal coliforms (FC) at ≥ 100CFU/g. E. coli was isolated from 11% and 6% of samples, and B. cereus from 8% and 6% of samples from urban and rural areas, respectively. In contrast, 33% of the second/third time feeding samples from urban areas and 19% from rural areas were contaminated with FC at [greater than or equal to] 100CFU/g (P < 0.05). E. coli was isolated from 40% and 39% of samples, and B. cereus from 33% and 26% of samples from urban and rural areas, respectively. Significantly high numbers of wasted rural children had CF with a high aerobic plate count, which was also significantly associated with diarrhoeal morbidity in children. CONCLUSIONS: Around 40% of CF samples were contaminated with E. coli, which was mainly attributable to food preparation practices. Consumption of contaminated CF appeared to be associated with a higher frequency of diarrhoea and malnutrition in children. doi: 10.1038/ejcn.2012.94; published online 18 July 2012 Keywords: complementary food; microbial contamination; diarrhoea; malnutrition, INTRODUCTION Diarrhoea is the second leading cause of death in children worldwide after neonatal disorders and is a leading cause of growth faltering and malnutrition. Every year, around 8.8 million [...]
- Published
- 2012
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