Monitoramento da situação alimentar e nutricional de crianças em Natal-RN: uma nota técnica

Abstract

This thesis explores the monitoring of the food and nutritional status of children in the city of Natal, Rio Grande do Norte. It involves analyzing the results from the project "Influence of Ultra-Processed Food Consumption on the Nutritional Status and Antioxidant Profile of Lactating Women and Their Infants in Natal-RN," funded by the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPQ) and supported by the Municipal Health Department (SMS) of Natal. The objective was to analyze and evaluate the food and nutritional status of children attended by the Growth and Development (CD) program in the city's primary health care units, as well as to provide SMS with monitoring data on the feeding practices of children under 6 months and their anthropometric nutritional deviations, specifically the proportion of underweight, overweight, and stunting for their age. A total of 126 mother-child pairs from 11 Unidades Básicas de Saúde e Unidades de Saúde da Família health units across four sanitary districts were monitored. The monitoring was conducted through interviews with mothers about their socio-economic and health information, as well as that of their babies, using an online form applied during CD consultations at the units. The weight and height of the mothers and children were measured according to techniques adopted by the Ministry of Health. The work was structured in a technical note format for subsequent dissemination. Based on data analysis, the mothers had an average age of 28 years, 50% had completed high school, 73% identified as mixed-race, and 66% were living below the poverty line. Regarding nutritional monitoring, 65% of them had a Body Mass Index indicating overweight. The children had an average age of 3 months, and most were exclusively breastfed (AME). The results reveal that, although the exclusive breastfeeding rate for children under six months is above the Ministry of Health's recommendation (50%), it is still concerning, as the ideal would be for all children to be exclusively breastfed. A notable concern is the presence of overweight according to the weight-for-length index, especially in the Western District, where 60% of children showed this nutritional problem. In the Northern District, there was also an alert for children at risk of overweight (25%), which, according to the Ministry of Health, requires vigilance as it can progress to overweight and obesity. In conclusion, continuous monitoring is crucial to ensure the prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding and continued breastfeeding as a strategy to combat and prevent childhood overweight, including nutritional care for lactating women. Furthermore, the research highlights the importance of programs like CD for maternal and child health, and the dissemination of these results can be very useful for the SMS.