The aims of the present studies were to determine the magnitude of iron deficiency anemia among preschool children in Northern Ethiopia and to evaluate different control strategies. The cross-sectional study showed that anemia was highly prevalent (42%) and that iron deficiency was the commonest cause of anemia. However, the iron deficiency was not due to lack of iron in the diet but to its poor availability and to other non-dietary risk factors. Unsafe water, mother's illness, older child (24--60 months), family not having food reserves and family income below poverty-line were predictors of anemia. Hookworm and malaria were rare and did not account for the anemia. In the iron pot study three types of Ethiopian foods were cooked in three types of pots (iron, aluminum and clay) and assessed for their total and available iron. After adjusting for cooking time and moisture, there were significantly higher total and available iron in all the three types of foods when cooked in iron pots compared to the aluminum or clay pots. The study also showed that the hemoglobin status and length of children improved significantly when they consumed food cooked in iron pots. In the third study, a randomized, placebo-controlled, and double-blind trial, both iron and vitamin A supplemented children showed increased hemoglobin levels. Combined iron and vitamin A supplementation showed the highest rise. Iron-supplemented children showed increase in length, but no increase in weight. They also showed lower rates of c-reactive protein positivity and decreases in the prevalence and frequency of diarrhea. A single dose of vitamin A did not result in any increase in length or weight but a decrease in the prevalence and frequency of diarrhea was observed. Children supplemented with iron only or vitamin A only showed higher ARI rates, but those children who received combined iron and vitamin A showed significantly lower ARI rates. Iron supplementation did not have any effect on either zinc

The introduction outlines the reasons for the priority of maternal and child health emphasizing the relatively simple resources required. The aims of such programmes must be identified and the results measured so that services can be monitored and evaluated. Categories of measurement are defined and indicators of maternal child health identified within these categories. A chapter is devoted to an outline of the principal non-medical determinants based on material from the Inter-American Investigation of Childhood Mortality. The significance of the principal indicators viz. the perinatal mortality rate, the infant mortality rate, the maternal mortality rate and growth and development data are compared. Chapter lV presents a report of a questionnaire study into local indices viz. Stillbirth rates, Caesarean Section rates and Maternal Mortality rates. The uptake of certain clinic services was also determined. Differences between groups and possible reasons for these are discussed. The final chapter points out the need for accurate birth and death registration and a reliable health information system and suggests methods for achieving this. Recommendations are made for upgrading the collection of data and for improving maternal and child health by research and peripheralization of services. / Thesis (M.Med.)-University of Natal, Durban, 1981.

Infant mortality rates are used as indicators of a group or population's well being. A high rate indicates poor access to social services such as health care provision, and other socioeconomic factors. Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest infant mortality rates in tne world. Compared to the region as a whole, South Africa's rates are lower. However, a sudden increase in rates was noted from early 1990s (Department of Health, Medical Research Council, Macro International, 1998). Since household is the first environment that infants are exposed to, it is thus the environment that strongly influences development and survival chances of this group. The study aims at taking a closer look at several aspects of the structure of the household and how they impact on infant mortality. The study is based on data from the South African Demographic and Health Survey (SADHS) administered by the Department of Health in 1998. Aspects of household structure that are viewed as affecting infant mortality are: sex of the household head, his/her age, number of household members, and number of children under 5 years old in a household. Estimating infant mortality rate and its probability by using ordinary life tables and multiple logistic regression modeling respectively, the study found that sex of the household head does no have an impact as a determinant of infant mortality in South Africa. However, other aspects of the household structure (number of household members and number of younger children under 5 years of age) were found to determine the survival of infants. Larger households are better off in securing infant survival than smaller households. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, Durban, 2002.

No abstract available.

No description available.

This dissertation explores the nature and ontogeny of infants' ability to match phonetic information in comparison to non-speech information in the face and voice. Previous research shows that infants' ability to match phonetic information in face and voice is robust at 4.5 months of age (e.g., Kuhl & Meltzoff, 1982; 1984; 1988; Patterson & Werker, 1999). These findings support claims that young infants can perceive structural correspondences between audio and visual aspects of phonetic input and that speech is represented amodally. It remains unclear, however, specifically what factors allow speech to be perceived amodally and whether the intermodal perception of other aspects of face and voice is like that of speech. Gender is another biologically significant cue that is available in both the face and voice. In this dissertation, nine experiments examine infants' ability to match phonetic and gender information with dynamic faces and voices. Infants were seated in front of two side-by-side video monitors which displayed filmed images of a female or male face, each articulating a vowel sound ( / a / or / i / ) in synchrony. The sound was played through a central speaker and corresponded with one of the displays but was synchronous with both. In Experiment 1,4.5-month-old infants did not look preferentially at the face that matched the gender of the heard voice when presented with the same stimuli that produced a robust phonetic matching effect. In Experiments 2 through 4, vowel and gender information were placed in conflict to determine the relative contribution of each in infants' ability to match bimodal information in the face and voice. The age at which infants do match gender information with my stimuli was determined in Experiments 5 and 6. In order to explore whether matching phonetic information in face and voice is based on featural or configural information, two experiments examined infants' ability to match phonetic information using inverted faces (Experiment 7) and upright faces with inverted mouths (Experiment 8). Finally, Experiment 9 extended the phonetic matching effect to 2-month-old infants. The experiments in this dissertation provide evidence that, at 4.5 months of age, infants are more likely to attend to phonetic information in the face and voice than to gender information. Phonetic information may have a special salience and/or unity that is not apparent in similar but non-phonetic events. The findings are discussed in relation to key theories of perceptual development.

Magistro darbe „„Dainų dainelės“ ir pedagogų vaidmuo formuojant teigiamą vaikų požiūrį į muzikinę saviugdą“ nagrinėjama vaikų ir moksleivių televizijos festivalio-konkurso „Dainų dainelė“ įtaka vaikų ugdymui. Pedagoginė problema aktuali tuo, kad analogų neturintis per 30 metų gyvuojantis festivalis-konkursas tapo tikru fenomenu ir puikiu postūmiu reikštis jauniems dainininkams tiek ansambliuose, tiek solo. Pasirodymas „Dainų dainelėje“ dažnai tampa pirmuoju, tačiau anaiptol ne paskutiniu viešu pasirodymu. Tyrimo objektas – vaikų muzikinė saviugda dalyvaujant „Dainų dainelėje“. Tyrimo tikslas – nustatyti „Dainų dainelės“ ir pedagogų įtaką vaikų muzikinei saviugdai. Reikšminiai žodžiai: muzikinė saviugda, pedagoginė įtaka, dainininkų ugdymas. Darbe apžvelgiama „Dainų dainelės“ istorija, renginio kaita, pedagoginės ugdymo subtilybės – ugdytojo autoriteto svarba, scenos baimės apraiškos, balso higienos ypatybės. Juk rengimasis „Dainų dainelei“ gali skatinti ne tik mokinį, bet ir jo ugdytoją, kadangi šis turi tapti tikru, pilnaverčiu autoritetu. Šiuo aspektu labai daug lemia ne tik pedagogo gebėjimas komunikuoti, bet ir jo profesinis pasirengimas, uždegantis tikėjimas savo veikla, atraktyvi dėstymo metodika, didinanti pedagoginę įtaką. Siekiant sužinoti „Dainų dainelės“ dalyvių nuomonę apie šį festivalį-konkursą, buvo apklausti 50 dalyvių. Empirinis tyrimas atskleidė, jog daugeliui dalyvių festivalis-konkursas „Dainų dainelė“ teikia teigiamas emocijas, žadina atsakomybės jausmą... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Influence of children’s and schoolchildren’s festival “Dainu dainele” examined in Master‘s final scientific work “The role of “Dainu dainele“ and educationalists formative positive opinion of infants to musical self-help“. Pedagogical problem is relevant because festival – contest exist more than 30 years, it haven‘t any analogues in Lithuania and it became sure phenomenon and perfect push of young vocalists convey both in companys and in solo. The Appearance in „Dainu dainele“ often become the first but not the last public appearance. The investigative subject of Master‘s final scientific work is musical self-help of infants when they involve in “Dainu dainele”. The investigative purpose of Master‘s final scientific work is to find the role of “Dainu dainele“ and educationalists to musical self-help of infants. Significant words: a musical self-help, the role of educationalists, education of singers. The history of „Dainu dainele“, alternation of event, refinement of educationalists education, importance of educationalist, manifestatons of scene‘s fear, internal of voice‘s hygiene are reviewed in Master‘s final scientific work. After all arrangement to “Dainu dainele” can motivate not only schoolchildren but also his educator because he must to become real and full – fledged standing. Instance very much determine educationalist not only ability to comunicate but also his professional readiness, inspirational belief in his work, methodology of enunciation that enhance... [to full text]

Tyrimo objektas: kūdikių kreivakaklystės požymių išreikštumo kitimas taikant kineziterapiją. Tyrimo problema. Įgimta raumeninė kreivakaklystė yra labiausiai paplitusi kreivakaklystės forma vaikų amžiuje. Tai yra laikysenos deformacija nustatoma gimimo metu ar iškart po gimimo, pasireiškianti vienos kūno pusės galvos sukamojo raumens sutrumpėjimu ir fibroze. Esant įgimtai raumeninei kreivakaklystei kūdikiai galvą laiko pakreipę į vieną pusę, be to, dažnai stebima galvos rotacija į priešingą pusę. Yra daroma prielaida, kad kuo anksčiau pastebimi kreivakaklystės požymiai, tuo anksčiau pradedamas gydymas ir geresnių gydymo rezultatų galima tikėtis. Hipotezė. Manome, kad 18 kineziterapijos procedūrų taikomų du–tris kartus savaitėje kartu su kūdikių tėvų instruktavimu, kaip skatinti norimų judesių išgavimą, turėtų sumažinti kreivakaklystės požymių išreikštumą ir padidinti kūdikių galvos judesių amplitudes. Todėl šio tyrimo tikslas buvo: nustatyti kineziterapijos poveikį gydant dviejų–keturių mėn. kūdikių įgimtą raumeninę kreivakaklystę. Tyrimo uždaviniai: įvertinti kūdikių kreivakaklystės požymių išreikštumą prieš kineziterapiją; įvertinti kūdikių kineziterapijos požymių išreikštumą po kineziterapijos taikymo; išsiaiškinti kineziterapijos poveikį kreivakaklystės gydymui amžiaus aspektu; išsiaiškinti kineziterapijos poveikį kreivakaklystės gydymui lyties aspektu. Tiriamąją imtį sudarė 40 (2–4 mėn. amžiaus) kūdikių. Kūdikių amžiaus vidurkis buvo 3,3±0,4 mėn. Tiriamųjų grupėje buvo 22... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Subject of research: resolving of torticollis features in infants under the influence of physiotherapy. Problem of research: Congenital muscular torticollis is the most common form of torticollis in children. It is a postural deformity detected at birth or shortly after birth, primarily resulting from unilateral shortening and fibrosis of the sternocleidomastoid muscle. Infants with congenital muscular torticollis display head tilt to one side and often rotation of the head to the opposite side. It has been hypothesized that the earlier is diagnosed torticollis, the earlier starts treatment the better results can be expected. Hypothesis: 18 procedures of physiotherapy applied 2–3 times per week with the guidelines for parents should decrease signs of congenital muscular torticollis and increase range of head motion. The aim of this research was to evaluate impact of physiotherapy treating congenital muscular torticollis in 2–4 months infants. The tasks were: to evaluate signs of torticollis before applying physiotherapy; to evaluate signs of torticollis after applying physiotherapy; to find out relationship between impact of physiotherapy and age of infants; to find out relationship between impact of physiotherapy and gender of infants Methods: 40 (2–4 months) infants (22 males (55%) and 18 females (45%) were evaluated. Left side torticollis was diagnosed in 15 infants (37.5%), right side — in 25 infants (62.5%). In the center of early rehabilitation 18 procedures were... [to full text]

Baigiamajame magistro darbe „Kūdikių namų vaikas: ankstyvoji kalba ir jos ugdymas“ pristatoma kūdikių namų vaikų kalbos raida ir jos ugdymo(si) ypatumai, kurie nustatyti tiriant vaikų kalbos tekstyną, aiškinantis kalbos reikšmių ir funkcijų perpratimo galimybes. Tikslas: ištirti kūdikių namų vaikų kalbos ypatumus bei jos ugdymo(si) galimybes. . Uždaviniai: 1. Ištirti kūdikių namų vaikų sakytinės ir rašytinės kalbos ypatumus. 2. Atskleisti kūdikių namų vaikų kalbos supratimo ir vartosenos ypatumus kalbinėje veikloje. 3. Sukurti kalbinio ugdymo projektą. Metodai: sisteminė mokslinės literatūros analizė, ilgalaikis vaikų kalbos stebėjimas, ilgalaikis pedagogų poveikių stebėjimas. Tiriamieji: 157 kūdikių namų auklėtiniai, 25 auklėtojos. Tyrimo rezultatai parodė, kad kūdikių namų vaikų kalbos raida dalinai atliepia normaliom sąlygom augančių vaikų kalbą; orientuotas į kalbinės raidos stimuliavimą kūdikių namų vaikų ugdymas sudaro galimybes kalbinės raiškos kaitai. / The Master’s thesis “A Child of Infants’ Home: Early Language and Its Development” introduces the development of language of children in the infants' home and the peculiarities of (self )education of language, which were ascertained by studying the corpus of children’s speech and clarifying the possibilities of understanding the language meanings and functions. The aim: to study the peculiarities of language of children in the infants' home and the possibilities of (self )education of language. The tasks: 1. To analyse the peculiarities of written and spoken language of children in the infants' home. 2. To disclose the peculiarities of language understanding and use in linguistic activities of the children in the infants' home. 3. To create a project of language education. The methods: systemic analysis of scientific literature, long-term monitoring of the children’s language, long-term monitoring of the effect of educators. The subjects: 157 children and 25 educators in the infants’ home. The research results indicate that the development of language of the children in the infants’ home partially corresponds to the language of children growing under normal conditions; education of the children in the infants’ home oriented towards the stimulation of language development provides the possibilities for the change of linguistic expression.

Infant mortality is generally regarded as an indicator of the standard of health and it is probably one of the best measures of the general socio-economic conditions in a society. There are indications world wide (including South Africa), of slowing down in the decrease of infant mortality rate, and a continued existence of wide variation in infant mortality levels. Conversely, it has also been noted that some relatively poor countries have managed to achieve low levels of infant mortality as often experienced by wealthier nations. The case for more attention to be paid to understanding the changing dynamics of infant mortality is compelling. Using the Demographic and Health Survey, which was conducted in Transkei in 1987, this study has looked into levels and patterns of infant mortality in Transkei and factors influencing them. The accuracy of the data was determined by using the Myers' Blended Index and Life Table Model. Response errors usually arise in developing countries from omission of vital events and misstatement of dates and age. A direct method of estimation was used to determine the level of infant mortality, in Transkei, during the period 1984-1986. Socio-economic and medical factors influencing infant mortality levels were identified using univariate analysis and multiple logistic function. The results of this study indicate that these factors significantly influence infant mortality in Transkei. In particular, income, womens' employment, duration of breastfeeding, age of the mother when giving birth, spacing of births and vaccination are important factors influencing infant mortality in the region. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, Durban, 1992.