US National Center Research Articles

Lactational Capacity of Marginally Nourished Mothers: Infants' Milk Nutrient Consumption and Patterns of Growth

The consumption of human milk by 58 Bangladeshi infants of marginally nourished mothers was measured during longitudinal studies. Daily milk consumption, as estimated by test weighing, and intakes of energy and protein, as calculated from the measured concentrations of macronutrients in the milk, were related to infant body weight, to internationally recommended intakes of these nutrients, and to the infants' patterns of physical growth. Each of the milk variables, when related to infant body weight, declined significantly with increasing (log) infant age (P less than .001). The average consumption of energy and protein was less than current recommendations at all ages. Nevertheless, the average growth of the Bangladeshi infants approximated the fifth centile of the US National Center for Health Statistics during the first 4 months of life. By the fourth month, however, the weight increments of more than half the infants (79%) were less than the reference data. The intakes of energy and protein by individual infants less than 90 days of age were related to their patterns of growth. There were significant positive relationships between the change in Z score weight-for-age and weight-for-length and the consumption of breast milk energy (kilocalories per kilogram of body weight per day) and protein (grams per kilogram per day). Consumptions of 86.5 kcal/kg/d and protein 1.48 g/kg/d were associated with a nonchanging Z score weight-for-age. Thus, intake of these amounts of nutrients permitted weight gain comparable to the reference population but did not permit recovery from the existing relative weight deficits.

Drug prescribing for ambulatory patients 85 years of age and older.

Drug prescribing for ambulatory patients greater than or equal to 85 years of age was studied using data from the 1980 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS) on office visits to physicians. NAMCS is a survey by the US National Center for Health Statistics, which collected information on office visits and extrapolated the results to the US population. Of the 575.7 million office visits by all ages, 6.8 million (1 per cent) were by persons greater than or equal to 85 years of age, and 64 per cent involved females. Ninety per cent of the total office visits of those greater than or equal to 85 years were with a physician who had seen them before; 94 per cent were with MDs as compared with DOs; 56 per cent were with general practitioners or internists; and 95 per cent had some type of follow-up planned. The most frequent duration of the office visit was 11-15 minutes (36 per cent). The most frequent diagnostic class was diseases of the circulatory system. The survey physicians were asked to list all drugs, new or already in use by the patient, that were ordered, administered, or prescribed during the visit. The authors converted the drug brand names to their nonproprietary or generic name component(s); each active ingredient of combination products was treated as a separate drug entity. All drug analyses used generic names. Thirty-two per cent of visits did not involve the use of any drug, 21 per cent involved one drug; 12 per cent, two drugs; and 16 per cent, three drugs. Cardiovascular-renal drugs were the most frequently mentioned. One-third of the visits involved the use of one or more drugs that have psychologic effects, either intended or as side effects. Three per cent of the office visits involved the use of two or more drugs that had the potential for clinically important interactions.

Deaths Related to Epilepsy in the United States

The number of deaths due to and all deaths related to epilepsy in the US, by age, sex, and race for 1971 and 1973 through 1978 were calculated based on data collected by the US National Center for Health Statistics. The average annual age-adjusted rates (adjusted to 1970 US population) for all deaths related to epilepsy (i.e., with epilepsy as the underlying, immediate, associated, or contributory cause of death) are more than double the corresponding rates for deaths due to epilepsy (i.e., with epilepsy as the underlying cause of death). Rates for patients dying due to epilepsy remain relatively unchanged with age; but for all deaths related to epilepsy, rates increase with advancing age. For deaths due to and all deaths related to epilepsy, rates for either sex are higher in nonwhites; and for either race, are higher for males. The leading registered causes of death for those in whom death is related to epilepsy are: epilepsy, status epilepticus, heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, and respiratory disease.

ENROLMENT TRENDS IN HIGHER EDUCATION IN THE UNITED STATES

A statistical report, “The Condition of Education 1976”, prepared by the Planning Office of the US National Centre for Education Statistics and submitted to the Congress of the United States in March 1976, also analysed the developments in US higher education concerning: -present and projected educational attainment of the labour force-enrolment in higher education and its pattern-age structure of students in US higher education institutions. Data on these problems, presented mainly in graphical form, serves as the basis for the information below.