Lockdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic may have influenced feeding behaviour and lifestyle in children and adolescents. The purpose of this study was to analyse feeding behaviour and lifestyle in children and adolescents one year after lockdown by the COVID-19 pandemic in Chile. In this cross-sectional study an online survey was implemented in 1083 parents and caregivers regarding their children’s feeding behaviour and lifestyle and sociodemographic background. The results showed that “eat breakfast daily” (89.2%), “not overnight food intake” (69.9%) and “not fast-food intake” (66.0%) were the most frequent reported feeding behaviours, particularly in pre-school children. Respondents declaring healthy feeding behaviours and lifestyle were 23.4 and 23.7%, respectively, with no significant differences by sex. In pre-school children, families with three or fewer members and parents or caregivers with an undergraduate or postgraduate degree reported a significantly better feeding behaviour and lifestyle compared to families with more than three members and parents or caregivers without an undergraduate or postgraduate degree. In conclusion, the pandemic lockdown had a negative impact in lifestyle in children and particularly in adolescents. Healthier feeding behaviour was associated with fewer family members and parents or caregivers with at least an undergraduate degree.

Factores de riesgo asociados al sobrepeso y obesidad en niños y adolescentes durante la pandemia por COVID-19 en ChileRisk factors associated with overweight and obesity in children and adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic in Chile

Infants and children are a risk group in terms of developing healthy habits, an important aspect if we consider that many of them were born during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our objective was to evaluate compliance with lifestyle recommendations proposed at the national and international levels in children aged 0 to 23 months during confinement due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Chile. A cross-sectional study was conducted, and 211 online questionnaires were completed with sociodemographic and lifestyle information of children. Our results show high compliance with the recommendations on breastfeeding intake (78.3% and 69.5% in 0–5-month-old and 6–23-month-old children, respectively); age of starting complementary feeding (87.4%); non-consumption of salt and sugar (80.1%), non-caloric sweeteners (90.7%), and sweet and salty snacks (68.9%); and hours of physical activity (66.8%) and sleep (65.4%). However, we observed low compliance with the recommendations on the age of introduction of dinner (58.0%), eggs (23.0%), legumes (39.2%), and fish (35.1%); low consumption of legumes (43.4%) and fish (20.5%); and low compliance with the recommendations on screen use during meals (59.2%) and daily screen hours (41.2%). In conclusion, feeding behavior, physical activity, use of screens, and hours of sleep in children were altered by confinement during the pandemic, harming the development of healthy lifestyles.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a group of neurodevelopmental disorders, impaired social interaction, language, and communication, which has increased worldwide in recent years. The deterioration of this condition occurs mainly at the brain level, currently it has been postulated that mitochondrial dysfunction, increased oxidative stress and decreased antioxidant defense leads to an imbalance in the ability to counteract the harmful effects of oxidative stress, such as oxidative degradation of lipids, proteins, and DNA that can cause damage to brain tissue, leading to the clinical symptoms and behaviors of ASD. Mitochondrial dysfunction can occur due to abnormalities in the electron transport chain, which induces and increases oxidative stress. On the other hand, the brain is extremely vulnerable to oxidative stress, due to its high oxygen consumption, its limited antioxidant capacity, and higher amounts of fatty acids and iron. This increased susceptibility of the brain to oxidative damage highlights the importance of understanding the role of oxidative stress in the clinical manifestations of ASD. Several studies have observed an increase in oxidative stress markers and a decrease in antioxidant enzymes in autism. Therefore, improving the oxidative state and maintaining the redox balance could improve the clinical manifestations of autism. The present study aims to carry out a narrative review on oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction associated with ASD.