Study objective-Retrospective infant feeding data are important to the study of child and adult health patterns. The accuracy of maternal recall of past infant feeding events was examined and specifically the infant's age when breast feeding was stopped and formula feeding and solid foods were introduced.Design and setting-The sample consisted of Bedouin Arab women (n = 318) living in the Negev in Israel who were a part of a larger cohort participating in a prospective study of infant health and who were delivered of their infants between July 1 and December 15, 1981. Data from interviews conducted 12 and 18 months postpartum were compared to the standard data collected six months postpartum.Main results-As length of recall increased there was a small increase in the mean difference, and its standard deviation, between the standard and recalled age when breast feeding was stopped and formula feeding and solid foods were started. Recall on formula feeding was less accurate than recall on solid foods and breast feeding. In particular, among those 61% reporting formula use at the six month interview, 51% did not recall introducing formula when interviewed at 18 months. The odds ratio (95% CI) of stunting versus normal length for age for formula fed versus breast fed infants based on recall data (OR = 2-07; 95%CI 0O82-5 22) differed only slightly from those based on the standard data (OR = 2-21; 95%CI 0O77-6 37).

Intake of drugs is considered a risk factor for psoriasis. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between drugs and psoriasis. A case-control study including 110 patients who were hospitalized for extensive psoriasis was performed. A control group (n = 515) was defined as patients who had undergone elective surgery. A case-crossover study included 98 patients with psoriasis. Exposure to drugs was assessed during a hazard period (3 months before hospitalization) and compared to a control period in the patient's past. Data on drug sales were extracted by data mining techniques. Multivariate analyses were performed by logistic regression and conditional logistic regression. In the case-control study, psoriasis was associated with benzodiazepines (OR 6.9), organic nitrates (OR 5.0), angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors (OR 4.0) and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (OR 3.7). In the case-crossover study, psoriasis was associated with ACE inhibitors (OR 9.9), beta-blockers (OR 9.9), dipyrone (OR 4.9) and NSAIDs (OR 2.1). Extensive psoriasis may be associated with intake of ACE inhibitors, NSAIDs or beta-blockers.

Adherence to the MEDDIET is associated with better health characteristics and better functioning. Further cohort and intervention studies may shed light on temporal and causal relationships between MEDDIET and these parameters.

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Anemia due to iron deficiency is the most prevalent form of micronutrient malnutrition in the world, however, the causal relationship between anemia and infection remains unclear. We examined prospectively, the association between anemia and infection among Bedouin infants. We recruited 293 families and newborns from the Bedouin population, which is ongoing major lifestyle changes, during the periods of 1989-1992 and 1994-1997 and followed them to age 18 months. The number of diarrhea and respiratory disease episodes as well as total days of diarrhea were ascertained weekly. Hemoglobin levels were obtained at age 6 months. Additional data on feeding practices, environmental, household and demographic characteristics were obtained throughout the 18 months. Diarrhea before 6 months of age was found to be a risk factor for diarrhea after that age. After controlling for early morbidity < 6 months, anemia (Hb < 11 g/dl) at 6 months was an independent risk factor for diarrhea and respiratory illness from 7 to 18 months of age. This associations remained significant even after controlling, in addition, for environmental and socio-economic factors. In the multivariable models, anemia at age 6 months increased the risk for diarrhea after that age by 2.9-fold (95% confidence interval 1.6 - 5.3; p = 0.001) and that of respiratory disease by 2-fold (1.1 - 3.7; p = 0.03). Our findings suggest that anemia may increase the rates of infections in toddlers. The possibility that reducing anemia in infants may be a preventive measure to lower disease burden from infectious disease in this and other vulnerable populations should be tested in further studies.