OBJECTIVES: to review the main aspects of a project conducted by the authors during the last decade with the aim of presenting elements of nutritional supplement in childhood in relation to public policies. METHODS: the growth and development indicators had been accompanied every three months during one year in a population of two to 72 month old children in the outskirts of Sorocaba, São Paulo, Brazil. After completing a child census in two regions of the city, children who had received nutrional assistance (in number of 164) were compared to 280 who had not. A quantitative analysis was performed by Kappa's and Goodman's tests, and by multivariate models. Bias and confounding were investigated and controlled. RESULTS: the main information obtained refers to the characteristics of the assisted group: 1) higher average age; 2) lower rates of natural milk feeding; 3) lower values of weight/height at admission and greater gains during evolution; 4) this improvement grew with the length of exposure and was greater in the oldest children. CONCLUSIONS: emphasize that today in our country assistance to preschool children should be a mandatory social policy.
Height Weight; Supplementary feeding; Nutrition policy; Infant nutrition