28 Figures in parentheses are t ratios. Although the r is relatively high, the regression is considered poor because most coefficients are insignificant. The small size of the sample, the small number of studies quantitatively analysing the causes of low birth weight, and consequently the difficulties explaining weight at birth are counted among the reasons for the poor results. No effects other than the ones from increased purchasing power were found. Moreover, these were meagre results, since consumption of the subsidized commodities did not change significantly, and the increase in purchasing power was mainly directed to consumption of non-food commodities.
Several causes are responsible for the negligible results.
Second, the scheme adopted for subsidizing basic foods gave great emphasis to some commodities with low income elasticities, minimizing the possible direct nutritional effects. Finally, some administrative problems not analysed in this report, such as vagaries in fixing subsidies, fluctuations in the regular supply of commodities, and the periodically poor quality of commodities, must have further undermined the effectiveness of the programme. These results suggest that nutrition programmes should be redirected to improving infrastructural services such as the provision of potable water and sanitary waste disposal, to developing health services that include the systematic follow-up of pregnant and lactating mothers, and to the systematic monitoring of the growth of preschoolers. Tabula es especiais. World Bank Discussion Paper no. 60.