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News on Health & Science

People With More Moles Age Slowly’

 People with a large numbers of moles on their skin may age slowly, a study suggests.

Scientists from King’s College, London, compared key aging DNA with the number of moles a person had in a study of 1,800 twins.
A mole is a spot on the skin that is usually round or oval in shape and may range in color from pink, brown, red or black. The experts found that the more moles a person had, the more likely their DNA was to have the properties to fight off aging, reported the online edition of BBC News.

In the study, experts found that those with more than 100 moles had longer telomeres than those with fewer than 25. Telemores are the part of certain chromosomes linked to aging. The difference between the two mole groups was equivalent to six to seven years of aging.

Source: The Times Of India

Categories
Pediatric

Co-sleeping With Babies

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Why Do Some People Choose to Co-sleep?
Co-sleeping supporters believe : and there are some studies to support their beliefs  that co-sleeping:

1.Encourages breastfeeding by making nighttime breastfeeding more convenient .

2.Makes it easier for a nursing mother to get her sleep cycle in sync with her baby’s .

3.Helps babies fall asleep more easily, especially during their first few months and when they wake up in the middle of the night.

4.Helps babies get more night time sleep (because they awaken more frequently with shorter duration of feeds, which can add up to a greater amount of sleep throughout the night) .

5.Helps parents who are separated from their babies during the day regain the closeness with their infant that they feel they missed .

But do the risks of co-sleeping outweigh the benefits?
Is Co-sleeping Safe?
Despite the possible pros, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) warns parents not to place their infants to sleep in adult beds, stating that the practice puts babies at risk of suffocation and strangulation. And the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is in agreement with the CPSC.

Co-sleeping is a widespread practice in many non-Western cultures. However, differences in mattresses, bedding, and other cultural practices may account for the lower risk in these countries as compared with the United States.

According to the CPSC, at least 515 deaths were linked to infants and toddlers sleeping in adult beds from January 1990 to December 1997. More than 75% of those deaths involved infants who were under 3 months old. Between January 1999 and December 2001, the CPSC reported that more than 100 children under the age of 2 years (98% were less than 1 year old) died after being placed to sleep on an adult bed.

The CPSC identifies four primary hazards of infants sleeping in an adult bed:

1.Suffocation caused by an adult rolling on top of or next to a baby .

2.Suffocation when an infant gets trapped or wedged between a mattress and headboard, nightstand, wall, or other rigid object .

3.Suffocation resulting from a baby being face-down on a waterbed, a regular mattress, or on soft bedding such as pillows, blankets, or quilts .

4.Strangulation in a headboard or footboard that allows part of an infant’s body to pass through an area while trapping the baby’s head .
Despite these potential risks, some people dispute the CPSC’s findings. Cosleeping advocates say it isn’t inherently dangerous and that the CPSC went too far in recommending that parents never sleep with children under 2 years of age. According to supporters of cosleeping, parents won’t roll over onto a baby because they’re conscious of the baby’s presence — even during sleep.

Those who should not cosleep with an infant, however, include:

1.Other children   particularly toddlers   because they might not be aware of the baby’s presence.

2.Parents who are under the influence of alcohol or any drug because that could diminish their awareness of the baby.

3.Parents who smoke because the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is greater .

But can co-sleeping cause SIDS? The connection between co-sleeping and SIDS is unclear and research is ongoing. Some co-sleeping researchers have suggested that it can reduce the risk of SIDS because co-sleeping parents and babies tend to wake up more often throughout the night. However, the AAP reports that some studies suggest that, under certain conditions, co-sleeping may increase the risk of SIDS, especially co-sleeping environments involving mothers who smoke.

In addition to the potential safety risks, sharing a bed with a baby can sometimes prevent parents from getting a good night’s sleep. And infants who co-sleep can learn to associate sleep with being close to a parent in the parent’s bed, which may become a problem at nap time or when the infant needs to go to sleep before the parent is ready.

Making Co-sleeping as Safe as Possible
If you do choose to share your bed with your baby, make sure to follow these precautions:

1.Always place your baby on his or her back to sleep to reduce the risk of SIDS.

2.Always leave your child’s head uncovered while sleeping.

3.Make sure your bed’s headboard and footboard don’t have openings or cutouts that could trap your baby’s head.

4.Make sure your mattress fits snugly in the bed frame so that your baby won’t become trapped in between the frame and the mattress.

5.Don’t place a baby to sleep in an adult bed alone.

6.Don’t use pillows, comforters, quilts, and other soft or plush items on the bed.

7.Don’t drink or use medications or drugs that may keep you from waking and may cause you to roll over onto, and therefore suffocate, your baby.

8. Don’t place your bed near draperies or blinds where your child could be strangled by cords.
Transitioning Out of the Parent’s Bed.
Most medical experts say the safest place to put an infant to sleep is in a crib that meets current standards and has no soft bedding. But if you’ve chosen to cosleep with your little one and would like to stop, talk to your child’s doctor about making a plan for when your baby will sleep in a crib.

Transitioning to the crib by 6 months is usually easier — for both parents and baby — before the co-sleeping habit is ingrained and other developmental issues (such as separation anxiety) come into play. Eventually, though, the co-sleeping routine will likely be broken at some point, either naturally because the child wants to or by the parents’ choice.

But there are ways that you can still keep your little one close by, just not in your bed. You could:

1.Put a bassinet, play yard, or crib next to your bed. This can help you maintain that desired closeness, which can be especially important if you’re breastfeeding. The AAP says that having an infant sleep in a separate crib, bassinet, or play yard in the same room as the mother reduces the risk of SIDS.

2.Buy a device that looks like a bassinet or play yard minus one side, which attaches to your bed to allow you to be next to each other while eliminating the possibility of rolling over onto your infant.

Of course, where your child sleeps   whether it’s in your bed or a crib    is a personal decision. As you’re weighing the pros and cons, talk to your child’s doctor about the risks, possible personal benefits, and your family’s own sleeping arrangements.

Source: kidshealth.org

Categories
Pediatric

Breastfeeding infants for at least six months is best!

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We know that  breast  feeding is best,   but what is the bottom line for nursing mothers? What length of time provides maximum health benefits for infants? The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that breastfeeding continue for at least twelve months. But not all women are able or willing to reach the twelve-month goal. According to the International Lactation Consultant Association (ILCA), approximately 70% of women in the United States breastfeed alone or in combination with formula at the time of hospital discharge. The rate drops to about 33% at six months, with even lower rates for low-income and African-American families. Parenting guides and books suggest that breastfeeding longer is better. Doctors tell mothers that breastfeeding for a few weeks is better than not breastfeeding at all.

But how long is long enough? In 2001, the World Health Organization (WHO) changed its recommendation from exclusive breastfeeding for four to six months of age to exclusive breast feeding for at least six months. The term “exclusive breast feeding” means exactly that: the infant receives only breastmilk. No supplemental formula, water, other liquids or solid foods are provided.

Of course, vitamins, minerals or necessary medicines are included in this guideline.

Even after the WHO released its recommendation, there was still some lingering debate and confusion regarding the optimal length of breastfeeding. This confusion arose in part from the lack of information about the comparative health gains of different breastfeeding time frames. Most research studies were not specifically designed to clarify whether breastfeeding for three versus four or even six months really mattered.

Breastfeeding Duration Is Important

New findings support growing evidence that the length of time is important. The WHO recommendation is correct   six months seems to be the magic number.

Researchers from the University of Califonia-Davis Children’s Hospital, the University of Rochester and the American Academy of Pediatrics Center for Child Health Research studied a nationally representative sample of 2,277 babies.

These scientists compared five groups of infants. The first group included formula-only babies. The other groups of infants were fully breastfed (using formula on a less-than-daily basis) for different lengths of time: less than one month, one to four months, four to less than six months and six months or more. Infants fully breastfed for six months or more were less likely to suffer from pneumonia, ear infections, and colds than infants breastfed for four months. These health gains continued throughout the infants’ second year.

Researchers in 2003 reached similar conclusions regarding breastfeeding duration effects. They compared the benefits of three and six months of exclusive breastfeeding in a sample of 3,483 infants. Babies exclusively breastfed for six months had a lower risk of developing gastrointestinal infections. In addition, exclusive breastfeeding did not cause any negative side effects such as iron deficiency during the first year of life.

Additional Benefits

These two recent studies complement the large body of evidence indicating that breastfeeding has important benefits for children, mothers, and society. Besides protection from upper respiratory and gastrointestinal effects, the benefits of breastfeeding for infants include:

* Fewer infectious and non-infectious diseases

* Reduced risk for chronic diseases such as diabetes, cancer, allergies and asthma

*Reduced likelihood of becoming overweight and obese children

*Lower incidence of skin disorders

Mothers who breastfeed also experience positive health effects such as less postpartum bleeding, an earlier return to pre-pregnancy weight, and a reduced risk of ovarian and pre-menopausal breast cancers. Families with breastfed infants save thousands of dollars on formula and medical care. Society benefits, too. Fewer trips to physicians and hospitals reduce overall healthcare expenditures. Reduced rates of absenteeism and increased morale can translate into huge savings for large corporations as well as small businesses.

Breastfeeding Barriers

Given the overwhelming amount of research pointing to the benefits of breastfeeding, why do only one-third of American women continue to nurse their infants for six months? Certain characteristics are associated with breastfeeding. Women who fully breastfeed tend to be older and more educated. Mothers who smoke, are single and do not participate in childbirth education classes are less likely to exclusively breastfeed.

The most commonly reported reasons for bottlefeeding are:

* Father’s negative attitude toward breastfeeding

*Uncertainty regarding how much breastmilk is consumed by the nursing infant

* Return to work

Other factors influencing rates of breastfeeding include:

*Negative attitudes of healthcare professionals

* Ready availability of formula

*Nipple pain and irritation

* Time constraints

* Embarrassment

* Lack of confidence

* Concerns about dietary or health practices

Mothers indicate that receiving more information from prenatal classes, TV, magazines, and books would increase the likelihood of initiating and maintaining breastfeeding. According to lactation specialist Charlotte Burnett, BSN IBCLC from Truman Medical Center Lakewood (Kansas City, MO), much of the educational process targets dispelling common myths about breastfeeding.

For example, many women believe that they are completely unable to eat beans, spicy foods, chocolate, junk food or drink soda while breastfeeding. Other women  seem to think they should not even start to breastfeed if they are planning on returning to work or school in six weeks,   says Burnett.

Obtaining more family support would also help increase rates of breastfeeding. If a mother or sister didn’t or couldn”t breastfeed, a new mother may have less confidence and desire to breastfeed, reports Burnett. Even if a mother chooses to nurse, detrimental family comments an undermine this decision. Burnett”s clients have heard comments such as,  Just give him a little real milk or She wants to breastfeed so much. Are you sure you shouldn”t just give her a bottle?

To complement education and family support, the International Lactation Consultant Association states that supportive, breastfeeding-friendly communities are imperative to increase national rates of breastfeeding.

This may be one of the most difficult hurdles to overcome. A huge barrier is the free formula that companies give away. We are trying to change a culture,  reports Patricia Lindsey-Salvo, a lactation specialist who runs the Breastfeeding Center at Beth Israel Medical Center in Manhattan.

In 2001, the Department of Health and Human Services released a   Blueprint for Action on Breastfeeding   as part of the Healthy People 2010 initiative. This document detailed a comprehensive national breastfeeding policy with a goal of increasing the number of new mothers who breastfeed to 75%. The document also calls for expanding the proportion of women breastfeeding at six months to fifty percent, and twenty-five percent at twelve months.

So What Should a Mother Do?

So what does all of this research and information mean for a mother? Get as much information as you can before deciding to breast or bottle-feed. Discuss problems or concerns that are likely to affect your breastfeeding goals with a lactation consultant or sympathetic pediatrician. Share information with your family and friends, and surround yourself with encouraging and supportive voices. Nurse your infant as long as possible, aiming for at least six months. “The evidence is rolling in every day about the benefits of breastfeeding,” reports Lindsey-Salvo.

Source:www.kidsgrowth.com

Categories
Positive thinking

What We See

Judging Others :
Though it is human to evaluate people we encounter based on first impressions, the conclusions we come to are seldom unaffected by our own fears and our own preconceptions. Additionally, our judgments are frequently incomplete. For example, wealth can seem like proof that an individual is spoiled, and poverty can be seen as a signifier of laziness—neither of which may be true. At the heart of the tendency to categorize and criticize, we often find insecurity. Overcoming our need to set ourselves apart from what we fear is a matter of understanding the root of judgment and then reaffirming our commitment to tolerance.

When we catch ourselves thinking or behaving judgmentally, we should ask ourselves where these judgments come from. Traits we hope we do not possess can instigate our criticism when we see them in others because passing judgment distances us from those traits. Once we regain our center, we can reinforce our open-mindedness by putting our feelings into words. To acknowledge to ourselves that we have judged, and that we have identified the root of our judgments, is the first step to a path of compassion. Recognizing that we limit our awareness by assessing others critically can make moving past our initial impressions much easier. Judgments seldom leave room for alternate possibilities.

Mother Teresa said, If you judge people, you don’t have time to love them. If we are quick to pass judgment on others, we forget that they, like us, are human beings. As we seldom know what roads people have traveled before a shared encounter or why they have come into our lives, we should always give those we meet the gift of an open heart. Doing so allows us to replace fear-based criticism with appreciation because we can then focus wholeheartedly on the spark of good that burns in all human souls.

Source:Daily Om

Categories
Ailmemts & Remedies

Mumps

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Mumps or epidemic parotitis is a viral disease of humans. Prior to the development of vaccination and the introduction of a vaccine, it was a common childhood disease worldwide, and is still a significant threat to health in the third world.

Painful swelling of the salivary glands (classically the parotid gland) and fever is the most typical presentation. Painful testicular swelling and rash may also occur. While symptoms are generally not severe in children, the symptoms, in teenagers and adults, can be more severe and complications such as infertility or subfertility are relatively common, although still rare in absolute terms. The disease is generally self-limiting, and there is no specific treatment apart from controlling the symptoms with painkillers.

 

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Causes and risks:
The mumps are caused by a paramyxovirus, and are spread from person to person by saliva droplets or direct contact with articles that have been contaminated with infected saliva. The parotid glands (the salivary glands between the ear and the jaw) are usually involved. Unvaccinated children between the ages of 2 and 12 are most commonly infected, but the infection can occur in other age groups. Orchitis (swelling of the testes) occurs in 10–20% of infected males, but sterility only rarely ensues; a viral meningitis occurs in about 5% of those infected. In older people, the central nervous system, the pancreas, the prostate, the breasts, and other organs may be involved.

The incubation period is usually 18 to 21 days, but may range from as few as 12 to as many as 35 days. Mumps is generally a mild illness in children in developed countries. After adolescence, mumps tends to affect the ovary, causing oophoritis, and the testes, causing orchitis. The mature testis is particularly susceptible to damage from mumps which can lead to infertility. Adults infected with mumps are more likely to develop severe symptoms and complications.

Symptoms:
Comparison of a person before and after contracting mumps.The more common symptoms of mumps are:

Swelling of the parotid gland (or parotitis) in more than 90% of patients on one side (unilateral) or both sides (bilateral), and pain behind the lower jaw when chewing.
Fever
Headache
Sore throat
Orchitis, referring to painful inflammation of the testicle.. Males past puberty who develop mumps have a 15 to 20 percent risk of orchitis.

Symptoms can also include:

  • Frequent vomiting (every couple of hours over a day or two) that does not stop even when not eating or drinking
  • Extreme sleepiness (lethargy)
  • Confusion
  • Irritability and combativeness
  • Rapid breathing (hyperventilation)
  • Loss of consciousness
  • Seizures

In infants, the symptoms of Reye’s syndrome may not follow this typical pattern. For example, infants with Reye’s syndrome do not always vomit.Reye’s syndrome is a serious, life-threatening condition. If your child has had a viral infection and has any symptoms of Reye’s syndrome, call your doctor immediately.

Signs and tests:
A physical examination confirms the presence of the swollen glands. Usually the disease is diagnosed on clinical grounds and no confirmatory laboratory testing is needed. If there is uncertainty about the diagnosis, a test of saliva, urine, or blood may be carried out; a newer diagnostic confirmation, using real-time nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology, has also been developed . An estimated 20%-30% of cases are asymptomatic.

TREATMENT:
There is no specific treatment for mumps. Symptoms may be relieved by the application of intermittent ice or heat to the affected neck area and by acetaminophen (Tylenol/Paracetemol) for pain relief. Aspirin use is discouraged in young children because of studies showing an increased risk of Reye’s syndrome. Warm salt water gargles, soft foods, and extra fluids may also help relieve symptoms.

Aspirin should not be used in children with mumps because of the risk of Reye’s syndrome, a serious brain problem that develops in children who have certain viral illnesses and have been treated with aspirin.

Patients are advised to avoid fruit juice or any acidic foods, since these stimulate the salivary glands, which can be painful.

Research treatments:
A research group published a 1996 report on a chemical extracted from Spirulina platensis, a species of blue-green algae, which inhibited Mumps virus in a viral plaque assay.
A University of Tokyo group reported in 1992 that research compound TJ13025 ((6’R)-6′-C-methylneplanocin A) had an antiviral effect on four Mumps virus strains cultured in Vero cells. Additional research improved the synthesis of a particular isomer, RMNPA, of TJ13025 from the racemic product. A 2005 publication in a Russian journal reports that Myramistin has antiviral activity against Mumps virus in Vero cells culture.

HOME REMEDY:Wet a pinch of NaHCO3 (Sodabicarb) with a few drops of water and apply over the face. Remove within a few minutes. Apply 2-3 times a day .

Ayurvedic Treatment Of Mumps
Homeopathic early-stage treatment for Mumps

Prognosis
Death is very unusual. The disease is self-limiting, and general outcome is good, even if other organs are involved. Sterility in men from involvement of the testes is very rare. After the illness, life-long immunity to mumps generally occurs. Mumps can be prevented by getting a vaccination.

Complications
Known complications of mumps include:

Infection of other organ systems
Sterility in men (this is quite rare, and mostly occurs in older men)
Mild forms of meningitis (rare, 40% of cases occur without parotid swelling)
Encephalitis (very rare, rarely fatal)
Profound but rare sensorineural hearing loss, uni- or bilateral

In children, mumps is generally a mild illness, and complications are rare. When complications develop, they may include:

Infection of the brain (encephalitis) and/or the membranes that cover it (meningitis).
Inflammation of the testicles (orchitis) or ovaries (oophoritis). .Orchitis. This inflammatory condition causes swelling of one or both testicles. Orchitis is painful, but it rarely leads to sterility   the inability to father a child.
Inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis), Hearing loss,
Miscarriage, which may occur in a woman who has mumps during her first 3 months of pregnancy. There does not appear to be a link between mumps and birth defects.1
Adults who are infected with mumps often have more severe symptoms and are more likely to develop complications than children. However, long-lasting problems from complications are rare.

Complications may require treatment in the hospital. Medications to relieve pain associated with orchitis, meningitis, pancreatitis, and other complications may be given. Treatment with other medications, such as interferon for severe orchitis, is experimental. Antibiotics are not given to treat mumps or other viral infections.
Prevention
The most common preventative measure against mumps is immunisation with a mumps vaccine. This has been a component of the MMR immunization vaccine which also protects against measles and rubella and is now being supplanted by a combination of the three with Varicella vaccine – MMRV – which adds protection against Chickenpox. The WHO recommends the use of mumps vaccines in all countries with well-functioning childhood vaccination programmes. In the United Kingdom it is routinely given to children at age 15 months. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends the routine administration of MMR vaccine at ages 12-15 months and 4-6 years. The vaccination is repeated in some locations between 4 to 6 years of age, or between 11 and 12 years of age if not previously given. Efficacy of the vaccine depends on the strain of the vaccine, but is usually around 80%.

Some anti-vaccine activists protest against the administration of a vaccine against mumps, claiming that the attenuated vaccine strain is harmful, and/or that the wild disease is beneficial. Disagreeing, the WHO, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the British Medical Association and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain currently recommend routine vaccination of children against mumps. The British Medical Association and Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain had previously recommended against general mumps vaccination, changing that recommendation in 1987. In 1988 it became United Kingdom government policy to introduce mass child mumps vaccination programmes with the MMR vaccine, and MMR vaccine is now routinely administered in the UK.

Disclaimer: This information is not meant to be a substitute for professional medical advise or help. It is always best to consult with a Physician about serious health concerns. This information is in no way intended to diagnose or prescribe remedies.

Help taken from: en.wikipedia.org

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