Thursday, May 3, 2007 3:57 AM
every child has the right to lead a carefree life...
but what happen to this child?!?!
This post is specially for pregnant mother ESPECIALLY those who are on birth control pills!
today we would talk about FOLIC ACID..
Knowing a few important facts about folic acid could help keep you from developing heart disease, depression and dementia and even keep your unborn baby from developing birth defects. Yes, there are many critical benefits of folic acid! So read carefully…
Folic acid is an essential part of cellular division and DNA synthesis. One of the most significant medical discoveries of the twentieth century is that folic acid supplementation can reduce infant neural tube birth defects by 48 to 80 percent. That's a 48 to 80 percent decrease in the risk of someone having to spend their life in a wheelchair, with bowel and bladder control problems, and a shunt to control fluid levels in their brain.
I feel that mothers taking birth control pills should know that a side effect of these pills is the depletion of folic acid. Ignorance of the damaging link between birth control pills, folic acid deficiency would result in to horrifying consequences.
The neural tube is a fold of tissue that runs the length of the developing embryo and that ultimately develops into the central nervous system. If this tube fails to close at the top, the baby is born with only a very small brain or with no brain, and will usually die with a few hours or days. If it fails to close at the base of the spine the result is usually a crippling paralysis of the lower extremities, and a number of associated health problems.
Most birth defects from folic acid deficiency will occur within the first few weeks of pregnancy when most women don't even realize they are pregnant. So pre-pregnancy supplementation is crucial, and even more so for women on birth control pills since a side effect of these pills is the depletion of folic acid.
Deficiency Symptoms:
· Anemia
· canker sores
· digestive disturbances
· graying hair
· growth problems
· impaired circulation
· fatigue
· mental depression
These are some food which you can get Folic acid from.
- Mushrooms
- Liver
- Broccol
- Asparagus
- lima beans
- green leafy vegetables.
www.healingwithnutrition.com
http://www.vitamins-nutrition-good-health-info.com/
http://www.welldone.at/
Wednesday, May 2, 2007 5:40 PM
SCURVY IS ANOTHER VITAMIN C DEFIECENCY DISEASE.
- Scurvy leads to the formation of liver spots on the skin, spongy gums, and bleeding from all mucous membranes and the spots are most abundant on the thighs and legs
- a Scurvy sufferer looks pale, feels depressed, and is partially immobilized.
In 1536, a French explorer Jacques Cartier, exploring theSt Lawrence River, used the local natives' knowledge to save his men who were dying of scurvy by boiling the needles of the arbor vitae and tree (Eastern White Cedar) to make a tea that was later shown to contain 50 mg of vitamin C per 100 grams.
Today, we don't boil needles of certain trees. We just eat fruit and vegetables rich in Vitamin C such as Lime, Oranges, and lemons. :D
Thursday, April 26, 2007 5:00 PM
I have always heard this word rickets, but i never knew wat it was so i decided to look it up. Doesn't it look painful? I'm really glad i don't have rickets and i feel very sorry for those who do.
Rickets:
the softening of the bones in children which can lead to fractures and deformity.
Yes, Rickets can occur in adults but it targets children suffering from severe malnutrition in developing countries.
You could also call it OSTEOMALACIA
The predominant cause is a vit D deficiency, but lack of calcium in the diet can also cause rickets.
Those who are at higher risk of getting Rickets:
- Dark-skinned children (nicole beware)
- Breast-fed infants whose mothers are not exposed to sunlight
- Breast-fed infants who are not exposed to sunlight
you could go to a doctor to diagnose Rickets through certain methods such as
* Blood tests to measure calcium and phosphorus levels
* X-rays of affected bones
Wednesday, April 25, 2007 3:00 PM
Just recently, i was talking to my dad and he said that my mum almost became a cretin. But he said that we shouldn't be ashamed of it, because the reason she didn't become a cretin was because her IQ is really high! He said he could have given her treatment, but since she was normal, he decided not to do anything, or she could become overly...
Anyway, if you're wondering what a cretin is, it is a person who has been affected with cretinism which is a condition of severely stunted physical and mental growth due to untreated congenital deficiency of thyroid hormones. It is NOT a term used to insult people. haha.
If untreated, it results in mild to severe impairment of both physical and mental growth and development. (Unless in special cases like my mum's.) "Neurological impairment may be mild, with reduced muscle tone and coordination, or so severe that the person cannot stand or walk. Cognitive impairment may also range from mild to so severe that the person is nonverbal and dependent on others for basic care. Thought and reflexes are slower."
Some signs of cretinism may be thickened skin, and protruding abdomen.
There are also different types of cretinism:
-Sporadic
-Genetic
-Endemic
Sporadic and genetic cretinism is caused by the an abnormal development or function of the fetal thyroid gland. However, it has been almost totally eliminated as there is a way to detect it early and treat it.
Endemic cretinism however, is caused by a defficiency in iodine, and is a major health problem in the world. This is such as iodine is needed to synthesise thyroid hormones. It might be found in many foods, however it is not present in all soils in adequate amounts. Many inland areas on all continents have soils that lack iodine. This is a cause of great concern for populations living in those areas, especially those without an outside source of food.
Anyway, if you're wondering what a cretin is, it is a person who has been affected with cretinism which is a condition of severely stunted physical and mental growth due to untreated congenital deficiency of thyroid hormones. It is NOT a term used to insult people. haha.
If untreated, it results in mild to severe impairment of both physical and mental growth and development. (Unless in special cases like my mum's.) "Neurological impairment may be mild, with reduced muscle tone and coordination, or so severe that the person cannot stand or walk. Cognitive impairment may also range from mild to so severe that the person is nonverbal and dependent on others for basic care. Thought and reflexes are slower."
Some signs of cretinism may be thickened skin, and protruding abdomen.
There are also different types of cretinism:
-Sporadic
-Genetic
-Endemic
Sporadic and genetic cretinism is caused by the an abnormal development or function of the fetal thyroid gland. However, it has been almost totally eliminated as there is a way to detect it early and treat it.
Endemic cretinism however, is caused by a defficiency in iodine, and is a major health problem in the world. This is such as iodine is needed to synthesise thyroid hormones. It might be found in many foods, however it is not present in all soils in adequate amounts. Many inland areas on all continents have soils that lack iodine. This is a cause of great concern for populations living in those areas, especially those without an outside source of food.
Thursday, April 19, 2007 8:34 AM
what a name for a disease! quite cool right?
I BET YOU WERE THINKING OF THIS
WRONG. HEHE
actually, its more like this
Beriberi is a nervous system ailment caused by thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency; its symptoms include
1 weight loss
2 emotional disturbances
3 impaired sensory perception (Wernicke's encephalopathy)
4 weakness and pain in the limbs
5 periods of irregular heart rate.
6 Edema (swelling of bodily tissues)
In advanced cases, the disease may cause heart failure and death.
YOU SHOULD BE AFRAID BECAUSE:
It is common in Asia, where the staple food is UNPOLISHED WHITE RICE. People whose diet consists mainly of polished white rice (this is where you come in) ,which contains little or no thiamine because the husk, which contains most of the thiamine, has been removed.
There are two forms of the disease: wet beriberi and dry beriberi
no, not
Wet beriberi affects the heart and is sometimes fatal, as it causes a combination of heart failure and weakening of the capillary walls, which causes the peripheral tissues to become waterlogged.
Dry beriberi causes wasting and partial paralysis resulting from damaged peripheral nerves. It is also referred to as endemic neuritis.
i therefore suggest that you eat more brown rice/ unrefined cereal
Tuesday, April 17, 2007 6:42 PM
look at all these yummy food!
Mmmmm...
FRIED CHICKEN!!!
STEAK!!
YUMMY!!
Mmmmm...
we can get to eat these whenever we want to..
Jack's Place - Steak House & Restaurant
Kenny Rogers Roasters
KFC(Kentucky Fried Chicken)
yummy!!
however, there are many children in the world who do not have the privilege to eat these food and are unable to obtain a very important nutrient present in these food- PROTEINS
that leads us to our topic for today...the protein deficiency disease called KWASHIORKOR!
many children around the world are suffering from kwashiorkor. matters make it worse as usually, these children live in conditions which are haunting. i remembered reading somewhere or watching a show (i forgot the name) which showed that the children, who sufferers from kwashiorkor, all had the potbellies, skeletal arms and legs, skin sores, and swollen feet.
however, these children were very lucky as some very nice people decided to go to their village to help them. so..with proper food (lots and lots of good red meat..which is a very good source of proteins) and good care provided by these nice people, their health slowly improved. and miraculously, most of the children pulled through the crisis and SURVIVED!
but..most importantly, these children survived because they had a strong will to . no matter how tough life was for them, they never gave up fighting. they displayed a very strong fighting spirit and thus, i feel that we should all learn from them.
anyway..back to the point.
Now we know that improving protein intake will correct kwashiorkor ( provided that treatment is not started too late). However, full height and growth potential will never be achieved for these children. Severe kwashiorkor, may leave a child with permanent mental and physical disabilities!
and did you know that 23 children die every minute from malnutrition?!?
hence i feel that we should be contented with our lives in Singapore and not complain about it. here is a tip..if you ever (at any point of your life) feel that your life is terrible, remember to think about these children who are suffering from these malnutrition diseases.
Acknowledgements
these are some pictures of children who are suffering from Kwashiorkor
just by looking at them makes one's heart feel the pain for them...
don't you think so?!?
just by looking at them makes one's heart feel the pain for them...
don't you think so?!?