The Relationship Between Breastfeeding And A Premature Child`s IQ

Premature babies, who predominantly receive their nutrition from breastfeeding, have higher intelligent quotients (IQs) in later life than those who did not. Paediatrics have alerted parents and care givers on the positive impact of breast milk to child development while showing that premature babies, who are breastfed during their first month have higher intelligent quotients (IQs) later in life.
They disclosed this in a study that is published in ‘The Journal of Paediatrics’. According to the researchers, the infants have been found to have larger volumes of certain brain regions at term equivalent and have better IQs, academic achievement, working memory and motor function. Breastfeeding or nursing is the feeding of babies and young children with milk from a woman’s breast.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends that breastfeeding begin within the first hour of a baby’s life and be allowed as often and as much as the baby wants.
The world body similarly advocates that babies should be breastfed exclusively for six months after which both complementary feeding would be continued with breastfeeding thereafter until the child is weaned.
Reacting to the study, Researcher Mandy Brown Belfort said: “Many mothers of preterm babies have difficulty providing breast milk for their babies, and we need to work hard to ensure that these mothers have the best possible support systems in place to maximise their ability to meet their own feeding goals. It is also important to note that there are so many factors that influence a baby’s development, with breast milk being just one.”
This information was subsequently cross referenced with data related to regional brain volumes measured by MRI scans at each baby’s term equivalent age and again at seven years old.
They conducted further analysis on cognitive capabilities, including IQ, reading, maths, attention, working memory, language and visual perception. The researchers followed 180 premature infants from birth until they turned seven. They identified babies which had received breast milk as more than 50 per cent of their nutritional intake from birth to 28 days of life.
This information was subsequently cross referenced with data related to regional brain volumes measured by MRI scans at each baby’s term equivalent age and again at seven years old. Story By JOHNSON OKPUSA OBASI

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New Discovery Raises Hope For Childless Couples

As the number of people with infertility continues to rise globally, scientists have developed a ‘potent’ new fertility treatment said to be cheaper and less invasive than Invitro Vertilisation (IVF). IVF is the long established process of fertilisation by manually combining an egg and sperm in a laboratory dish, and then transferring the embryo to the uterus.
It increases the likelihood of a couple being able to have a child.
However, going by the new findings, Australian and Belgian scientists have discovered how to improve a woman’s chances of becoming pregnant, using a less invasive and cheaper alternative.
The new method, which has already undergone pre-clinical testing, uses growth factors to enhance an existing fertility treatment known as in-vitro maturation (IVM).
The results show improved egg quality and a 50 per cent increase in embryos, with minimal use of drugs.
Researchers said the advance has ‘significant implications’ for fertility treatment worldwide.
Infertility is a common problem in Nigeria. It is estimated that one in four couples may have difficulty achieving conception. Standard in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) requires women to take Follicle Stimulating Hormones (FSH) to stimulate egg cell growth before they are removed from the ovary.
In the IVM process, eggs are removed from the ovaries when they are still immature.
They are then matured in the laboratory before being fertilised. The difference between IVM and conventional in vitro fertilisation (IVF) is that the eggs are immature when they are collected. This means the woman does not need to take as many drugs before the eggs can be collected as she might if using conventional IVF, when mature eggs ar. Story By JOHNSON OKPUSA OBASI

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Lassa Fever Kills Doctor In Delta State

Lassa fever has once again staged a come-back as the Delta State Ministry of Health has confirmed a medical doctor dead and 32 other contacts on surveillance following the reported case of disease . The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Nicholas Azinge, in a statement on Monday in Asaba, said that the state recorded one death from Lassa fever after a medical doctor in the state died from the disease. “On Aug. 18, 2016, one case of Lassa fever was reported in Delta State. The confirmed case was a medical doctor resident in Asaba who hailed from Anambra State. “He was first admitted in a private Hospital in the state and was later referred to the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH), Nnewi, Anambra State. The patient’s condition deteriorated and he died after three hours on admission,’’ Azinge said. The commissioner said that blood sample earlier collected from the victim was confirmed to be positive for Lassa fever after laboratory analysis at the Institute of Lassa Fever, Irrua in Edo State. He also disclosed that following the incident, the state government took immediate action to forestall the spread of the disease by shutting down the late doctor’s hospital in Umuaji quarters in Asaba. “Following the discovery, we also ensured that the hospital where he was treated at Bonsaac area was also shut down and fumigated. His wife’s blood sample was taken and tested at the Institute of Lassa fever; it, however, came back negative. So far, a total of 32 persons have been placed on surveillance; These include 11 persons from the immediate family of the deceased. Eighteen persons at the private Hospital where the patient was first admitted and 3 other persons who made contact with the deceased,’’ Azinge said. The commissioner also disclosed that two local government Disease Surveillance Officers in Oshimili South and Oshimili North were actively involved as part of the state response team. “The Surveillance Officers have been monitoring the temperature of those under surveillance and this will be done for a period of 21 days.

·  Lassa fever is an acute viral haemorrhagic illness of 2-21 days duration 

·  The Lassa virus is transmitted to humans via contact with food or household items contaminated with rodent urine or faces, especially those of rats.

·  Person-to-person infections and laboratory transmission can also occur, particularly in hospitals lacking adequate infection prevent and control measures  By JOHNSON OKPUSA OBASI

The Delta State Ministry of Health has confirmed one person dead and 32 others on surveillance following the reported case of Lassa fever. The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Nicholas Azinge, in a statement on Monday in Asaba, said that the state recorded one death from Lassa fever after a medical doctor in the state died from the disease. “On Aug. 18, 2016, one case of Lassa fever was reported in Delta State. The confirmed case was a medical doctor resident in Asaba who hailed from Anambra State. “He was first admitted in a private Hospital in the state and was later referred to the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH), Nnewi, Anambra State. “The patient’s condition deteriorated and he died after three hours on admission,’’ Azinge said. The commissioner said that blood sample earlier collected from the victim was confirmed to be positive for Lassa fever after laboratory analysis at the Institute of Lassa Fever, Irrua in Edo State. He also disclosed that following the incident, the state government took immediate action to forestall the spread of the disease by shutting down the late doctor’s hospital in Umuaji quarters in Asaba. “Following the discovery, we also ensured that the hospital where he was treated at Bonsaac area was also shut down and fumigated. “His wife’s blood sample was taken and tested at the Institute of Lassa fever; it, however, came back negative. “So far, a total of 32 persons have been placed on surveillance; These include 11 persons from the immediate family of the deceased. “Eighteen persons at the private Hospital where the patient was first admitted and 3 other persons who made contact with the deceased,’’ Azinge said. The commissioner also disclosed that two local government Disease Surveillance Officers in Oshimili South and Oshimili North were actively involved as part of the state response team. “The Surveillance Officers have been monitoring the temperature of those under surveillance and this will be done for a period of 21 days. “The State Lassa Fever Response Team has been reactivated while sensitisation of health workers in the state is ongoing.’’ Azinge said the health workers were being sensitised to the need for preventive measures when managing infectious cases. According to him, the ministry has also embarked on awareness creation through the mass media, to enlighten the public on the mode of transmission of the disease and the preventive measures, to forestall its spread. The commissioner also said that prevention materials had been sent the various local governments prone to high-risk disease outbreak in the state. “Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), non-contact thermometers and other items have been distributed to the Disease Surveillance and Notification Officers in all of the 25 local governments by the state Ministry of Health. “The drug, Rivabirin has been procured for immediate case management while the Federal Ministry of Health and the Nigeria Medical Association in Delta have been contacted and are collaborating with us,’’ he said. The commissioner gave assurance that the situation was under control and appealed to the public not to panic.

Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/08/lassa-fever-kills-doctor-delta-32-others-surveillance/

The Delta State Ministry of Health has confirmed one person dead and 32 others on surveillance following the reported case of Lassa fever. The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Nicholas Azinge, in a statement on Monday in Asaba, said that the state recorded one death from Lassa fever after a medical doctor in the state died from the disease. “On Aug. 18, 2016, one case of Lassa fever was reported in Delta State. The confirmed case was a medical doctor resident in Asaba who hailed from Anambra State. “He was first admitted in a private Hospital in the state and was later referred to the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH), Nnewi, Anambra State. “The patient’s condition deteriorated and he died after three hours on admission,’’ Azinge said. The commissioner said that blood sample earlier collected from the victim was confirmed to be positive for Lassa fever after laboratory analysis at the Institute of Lassa Fever, Irrua in Edo State. He also disclosed that following the incident, the state government took immediate action to forestall the spread of the disease by shutting down the late doctor’s hospital in Umuaji quarters in Asaba. “Following the discovery, we also ensured that the hospital where he was treated at Bonsaac area was also shut down and fumigated. “His wife’s blood sample was taken and tested at the Institute of Lassa fever; it, however, came back negative. “So far, a total of 32 persons have been placed on surveillance; These include 11 persons from the immediate family of the deceased. “Eighteen persons at the private Hospital where the patient was first admitted and 3 other persons who made contact with the deceased,’’ Azinge said. The commissioner also disclosed that two local government Disease Surveillance Officers in Oshimili South and Oshimili North were actively involved as part of the state response team. “The Surveillance Officers have been monitoring the temperature of those under surveillance and this will be done for a period of 21 days. “The State Lassa Fever Response Team has been reactivated while sensitisation of health workers in the state is ongoing.’’ Azinge said the health workers were being sensitised to the need for preventive measures when managing infectious cases. According to him, the ministry has also embarked on awareness creation through the mass media, to enlighten the public on the mode of transmission of the disease and the preventive measures, to forestall its spread. The commissioner also said that prevention materials had been sent the various local governments prone to high-risk disease outbreak in the state. “Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), non-contact thermometers and other items have been distributed to the Disease Surveillance and Notification Officers in all of the 25 local governments by the state Ministry of Health. “The drug, Rivabirin has been procured for immediate case management while the Federal Ministry of Health and the Nigeria Medical Association in Delta have been contacted and are collaborating with us,’’ he said. The commissioner gave assurance that the situation was under control and appealed to the public not to panic.

Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/08/lassa-fever-kills-doctor-delta-32-others-surveillance/

The Delta State Ministry of Health has confirmed one person dead and 32 others on surveillance following the reported case of Lassa fever. The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Nicholas Azinge, in a statement on Monday in Asaba, said that the state recorded one death from Lassa fever after a medical doctor in the state died from the disease. “On Aug. 18, 2016, one case of Lassa fever was reported in Delta State. The confirmed case was a medical doctor resident in Asaba who hailed from Anambra State. “He was first admitted in a private Hospital in the state and was later referred to the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH), Nnewi, Anambra State. “The patient’s condition deteriorated and he died after three hours on admission,’’ Azinge said. The commissioner said that blood sample earlier collected from the victim was confirmed to be positive for Lassa fever after laboratory analysis at the Institute of Lassa Fever, Irrua in Edo State. He also disclosed that following the incident, the state government took immediate action to forestall the spread of the disease by shutting down the late doctor’s hospital in Umuaji quarters in Asaba. “Following the discovery, we also ensured that the hospital where he was treated at Bonsaac area was also shut down and fumigated. “His wife’s blood sample was taken and tested at the Institute of Lassa fever; it, however, came back negative. “So far, a total of 32 persons have been placed on surveillance; These include 11 persons from the immediate family of the deceased. “Eighteen persons at the private Hospital where the patient was first admitted and 3 other persons who made contact with the deceased,’’ Azinge said. The commissioner also disclosed that two local government Disease Surveillance Officers in Oshimili South and Oshimili North were actively involved as part of the state response team. “The Surveillance Officers have been monitoring the temperature of those under surveillance and this will be done for a period of 21 days. “The State Lassa Fever Response Team has been reactivated while sensitisation of health workers in the state is ongoing.’’ Azinge said the health workers were being sensitised to the need for preventive measures when managing infectious cases. According to him, the ministry has also embarked on awareness creation through the mass media, to enlighten the public on the mode of transmission of the disease and the preventive measures, to forestall its spread. The commissioner also said that prevention materials had been sent the various local governments prone to high-risk disease outbreak in the state. “Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), non-contact thermometers and other items have been distributed to the Disease Surveillance and Notification Officers in all of the 25 local governments by the state Ministry of Health. “The drug, Rivabirin has been procured for immediate case management while the Federal Ministry of Health and the Nigeria Medical Association in Delta have been contacted and are collaborating with us,’’ he said. The commissioner gave assurance that the situation was under control and appealed to the public not to panic.

Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/08/lassa-fever-kills-doctor-delta-32-others-surveillance/

The Delta State Ministry of Health has confirmed one person dead and 32 others on surveillance following the reported case of Lassa fever. The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Nicholas Azinge, in a statement on Monday in Asaba, said that the state recorded one death from Lassa fever after a medical doctor in the state died from the disease. “On Aug. 18, 2016, one case of Lassa fever was reported in Delta State. The confirmed case was a medical doctor resident in Asaba who hailed from Anambra State. “He was first admitted in a private Hospital in the state and was later referred to the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH), Nnewi, Anambra State. “The patient’s condition deteriorated and he died after three hours on admission,’’ Azinge said. The commissioner said that blood sample earlier collected from the victim was confirmed to be positive for Lassa fever after laboratory analysis at the Institute of Lassa Fever, Irrua in Edo State. He also disclosed that following the incident, the state government took immediate action to forestall the spread of the disease by shutting down the late doctor’s hospital in Umuaji quarters in Asaba. “Following the discovery, we also ensured that the hospital where he was treated at Bonsaac area was also shut down and fumigated. “His wife’s blood sample was taken and tested at the Institute of Lassa fever; it, however, came back negative. “So far, a total of 32 persons have been placed on surveillance; These include 11 persons from the immediate family of the deceased. “Eighteen persons at the private Hospital where the patient was first admitted and 3 other persons who made contact with the deceased,’’ Azinge said. The commissioner also disclosed that two local government Disease Surveillance Officers in Oshimili South and Oshimili North were actively involved as part of the state response team. “The Surveillance Officers have been monitoring the temperature of those under surveillance and this will be done for a period of 21 days. “The State Lassa Fever Response Team has been reactivated while sensitisation of health workers in the state is ongoing.’’ Azinge said the health workers were being sensitised to the need for preventive measures when managing infectious cases. According to him, the ministry has also embarked on awareness creation through the mass media, to enlighten the public on the mode of transmission of the disease and the preventive measures, to forestall its spread. The commissioner also said that prevention materials had been sent the various local governments prone to high-risk disease outbreak in the state. “Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), non-contact thermometers and other items have been distributed to the Disease Surveillance and Notification Officers in all of the 25 local governments by the state Ministry of Health. “The drug, Rivabirin has been procured for immediate case management while the Federal Ministry of Health and the Nigeria Medical Association in Delta have been contacted and are collaborating with us,’’ he said. The commissioner gave assurance that the situation was under control and appealed to the public not to panic.

Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/08/lassa-fever-kills-doctor-delta-32-others-surveillance/

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Contact Lenses Could Damage The Eye

Health officials in the United States (U.S) have raised the alarm on the improper use of contact lenses (CL) and warned it can lead to serious eye infections and long-term damage.
The warning is contained in a new report from the U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which was released at the weekend. The FDA regulates contact lenses as medical devices.
A contact lens is a thin lens placed directly on the surface of the eye. CLs are considered medical devices and can be worn to correct vision, or for cosmetic or therapeutic reasons.
In 2004, it was estimated that 125 million people use CL worldwide. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), approximately 90 per cent of visually impaired people live in developing countries.
However, considering that globally, 80 per cent of all visual impairment can be prevented or cured, efforts to reduce poor vision are at country and continental levels.
According to the new report, nearly one in five contact lens-related eye infections reported to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) over the last decade resulted in eye damage.
The report reviewed 1,075 reported contact lens-related infections between 2005 and 2015. The patients in those injuries said they had a scarred cornea, needed a corneal transplant or suffered a reduction in vision. According to report the CDC said, “More than 10 per cent of the patients sought emergency care…”.  The Director of CDC’s Healthy Water Program, Michael Beach said, “Contact lenses are a safe and effective form of vision correction when worn and cared for as recommended. However, improper wear and care of contact lenses can cause eye infections that sometimes lead to serious, long-term damage.” As part of the strategy to prevent damage including poor vision, the CDC further urged contact lens users not to sleep wearing contact lenses. “Always use fresh contact lens solution, and replace lenses often,” the statement added.    Story By JOHNSON OKPUSA OBASI

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Long life depends on lifespan of parents

A study, believed to be the largest of its kind ever conducted, has shown that the longer parents live, the longer their offspring are likely to live. The research, released yesterday by the Medical Research Council (MRC) in London, also indicated that children of long-lived parents are more likely to stay healthy in their 60s and 70s.
The eight-year study, led by the University of Exeter, also involved an international team of academics from the University of Cambridge. Also involved in the research, are UConn Centre on Aging at UConn Health in Connecticut, U.S., the French National Institute of Health and the Indian Institute of Public Health. The researchers noted that those with longer-lived parents had much lower rates of heart conditions and cancers.
They said that the study, funded by the MRC and involving almost 190,000 participants in the United Kingdom Biobank, was the largest of its kind. “It found that chances of survival increased by 17 per cent for each decade that at least one parent lives beyond the age of 70. It found evidence showing for the first time that knowing the age at which parents died could help predict risk not only of heart disease, but many aspects of heart and circulatory health,” they said.
The researchers disclosed that they used data on the health of 186,000 middle-aged offspring aged 55 years to 73 years, followed over a period of up to eight years.
The team found that those with longer livedparents had lower incidence of multiple circulatory conditions, including heart disease, heart failure, stroke, high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels.
It found that the risk of death from heart disease was 20 per cent lower for each decade that at least one parent lived beyond the age of 70 years. In addition, those with longer lived-parents also had reduced risk of cancer; a seven-per cent reduced likelihood of cancer in the follow-up per longer-lived parent.
It, however, noted that although factors such as smoking, high alcohol consumption, low physical activity and obesity were important, the lifespan of parents was still predictive of disease onset after accounting for these risks. Dr. Janice Atkins, a Research Fellow in the Epidemiology and Public Health group at the University of Exeter Medical School and lead author on the paper,said that the research was intensive.
He said that the research showed that “the longer your parents live, the more likely you are to remain healthy in your sixties and seventies.” Atkins said that the study was built on previous findings published by the University of Exeter Medical School researchers earlier this year, which established a genetic link between parents’ longevity and heart disease risk.
Professor David Melzer, leader of the Research Programme, said that it had been unclear why some older people developed heart conditions in their 60s while others only developed these conditions much later in life or even avoid them completely.
He said that the research showed that, while avoiding the well-known risk factors such as smoking, it is very important that there are also other factors inherited from parents. “As we understand these parental factors better, we should be able to help more people to age well,” Melzer said.

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Red Alert: Smallpox May Soon Come Back! - Experts

Medical experts have raised the alarm over the possible return of smallpox – a deadly disease eradicated from the world in 1977.
That is as frozen tundra of Siberia melts and releases the virus from the corpses of people, who died in a major epidemic about 120 years ago.
Smallpox is a disease caused by the Variola major virus. Some experts say that over the centuries, it has killed more people than all other infectious diseases combined.
The disease was once one of the most feared in the world. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), up to 30 per cent of people who caught smallpox would die after experiencing symptoms including a high fever and the characteristic pus-filled spots.
The pores of potentially fatal anthrax from dead people and reindeer that had been entombed in the permafrost are already thought to have infected 24 patients currently in hospital in Salekhard near Russia’s north coast, reports the independent uk. But health experts told the Siberian Times this was a warning sign that there could be worse to come.
Boris Kershengolts, of the Siberian branch of the Academy of Sciences, said: “Back in the 1890s, there occurred a major epidemic of smallpox.
There was a town where up to 40 per cent of the population died. Naturally, the bodies were buried under the upper layer of permafrost soil, on the bank of the Kolyma River.
“Now, a little more than 100 years later, Kolyma’s floodwaters have started eroding the banks.”
The melting of the permafrost has speeded up this erosion process.
After anthrax spores have been found in Yamal peninsula near Salekhard, experts from the Novosibirsk- based Virology and Biotechnology Centre have been testing for other diseases. They found corpses that bore sores that look like the marks left by smallpox. While the experts – dressed in protective clothing because of the risks – did not find the virus itself, they did detect fragments of its DNA. Story By JOHNSON OKPUSA OBASI

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