Diet Bayi dan IQ

Bayi dan kanak-kanak yang membesar dengan makanan ringan mendapat skor yang lebih rendah sedikit pada usia 8 tahun.

Kanak-kanak yang diberi diet yang sihat di usia awal mungkin mempunyai IQ yang lebih sedikit tinggi, manakala mereka yang mengambil banyak diet makanan ringan mungkin mempunyai IQ yang sedikit kurang, menurut kajian terbaru.

Kajian - diketuai oleh penyelidik Kesihatan Awam Universiti Adelaide, Dr Lisa Smithers - melihat hubungan antara tabiat pemakanan kanak-kanak di usia enam bulan, 15 bulan dan dua tahun, dan IQ mereka pada usia lapan tahun.

Kajian terhadap lebih dari 7000 kanak-kanak membandingkan pelbagai corak pemakanan, termasuk makanan tradisional dan kontemporari sediaan di rumah, makanan bayi siap tersedia, menyusu, dan 'citarasa sendiri' atau makanan ringan. 
Diet membekalkan nutrien yang diperlukan untuk pembentukan tisu saraf
 
"Diet membekalkan nutrien yang diperlukan bagi pembentukan tisu otak dalam dua tahun pertama kehidupan, dan matlamat kajian ini adalah untuk melihat apa kesan diet terhadap IQ kanak-kanak," kata Dr Smithers berkata. 
Diet awal yang kaya makanan ringan boleh menyebabkan nilai kanak-kanak sehingga dua mata IQ
 
"Kami dapati bahawa kanak-kanak yang menyusu pada usia enam bulan dan mempunyai diet sihat yang kerap meliputi makanan seperti kekacang, keju, buah-buahan dan sayur-sayuran pada 15 dan 24 bulan, mempunyai IQ sehingga dua mata lebih tinggi pada usia lapan tahun.

"Manakala kanak-kanak yang mengambil diet yang kerap mengandungi biskut, coklat, gula-gula, minuman ringan dan chip dalam tempoh dua tahun pertama kehidupan mempunyai IQ sehingga dua mata lebih rendah pada usia lapan tahun.

"Kami juga mendapati beberapa kesan negatif ke atas IQ daripada makanan bayi siap tersedia yang diberikan pada usia enam bulan, tetapi beberapa kesan positif apabila diberikan pada usia 24 bulan," kata Dr Smithers.

Dr Smithers mengatakan kajian ini mengukuhkan keperluan untuk menyediakan makanan yang sihat kepada kanak-kanak pada masa yang penting, iaitu waktu pembentukan dalam kehidupan mereka.

"Walaupun perbezaan dalam IQ tidak besar, kajian ini menyediakan beberapa bukti yang kukuh dan terkini bahawa corak pemakanan dari enam hingga 24 bulan mempunyai kesan yang kecil tetapi bermakna pada IQ diusia lapan tahun," Dr Smithers berkata.

"Adalah penting untuk kita mempertimbangkan kesan jangka panjang makanan yang kita berikan kepada anak-anak kita," katanya.


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Kisah di atas adalah berdasarkan berita keluaran pada 7 Ogos 2012 oleh University ofAdelaide.

Hasil kajian ini telah diterbitkan dalam Jurnal Epidemiologi Eropah: Smithers LG, Golley RK, Mittinty MN, Brazionis L, Northstone K, Emmett P, Lynch JW. Dietary patterns at 6, 15 and 24 months of age are associated with IQ at 8 years of age. Eur J Epidemiol. 2012 Jul;27(7):525-35..

Institut Kesihatan Negara AS menyediakan maklumat lanjut mengenai pemakanan kanak-kanak 'child nutrition.'

Overloaded Backpacks Can Injure Kids: Experts

Credit: http://allmalaysia.info

Some tips to lighten the load

Experts warn that overloaded backpacks often result in back injuries among children.

More than 13,700 kids aged 5 to 18 were treated in hospitals and doctors' offices for backpack-related injuries in a single year, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS) advises parents and caregivers to pay close attention to children's posture and not wait for them to complain about back pain before lightening their load.

"When used correctly, backpacks can be a good way to carry the necessities of the school day," Dr. Melanie Kinchen, an orthopedic surgeon and AAOS spokeswoman, said in an academy news release. "Backpack injuries are commonly caused by wearing overloaded backpacks, as well as lifting and carrying them incorrectly. Parents and teachers should guide kids to take preventative measures. Start by choosing a backpack that is appropriately sized for your child or have them use a rolling backpack as an alternative to carrying their heavy load on their shoulders."

The academy suggested several additional ways to help children avoid pain and discomfort from wearing a backpack:

• Use both shoulder straps to evenly distribute the weight of the backpack.
• Tighten the straps and use a waist strap if available.
• Place the biggest items in the backpack closest to the back, but remove anything that is too heavy.
• Bend at the knees and use the legs when picking up a backpack.
• Only carry essential items in the backpack. Leave extra books at home or school whenever possible
• Do not leave backpacks in aisles or walkways to avoid falls.

Parents also can help with backpack-related pain:

• Encourage your child or teenager to tell you about pain or discomfort that may be caused by a heavy backpack, like numbness or tingling in the arms or legs.
• Purchase a backpack appropriate for the size of your child and look for any changes in your child’s posture when he or she wears the backpack.
• Watch your child put on or take off the backpack to see if it is a struggle. Do not ignore red marks on the shoulders if your child or teenager expresses discomfort.
• Talk to the school about lightening the load. Keep the load under 10-15 percent of the child's bodyweight.
• Be sure the school allows students to stop at their lockers throughout the day.

Teachers can help by following these tips:

• When planning lessons, take into consideration ways to lighten a child’s backpack load.

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The above story is based on the August 7, 2012 news release by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. 

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers back-to-school health tips.

Memory - Barbra Streisand

                                             Music video uploaded by eowynprincsold on Jun 10, 2008

 

One Sunday morning, a priest decided to do something a little different.

He said, 'Today, in church, I am going to say a single word and you are going to help me preach. Whatever single word I say, I want you to sing whatever hymn that comes to your mind

-- the pastor shouted out 'CROSS.'

Immediately the congregation started singing in unison, 'THE OLD RUGGED CROSS.'

The pastor hollered out 'GRACE.'

The congregation began to sing 'AMAZING GRACE', how sweet the sound.'

The pastor said 'POWER.'

The congregation sang 'THERE IS POWER IN THE BLOOD.'

The Pastor said, 'SEX'

The congregation fell into total silence.

Everyone was in shock. They all nervously began to look around at each other afraid to say anything.

Then all of a sudden, way from in the back of the church, a little old 87 year old grandmother stood up and began to sing 'MEMORIES.'

The above was forwarded to us by Edwin Ng.

Selamat Hari Kebangsaan Ke-55

Although this is one of the logo/slogans proposed by a political coalition, it essentially captures our endearment for our motherland.

SeBangsa, SeNegara, SeJiwa!

Heart Calcium Scan Most Effective in Predicting Risk of Heart Disease, Study Shows

Credit: www.lilesnet.com/health/heart/index.htm

More than 1 million people in the United States will have a heart attack this year. Most will occur in people with no symptoms. (Based on the data available, the incidence of coronary heart disease in Malaysia is estimated to be 141 per 100,000 population OR 41,500 persons this year)

With better prediction methods for cardiovascular disease, many of those could be prevented.

Coronary artery calcium, carotid intima–media thickness, ankle-brachial index, brachial flow–mediated dilation, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein(CRP), and family history were independent predictors of incident cardiovascular disease (CVD)/coronary heart disease (CHD) in intermediate-risk individuals.

One new study by researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center found that coronary artery calcium provided superior discrimination and risk reclassification compared with the other risk markers.

The heart's arteries can develop a substance called plaque in their walls. Cholesterol and other cells compose the plaque. Too much plaque buildup can trigger a heart attack.

The test, known as coronary artery calcium (CAC), uses a CT scan to detect specks of calcium in the wall of the arteries around the heart. These calcifications are an early sign of plaque buildup.

About 7,000 participants, 1,330 of whom had intermediate risk, without diabetes mellitus, and had complete data on all 6 markers were included in the study.

Coronary artery calcium scan provided superior discrimination and risk reclassification compared with other risk markers.

“Additional research is needed to explore the costs, benefits and risks of widespread use of CAC screening in people at risk of heart disease,” said Joseph Yeboah, M.D., assistant professor of cardiology at Wake Forest Baptist and lead author of the st

udy.

Besides costs, one potential issue is the radiation involved in the test, which is about 1 millisievert. That's about one-third the amount of radiation Americans are exposed to from the environment in one year, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. A CT scan to the head is 2 mSv.

Still, it's unclear what effect the radiation from the calcium test would have over time, especially since there has not been a set standard for the radiation involved in the test, Yeboah said. The FDA has not weighed in about this test.

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The above story is based on the August 21, 2012 provided by Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center.

The study findings are presented in the Aug. 22 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association:

Yeboah J, McClelland RL, Polonsky TS, Burke GL, Sibley CT, O’Leary D, Carr JJ, Goff DC, Greenland P, Herrington DM. Comparison of Novel Risk Markers for Improvement in Cardiovascular Risk Assessment in Intermediate-Risk Individuals.  JAMA. 2012;308[8]:788-795 doi:10.1001/jama.2012.9624

Coronary Artery Calcium Scan is available at several hospital in Malaysia. A basic cardiac evaluation with  calcium scan costs RM800.00. We suggest you talk to your regular family physician first, if you are considering a scan.

What to do if you experience signs of a heart attack