Heena Sharma Blog

Consuming a Western diet, low in fibre and high in fat and sugar , can put you at increased risk of developing severe sepsis, researchers say. The study, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, found mice that were fed the Western diet showed an increase in chronic inflammation, sepsis severity and higher mortality rates than mice that were fed a normal diet. Sepsis is a potentially life-threatening condition caused by the body's response to an infection. It can lead to shock and organ failure. It is one of the most common cause of death worldwide. According to the researchers, including Brooke Napier from the Portland State University, the mice had more severe sepsis and were dying faster because of something in their diet, not because of the weight gain or microbiome, the body's community of bacteria. "The mice's immune system on the Western diet looked and functioned differently. It looks like the diet is manipulating...

The composition of breastmilk changes in pregnant women on probiotics, a recent study suggests. The finding, published in the Journal of JAMA Pediatrics, upends what scientists thought of human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) -- the sugar molecules found exclusively in human breast milk -- and could lead to future studies on how the compounds can be potentially influenced by diet and other factors. Though HMOs are indigestible for a newborn child, they are consumed by certain species in the microbiome and can significantly affect its composition. As a result, scientists have begun focusing on HMOs as a possible reason that infants who consume breastmilk are less likely to get certain viral and bacterial infections, and other severe conditions such as necrotizing enterocolitis, along with allergic diseases like a food allergy. The study analysed data from 81 pregnant women who were enrolled in a probiotic supplementation study in Finland. The researchers then compared 20 diff...

A daily dose of caffeine may safely boost the brain development and lung function in premature babies , according to researchers, including one of Indian origin. In neonatal intensive care units, or NICUs, premature babies born under 29 weeks are given a daily dose of caffeine to ensure the best possible start to life, said researchers from the University of Calgary in Canada. The study, published in the journal Pediatrics, shows the earlier the dose of caffeine can be given, the better. "Caffeine is the most commonly used drug in the NICU after antibiotics," said Abhay Lodha, an associate professor at the University of Calgary. "It's important that we understand the long-term effects of caffeine as a treatment and ensure these babies are not only surviving, but have quality of life down the road," Lodha said. He collaborated with researchers from the University of British Columbia and Mount Sinai Hospital to analyse data from 26 NICUs ac...

The World Health Organisation (WHO) celebrates World Prematurity Day every year on November 17, to put the spotlight on premature babies. Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) is a dynamic, time-bound disease that is not present at birth. The condition afflicts the eyes of pre-term babies that have typically received intensive neonatal care (with or without oxygen therapy) that helps to save their life, but severely affects their eye development. The condition is characterised by the development of abnormal blood vessels in the retina of the eye, resulting in scarring and retinal detachment. ROP can be mild and may resolve spontaneously, but in serious cases, may progress rapidly and lead to blindness. ROP typically starts only two-three weeks after birth, providing a window for screening and activating treatment at the right time, while the baby is still under neonatal care at the hospital. Read Complete Article Business Standard