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| Friday, 1 March 2002 |
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Dr. Mohan Jayatilleke, Consultant Cardiologist talks to the Health
Watch
A red letter day will dawn to 18 Blue Babies (babies affected with a serious malformed heart condition resulting in them getting a blue complexion) in early April this year, when a paediatric heart surgery team, specialised in (Blue Baby Surgery) arrives in Colombo for a 10 day charity surgery programme, at the Colombo National Hospital to save the lives of these babies, who would otherwise are destined to die awaiting correction surgery. Limited facilities Dr. Jayatilleke speaking on this surgery programme to the Health Watch, said in Sri Lanka facilities for correction surgery on blue babies being very limited due to various factors, affected children are put in a waiting list where a child has to wait for more than a year to get operated on. Die awaiting surgery
He said the condition needing urgent attention, most of the babies die by the time their turn comes. Tribute to Mr. Lameer In this situation Dr. Jayatilleke paid a big tribute to Mr. Jai Lameer, a Sri Lankan domiciled in UK for the last 30 years, who is the live wire behind this charity life saving project. Mr. Lameer had been able to get the full backing of Hatton National Bank, Air Lanka, Galle Face Hotel, and a large number of Sri Lankans in UK for the project. How the programme started Mr. Lameer being a Sri Lankan has been fully aware of this situation, when he had to undergo a heart operation at the Guy's Hospital in London by Dr. Austin, who normally operates on children and blue babies. According to Dr. Jayatilleke, on this particular day last year the paediatric operation listed for Dr. Austin had been put off for some reason, and Dr. Austin had opted to do the operation on Mr. Lameer. Met girl friend in Sri Lanka Finding Mr. Lameer's Sri Lankan identity Dr. Austin had related how he had met his girl friend (now his wife) a few years ago while holidaying in Colombo, and how much he liked Sri Lanka and her people. Discloses his desire In the course of this chit-chat Dr. Austin had disclosed to Mr. Lameer his desire to do some service to the people in Sri Lanka in the field of heart surgery. Mr. Lameer had been overjoyed to hear this and promised Dr. Austin that he would work out a programme of surgery for Dr. Austin in Sri Lanka. Dr. Jayatilleke said that in his visits to London he usually met Mr. Lameer, and on occasions stayed in his house too. So in his first visit to see Mr. Lameer after his heart operation he had discussed Dr. Austin's offer with him, and together they had worked out this project. Dr. Jayatilleke is also in the local medical team who will assist in selecting patients for this surgery session. The other local cardiologists who will be assisting in this programme are Drs. Ruwan Ekanayake, M. S. R. de Silva, Promod Ranatunga, Prof. Lamabadasuriya will also be helping in this programme. Joining the team are Dr. John Simpson - Consultant Cardiologist, Dr. Franco Muscuzzo - Consultant Anesthetist, Dr. Andrew Durwood - Consultant Intensivist, Mr. Jeff Fowler - Accredited Paediatric Perfusionist, Mr. Simon Smith - An Operating Department Practitioner and three Intensive Care Theatre Sisters - Mrs. Muscuzzo, Jane Stanhouse, and Emma Strachan. Most of these specialists are Senior Lecturers at Guy's St. Thomas' Medical School, they will be conducting a series of lectures in their respective fields to medical personnel, whilst some will be conducting training sessions. Dr. Mohan Jayatillake and Dr. Y. K. M. Lahie are selecting patients for this tour from the poor sector, and those referred to by consultants from outstation hospitals. The Sri Lankan co-ordinators are Dr. Neville Fernando, and Dr. Krishantha Fernando. Mrs. Hussain Senior Assistant Registrar will be responsible for organising lectures, the UK co-ordinators are Jai and Jayanthi Lameer assisted by Harish Nilawera - Solicitor and Ananda Thevathasan - Accountant. There are several UK sponsors, and some Sri Lankan sponsors, more are sought to finance this and future projects, the success of this tour will open doors for Sri Lankan post graduate doctors, nurses and other medical staff to obtain training on a regular basis at Guy's St. Thomas'. Future visits by the team are being contemplated together with supply of hospital equipment.
Pre-pregnancy pounds put mom, baby at risk by Jennifer Warner Most women know that taking vitamins and avoiding drugs like caffeine and alcohol can help assure a healthy pregnancy. But a new report warns many more may not be aware that simply losing weight and being in shape before pregnancy could be just as important to the health of both baby and mom. A new report presented today by the March of Dimes Task Force on Nutrition and Optimal Human Development shows women who are overweight or obese are 30% to 40% more likely to deliver a baby with a major birth defect such as those that affect the brain, heart, and digestive system. "It's an area where weight matters more than we think," says Richard Deckelbaum, MD, chairman of the task force and director of the Institute of Human Nutrition at Columbia University. "People don't really understand the effect on the babies." He says it's harder to get pregnant when you're overweight, and then if you do get pregnant, the risk of complications during pregnancy and problems for the baby increase dramatically. Overweight was defined as being 10-15% heavier than recommended for a woman's height, or having a body mass index or BMI (a measurement of weight in relation to height) of 25 to 30. Obese was having a BMI of 30 or more. A BMI of 18.5 to 25 is generally considered to be healthy, which equates to a weight of between 110 to 144 pounds for a 5-foot-4-inch woman of average build. The report shows overweight or obese women are at increased risk of having complications during pregnancy such as gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia or eclampsia (high blood pressure during pregnancy), and hospitalization. "The risk of the mother being hospitalized during pregnancy goes up four times if she's overweight. If her BMI is over 35, the risk goes up by six to seven times," says Deckelbaum. The risk of stillbirth or death in the first week after birth, known as perinatal mortality, also increases as maternal BMI increases. Deckelbaum says most doctors - as well as their patients - are unaware of this connection even though the risks are well documented by research. He says the public seems to understand the importance of other things women can do to ensure a healthy pregnancy and baby, such as folic acid supplementation, but the message about being in shape before pregnancy has been lost. In light of the U.S. Surgeon General's declaration that the country is facing an "epidemic of obesity," experts agree that we're going to be seeing more pregnancy problems associated with maternal overweight and obesity. According to the task force, the percentage of women aged 20 to 29 who are obese has more than doubled from 7% in 1960-62 to 17% in 1988-94.
It is ridiculous ... by Prof. D. Narahari "Some people instead of eating cheap whole grains with bran, are eating costly polished grains, and taking bran separately. Isn't that ridiculous? Prof. Narahari of the Madras Veterinary College was giving a talk on 'nutritious in the eggs' at the OPA last week when he said that and added: "Foods of animal origin are rich in protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals, but they are lacking in sufficient energy and fibre. Hence they must be supplemented with grains, vegetables and fruits. Conversely, grains, vegetables and fruits are lacking in protein, certain minerals and vitamins. Hence it must be supplemented with meats, eggs, milk and legumes". "Dietry Fibre is mostly not digested and absorbed by the body, but it performs an essential non-nutrient functions. This fibre is present abundantly in leafy vegetables, followed by other vegetables, fruits, brans in whole grains and in pulses with husk. Polishing or refining the grains and pulses will reduce this fibre content. Hence unpolished whole grains should be preferred over polished grains. But just think what happens, instead of eating this unpolished stuff which is cheap, we go for the costlier polished stuff, and eat the bran separately paying for it again. How ridiculous? Fibre plays a part in preventing constipation and colon cancer. About 30 grams of dietary fibre is recommended for this. The traditional foods in developing countries like Sri Lanka contain more than this level. Normal quantities of whole grain vegetables and fruits supplies more than this quantity of fibre. This fibre bounds cholesterol/cholestoralamine in bile and food in the intestine and excrete them without reabsorption, thereby it prevents Gall stone and obstructive, jaundice also. Excess eating of any food is bad, especially eating high energy giving food in excess is really bad. A balanced diet is 50 per cent medicine for any diseases and disorders so try to eat a balanced diet to be in good health. It's not difficult to do, if you only care for it you can do it. The talk was organised by the Sri Lanka Chapter of the World Poultry Science Association and the speaker had been sent here by the Parent body in USA.
A medical point of view Garlic by Dr. T. M. M. Fonseka By food value Garlic is said to contain 39% carbohydrates, protein and fat and 61% water. The contents are calcium, phosphorous, iron, sodium, potassium, iodine, sulphur, allyl, magnesium, vitamins A, B1, B2, and C. Its anti-putrefactive power is attributed to the stimulation of stomach secretions and gall bladder and there is good reason to believe that the breath of a person only smells offensively odiferous of garlic if the food he has eaten has not digested properly. Ayurvedic Point of view 1. Garlic along with Karapincha is used to reduce the level of Cholesterol. 2. It is used along Coriander to bring down fever and cure body aches and coughs.
Health Watch "Centenarian Study" to commence in Jaffna and Vanni With the cessation of hostilities, and the ceasefire agreement coming into force the Health Watch Centenarian Study Team headed by Prof. Colvin Goonaratne has decided to seek the possibility of taking this program, the social objective of which is fostering respect, recognition and honour for human life, to Jaffna and Vanni districts. Dr. Dennis J. Aloysius, with doctors Viraj Peramuna (Puttalam District Hospital) Ranesh Wijesinghe (Colombo South Teaching Hospital) of the Centenarian Study Team and the Health Watch Coordination will meet the ICRC and the Medicine Sans Frontiers (Doctors without borders) officials in Colombo next week to get details of living centenarians in the uncleared areas in Jaffna known to them. Dr. Aloysius and the Study Team will also meet the Minister for Rehabilitation, Resettlement and Refugees, Dr. Jayalath Jayawardena to appraise him of this programme, the social objective of which - respect, recognition and honour for human life, strengthens the peace process initiated by the ceasefire agreement between the Government and the LTTE. If everything works as expected The Study Team hopes to commence the first study on April 14th to coincide with the Sinhala and Hindu New Year. Health Watch readers who have any information about living centenarians in Jaffna and Vanni districts please write to the Health Watch. The Study Team has already completed 21 studies in various parts of the country, meeting the Centenarians and their family members during weekends, and spending whole day with them. A specially developed Vanda Orchid plant at the Peradeniya Botanical Gardens has also been dedicated by the Study Team in honour of the Centenarians, by naming it "Vanda 100 Centenaria".
Neglecting parents produce aggressive men - Dr. D. H. Karunatilleke Those who take to aggression to resolve conflicts in society are the products of neglecting parents. This view was expressed by Dr. D. H. Karunatilleke, President of the College of Paediatricians, Sri Lanka, when he spoke on - Parenting advice by Paediatricians, at his induction in office recently in Colombo. Speaking on different parenting styles, he said "There are four such styles namely Authoritative, Authoritarian, Neglecting and Permissive of these the - Neglecting Parents are those who are cold and indulge in harsh disciplinary methods such as frequent corporal punishment and have little or no supervision of their children and do little more than provide them with food and shelter. "Children of these parents develop adjustment problems in later life and think that aggression is an appropriate way of resolving conflicts." "They tend to use aggression in managing conflicts with their peers and are at the risk of developing conduct disorders and psychopathic traits" Authoritative parents are those who adopt a warm, child centred approach coupled with a moderate degree of control that allows children to take age appropriate responsibility and allow children to develop as autonomous and confident individuals. These children also learn that the most effective way of settling disputes is by taking others view point in to consideration within a balanced framework. This also helps in the development of good peer relationships and consequently of a good social network and they generally do well in school. Authoritarian parents ... Like the authoritative parents, authoritarian parents also set firm controls but they tend to be less warm and emotionally more distant from the child they set rules without explaining why they are good rules. Their children tend to be law-abiding shy adults who are reluctant to take initiatives and are not very independent. They believe that unquestioning obedience is the best way to solve interpersonal differences and problems. Permissive parents are those who are warm and loving but undemanding. They also lack in disciplining skills. These children will lack competence in later life to follow through on plans and show poor impulse control. It is now known that proper and adequate age appropriate stimulation can raise the I.Q. of a child by as much as 10 I Q points. Therefore, lack of stimulation such as - * Not playing with the child * Not providing adequate and correct educational material * Not providing a secure base for him to explore the environment * Not showing adequate love and empathy are some of the errors that we commonly encounter. Although there are so many organisations and well coordinated programmes to monitor and promote parenting in countries such as the United Kingdom and the United States; this issue of parenting still receive very low priority in our child care programmes and in the political agenda. In Sri Lanka we work with a lot of constraints and it is very important that we target children in the most effective way. Although a well-coordinated child mental health programme is necessary to address these issues, there is no such programme at present. Therefore, in the absence of an organised child mental health programme in this country, the onus of this task initially rests with the paediatricians. The proposed community health care programmes for the future with the active participation of the community paediatricians could certainly serve as a launching pad for this purpose. Therefore, we will be failing in our duty if we do not pay some attention to this important aspect of childcare.
Question box Does Poultry Feed Contain Hormones? A reader from Panadura has posed this question to us: "I am posing this question to you, to get an answer from some authoritative person in this field, as we have a common belief that poultry feed contain some growth hormones and that is why the chicken grow so fast in the poultry farms within days to the required weight for slaughter, and that consumption of this meat affects the growth hormones especially in girls, and some attain early puberty as a result. Reply No Hormones are added to poultry feed now. - Dr. Mrs. A.L. Godwin (Vet. Consultant - BVS (Cey) Dip. FH & VPH
(Den.) We referred your question to Dr. Mrs. Godwin, who is also the
president of the World Poultry Science Association - Sri Lanka Branch. Her
reply was Yes & No, for 40 years ago hormones were added to hasten the
growth, but not anymore. For now they have used genetics to achieve the
faster growth needed. The genetically modified varieties of chicken come
up to the required weight in 42 days. So no hormones are added to any of
the feeds we have also referred your letter to Dr. Miss P. Wijewantha,
Asst. Director Poultry Development in the Department of Agriculture for a
reply.
(IUI) Cost Effective Facility for childless couples With regard to the article by Dr. B.G.D. Vidyatilleke (Consultant Obstetrician & Gynaecologist), which we carried in this page last week, we had a number of inquiries from our readers as to state the institution in Colombo where this facility is available. The institution is, De Soysa Maternity Hospital (Ward 5 clinic) where Dr. Vidyatilleke working. On Bread Poultice does wonders to wounds Mrs. K.I. Goonewardena of 32 B, Weerakoon Gardens, Kandy in a letter to us on - Bread Poultice says, It does wonders to wounds, and I totally agree with Dr. Riley Fernando's theory about its efficacy in his article on the subject in the Health Watch. "May I add that my late father D.A. Devendra always cured our wounds with the poultice application and I am proud to say that even now I do the same to my children. You have done a big service by publishing the article and Dr. Fernando being a western doctor has done a great service in writing it. Best wishes to all of you. Mobile Phone towers - A Health Risk? Mr. K.L.R.F. Wijegunawardena of The Environmental Foundation Ltd., Sri Lanka in a letter to us on the above subject (dated 15.2.2002) states: "On representations received from concerned parties, on the above subject on which an article appeared in the Health Watch of Feb. 8, 2002, we have consulted both local and foreign experts and have received their comments". "The Telecommunication Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka has forwarded a copy of their final draft on -(The Standard of Human Exposure to Radio Frequency Radiation (SHERFR): for our comments and have included the comments received by us from both the local and foreign experts on the subject, with our comments on the SHERFR draft. |
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