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London shop to make breast milk ice cream
Thu Feb 24, 2011 3:14pm GMT
Print | Single Page[-] Text [+] LONDON (Reuters) - A specialist ice cream parlour plans to serve up breast milk ice cream and says people should think of it as an organic, free-range treat.
The breast milk concoction, called the "Baby Gaga," will be available from Friday at the Icecreamists restaurant in London's Covent Garden.
Icecreamists founder Matt O'Connor was confident his take on the "miracle of motherhood" and priced at a hefty 14 pounds ($23) a serving will go down a treat with the paying public.
The breast milk was provided by mothers who answered an advertisement on online mothers' forum Mumsnet.
Victoria Hiley, 35, from London was one of 15 women who donated milk to the restaurant after seeing the advert.
Hiley works with women who have problems breast-feeding their babies. She said she believes that if adults realised how tasty breast milk actually is, then new mothers would be more willing to breast-feed their own newborns.
"What could be more natural than fresh, free-range mother's milk in an ice cream? And for me it's a recession beater too -- what's the harm in using my assets for a bit of extra cash," Hiley said in a statement.
"I tried the product for the first time today -- it's very nice, it really melts in the mouth."
The Baby Gaga recipe blends breast milk with Madagascan vanilla pods and lemon zest, which is then churned into ice cream.
O'Connor said the Baby Gaga was just one of a dozen radical new flavours at the shop.
"Some people will hear about it and go, 'yuck' but actually it's pure, organic, free-range and totally natural," he said. "I had a Baby Gaga just this morning and I feel great."
(Reporting by Paul Casciato; Editing by Steve Addison)
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You can read that breastfeeding wasn't always practiced as soon as birth occured. During antiquity, colostrum was believed to be poisonous for the newborn! They didn't believe that the newborn needed to be fed as long as he still had meconium in his intestines. The real benefits of colostrum have only been recently reconized during the 70'S.
Breastfeeding to demand of the newborn was practiced until the end of the XIXth centery, than around 1890, nursing schedules were used.
Up until the begining of the XXth century, breastfeeding in public was socially accepted and normal. As you can see in many XVIIIth century paintings from Holland were many women are breastfeeding at the marketplace.
From antiquity to the XIXth century, the children were breastfeed up until they could eat at the table with the whole family. By that time, at the age of two, they would have their molars. Baby's were from birth simultaneously breastfeed and cereal fed. By which weaning wasn't so radical as we know it today, except when the mother was pregnant again, it was then formally prohibited...
Breastfeeding fatwa sheikh back at Al-Azhar
One of Sunni Islam's most prestigious institutions is to discipline a cleric after he issued a decree allowing women to breastfeed their male colleagues.
Dr Izzat Atiya of Egypt's al-Azhar University said it offered a way around segregation of the sexes at work.
His fatwa stated the act would make the man symbolically related to the woman and preclude any sexual relations.
The president of al-Azhar denounced the fatwa, which Dr Atiya has since retracted, as defamatory to Islam.
According to Islamic tradition, or Hadith, breast-feeding establishes a degree of maternal relation, even if a woman nurses a child who is not biologically hers.
'Family bond'
In his fatwa, Dr Atiya, the head of al-Azhar's Department of Hadith, said such teachings could equally apply to adults.
He said that if a woman fed a male colleague "directly from her breast" at least five times they would establish a family bond and thus be allowed to be alone together at work.
"Breast feeding an adult puts an end to the problem of the private meeting, and does not ban marriage," he ruled.
"A woman at work can take off the veil or reveal her hair in front of someone whom she breastfed."
The legal ruling sparked outrage throughout Egypt and the Arab world.
On Sunday, Dr Atiya retracted it, saying it had been the result of a "bad interpretation of a particular case" during the time of the Prophet Muhammad.
Egypt's minister of religious affairs, Mahmoud Zaqzouq, has called for future fatwas to "be compatible with logic and human nature".
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Ezzat Attiya is the fellow who was ridiculed worldwide and fired from Al-Azhar after coming up with what appeared to be a novel solution to a long-standing problem: how could unrelated men and women work together in the same office, when Islam forbids men and women who aren't married or related to be alone together? Attiya's answer: let her suckle him. Then she will be his foster mother, and they can be alone together.
It seemed novel, as well as ridiculous, but in fact it was based on the words of Muhammad. Attiya, after all, was the head of the venerable institution's hadith department, and so he was no doubt well familiar with this and other, related ahadith:
'A'isha (Allah be pleased with her) reported that Salim, the freed slave of Abu Hadhaifa, lived with him and his family in their house. She (i. e. the daughter of Suhail came to Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) and said: Salim has attained (purbety) [sic] as men attain, and he understands what they understand, and he enters our house freely, I, however, perceive that something (rankles) in the heart of Abu Hudhaifa, whereupon Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) said to her: Suckle him and you would become unlawful for him, and (the rankling) which Abu Hudhaifa feels in his heart will disappear. She returned and said: So I suckled him, and what (was there) in the heart of Abu Hudhaifa disappeared. (Sahih Muslim 3425)
Muhammad tells the daughter of Suhail to suckle Salim. This will make her unlawful to him, that is, he won't be able to marry her because he will be her foster child. Thus it will be lawful for him to be in the house with her, and Abu Hudhaifa will no longer be angry.
So anyway, now Ezzat Attiya has his job back.
"Egypt court annuls Azhar's decision to expel controversial sheikh: Breastfeeding fatwa sheikh back at Egypt's Azhar," from Al-Arabiya, May 18 (thanks to Twostellas):
CAIRO (AlArabiya.net) The case of the male breastfeeding fatwa, or religious ruling, just took another strange turn as the scholar who issued the controversial opinion was rehired after being fired by Egypt’s al-Azhar University.
The Cairo Administrative Court overturned the decision by al-Azhar's disciplinary committee to expel Ezzat Attiya, the president of the hadith department, for issuing a fatwa condoning the symbolic breastfeeding of grown men in 2007.
The court annulled the university’s decision to expel Attiya after he issued a fatwa permitting symbolic breastfeeding of men as a way to loosen the customs of segregation between the sexes in Egypt.
"No one can argue with a court order,” Sheikh Fawzy el-Zefzaf, head of religion and dialogue committee at al-Azhar, said in a statement Monday. “We respect the Administrative Court and follow its orders without thinking twice.”
Some students at al Azhar University who disagreed with the fatwa nonetheless endorsed the court's deicision, saying that no Azhar teacher should be expelled.
"I am glad the Attiya is back at Azhar because no sheikh should be expelled from his job for his opinions," Abdul Qader Ramadan, 23, told Al Arabiya.
Islam prohibits sexual relations between a man and the woman who breastfed him in infancy. Attiya said that if a woman were to symbolically breastfeed a male colleague, she could be alone with him since he would no longer be considered a potential mate....
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Al-Azhar chief 'should resign over veil remark'
By Samer al-Atrush (AFP) – 1 day ago
CAIRO — A Islamist lawmaker called on Wednesday for the head of the most prestigious centre of religious learning in the Sunni Muslim world to resign after he told a schoolgirl to remove the veil covering her face.
The demand to step down came as about two dozen students, wearing the face veil, known as a niqab, protested outside the state-run Cairo University, which has banned the veils from its residence hall.
Mohammed Tantawi, head of Al-Azhar University, told a schoolgirl to remove her niqab when he spotted her during a tour of an Al-Azhar affiliated school, the independent Al-Masry al-Youm newspaper reported this week.
He also said he intended to ban the niqab at Al-Azhar and made an unflattering remark about the girl's appearance when she took off the veil, the newspaper said.
"And you look like this; what would you do of you were a bit pretty," he reportedly asked, adding "I know more about religion than your parents."
Al-Azhar spokesman Ahmed Tawfiq confirmed Tantawi had asked the girl to remove the niqab, but said he spoke to her in a kindly way.
He said Tantawi, who insists the niqab is not an Islamic practice, wanted to ban the niqab from Al-Azhar classrooms on religious grounds.
"The imam always bases his decision on religious grounds," said Tawfiq.
Hamdi Hassan, an MP with the Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt's largest opposition group, said "Tantawi cannot stay in his post; he hurt's Al-Azhar every time he says something.
"I believe the niqab is not an obligation, but it is a benefit," he added. "Why ban it from Al-Azhar? It's a religious institution, not a belly dancing academy."
Meanwhile, about two dozen students wearing the niqab, which covers all but the eyes, gathered outside the gates of Cairo University's residence to protest at the decision, their luggage piled on a nearby pavement.
"I have exams in two weeks. I haven't found a house and I can't study," said one student who gave her name as Fatin. "What happened to individual freedom? Cosmetics are freedom, but not the niqab?"
In Kuwait, hardline Islamist MP Mohammad Hayef called Tantawi's action "shameless" and said the cleric issues "bizarre and abnormal fatwas (religious edicts)."
Most Muslim women in Egypt wear the hijab, which covers the hair, but the niqab is becoming more popular on the streets of Cairo.
The government has shown concern over the trend. The religious endowments ministry issued booklets against the practice, saying the niqab is not Islamic, and the health ministry wants to ban it among doctors and nurses.
In the Middle East, the niqab is associated with Salafism, an ultra-conservative school of thought practised mostly in Saudi Arabia.
Most Salafis shun politics, but the creed has influenced Islamist militants such as Al Qaeda chief Osama Bin Laden.
Al-Azhar has long enjoyed a reputation as Sunni Islam's eminent source of learning and edicts.
Salafis, who actively promote their creed, sometimes funded by wealthy patrons in Saudi Arabia, are opposed to Al-Azhar's theological teachings.
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Saudi clerics battle over music, adult-breastfeeding fatwas
RIYADH: One cleric’s endorsement of breastfeeding for grown men and another’s statement that music is not un-Islamic have opened up a pitched battle in Saudi Arabia over who can issue fatwas. Hardline and progressive religious scholars, judges and clerics have taken the fight public in what some describe as outright “chaos” in the country. Much of the fight in the past week has focused on a fatwa endorsing music, issued by Adel al-Kalbani, a cleric at Makkah’s Grand Mosque. Kalbani said he found nothing in Islamic scripture that makes music forbidden.
But, aside from some folk music, public music performance is banned in Saudi Arabia, and conservatives say it is haram even in the home. “There is no clear text or ruling in Islam that singing and music are haram,” Kalbani said.
Also, a much more senior cleric, Sheikh Abdul Mohsen al-Obeikan, recently raised hackles with two of his opinions, both of which could be considered fatwas. First, he endorsed the idea that a grown man could be considered the son of a woman if she breastfeeds him.
Obeikan, a top adviser in King Abdullah’s court, who is believed to be supportive of a less-severe Islam in his kingdom, also angered conservatives when he said the Zuhr and Asr prayers could be combined to help worshippers skirt the intense heat of summer. While the choice is allowed for individuals in certain circumstances, conservatives say such a broad ruling for everyone is wrong. The influential Sheikh Abdul Rahman al-Sudais lashed out on Friday at what he labelled “fraudulent” fatwas, likening their originators to market vendors selling fake or spoiled goods. Meanwhile, the country’s grand mufti, Sheikh Abdulaziz al-Sheikh, warned of a crackdown against such clerics. afp
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Breastfeeding is still the golden standard
By K.S. RAMKUMAR, RAMKUMAR@ARABNEWS.COM
Published: Apr 28, 2010 16:28 Updated: Apr 28, 2010 16:28
Breastfeeding is well known around the world as the optimal nutrition for infant wellbeing. Saudi Arabia is no exception with breast milk being widely recognized and encouraged due to the unrivaled health benefits it offers infants and young children. In fact, breastfeeding across the Kingdom has formed part of the nation’s culture and traditions for ages, and the practice continues.
According to pediatricians, exclusive breastfeeding is the perfect way to provide the best food for a baby’s first six months of life. The first year of life is a period of rapid growth; as a result, adequate and appropriate nutrition is essential. An infant’s weight at birth doubles after about five months and triples by the time the infant completes 12 months of age. During this time period, an infant’s length also doubles. Infants will not reach their expected growth if they do not receive sufficient calories, vitamins and minerals – that’s where breastfeeding plays an important role.
Breastfeeding provides immunity
Breastfeeding is much more than food alone. A well nourished mother who breastfeeds her baby, can help supply adequate amounts of most vitamins and minerals.
Other than promoting growth, breastfeeding offers disease protection. Breast milk contains antibodies that reduce the risk of infection for a newborn baby. As a result, breastfed infants have a decreased incidence of respiratory, gastrointestinal and ear infections, and are much less likely to die from diarrhea, acute respiratory infections and other diseases. Furthermore, breastfeeding supports infants’ immune systems and helps protect them from chronic conditions later in life such as obesity and diabetes. Babies from families with allergies gain a particular benefit since a study has shown that breastfeeding reduces allergies, asthma and eczema.
Breast milk vs. formula
Apart from being less costly, breast milk is nutritionally superior to formula in many ways. According to Professor Eric Lien of the University of Illinois’ Food Science and Human Nutrition Department, breast milk is the best source of nutrition for an infant’s first six months of life, followed by infant formula for mothers who cannot or choose not to breastfeed.
“A key challenge for infant formula is how to best reproduce the composition and health benefits of human milk,” says Lien in his presentation on “Integrated Approach to Infant Nutrition” at a special event hosted by Pfizer Nutrition (PN) in Riyadh.
According to scientific studies, there are major composition differences between human milk and infant formula. Unlike most formula, mother’s milk contains docosohexaenoic and arachidonic acids, which contribute to brain and retinal development. Furthermore, some studies have suggested that breastfed infants learn more effectively and score higher on intelligence tests when tested at 18 months of age.
Human milk comprises 300 components but infant formula has about 75 individual components. Vitamins and mineral profiles, carbohydrate source (lactose) and fatty acid profiles are similar in both human milk and infant formula.
“Individual nutrients carry their own set of benefits. However, a good combination of nutrients can produce additional synergistic benefits for a child’s growth and development, and this is what we call the Biofactors System,” said Professor Lien said.
The Biofactors System approach to nutrition patterns infant formula after human milk, and duplicate as closely as possible the optimal outcomes from human milk’s superior composition.
Some of these biofactors are AA, DHA, zinc and iron (for brain development), alpha protein (for easy digestion and helps promote a healthy gut), natural carotenes like zinc and nucleotides (to help improve immunity) and calcium and phosphorous (for healthy bone development).
For optimal nutrition, the formulation preferred by pediatricians is the one that has been systematically designed to deliver the functional benefits that an infant or young child needs to thrive during a particular stage of life,” says Dr. Mohamed Sultan, PN’s medical director of Saudi Arabia.
The Biofactors System formula is designed to support growth, development and optimal visual and mental development, as well as digestion and metabolism. In fact, no one ingredient makes a formula unique compared to other formulas. Rather, it is the optimal combination of biofactors in balanced amounts that support the child’s health and development today and enhances future potential.
Mothers benefit as well
Mothers also benefit from breastfeeding in many ways: It strengthens the bond between mother and infant and helps the mother return to her pre-pregnancy weight in a shorter amount of time since milk production burns 200 to 500 calories a day.
Infancy is a time of tremendous growth that can be best met through breastfeeding. If this is not possible, pediatricians say commercial, iron-fortified infant formulas can provide adequate nutrition. Semi-solid foods should then be added to prepare the infant for more mature eating and chewing.
Throughout the first year, it is important for parents to learn to recognize an infant’s cues regarding feelings of hunger and fullness since that will prevent overfeeding. Observing an infant’s readiness to chew, and by providing appropriate foods, parents will help infants develop skills for independent eating.
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Breastfeeding study raises doubts over guidelines Buzz
EmailPrint.. AFP/File – A mother breastfeeding her newborn baby. Breastfeeding exclusively for the first six months is not necessarily … .–
Fri Jan 14, 7:42 am ET
LONDON (AFP) – Breastfeeding exclusively for the first six months is not necessarily best for a baby's health, British researchers said Friday, calling into question advice given to new mothers.
The team led by a paediatrician from University College London said babies fed only breast milk could suffer iron deficiency and may be more prone to allergies.
The study says babies could start to be weaned on to solids as early as four months, although other experts advised sticking to the existing guidelines.
Ten years ago, the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommended that infants should be exclusively breastfed for six months.
"Many Western countries, including 65 percent of European member states and the United States, elected not to follow this recommendation fully, or at all," the authors said, although Britain did.
The WHO recommendation "rested largely" on a review of 16 studies, including seven from developing countries.
It concluded that babies given only breast milk for six months had fewer infections and experienced no growth problems.
But another review of 33 studies found "no compelling evidence" not to introduce solids at four to six months, the experts said.
Some studies have also shown that breastfeeding for six months fails to give babies all the nutrition they need.
One US study from 2007 found that babies exclusively breastfed for six months were more likely to develop anaemia than those introduced to solids at four to six months.
On the issue of allergies, the British study said researchers in Sweden found that the incidence of early onset coeliac disease increased after a recommendation to delay introduction of gluten until age six months, "and it fell to previous levels after the recommendation reverted to four months".
The authors said however that exclusively breastfeeding for six months remains the best recommendation for developing countries, which have higher death rates from infection.
But in developed countries, it could lead to adverse health outcomes and may "reduce the window for introducing new tastes".
"Bitter tastes, in particular, may be important in the later acceptance of green leafy vegetables, which may potentially affect later food preferences with influence on health outcomes such as obesity."
The researchers said the European Food Safety Authority's panel on dietetic products, nutrition and allergies has concluded that for infants across the EU, complementary foods may be introduced safely between four to six months.
Experts in Britain challenged the findings of the new study.
Janet Fyle, professional policy adviser at the Royal College of Midwives, said: "I really must challenge the suggestion from the review that the UK should reconsider its current advice on exclusive breastfeeding for six months.
"I believe that this is a retrograde step and plays into the hands of the baby food industry which has failed to support the six-month exclusive breastfeeding policy in the UK."
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بيوت العفاف لممارسة الجنس الإسلامي /لحل مشاكل الاغتصاب.. الحكومة الإيرانية تقرر نشر بيوت زواج المتعة . . . وحدة . . . وحدة .. بالدور يا حلوين
Friday, March 04, 2011الجمعة, 29 ربيع الأول 1432
وحدة . . . وحدة .. بالدور يا حلوين
لحل مشاكل الاغتصاب.. الحكومة الإيرانية تقرر نشر بيوت زواج المتعة!
قررت الحكومة الإيرانية نشر بيوت الزواج المؤقت أو ما يعرف باسم زواج المتعة ليوم واحد، في الشوارع والأحياء، بحجة القضاء على مشكلة الاغتصاب والكبت الجنسي الذي يعاني منه الشباب الإيراني، في دولة تبيح ممارسة الجنس
مع أي فتاة، تحت ذرائع دينية!
وتحت هذه الذريعة، سيكون بإمكان أي إيراني ارتياد هذه البيوت، لممارسة الجنس مع فتاة تقدم هذه الخدمة لأي شاب يقرع بابها، بحجة أن الدين يبيح هذه الممارسات، والتي يطلق عليها صفة الزواج لدى الشيعة!
ونقلت مصادر إعلامية اليوم الجمعة، عن قوى الأمن الداخلي قولها: إنها ستوسع نطاق ما يعرف في إيران بمراكز أو بيوت العفاف!!!؟؟ بهدف تقليص الاغتصابات وحل معضلة العلاقات الجنسية غير المشروعة.! وأكد تقرير رسمي للحكومة أنها مقتنعة بضرورة إشاعة الزواج المؤقت أو ما يعرف بزواج المتعة، لحل هذه الأزمة، وأنها مستعدة لإيجاد مراكز خاصة في هذا المجال!! فيما سمحت الحكومة للعديد من المكاتب ومواقع الإنترنت بنشاط يدخل في مجال تعارف النساء والرجال والبحث عن زوج أو زوجة، والزواج المؤقت.. حتى أن إعلاناً نشر في موقع رسمي يعلن عن تقديم مراكز دينية في مدن قم ومشهد وطهران لتأمين البنات للرجال الراغبين في الزواج المؤقت .. ويبلغ سعر الليلة الواحدة ما بين 50 إلى 100 دولار ويكون نصف الربح للمراكز الدينية الشيعية!!
ونقلت صحيفة القبس الكويتية الصادرة اليوم، عن الحكومة قولها: إنها تهدف إلى تقليص حالات الكبت الجنسي لدى الشباب والإقلال من حالات الاغتصاب، وإن كل من يريد أن يقوم بالعمل الجنسي يستطيع الذهاب إلى بيوت العفاف!!!!!!؟؟؟؟؟.
مشيرة إلى أن مثل هذه البيوت أو المراكز كانت موجودة في عهد الشاه السابق، لكن بعد الثورة تمت إزالتها لأنها مراكز فساد وانحطاط، إلا أن هاشمي رفسنجاني كان أول من طرح فكرة إيجاد بيوت العفاف أو مراكز الزواج المؤقت وذلك عام 1991 ولكن في الواقع تحولت هذه البيوت وفقاً لاعتراف أركان النظام إلى مراكز لفساد المسؤولين، إذ استولوا عليها وصاروا يلعبون بخلق الله كيفما يشاءون!
ولم يسمح النظام علنا باستمرار بيوت العفاف في عهد حكومة خاتمي ولا في الأعوام السابقة، حيث ظل هذا النشاط سرياً وعلى مستوى الشوارع أو البيوت الخاصة غير المرخص لها.
وأضافت الصحيفة أن هذه البيوت باتت مرتعاً لنزوات وشهوات المسؤولين وبعض رجال الدين الشيعة الذين لا يكتفون، عادة، حتى بأربع نساء حسب الشرع الإسلامي!
ويدعو النائب علي مطهري إلى تطبيق هذا المشروع بشكل واسع النطاق حتى في المدارس الثانوية والجامعات!!! على غرار الحرية الجنسية المتاحة في المجتمعات الغربية.
ويتساءل البعض: ترى هل يرضى رفسنجاني أو أي مرجع دين أو مسؤول كبير يدافع عن هذا المشروع أن يرسل إحدى بناتهم إلى بيوت العفاف لممارسة المتعة معها من قبل عشرات الشباب يومياً، أم أن هؤلاء ينصحون الناس فقط بإرسال بناتهم إلى بيوت العفاف لكي يمارسوا هم الجنس معهن لإرضاء رغباتهم؟
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Translation
Houses for sex chastity Islamic / solve the problems of rape .. Iranian government decides to deploy houses temporary marriage. . . Unit. . . Unit .. O sweet role
Friday, March 04, 2011 Friday, 29 Rabi I 1432
Unit. . . Unit .. O sweet role
Solve the problems of rape .. Iranian government decides to deploy houses marriage fun!
The Iranian government has decided to publish houses temporary marriage or the so-called temporary marriage for one day, in the streets and neighborhoods, on the pretext of eliminating the problem of rape and sexual repression suffered by the Iranian youth, in the state allow sex
With any girl, under the pretext of religious!
And under this pretext, it would be possible for any Iranian frequenting these houses, to have sex with a girl this service is provided to any man knocks on the door, on the grounds that religion allows such practices, the so-called marriage to the status of Shiites!
Media sources quoted on Friday, for the internal security forces as saying: It will expand the scope of what is known in Iran centers or the homes of chastity !!!?? The aim of reducing rape and solve the dilemma of illicit sexual relations.! The official report of the Government that it is satisfied the need to promote temporary marriage or the so-called temporary marriage, to resolve this crisis, and it is ready to create special centers in this area!! The government allowed many of the offices, Web sites and actively enter the field of acquaintance, men and women looking for a husband or wife, and temporary marriages .. So that an announcement posted on the official Announces religious centers in the cities of Qom and Mashhad and Tehran to secure the girls for men who wish to marry the interim .. The price per night between 50 to 100 dollars, half the profit for the Shiite religious centers!!
The newspaper Arab Times published today, saying the government: it aims to reduce the incidence of sexual repression among the youth and reduce cases of rape, although anyone who wants to do the work of sexual can go to the homes of chastity !!!!!!?????.
Noting that such homes or centers have existed in the era of the former Shah, but after the revolution has been removed because they are centers of corruption and degeneration, but Hashemi Rafsanjani was the first to raise the idea of finding homes that chastity centers or temporary marriage, and that in 1991, but in fact turned these houses in accordance with the recognition of the pillars of the regime to the centers of the corruption of officials, as they captured and became the creation of playing God as they please!
Did not allow the system constantly publicly chastity houses in the era of Khatami's government, nor in previous years, where he remained this activity a secret and on the street level or private homes licensed.
The newspaper added that these homes are a hotbed of the whims and desires of officials and some Shiite clerics, who are not satisfied with, usually, even four women, according to Islamic law!
MP calls on Motahhari to implementation of this project is widespread, even in high schools and universities!!! Such as sexual freedom available in Western societies.
Some wonder: Is pleased with Rafsanjani or any reference to religion or a senior advocate for this project is to send one of their daughters to the homes of chastity for the exercise of fun with them by the dozens of young people every day, or that they advise people just to send their daughters to the homes of chastity in order to exercise their sex with them to satisfy their desires?
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The 10 worst places to be an expectant mother
05 May 2011 15:25
Source: alertnet // Emma Batha
TCwomen510
This June 2008 file photo taken in eastern Chad shows refugees who fled the conflict in Sudan's western Darfur region carrying belongings to Djabal camp near Gos Beida. REUTERS/Finbarr O'Reilly
By Emma Batha
LONDON (AlertNet) - Every day 1000 women die in childbirth or from pregnancy complications. A chronic shortage of midwives is one of the main reasons for this high rate of maternal mortality.
As the world marks International Day of the Midwife, medical charity Merlin is calling for urgent investment to make up for the shortfall in health workers in conflict and crisis countries.
Here is Merlin’s list of the most dangerous places to be an expectant mother. The list is based on figures produced by the United Nations.
1 - Afghanistan (1400 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births) - This is the deadliest place in the world to give birth. Afghanistan’s rugged terrain, extreme weather and lack of roads mean many rural women simply can’t get to health centres, especially in winter when floods and avalanches are common. With little money for even the basics, let alone luxuries like petrol, many pregnant women are forced to take donkeys to the hospital but end up giving birth on the roadside during the long journey – and often losing their lives.
2 - Chad (1200/100,000) - This central African country only has one midwife for every 100,000 people. A girl growing up in Chad today has nearly the same chance of dying in childbirth as she has of attending secondary school. Owing to political instability and corruption, there has been little investment in the health service. In some hospitals, women are forced to give birth on dirt floors.
3 - Somalia (1200/100,000) – This Horn of Africa country has been ravaged by civil war for the last 15 years which, when combined with years of severe drought and famine, has devastated the health service. One in ten children dies before their first birthday. Many women must travel through the desert by camel to reach clinics.
4 - Guinea-Bissau (1000/100,000) - The capital has just one equipped surgery room. In remote rural areas women have to travel by canoe to reach qualified care. Caesareans cost $109 but two thirds of the population live on just $2 a day.
5 - Liberia (990/100,000) – This West African country has high maternal mortality rates but the recent influx of refugees fleeing violence in Ivory Coast means health services are even more squeezed. More than 100,000 Ivorians – mostly women and children – have arrived in Liberia in recent months. Refugees, made up mostly of women and children, walk for days and weeks to cross the border. Pregnant women who go into labour during the journey are forced to give birth in the bush.
6 - Sierra Leone (970/100,000) - One in eight women risks dying during pregnancy or childbirth. Every year 536,000 women die, mostly from bleeding and infection. Women die in their homes and others on their way to hospital in taxis, on motorbikes, or on foot. With access to a trained health worker, 75 percent of these women could be saved.
7 - Burundi (970/100,000) - Women with health complications are referred to city and district hospitals and can often spend all their family’s money on the journey there, only to be turned away due to overcrowding. Hospitals often detain patients unable to settle their bills.
8 - Central African Republic (850/100,000) – The country has just one midwife for 55,000 people. Insecurity has ravaged the country leaving many health centres abandoned and without proper equipment, including simple beds and stretchers. Merlin’s short film about a midwife named Olga highlights the problems.
9 - Nigeria (840/100,000) - Some 59,000 women die every year during pregnancy and childbirth. Just hours away from giving birth, heavily pregnant women travel unprotected on motorbikes. Others are forced to beg to raise the money to pay their hospital fees without which, they are forced to give birth at home where they are far more likely to die or suffer complications.
10 - Mali (830/100,000) - Although some hi-tech maternal health centres have been built, deaths have not decreased because women can’t get to them. Those living in rural areas are faced with abandoned hospitals that don’t even have mattresses on the beds.
For a story on the situation in Afghanistan's northeast, click here.
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Northeast Afghanistan - the worst place to give birth?
05 May 2011 14:48
Source: alertnet // Emma Batha
AFBadakhshan510
This July 2009 photo shows women walking on the main street of Baharak town in Afghanistan's Badakhshan province. REUTERS/Tim Wimborne
By Emma Batha
LONDON (AlertNet) - Where is the most dangerous place for a woman to give birth? No one can say for sure but the far northeastern corner of Afghanistan seems a likely bet.
It’s well known that Afghanistan is the riskiest country to be an expectant mother - one in 11 women will die giving birth. But in Badakhshan province maternal mortality rates are several times higher than the national average.
Now one aid agency wants to find out why. Health charity Merlin is exploring whether one factor could be a vitamin D deficiency, partly due to women living in purdah – largely confined to their home and heavily veiled if they go out.
A striking feature about the sky-high maternal mortality rate in Badakhshan is that a third of these women are losing their lives simply because they cannot get their babies out. Yet worldwide, this problem only accounts for 8 percent of maternal deaths. Clearly something is going on.
Merlin says a diet low in calcium and a lack of vitamin D, which is generated through exposure to sunlight, could be contributing to pelvic bone deformities, which means the baby gets stuck.
Women who have what doctors call obstructed labours often die from a ruptured uterus if they do not receive prompt medical help. In most cases the baby also dies.
Merlin, which is already addressing other issues behind Badakhshan’s alarming maternal mortality rate, is hoping to carry out research into vitamin D levels in expectant mothers.
Lizzy Berryman, Merlin’s health adviser for Afghanistan, said a study published in the Lancet medical journal
showed 30 percent of maternal deaths in the province were caused by obstructed labour.
“I’ve never seen obstructed labour percentages like this before … We definitely want to see why it is so high in this area,” she told AlertNet.
“There’s the possibility you’re looking at vitamin D deficiency because it would cause bone deformity and soft bones and you might end up with a high risk of a contracted pelvis.
“It’s nothing we can confirm. It just seems an obvious possibility and it’s something we want to follow up.”
EARLY MARRIAGE
One major factor behind the region’s high maternal mortality rate is a lack of midwives and limited access to healthcare. Badakhshan is a mountainous province with few roads meaning women often have to travel for days on foot or by donkey to reach medical help.
Merlin now runs 25 mobile health teams in the province, each with a birth attendant, who can travel to far-flung villages by donkey.
Other key factors behind the high maternal death rate include women’s low education and literacy levels, poor nutrition, early marriages and multiple closely-spaced births.
Berryman said many girls had their first pregnancies when they were under 15, before their pelvises were fully developed, and poor nutrition meant they were often stunted.
“There needs to be a lot of work on the promotion of female education and nutrition and also family-planning so women have the ability to space and control pregnancies … and so that both men and women understand the importance of delaying first pregnancies,” she added.
Badakhshan’s high maternal mortality rates were first highlighted in 2005 when the Lancet published research carried out in 2002 showing 6,500 women were dying for every 100,000 live births – more than three times the national average at the time.
Afghanistan’s national rate has since dropped to 1,400 deaths per 100,000 live births. Merlin believes the rate has also probably improved in Badakhshan, but there are no recent figures.
Berryman said Merlin’s research, which is dependent on funding, would probably involve measuring vitamin D levels, taking ultrasounds to see how many women’s pelvises are contracted and looking at issues including literacy, age at marriage, number of births, access to community midwives and the time it takes to reach a hospital.
Aside from its mobile clinics in Badakhshan, Merlin has also set up midwifery schools in two other northeastern provinces, Takhar and Kunduz, which are training women to become midwives on the proviso they return to their local communities to work.
Click here for Merlin’s Hands Up for Health Workers campaign
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Chinese cows churn out "human breast milk"
16 Jun 2011 05:36
Source: reuters // Reuters
By Haze Fan and Maxim Duncan
BEIJING, June 16 (Reuters Life!) - Moo-ove over, Mum.
Chinese scientists have produced a herd of genetically modified cows that make milk that could substitute for human breast milk -- a possible alternative to formula in a nation rocked by tainted milk powder scandals.
Researchers at the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology of the China Agricultural University introduced human genetic coding into the DNA of Holstein dairy cow embryos, then transferred the embryos into cow surrogates.
In 2003, after years of testing on mice, scientists managed to create the first cow that could produce milk with the same nutritional properties as human breast milk, but with a taste even stronger and sweeter.
"The genetically modified cow milk is 80 percent the same as human breast milk," said Li Ning, a professor and the project's director as well as lead researcher.
"Our modified cow milk contains several major properties of human milk, in particular proteins and antibodies which we believe are good for our health and able to improve our immune system."
Over 300 cloned cattle now live on an experimental farm in suburban Beijing, with new calves delivered every week.
Li's team, which is supported by a major Chinese biotechnology company, aims to have an affordable form of the milk on the market within three years.
Behind their efforts is a series of poisonings and toxin scandals that have shaken consumer trust in China's dairy sector and its products.
In 2008, at least six children died and nearly 300,000 fell ill from drinking powdered milk laced with melamine, an industrial chemical added to low quality or diluted milk to fool inspectors checking for protein levels.
COMMERCIAL USE?
Before the milk can be marketed, for other people as well as babies, stricter safety tests are needed, Li said.
"In fact, we still need to conduct clinical trials on human beings with volunteers and finally prove that the cow milk is good and safe for the elderly, infants and the ill, especially those suffering from chronic diseases," Lid added.
"Only after these steps are completed can the government examine it and approve a certificate for its commercial use."
Despite the potential, the team's breakthrough has drawn criticism from opponents of genetically modified food who question the safety of the milk for humans. Others worry about the impact on the cows' health.
Greenpeace notes that China has been investing considerably in genetically modified food research in recent years, despite the lack of a credible, independent system of supervision and inspection.
It also insists that genetically modified products should not be allowed to enter the human food chain.
Chinese parents had a mixed response, with some wary but willing to give the milk a try while others were far more cautious.
"I won't try it. Even if it's similar to human breast milk, it's still genetically modified," said a woman who gave her family name as Lu, the mother of a 14-month-old girl.
"I think natural products are much better. I don't know what might happen if my daughter consumes genetically modified things." (Reporting by Reuters TV; editing by Elaine Lies)
===
You can't keep breast implants for life, FDA says
22 Jun 2011 14:30
Source: reuters // Reuters
* Implants not "lifetime devices" - FDA
* Small link between implants and type of lymphoma
By Anna Yukhananov
WASHINGTON, June 22 (Reuters) - Women who get silicone breast implants are likely to need additional surgery within eight to 10 years to address complications such as rupture of the device, U.S. health regulators said on Wednesday.
The Food and Drug Administration will work to revise safety labels for silicone breast implants after reviewing data from several long-term studies, which also showed that implants had a small link to a rare form of cancer.
"The key point is that breast implants are not lifetime devices," said Jeff Shuren, director of the FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health.
"The longer you have the implant, the more likely you are to have complications."
There were almost 400,000 breast enlargement or reconstruction procedures in the United States in 2010, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. That includes silicone and saline implants.
Post-approval studies showed up to 70 percent of all women who received reconstruction surgery, and up to 40 percent of those getting an enlargement procedure using silicone, needed another surgery within eight to 10 years.
The FDA first approved silicone gel-filled breast implants in 2006 for Allergan's
The FDA said the most common complications were hardening of the breast area around the implant, additional surgeries and rupture or deflation of the implant.
Other local complications include implant wrinkling, asymmetry, scarring, pain, and infection at the incision site.
The studies also found a small correlation between implants and anaplastic large-cell lymphoma (ALCL), a form of cancer that affects about 3,000 Americans a year.
From 1997 to 2010, there were about 60 cases of ALCL reported for women worldwide out of about 5 million to 10 million women who had breast implants, Shuren said.
"If there's a true association between that cancer and implants, it's very, very rare," he said.
However, the FDA said most long-term studies confirmed initial results, and that most risks of implants were well known.
"Most women reported high levels of satisfaction with their body image and the shape, feel and size of their implants," the FDA report said, adding that women should monitor their breasts for the rest of their lives to make sure there are no problems.
The FDA is releasing a report on the safety of silicone implants, as well as an updated website, brochure and handout for patients considering implants, and a video about ALCL. (Reporting by Anna Yukhananov; editing by Dave Zimmerman)
===
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Launch of Uks’s Internet radio, ‘Meri Awaz Suno’
ISLAMABAD: UKs Research Centre, Islamabad, in collaboration with Zong Telecom, has launched its very own Internet radio, titled ‘Meri Awaz Sunno: Giving Voice to Pakistani Women’.
The launch ceremony of this unique initiative was organised at the Uks Office in Islamabad on Wednesday from 5pm to 7pm. Women comprise almost half of Pakistan’s population as well as form the single largest consumer group in the country.
One comes across several products and services targeting women, however, there is no representative mass media vehicle that addresses the issues and problems of this large and important segment. Uks’s Internet radio programme, Meri Awaz Sunno is being launched with the single objective of highlighting women issues and providing them with guidance and support.
Speaking at the launch, Uks Director and Executive Producer Tasneem Ahmar, gave an introduction of Uks’s radio initiative and gave credit to Zong for their support and assistance. Zong Marketing Head Salman Wassay, was also present at the occasion, along with some notable media personalities like Amir Mateen, Asma Shirazi and Tahira Abdullah who also chipped in with their comments. Amir Mateen praised the initiative and Salman Wassay spoke of the huge potential the radio project has. Tahira Abdullah spoke of how Uks can tap into an international market as well with the radio project. Tasneem Ahmar spoke of expanding and Asma Shirazi said Pakistan could attract and involve the youth of the country in the project as well. The full introductory programme, which will go on air today (Thursday) was also played for the audience.
Programmes will be in English, Urdu and some of the regional languages. Participation will be encouraged to produce constructive debates and solutions via shared experiences. The Internet radio has been established in Uks’s Islamabad office. This Internet radio project has been made possible with the support of Zong, Pak-China Mobile.
==
US FDA panel rejects Avastin for breast cancer use
29 Jun 2011 21:43
Source: reuters // Reuters
* FDA advisers vote 6-0 risks outweigh benefits
* Patients say drug keeps them alive
* Roche stands to lose $1 billion
* Roche says will still conduct follow-up study (Adds American Cancer Society comment)
By Anna Yukhananov and Alina Selyukh
SILVER SPRING, Md., June 29 (Reuters) - U.S. health advisers unanimously rejected use of the drug Avastin for breast cancer, dealing a blow to its manufacturer and patients who insisted that the medicine saved their lives.
Advisers to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration agreed that the Roche Holding AG
Their vote endorsed an FDA move in December to revoke its approval for Avastin in breast cancer. FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg is due to make a final decision later.
"No matter what way we look at it, there's nothing we can hang our hat on in these studies that would make me feel comfortable continuing to expose a lot of patients to risk without a clear benefit," said Mikkael Sekeres, associate professor of medicine at the Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Institute and one of the panel members.
Patient advocates broke down in tears after the vote in an emotional conclusion to the rare two-day hearing. Without FDA approval, insurers and government health programs likely will stop covering the $8,000-a-month drug, potentially jeopardizing treatment for an estimated 17,000 women using the medicine.
"I'm on Avastin alone, so it's not the chemo that's keeping me alive," said Christi Turnage, 49, who stood up among a handful of breast cancer patients after the vote, shouting at the panel members and crying.
Turnage said she has been taking Avastin for eight years, but that her insurance plan had warned her they would drop coverage if it is rejected by the FDA. She cannot afford it on her own.
"Trial or no trial, we have nothing. I don't even qualify for a single (drug) trial in the United States or Canada because I have no symptoms of disease," she said.
The American Cancer Society said there were conflicting opinions on the drug, and some insurers would continue to cover Avastin.
"The FDA clearly believes there is no evidence of significant benefit in metastatic breast cancer," said Dr. Leonard Lichtenfeld, deputy chief medical officer for the American Cancer Society. "But there are other highly-qualified experts ... who are clearly on the other side of that assessment. ... We end up in a situation where we have dueling science."
He said political backlash against the FDA's move is sure to continue.
IMPACT ON SALES
Roche stands to lose nearly $1 billion out of a total of $6 billion in Avastin revenue if its use in breast cancer is ultimately revoked, though that outcome has already been assumed by its investors.
"Avastin has sales in breast cancer in other markets and for many other indications, (so) this really does not have a significant impact on our evaluation of Roche overall," said Karen Andersen, an analyst at Morningstar.
She estimates that Avastin's U.S. breast cancer sales would fall from $800 million in 2010 to around $400 million in 2011.
Roche's Genentech unit sought more time for Avastin, asking that it remain available to breast cancer patients while the company conducts more studies on its clinical benefits.
FDA officials said the side effects and the fact it would take at least three and a half years to get new trial results meant they could not continue to back its use in the interim.
"The agency has to look at protecting a larger number of patients," said Dr. Ralph Freedman, panel member and clinical professor of gynecologic oncology at the University of Texas. "Sometimes they have to make a decision that doesn't favor individual patients on the basis of the whole."
Breast cancer is the second-most common type of cancer among women after skin cancer. One in eight U.S. women are expected to develop invasive breast cancer during their lives.
Avastin won U.S. clearance for the disease in 2008 based on a study showing the drug stalled breast cancer growth by 5.5 months more when used in combination with standard chemotherapy. As part of an accelerated approval, the FDA required Roche to run follow-up studies. [ID:nN1E75P03C]
Later studies found only a one- to three-month delay in breast cancer growth. None of the studies showed Avastin extended the lives of patients with advanced breast cancer.
Some patients also had severe side effects, including holes in the stomach and intestines, severe bleeding and blood clots. The company says the incidence of these serious side effects was just under 3 percent greater for those taking Avastin.
In December, the FDA proposed revoking Avastin's clearance for breast cancer, while keeping the drug on the market for colon, lung, brain and kidney cancers.
"We are very disappointed by the committee's recommendation and hope the Commissioner does not decide to remove an important medicine for women with this incurable disease who already have too few treatment options," said Dr. Hal Barron, chief medical officer at Genentech.
The company said it would still conduct follow-up studies to confirm Avastin's efficacy, regardless of the FDA's decision. They will look to see whether Avastin works best with a specific type of chemotherapy called paclitaxel and try to identify genetic markets that could pinpoint which patients would be respond to treatment. (Additional reporting by Toni Clarke and Deena Beasley; Editing by Michele Gershberg and Robert MacMillan)
===
FDA strengthens warning for pelvic mesh implants
13 Jul 2011 19:55
Source: reuters // Reuters
* FDA issued original warning in 2008
* Says mesh poses higher risks, complications "not rare"
WASHINGTON, July 13 (Reuters) - U.S. health regulators on Wednesday strengthened their warning against using surgical mesh to repair the tissue that holds pelvic organs in place, a procedure used on tens of thousands of women last year alone.
The device, made of synthetic or biological material, is commonly implanted in women to repair weakened or damaged tissue and support pelvic organs in a condition of pelvic organ prolapse (POP) or to treat stress urinary incontinence.
In 2008, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration alerted doctors and patients to the risks of implanting mesh through the vagina as such surgeries sometimes caused serious complications.
This time, the FDA stressed that such complications are "not rare" and said that transvaginal organ repair using mesh may put patients in greater risk than other surgeries and treatments. Last year, surgical mesh was used in at least 100,000 POP repairs, three-fourths of which were transvaginal procedures.
The FDA received reports of more than 1,500 adverse events related to the repairs with mesh from 2008 to 2010, five times the rate reported from 2005 to 2007.
"Furthermore, it is not clear that transvaginal POP repair with mesh is more effective than traditional non-mesh repair in all patients with POP," the regulators said in the release.
During their lifetime, 30 percent to 50 percent of women may experience POP, with 2 percent developing symptoms. The condition happens when tissue that holds the pelvic organs in place become weak or stretched and bulges into the vagina.
Surgery to support prolapsing organs can be done through the abdomen or the vagina, either with stitches or also with surgical mesh for reinforcement.
For FDA's warning, please see http://r.reuters.com/puk62s. (Reporting by Alina Selyukh; Editing by Steve Orlofsky)
===
U.S. hospitals poor at breast-feeding support-study
02 Aug 2011 18:16
Source: reuters // Reuters
By David Beasley
ATLANTA, Aug 2 (Reuters) - U.S. hospitals are not doing enough to encourage mothers to breast-feed their newborns, raising the risk of childhood obesity, diabetes and other conditions, according to a federal study released on Tuesday.
Less than 4 percent of the country's hospitals fully support breast-feeding, said a report issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In nearly 80 percent of hospitals, healthy babies who are being breast-fed are given formula even when there is no medical need for it, making it more difficult to continue breast-feeding at home, the report says.
Only a third of hospitals have "rooming in" policies that allow babies to stay in the hospital room with their mothers 24 hours a day, which can increase breast-feeding opportunities.
Nearly 75 percent of hospitals do not provide adequate support for mothers once they leave, including follow-up visits and phone calls, the report said.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends feeding babies only breast milk until they are six months old and continuing breast-feeding for at least a year. Only 15 percent of mothers currently breast-feed exclusively for six months, CDC Director Thomas Frieden told reporters on Tuesday.
"We're a very long way from where we need to be," he said.
Failure to promote breast-feeding costs the U.S. healthcare system $2.2 billion annually, Frieden said.
If breast-feeding is halted too early, babies have a higher risk of obesity, diabetes, respiratory and ear infections, and sudden infant death syndrome, the CDC said.
"Breast milk does many things," Frieden said. "It is the perfect nutrition for an infant. The initial breast milk has very important antibodies that are passed to the child. The child cannot make their own antibodies until they are about six months old."
Studies have shown that children who are breast-fed for at least nine months have a 30 percent lower chance of becoming overweight compared to children who were never breast-fed, said Frieden.
It is not entirely clear why breast-feeding lowers obesity, he added, describing the relationship between the two as "complex."
One hypothesis is that when infants are breast-fed, they have more control over the amount they are consuming, said Cria Perrine, a CDC epidemiologist.
Breast-feeding also helps the health of the mother, lowering the risk of breast cancer and ovarian cancer, Frieden said.
The release of the report coincides with World Breast-feeding Week, which the CDC said is being celebrated in more than 170 countries. (Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Greg McCune)
==
No dessert in the desert: Underfed women serve their husbands, children first
By Zimyad Ahmed
Published: August 4, 2011
Women pull on a long rope to draw up water at a private well in Thar. They work hard but don’t eat enough to keep up their caloric intake. PHOTO: FILE
KARACHI:
At dusk, a Hindu woman dressed in a saari worked quietly in her family’s dimly lit twig hut. The hut’s small round interior was lit only by the fire of a tandoor. As she squatted near the flames, preparing rotis, a tiny girl, still unaccustomed to standing on her own, clung to her mother’s dupatta. Nearby, the girl’s two brothers shared a plate of sliced mango.
“Here women feed their husbands first, their children second, while they themselves eat whatever leftovers remain.” explained Dr Shankar Lal, a doctor in Tharparkar and member of Baahn Beli, an NGO that works in the area. He explains this disbalance: “It is part of their tradition but it leaves the women undernourished.”
Every day, this woman travels 3 kilometres on foot to fetch drinking water. Her daily routine is the same as that of thousands of women in the district. In addition to the labour involved in gathering water, women spend grueling days working under the sun, in the open field. They also cook and care for their children and husbands, causing them to expend an enormous amount of calories each day.
And thus, malnutrition consistently plagues a population of over one million people. It is the combined effect that poverty, illiteracy and weak family planning have on the region. “A lack of regular access to food coupled with economic hardships often force people to survive on far less nutrition than is required,” Lal said. “The problem is compounded when an average of eight children have to be fed per family.” An intake of around 2,600 calories is essential for an average human adult to remain healthy, yet the majority of residents here are forced to survive on less than 1,600 calories a day.
Malnourished people are more susceptible to conditions such as anemia and hepatitis as well as viral and non-viral diseases.
On an ordinary day, residents of Tharparkar eat a few rotis, some cooked vegetables and tea. “On occasion, they manage to eat three whole meals a day,” Lal said.
Access to meat is limited, as livestock are raised primarily to produce milk. Butter can be produced in the rainy season when the animals are healthier because there is more grass. The excess milk is stored and using traditional methods, families can produce butter. “However, due to a lack of infrastructure such as functional roads, selling this butter at the market becomes difficult,” explained Younus Budhani, the director of Baahn Beli.
For its part, Baahn Beli has set up three clinics across Tharparkar to specifically deal with malnutrition in women and children and the various health complications resulting from a lack of nutrition. Pregnant women and women nursing new-born babies need between 3,000 and 3,500 calories on average. As a result, malnutrition during pregnancy can lead to iron deficiencies, premature births and undernourished babies. Birth abnormalities may occur, causing children to be born very weak and with physical deformities. “Our highest priority is to provide free medicines, including folic acid, to help counteract iron deficiencies and other problems related to malnutrition,” said Lal.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 4th, 2011.
===
Texas Children's Hospital Leads the Way By Feeding 100 Percent Breast Milk to Low Birth Weight Infants in NICU
7
1
TEXAS CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL LOGO Texas Children's Hospital Logo. (PRNewsFoto/Texas Children's Hospital) HOUSTON, TX UNITED STATES
TEXAS CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL BREAST MILK Texas Children's says breast milk is still best, especially for premature babies. (PRNewsFoto/Texas Children's Hospital, Jayne Maltbie) HOUSTON, TX UNITED STATES
Experts believe breast milk is still best, especially for premature babies. Hospital encourages moms to donate excess milk to local milk bank
HOUSTON, Aug. 3, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Because of the proven health benefits for infants, Texas Children's Hospital advocates feeding breast milk to babies and encourages breastfeeding moms nationwide to donate to their local milk bank. Not only does the hospital provide numerous breastfeeding support services, it also follows a protocol of feeding 100 percent breast milk to its Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) babies weighing less than 3.3 pounds and relies on donated breast milk from moms to supply critically ill NICU babies with the nutrients they need.
(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110803/DC46793 )
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110802/MM45495 )
Studies have shown that premature infants who are exclusively fed human breast milk have lower incidences of developing an often fatal intestinal infection called necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) and other complications such as gastrointestinal disturbances. Since implementing the feeding protocol in 2009, Texas Children's Hospital reports that NEC rates in its NICU have decreased from the national average of 10-12 percent to just two percent.
"We are fortunate to have some of the world's experts in human milk feeding in premature infants and human donor milk is part of our comprehensive nutritional program at Texas Children's Newborn Center to ensure the safe growth of our high-risk infants," said Dr. Stephen E. Welty, chief of neonatology and head of the Newborn Center at Texas Children's Hospital's and professor of pediatrics-neonatology in the Department of Pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine. "We have seen marked improvement in outcomes of our high risk infants since implementing our feeding protocol," he said.
Because shortages of breast milk often occur, breastfeeding expert Nancy Hurst, Ph.D., RN and director of Women's Support Services at Texas Children's, encourages breastfeeding mothers nationwide to consider donating their extra breast milk to a milk bank in their area to help save lives and ensure that vulnerable babies have the best outcomes.
"The evidence is overwhelming that a mother's milk is absolutely the best nutrition a baby can have, which is why we feed only breast milk to the babies in our NICU," said Hurst, who is an assistant professor of pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine. "We depend on the generous women who see the need and donate their extra breast milk to our critically ill babies -- their gift touches so many lives."
August is National Breastfeeding Awareness Month, says Hurst, an ideal time to raise awareness about the benefits of breastfeeding and underscore the ongoing need for donated breast milk. Texas Children's is dedicated to providing a variety of lactation and breastfeeding support services to families and patients including a milk bank, breastfeeding classes, lactation support via email and breast pumps.
Nationally recognized as a leading pediatric hospital, Texas Children's Hospital is preparing to move into its new Pavilion for Women, expanding its maternity and women's services. The new pavilion will also be a 100 percent breast milk facility and is scheduled to begin delivering babies in spring 2012. Currently in the final stages of construction in the Texas Medical Center, the 15-story, state-of-the-art Texas Children's Pavilion for Women will be one of the nation's premier facilities for women's, fetal and newborn health, offering a full continuum of comprehensive family-centered care, beginning before conception and continuing after delivery. Outpatient services are scheduled to be open first, in winter 2011 with inpatient services slated for next spring.
About Texas Children's Hospital
Texas Children's Hospital, a not-for-profit organization, is committed to creating a community of healthy children through excellence in patient care, education and research. Consistently ranked among the top children's hospitals in the nation, Texas Children's has recognized Centers of Excellence in multiple pediatric subspecialties including the Cancer and Heart Centers, and operates the largest primary pediatric care network in the country. Texas Children's is completing a $1.5 billion expansion, which includes the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute; Texas Children's Pavilion for Women, a comprehensive obstetrics/gynecology facility focusing on high-risk births; and Texas Children's Hospital West Campus, a community hospital in suburban West Houston. For more information on Texas Children's, go to www.texaschildrens.org. Get the latest news from Texas Children's by visiting the online newsroom and on Twitter at twitter.com/texaschildrens.
Contact:
Veronika Javor Romeis
or
Christy Brunton
Carbonara Group
Texas Children's Hospital
713-837-6289 (c)
281-684-3184 (c)
713-524-8170 (o)
832-473-6380 (o)
veronika@carbonaragroup.com
clbrunto@texaschildrens.org
Available Topic Experts: For information on the listed experts, click appropriate link.
Nancy Hurst - http://www.profnetconnect.com/Nancy_Hurst
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Male breast cancer rare but can be aggressive - study
19 Oct 2011 01:26
Source: Reuters // Reuters
Oct 19 (Reuters) - Men are diagnosed with breast cancer at less than one percent the rate of women, but when they are the disease is often more advanced on average, and they are more likely to die from it, according to an international study.
Researchers led by Mikael Hartman at the National University of Singapore combined cancer registries from Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Singapore and Geneva, Switzerland, with cases dating back to 1970.
The data included about 460,000 women diagnosed with breast cancer, and about 2,700 men.
Men were more likely to have the disease that had spread beyond the breast by the time they were diagnosed. In treatment, they had less surgery and radiation than women but similar rates of chemotherapy and hormone treatment.
Over the entire time period, men had a 72 percent chance of surviving breast cancer in the five years after a diagnosis, compared to 78 percent in women.
"Men who develop a breast lump delay seeing their doctor longer than a comparable woman with similar symptoms," Hartman said in an email to Reuters Health.
"Male breast cancer is rare but men can develop the disease and should be aware that they should seek care if a breast lump develops."
His team said in the Journal of Clinical Oncology that previous studies have shown that it typically takes a few months from when men start getting symptoms until they are diagnosed with breast cancer.
Men are most commonly in their 60s or 70s when diagnosed, according to the U.S. National Cancer Institute. Radiation exposure and diseases that increase estrogen levels, such as liver cirrhosis or the genetic disorder Klinefelter syndrome, are among the factors that raise a man's risk.
"It's not surprising that men with breast cancer present with later stages," said Susan Dent, from the Ottawa Hospital Cancer Centre in Canada, who was not involved in the study.
"That's just because the awareness of the fact that breast cancer can occur in men is just not as acute. Men aren't as likely to think of it, and health care providers aren't as likely to think of men having breast cancer."
Men should be particularly aware of breast cancer, and possibly consider getting screened for it, if they have a family history of the disease, including a predisposition to cancer caused by mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, which are well known to raise women's risk of breast and ovarian cancers, she added.
Because of recommendations for regular mammograms in women starting in their 40s or at age 50, depending on the country, many cancers are caught in women before they have any symptoms.
But the United States Preventive Services Task Force, a federally-supported panel that sets guidelines for cancer screening, does not recommend regular breast cancer screening in men without symptoms.
"In total, male breast cancer is still a rare event. Never would I recommend that all men routinely go out and get screened," said Dent. SOURCE: http://bit.ly/n3B9oU (Reporting from New York by Genevra Pittman at Reuters Health; Editing by Elaine Lies and Yoko Nishikawa)
===============
Breast cancer risk: It's not all in the family
31 Oct 2011 22:24
Source: Reuters // Reuters
* Women who don't have gene have average cancer risk
* Findings may reassure women with cancer in the family
By Julie Steenhuysen
CHICAGO, Oct 31 (Reuters) - Women do not automatically have a higher risk of getting breast cancer just because someone else in the family has tested positive for breast cancer genes, U.S. researchers said on Monday.
The findings may bring comfort to women from high-risk families after a 2007 study suggested that simply having a relative with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation raised their risk of developing breast cancer, even if they had tested negative for the genes.
"The results are encouraging and reassuring," said Dr. Allison Kurian of Stanford University School of Medicine, whose study appears in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
The average woman in the United States has about a 12 to 13 percent chance of developing breast cancer in her lifetime.
Some 5 percent to 10 percent of breast cancers are genetic, and most of these cases are caused by abnormalities in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes.
Women with these mutations have a five to 20 times higher risk of developing breast or ovarian cancer, and must undergo intensive cancer screenings and take other precautions to reduce their cancer risk.
Many of these women elect to have their breasts or ovaries removed to keep from developing cancer.
Once these mutations turn up in a family, other family members are screened as well. Women from these families who test negative have traditionally been told they have about the same risk as women in the general population.
But a 2007 study published in the Journal of Medical Genetics challenged that notion, suggesting that even though women did not carry the family breast cancer mutation, they still had a two to five times higher risk of developing breast cancer.
That created a considerable amount of anxiety among doctors and patients, Kurian said in a telephone interview.
To study this, her team analyzed data on more than 3,000 families with BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations from three countries: the United States, Canada and Australia.
They compared breast cancer rates among carriers and noncarriers of family mutations of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes.
They found no evidence of an increased breast cancer risk among women who were noncarriers.
"It's reassuring that we don't see a signal for elevated breast cancer risk from women who test negative for a familial mutation," Kurian said.
(Editing by Michele Gershberg and Cynthia Osterman)
==============
Breastfeeding tied to lower blood pressure risk-study
02 Nov 2011 02:29
Source: Reuters // Reuters
Nov 2 (Reuters) - Mothers who breastfeed for the recommended period of time, at least six months exclusively, may have a somewhat lower risk of developing high blood pressure later on, a U.S. study of more than 50,000 women said.
The findings, published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, add to evidence that breastfeeding might have benefits for mothers as well as babies, although it does not prove that breastfeeding is the direct cause of the healthier blood pressure, researchers said.
Breastfeeding is thought to help protect babies against common ills, such as diarrhea and middle-ear infections, and previous studies have found that women who breastfeed have lower risks of diabetes, high cholesterol and heart disease later in life.
"Women who never breastfed were more likely to develop hypertension than women who exclusively breastfed their first child for six months or more," wrote lead researcher Alison Stuebe at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
In general, experts recommend that babies be breastfed exclusively for their first six months, then continue getting breast milk along with solid food until they are a year old.
For the study, Stuebe and her team looked at the correlation between breastfeeding and later risk of high blood pressure among some 56,000 U.S. women taking part in the long-running Nurses' Health Study II. All had had at least one baby.
Overall, the study found women who had breastfed for at least six months were less likely to develop high blood pressure over 14 years than those who had only bottle-fed.
Nearly 8,900 women overall were eventually diagnosed with high blood pressure. But those odds were 22 percent higher for women who did not breastfeed their first child, versus women who'd exclusively breastfed for six months.
Similarly, women who had either never breastfed or done so for three months or less were almost one-quarter more likely to develop high blood pressure than women who'd breastfed for at least a year.
That was with factors such as diet, exercise and smoking habits taken into account.
Stuebe said that none of the findings proves that breastfeeding itself gives long-term protection against high blood pressure, and that it's possible some other factor both hindered women from breastfeeding as well as contributed to their high blood pressure -- such as a stressful work environment, for example.
But it's also plausible that breastfeeding has direct benefits, she added. Animal research has found that the hormone oxytocin, which is involved in breastfeeding, has lasting effects on blood pressure.
It's also known that women tend to have a short-term blood pressure decrease immediately after breastfeeding.
If breastfeeding is in fact protective, Stuebe's team estimates that 12 percent of high blood pressure cases among women with children could be linked to "suboptimal" breastfeeding.
"If this is a causal relationship, then taking away barriers to breastfeeding could make a difference in women's health later on," she said. SOURCE: http://bit.ly/s7LTI3 (Reporting from New York by Amy Norton at Reuters Health; Editing by Elaine Lies and Sanjeev Miglani)
========================
Pelvic exams often unnecessary, study says
15 Dec 2011 05:15
Source: Reuters // Reuters
Dec 15 (Reuters) - Many doctors give women pelvic exams when they're not called for by guidelines, such as before prescribing for birth control pills, a U.S. study said.
That's worrisome because not only are the exams invasive, they also come with a risk of false positives that can lead to more unnecessary tests and procedures, said researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, who conducted the study.
Women have become accustomed to getting a pelvic exam every year, they said, and doctors to giving them. But it's unclear if they serve any real purpose without any pelvic pain or signs of infection.
"Women should know that screening tests come with both harms and benefits, and the pelvic exam is not an exception to that," said Analia Stormo, who led the study, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
"We need to provide physicians with more of a clear message of when it's appropriate to use pelvic exams."
Stormo and her colleagues surveyed 1,250 doctors, including obstetricians and gynecologists, family doctors and internists.
They asked how often they performed pelvic exams to screen for cancer or sexually transmitted infections (STIs) as a requirement before prescribing birth control pills or as part of a typical physical "well-woman" exam.
OB/GYNs were the most likely to say they routinely performed pelvic exams in each of those cases, but the majority of family and general doctors also did pelvic exams for every indication in question.
While most doctors said they used the exams as part of a general well-woman exam, 95 percent of OB/GYNs and 55 percent of general doctors also screened for ovarian cancer using pelvic exams. Between 68 and 92 percent of those doctors used them to screen for STIs or as a requirement before prescribing birth control.
The researchers said there's no need to do a full pelvic exam to screen for STIs and that taking a urine test or swab is enough. In addition, there's no evidence that screening for ovarian cancer with a pelvic exam prevents women dying from the disease, or that it's needed before women go on birth control.
No matter how it's used, the exam can lead to so-called false alarms and over-diagnosis, when doctors find things that would never have caused any symptoms but are treated anyway.
Organisations including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommend the exam as part of routine check-ups in most adult women, but other guidelines are inconsistent.
Other procedures and counseling should be top priorities during often time-strapped visits, and using the exams to screen for ovarian cancer may be especially problematic, doctors said.
It's also a very personal procedure.
"If a pelvic exam is considered so sensitive that it deters women from actually coming in for hormonal contraceptives or STI testing, that's a harm," said Mona Saraiya, one of the doctors who worked on the study. SOURCE: http://bit.ly/ueoIZG(Reporting from New York by Genevra Pittman at Reuters Health, editing by Elaine Lies)
==========================
Last Updated: Tue May 15, 2012 13:02 pm (KSA) 10:02 am (GMT)
Rights groups slam new calls for female circumcision in southern Egypt
Tuesday, 15 May 2012
According to the United Nations figures, three million girls face circumcision every year in Africa. (File photo)
According to the United Nations figures, three million girls face circumcision every year in Africa. (File photo)
inShare4
By Al Arabiya
A group of Egyptian medical and human rights organizations on Monday condemned reports on the mobile medical convoy for circumcision of girls in the southern Egyptian governorate of Minya, organized by the Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), an Egyptian news website reported on Tuesday.
They expressed, in a joint statement, their shock from the attempts to violate the “bodily rights ensured by the Egyptian law for children through an amendment to the law for decriminalization of female genital mutilation, which coincided with the statement by some political movements,” the online Biyamasr reported.
The statement described the move as “backward” on the law that would encourage the people in the villages of Minya governorate to undergo female genital mutilation, which is considered as an act of psychological, physical and sexual violence against girls.
The statement called for a stop of sexual violence against Egyptian girls and urged the respect of the Declaration of Human Rights and the conventions of children’s rights through mainstreaming the right to bodily integrity. According to Bikyamasr news website, the statement also urged the consideration of the practice of female genital mutilation as “a crime of deliberate congenital deformation as it meets all forms of violence against girls, which should be punishable by law.
“The practice of female genital mutilation is a non-scientific practice and causes psychological and physical and sexual damage for young girls,” the statement said, adding that it is “subjected to jurisdiction by al-Azhar.”
According to the United Nations figures, three million girls face circumcision every year in Africa, and up to 140 million women and girls worldwide have already undergone the practice, which has serious immediate and long-term health effects and is a clear violation of fundamental human rights. ============== Breastfeeding not supported: Study DOHA: Traditional practices and inadequate information are found to be among reasons for low rates of breastfeeding among Qatari women. A study by Sidra Medical and Research Center, through its Community Relations and Development Department, has also identified lack of information and professional support for mothers after they leave hospitals. The study found a gap between understanding the significance and benefits of breastfeeding and actual practice. Many new and young mothers in focus groups indicated that they were greatly influenced by traditional practices which require feeding the newborn sugar water or anise water. Moreover, the study found that young mothers are led to believe, through traditional practices, that drinking water negatively affects the body after childbirth. Therefore, many new mothers do not consume healthy food that would allow for proper breastfeeding. Many mothers discontinue breastfeeding after 40 days, or three months which reflects lack of information and access to professional lactation support. Exclusive breastfeeding rate in Qatar, which is 12 percent according to Unicef figures from a 2005 study, is lower than the global rate of 37 percent and significantly lower than the target rate of 50 percent set by World Health Organisation. Qatar’s National Health Strategy aims to address the issue and increase the percentage of infants exclusively breastfed for the first six months through an enhanced prenatal care system and guidance. As one of the aims of this year’s World Breastfeeding Week is to draw attention to the importance of peer support for mothers to initiate and sustain breastfeeding, Sidra is hosting a series of events to educate, inform and engage medical professionals and Sidra employees. To engage the medical community, Sidra will host the next event in the Sidra Symposia Series on September 11 with a focus on breastfeeding as a national initiative. Local and international speakers will address the event. Sidra employees will have the opportunity to learn more about and show their support for breastfeeding at a lunchtime internal event this month. Finally, as co-host of the Excellence in Paediatrics (EiP) 2013 conference at QNCC 4-7 in December, Sidra invites senior healthcare professionals and policymakers with an interest in breastfeeding and its effects on individuals, communities and countries to attended the conference. The event will have multiple breastfeeding sessions for medical professionals at all levels. The Global Breastfeeding Summit and the first meeting of Global Breastfeeding Network members will also take place on the sidelines of the conference. WHO and Unicef recommend breastfeeding within one hour after birth, followed by exclusive breastfeeding (baby receives no other food or water) for the first six months. According to WHO and Unicef, exclusive breastfeeding should be followed by complementary foods at the age of six months with continued breastfeeding for two years or longer. Benefits of breastfeeding for mothers, babies and societies are researched and supported by international evidence. According to studies endorsed by WHO/Unicef, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine, benefits for babies include a decrease in respiratory illnesses, gastrointestinal illness, and ear infections. Breastfeeding offers protection against Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), type 1 and 2 diabetes, obesity, elevated blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and certain types of cancer later in life. Mothers benefit from breastfeeding as well. Women who breastfeed have lower rates of breast and ovarian cancers, type 2 diabetes and post-birth depression. As a speciality women’s and children’s hospital, Sidra will be a key partner in assisting Qatar in reaching the goals identified in the NHS. Sidra Medical and Research Center, currently under construction in Doha, will be a groundbreaking hospital, research and education institution. It will focus on the health and well-being of women and children regionally and globally. Sidra will be a fully digital facility, incorporating the most advanced information technology applications in clinical, research and business functions. The facility will initially have 400 beds with infrastructure to enable expansion to 550 beds in a subsequent phase. The Peninsula
(Writing by Abeer Tayel)
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