Response of hemoglobin, serum ferritin, and serum transferrin receptor during iron supplementation in pregnancy: a prospective study.

Objective: We evaluated the effect of iron supplementation on biochemical indicators of iron status, namely hemoglobin (Hb), serum ferritin (SF), and serum transferrin receptor (sTfR), during pregnancy.

Methods: A prospective study was conducted in 73 pregnant women who received daily supplements of 60 mg of iron and 500 microg of folic acid for 100 d from 19 wk of gestation. The indicators of iron status (Hb, SF, and sTfR) at 19, 27, and 35 wk of gestation were analyzed.

Safety and impact of vitamin A supplementation delivered with oral polio vaccine as part of the immunization campaign in Orissa, India.

A study was carried out in Orissa, India, to evaluate the impact on vitamin A status of vitamin A supplementation integrated with an immunization campaign. Data were collected from a representative sample of 1,811 children, aged 12 to 48 months, at baseline and then at 4 and 16 weeks following implementation of vitamin A supplementation. The primary outcome indicator was serum retinol.

Red palm oil supplementation: a feasible diet-based approach to improve the vitamin A status of pregnant women and their infants.

This double-blinded, randomized, controlled study was designed to study the effect of dietary supplementation with red palm oil during pregnancy on maternal and neonatal vitamin A status. A total of 170 women were recruited at 16 to 24 weeks of gestation and randomly assigned to an experimental group that received red palm oil to supply approximately one recommended dietary amount (RDA) (2,400 micrograms) of beta-carotene or to a control group that received an equivalent volume of groundnut oil. The women received the oils for a period of 8 weeks, starting at 26 to 28 weeks of gestation and extending to 34 to 36 weeks of gestation.

Validation of hemoglobin estimation using Hemocue.

Objective: This piece of work is an attempt to compare Hemocue and Cyanmethemoglobin methods for hemoglobin estimation.

Methods: In 100 apparently healthy children of 1-6 years of age, Hb was estimated using Hemocue and cyanmethemoglobin methods from finger prick blood sample. The results obtained by the two methods were compared using appropriate statistical methods.

Serum transferrin receptor in children with respiratory infections.

Objective: To study the effect of infection on iron status in children suffering from acute, mild or severe respiratory infections and to determine the nature of anemia in infection using serum transferrin receptor (sTfR) levels.

Design: Forty-three children aged between 3 and 5 y with no evidence of infection and receiving iron supplements in the preceding 100 days served as controls. Twenty-one children with mild upper respiratory infection and 94 children hospitalized for acute pneumonia constituted the experimental group.

Association of tumour necrosis factor alpha & malnutrition with outcome in children with acute bacterial meningitis.

Background & Objectives: Tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha) is implicated in the pathogenesis of acute bacterial meningitis (ABM). However, we do not know if the nutritional status influences the concentration of TNF alpha in the CSF in children with ABM. The present study evaluates the association between malnutrition and TNF alpha detectability in CSF and the outcome from ABM in children.

Effects of vitamin A deficiency during pregnancy on maternal and child health.

Objective: To examine the association between biochemical vitamin A deficiency in pregnancy and maternal and fetal health.

Design: A cross sectional clinical study.

Setting: Antenatal clinic of nutrition unit of Niloufer Hospital catering for a low socio-economic population, and a private nursing home (Swapna nursing home) catering for a high socio-economic population.

Micronutrient malnutrition, infection, and immunity: an overview.

Micronutrient deficiencies and infectious diseases often coexist and exhibit complex interactions leading to the vicious cycle of malnutrition and infections among underprivileged populations of the developing countries, particularly in preschool children. Several micronutrients such as vitamin A, beta-carotene, folic acid, vitamin B12 vitamin C, riboflavin, iron, zinc, and selenium, have immunomodulating functions and thus influence the susceptibility of a host to infectious diseases and the course and outcome of such diseases. Certain of these micronutrients also possess antioxidant functions that not only regulate immune homeostasis of the host, but also alter the genome of the microbes, particularly in viruses, resulting in grave consequences like resurgence of old infectious diseases or the emergence of new infections.

Immunobiology of mild micronutrient deficiencies.

Nutrition is a critical determinant of the outcome of host microbe interactions through a modulation of the immune response. Besides macronutrient malnutrition, deficiencies of several macronutrients also influence immune homeostasis and thus affect infection-related morbidity and mortality. Deficiencies of micronutrients like vitamin A, iron and zinc are widely prevalent among populations living in developing countries.

Post-vaccination scenario of measles: a retrospective analysis.

Background: Routine vaccination against measles was introduced in India during 1985-86 through the Universal Immunization Programme. Its effect on the current prevalence of measles is not known.

Methods: Information on the total number of patients admitted and deaths due to measles from January 1982 to December 1997 were obtained from the records of the Institute of Tropical Medicine, Hyderabad, the only infectious diseases hospital in the city.

Effect of administration of 200,000 IU of vitamin A to women within 24 hrs after delivery on response to PPV administered to the newborn.

Objective: To explore the effect of maternal supplementation of vitamin A on the immune response to oral polio vaccine in breastfed infants.

Design: Randomized controlled trial.

Setting: Hospital based.

Systemic and mucosal immune response to polio vaccination with additional dose in newborn period.

Administration of supplementary dose of oral polio vaccine (OPV) during neonatal period is recommended by WHO in countries like India, where host response to the regular to the regular three-dose schedule is not satisfactory and poliomyelitis continues to be a problem. The efficacy of this dose +3, and +5 doses of OPV in terms of seropositivity, seroconversion, systemic, and mucosal antibody responses were measured in 51 infants in a follow-up study from birth to 30 weeks. Administration of the additional dose in the newborn period significantly improved seropositivity and seroconversion rates compared to the conventional 3 or 5 dose schedules.

Enhancement in seroconversion to measles vaccine with simultaneous administration of vitamin A in 9-months-old Indian infants.

The mutual interactions of measles vaccine and vitamin A dose when administered simultaneously to 9 month old infants are explored in this study. One hundred healthy infants of 9 months of age received EZ strain of measles vaccine in the routine immunization clinic along with either 100,000 IU of vitamin A or a placebo orally. Blood samples were collected before and 4 weeks after intervention.

Zinc status of breastfed and formula-fed infants of different gestational ages.

Zinc status in 186 full term and preterm infants was determined at birth, and 3, 6, 9, and 12 months of age along with determination of zinc levels in breast or formula milk to find out if routine zinc supplements are needed during infancy. The leukocyte and plasma zinc levels in all breastfed infants were high at birth and gradually declined reaching lowest values by 4-6 months of age, and improved to normal levels by 9 months following weaning. The preterm infants however, had significantly (P < 0.

Zinc status of Indian children.

Zinc is a trace metal essential for human health and its deficiency is found to cause severe growth retardation in children. Information on the zinc status of Indian children is meagre perhaps due to lack of a reliable parameter. However, in view of the role of zinc in promoting growth, it has become common practice to prescribe zinc supplements to young children and newborns, particularly preterm infants.

Measles & malnutrition.

Measles is an important acute childhood viral infection having severe consequences on the nutritional status. The adverse nutritional effects of measles are experienced by both the well-nourished and the malnourished children. However, the severe nutritional deficiencies like kwashiorkor/marasmus are precipitated only in children who are already malnourished.

A direct ELISA technique to detect antibodies against polioviruses.

A direct ELISA test was developed to detect circulating antibodies specific to poliovirus types 1, 2 and 3. Specificity of the test was established by using known polio negative and positive sera. The assay was compared with the standard microneutralization test using sera from polio and non polio cases vaccinated and unvaccinated subjects and standard positive sera obtained from WHO/EPI (Geneva).

An outbreak of poliomyelitis in Andhra Pradesh (South India).

An outbreak of poliomyelitis that occurred in the year 1992 in Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh, South India was investigated to understand the reasons for persistence of poliomyelitis in the general population and for the outbreak in Andhra Pradesh in particular. The study comprised of a detailed investigation of epidemiological and clinical features, serology and vaccination status and a case control study to calculate vaccine efficacy by matched pair analysis. The outbreak occurred after a relative quiescence of 3 years.

Role of zinc supplementation in the rehabilitation of severely malnourished children.

A double-blind study was conducted to assess the role of zinc supplementation in the rehabilitation of severely malnourished children. Thirty-three children with severe protein-energy malnutrition received either 40 mg of zinc as zinc sulphate or a placebo during their rehabilitation in addition to the diet containing about 700 kJ and 3-4 g protein per kg body weight/day. Their clinical and biochemical responses were examined.

Nutritional modulation of immunity to infection.

PEM of varying grades constitutes an important nutritional deficiency disorder of young children. Several immune mechanisms are found to be impaired in severely malnourished children thus making them victims of the vicious cycle of infection and malnutrition. Early impairment of neutrophil function triggers the vicious cycle and this emphasizes the need for prevention and early treatment of acute infections in children.