Dr. Shradha Dwarkanath Upasani

Being a mother is the greatest gift to womankind. With the most amazing feeling of being a mother, comes big challenges and responsibilities. The first and foremost being, keeping the baby safe and healthy. Providing babies their best start begins with breastfeeding. Doctors around the world recommend exclusive breastfeeding to begin within the first hour of a baby’s life and continue until six months.

A mother’s milk has no substitute. It is packed with amazing nutritional benefits, the absence of which can lead children at risk of malnutrition and various diseases. Breast milk is often being termed as complete food with added antibodies, enzymes, hormones and fatty acids extremely vital for a delicate immune system of an infant. Babies build their immunity in the first few years of their life and breast milk is critical to developing immunity.

UNICEF working on child’s rights and well-being world over promotes breastfeeding schemes across many countries.

According to UNICEF reports, a non-breast fed child is 14 times likely to die within first six months than an exclusively breastfed child. An estimated 8,20,000 children under the age of five could be saved each year with increased breastfeeding. However, Only 38% of infants globally are breastfed. Looking at India’s state, Malnutrition continues to be one of the greatest challenges. One cost effective, safe and smart intervention to curb malnutrition and decrease infant mortality is breastfeeding.

Let’s now look at the benefits of breast milk for infants and mothers:

• Breast milk is found to reduce the risk of respiratory tract infections, diarrhea, asthma, food allergies, leukemia, diabetes and celiac disease.
• Psychologists have long established the positive effects of mother’s touch in the emotional development of babies. In addition to this, breastfeed has positive effects on child’s cognitive development.
• Breastfeeding has amazing benefits for mothers. It is found to aid weight loss post pregnancy. It promotes better uterus shrinkage and delays menstruation. Lactating mothers naturally avoid pregnancy till they breastfeed. It reduces the risk of breast cancer, cardiovascular disease and rheumatoid arthritis later in life.
• Considering the benefits of this super natural milk, many countries have now adopted an international code of marketing of breast-milk substitutes. The code promotes breastfeeding and restricts marketing of infant formula milk. India along with many other countries signed it.

India has also begun with a baby friendly hospital initiative where hospitals educate new mothers regarding breast feeding and strictly discourage infant formulas wherever possible. The myth of feeding newborn babies with honey, water, sugar does more harm than good. Thus, it is vital to exclusively breastfeed the baby at least for six months before introducing other foods. 

Ensure your child’s right to a healthy life through breastfeeding!

What to eat and what not to eat is a highly confusing dilemma. We want good taste, we wish to stay fit and we desire to have the never say 'no' attitude! But is our diet good enough to support all of it? Well, the true Indian diet surely is!

Make your daily diet, a healthier one by adding some must haves to it.

The Classical Indian diet for good health!

1. Black Beans: You ought to begin with that! Though, all sorts of beans are a booster dose for your health, none works better than black beans to boost the mind. Boost your brain power and stay active inside out, all day long! Anthocyanins and antioxidants, which are found in plenty in the black beans, are known to improve brain function.
2. Strawberries: They are rich in antioxidants, fiber and vitamin A and C which improve immunity and helps in improving skin texture and overall health.
3. Carrots: Sure that calls for being included in the list. Carotenoids are the fat soluble compounds that most orange, red as well as yellow fruits and veggies are spiked with. These compounds have been found to be associated with the reduction of a number of cancerous and timorous cases. They are also known to reduce the severity as well as the risk of conditions which are inflammatory, such as rheumatoid arthritis and asthma.
4. Spinach: The greens have never let us down and surely, spinach tops the list. Spinach has folate and plant based Omega-3 in plenty. These help reduce the risk and chances of stroke, heart disease and osteoporosis. Sexual issues related to age are a common problem due to decreased flow of blood to the nether regions. Folate also helps in increasing blood flow to the same, decreasing the risk.
5. Tomatoes: Tomatoes top the list to good health due to a major reason. Only 2 things that you need to know are - one, the redder the tomato, the better it is. This is because of being richer in lycopene, which is a powerful antioxidant. Second, the tomatoes which have been processed are absolutely as good as the freshly picked ones due to the ease of absorbance of lycopene by the human body. Various conducted studies have shown that a lycopene rich diet decreases the risk of prostate, skin, bladder, lung and stomach cancers. It also reduces the chances of a coronary artery disease.

Bounce away to good health, the Indian way!

What is computed tomography?

Computed Tomography is more commonly known as CT scan. It is a specialized form of X-ray. Computed Tomography is a non-invasive diagnostic procedure. CT scan provides concise images of different body parts and can also divulge any internal bleeding or injury during emergency situations. It is absolutely painless and is known to provide accurate information.

How does it work?
The patient is required to lie down on a table which is then passed through an opening, circular in structure. The radiations are rotated inside the CT scan machine for processing the images of the required body parts.

Benefits of Computed Tomography

1. Computed Tomography helps in the identification of any benign (tumor) or malignant (cancer) growth in any part of your body.
2. The procedure can be conducted for different body parts such as the head, abdomen, spine and chest among many others.
3. The images provide much detailed information. It contains information regarding the condition of blood vessel, soft tissue and bones.
4. Various bones and muscular disorders are also identified via Computed Tomography.
5. Radiation therapy or biopsy can be carried out with the aid of Computed Tomography.

Risk factors associated with Computed Tomography

1. If a person is allergic to Iodine (a dye used in the process), then it must be informed to the doctor beforehand to avoid further complications such as itching, nausea or vomiting.
2. At times, kidney functions may get disrupted.
3. The radiation emitted during CT scan is known to be harmful, especially for children.
4. The dye used for conducting CT scan can cause allergic reaction that can be life-threatening.

At times the doctor may advise anti-allergic drugs to patients who are allergic to the dyes used in the process. CT scan is otherwise a very safe procedure for diagnosing various diseases.