Do I need multivitamin tablets?

1. Multivitamin tablets are not needed unless there is a scarcity of a particular vitamin.

2. If you include all seven colors and six tastes in your food, there is no need for vitamin supplementation.

3. Wheat grass and barley grass juice contain folic acid and vitamin B12.

4. Anything which is green contains vitamin B.

5. Anything which is red contains lycopene.

6. Citrus foods contain vitamin C.

7. All dry fruits contain vitamin E.

8. Sunlight is an excellent source of vitamin D.

9. Carrots contain vitamin A.

10. Folic acid is lost if the food is boiled and the water is discarded.

11. Vitamin D is not absorbed if exposed to sunlight is through glass.

12. Vitamin D is not absorbed through clothes if you are fully-clothed in sunlight.

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Comments: A very useful blog that should help educate parents regarding the lack of need for multi-vitamin supplements for most children. However, I need to make a full disclosure here, my wife still believes in giving multi-vitamin supplement to my daughter daily, and I let her, for her (my wife's) peace of mind :)

Food- and water-borne diseases in the summer

The number 1 problem that I will face during the next couple of months is going to be related to contaminated food & water. Here are a few tips to help prevent these illnesses... 

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1.Summer is the season for typhoid, jaundice and diarrhea.

2.The main reasons are scarcity of water and poor food, water and hand hygiene.

3.In summer, the requirement of water increases by 500 ml in adults due to excessive sweating.

4. For food hygiene, remember the formula ‘heat it, boil it, cook it, peel it or forget it’.

5. Any food or liquid, if heated before use, cannot cause infection.

6. Any liquid or water, if boiled before use, cannot cause infection.

7.Any fruit, which can be peeled by hands, for example, banana and orange cannot cause infection.

8.Do not use ice prepared from unsterilized water.

9.Do not take cut fruits and vegetables that have been left open.

10.Do not drink sugarcane juice sold on the roadsides.

11.Do not drink water in unwashed glass on the roadside.

12.Do not eat food that has been leftover for more than 2 hours at room temperature.

13.Do not eat cucumbers, carrots, watermelon etc. that is sold on the roadsides as chaat unless hygienic.

14. Please ensure that adults &  kids have taken their vaccinations including Typhoid & Hepatitis A shots. Cholera can be considered for people residing in high risk areas including slums and if there is an epidemic.

A timely update for Pediatricians on Dengue - Published in Arch. Dis. Children

Dengue Viral Infection in Children

A Perspective

S Balasubramanian, Bala Ramachandran, Sumanth Amperayani

Disclosures

Arch Dis Child. 2012;97(10):907-912. 

Abstract

Dengue is a vector-borne viral infection of global importance. Several pathogenetic mechanisms such as immune enhancement and selection pressure have been proposed and febrile, critical and recovery phases have been identified. A new classification proposed by WHO has recently been introduced where definitions have been changed to 'probable dengue', 'dengue with warning signs' and 'severe dengue'. The majority of dengue viral infections are self-limiting, but complications have high morbidity and mortality. The diagnosis of dengue viral infection is essentially clinical, although confirmation requires laboratory tests including serology, NS1 antigen detection, PCR and viral cultures. There are no specific anti-dengue drugs and treatment is basically supportive and consists of early recognition of complications and appropriate fluid therapy. A number of candidate vaccines are under development.

For full article go here (requires free medscape registration)