New Delhi, May 13 (IANS) A single dose of the measles vaccine is up to 2.6 times more likely to be completely ineffective in children born by C-section, compared to those born naturally, claims a study on Monday.

Measles is a highly infectious disease preventable by vaccines. However, failure of the jab can significantly increase the risk of an outbreak.

The study led by a team of researchers from the universities of Cambridge, UK, and Fudan in China, showed that a second measles jab is vital and induces a robust immunity against measles in children born via C-section.

The study, published in the journal Nature Microbiology, found that the vaccine’s effect is linked to the development of the child’s gut microbiome — the vast collection of microbes that naturally live inside the gut. Vaginal birth is known to transfer a greater variety of microbes from mother to baby, which can boost the immune system.

“We’ve discovered that the way we’re born — either by C-section or natural birth — has long-term consequences on our immunity to diseases as we grow up,” said Professor Henrik Salje in the University of Cambridge’s Department of Genetics.

“Infants born by C-section are the ones we really want to be following up to make sure they get their second measles jab because their first jab is much more likely to fail,” he added.

At least 95 per cent of the population needs to be fully vaccinated to keep measles under control.

For the study, the team used data from previous studies of over 1,500 children in Hunan, China, which included blood samples taken every few weeks from birth to the age of 12.

They found that 12 per cent of children born via caesarean section had no immune response to their first measles vaccination, as compared to 5 per cent of children born by vaginal delivery.

–IANS

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New Delhi, May 13 (IANS) A higher score of metabolic syndrome (MetS), defined as being obese along with high blood pressure, elevated blood sugar, or abnormal cholesterol, can raise mortality risk among women suffering from breast cancer, according to a study on Monday.

The findings, published by Wiley online in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, indicate that MetS and obesity each have different associations with breast cancer subtypes and mortality risk.

The analysis was based on 63,330 postmenopausal without prior breast cancer, as well as normal entry mammograms and MetS scores (0-4). After a median follow-up of 23.2 years, there were 4,562 incident breast cancers and 659 deaths from breast cancer (breast cancer mortality).

Researchers found that a higher MetS score (3-4), regardless of obesity, raised the risk of poor prognosis, oestrogen receptor (ER)-positive, progesterone receptor (PR)-negative breast cancers, and a 44 per cent higher risk of breast cancer mortality.

On the other hand, obesity, regardless of MetS score, led to more good prognosis, ER-positive, and PR-positive cancers.

Only women with severe obesity had an elevated risk of death from breast cancer.

“Postmenopausal women with higher MetS scores are a previously unrecognised population at higher breast cancer mortality risk,” said lead author Rowan T. Chlebowski, The Lundquist Institute in California, US.

Rowan noted that MetS scores can easily be determined during routine visits at any healthcare facility by checking “cholesterol, diabetes, and hypertension history as well as waist circumference and blood pressure measurements,” and can be treated.

–IANS

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New Delhi, May 12 (IANS) Even as the 91 cases of new FLiRT Covid-19 variants, accounting for more than a third of cases in the US, have reportedly been detected in Maharashtra, there is nothing to worry immediately, a top expert said on Sunday.

The new set of variants dubbed FLiRT, majorly includes KP.1.1, and KP.2 strains. These are named based on the technical names for their mutations, one of which includes the letters “F” and “L”, and another of which includes the letters “R” and “T”.

Genome sequencing of March and April showed that Maharashtra has 91 cases of KP.2 — Pune (51), Thane (20), Amravati (7) Aurangabad (7), Solapur (2), Ahmednagar (1), Nashik (1), Latur (1), and Sangli (1).

“What we see now, is the result of genome sequencing of the last two months, that is March and April. So, there is no cause of concern immediately as out of the 91 cases, not a single death, hospitalisation, or severe disease has been reported,” infectious disease expert Dr Ishwar Gilada, told IANS.

“Even the test positivity rate is around 1 per cent,” he added.

Dr Rajesh Karyakarte, Maharashtra’s genome sequencing coordinator, said that KP.2 has become the predominant Covid strain in the state.

However, there hasn’t been a corresponding increase in hospitalisations or severe cases, The Times of India reported.

FLiRT variants come from the lineage of the highly transmissible and immune system-evading Omicron.

First identified globally in January, KP.2 is a descendant of Omicron’s JN.1. According to the data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, KP.2 accounted for about one in four or 25 per cent of new sequenced cases in the country in the last weeks of April.

Similar to previous variants, the symptoms typically include a sore throat, runny nose, congestion, tiredness, fever (with or without chills), headache, muscle pain, and sometimes loss of taste or smell.

“Covid has not gone away, but it is not creating any havoc. It is not creating any hospitalisation or deaths, and it is much milder than the flu. So, it should not be considered a separate disease. It should be considered like the flu and we can call it Covi-flu,” said Dr Gilada, Consultant in Infectious Diseases Unison Medicare and Research Centre, Mumbai.

However, he called for proper whole genome sequencing.

“Though the variant will become prominent in numbers, it is not causing a surge in demand for oxygen, beds, ICUs, or ventilators, and there are also no deaths. “So, I think we should not be worried and concentrate on other emerging health problems,” he said.

–IANS

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New Delhi, May 12 (IANS) Anaemia is a very common yet preventable threat among girls and women in India, said health experts on Sunday.

A deficiency of healthy red blood cells or haemoglobin needed to carry oxygen to the body’s tissues raises the risk of anaemia. The condition is more common among women and girls. Lack of a proper iron-rich diet, particularly among women in their reproductive age can result in tiredness, weakness, and shortness of breath, the experts noted.

According to the National Family Health Survey 5 (NFHS-5, 2019-21), 25 per cent of men (aged 15-49 years) and 57 per cent of women (aged 15-49 years) suffer from anaemia.

“Anaemia is a very common and another rampant problem in Indian ladies, especially, due to intake of a diet low in iron and sometimes, it is genetically determined also. A vegetarian diet is quite low in iron and hence, supplements are necessary,” Dr M. Wali, Senior Consultant, Department of Medicine, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital told IANS.

“Pregnancy increases the requirement of iron and also lactation, so these two conditions are particular to the females,” he added.

The doctor further noted that anaemia is prevalent in both rural and urban women in India.

“Most Indian urban women who are dieting to reduce weight become deficient and rural women because of hard work, increased requirements, increased loss of the menstrual blood due to infection or otherwise repeated childbirth, so all these causes lead to lack of blood or anaemia,” Dr Wali said.

The NFHS- data shows that anaemia is also highly prevalent among young adolescent boys (31 per cent), and adolescent girls (59 per cent) aged between 15 and 19 years, as well as in pregnant women (52.2 per cent) between 15 and 49 years, and also in small children (67 per cent) aged between 6 months and below 5 years.

Common indicators of anaemia include fatigue, pale complexion, breathlessness, dizziness, and cold extremities.

“Anaemia poses a significant health challenge in India, especially for women as they are more prone to lower haemoglobin levels owing to their distinct physiological requirements, including menstrual and pregnancy-related blood loss,” Dr Rahul Bhargava, Principal Director & Chief BMT, Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurugram, told IANS.

Importantly, the health experts pointed out that the condition progresses slowly and discreetly, and is difficult to detect. The symptoms also tend to appear late. They advised eating foods rich in iron or taking supplements.

“Anaemia is very difficult to detect, most of the time it is slowly developing. Symptoms like breathlessness (an important symptom), chest pain (sometimes mistaken as heart pain), difficulty in pregnancy, palpitation, headache, and easy fatigability appear very late,” Dr Wali said.

“Many women quietly battle anaemia — a preventable threat in India. By promoting a balanced diet rich in iron, advocating for accessible iron supplements available through government systems, and emphasising regular screening, we can empower women to combat anaemia and embrace healthier lives together,” Dr Ameet Babre, National Programme Manager at Nutrition International, told IANS.

The most effective preventive measures against anaemia involve adopting an iron-rich diet, which includes lean meats, poultry, fish, legumes, tofu, leafy greens like spinach and kale, fortified cereals, and nuts, Dr Bhargava said.

Fruits like guava, banana, figs, and pomegranate may also help combat anaemia.

–IANS

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New Delhi, May 12 (IANS) A whopping 89 per cent of Indian mothers are concerned about the screen time of their children, according to a report on Sunday.

The report, released by market research firm Techarc on Mother’s Day, is based on a survey of 600 working mothers, across four metro cities, having at least one child between grade 3-10 in school.

It explores insights on the digital ecosystem in which mothers operate today viz-a-viz the challenges, concerns, interests, and preferences.

“Mothers believe that increased screen time affects their studies and has a negative impact on the mental and physical health of their children,” the report said.

Further, the report showed that privacy (81 per cent), inappropriate content (72 per cent), teenage influencers (45 per cent), deep fakes, and impersonation (26 per cent) were other top concerns bothering mothers.

Mothers feel that deep fakes and Gen AI will add to their future parenting worries as they get to see the rising cases along with learning how these can be negatively used to malign the reputation and credibility of individuals.

Among the devices, mothers are concerned about the expected popularity of VR headsets, especially after the launch of Apple Vision Pro.

Mothers believe that “this form factor will zone out their children who will lose attentiveness towards the environment adding to their distractions,” the report said.

On the other hand, mothers also found the digital world much more useful and relevant for children, compared to five years ago.

More than 60 per cent of the mothers spent 51-85 per cent on their children through digital mediums buying various goods and services. Nearly 20 per cent of digital savvy mothers spent more than 85 per cent, the report said.

Mothers’ most trusted digital partners include Amazon (for shopping), Swiggy (for food), and Disney Hotstar (for entertainment)

–IANS

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