IGIHE

Category: Health

  • WHO links processed meat consumption to cancer

    WHO links processed meat consumption to cancer

    { {{Twenty-year-long study finds hot dogs, bacon and other processed meats raise risk of colon, stomach and other cancers.}}
    }

    Hot dogs, bacon and other processed meats raise the risk of colon, stomach and other cancers, the World Health Organization (WHO) has said.

    Monday’s announcement follows studies which looked at more than a dozen types of cancer in populations with diverse diets over the past 20 years.

    The findings back what many doctors have been warning for years, and will anger the meat industry which has been rallying against putting processed meats in the same danger category as smoking or asbestos.

    A group of 22 scientists from the WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) in Lyon, France, evaluated more than 800 studies from several continents about meat and cancer.

    Based on the results, the IARC classified processed meat as “carcinogenic to humans”.

    With regard to red meat, the report said it contained some important nutrients, but still labelled it “probably carcinogenic”, with links to colon, prostate and pancreatic cancers.

    The agency said it did not have enough data to define how much processed meat is dangerous, but said the risk grows with the amount consumed.

    Analysis of 10 of the studies suggested that a 50-gramme portion of processed meat daily increases the risk of colorectal cancer over a lifetime by about 18 percent.

    The WHO’s findings can influence public health recommendations around the globe.

    ‘Global impact’

    Doctors, especially in rich countries, have long warned that a diet loaded with red meat is linked to cancers, including those of the colon and pancreas.

    The American Cancer Society has long urged people to eat less processed and red meat.

    “For an individual, the risk of developing colorectal cancer because of their consumption of processed meat remains small, but this risk increases with the amount of meat consumed,” Dr Kurt Straif of the IARC said in a statement.

    “In view of the large number of people who consume processed meat, the global impact on cancer incidence is of public health importance.”

    The cancer agency noted research by the Global Burden of Disease Project suggesting that 34,000 cancer deaths per year worldwide are linked to diets heavy in processed meat – compared with one million deaths a year linked to smoking, 600,000 a year to alcohol consumption and 200,000 a year to air pollution.

    Aljazeera

  • Medics call for more efforts to fight against cancers

    Medics call for more efforts to fight against cancers

    Students of Green Hills Academy join other activists in a cancer awareness march on Sunday. (Timothy Kisambira)

    { {{
    Cancer will by 2030 leapfrog HIV, tuberculosis and other diseases by 70 per cent to become the leading cause of morbidity and mortality globally, Dr Emmanuel Rudakemwa, the director of medical imaging services at King Faisal Hospital, has said.}} }

    Speaking at an event to mark the end of the Breast Cancer Awareness Month in Kigali, on Sunday, Dr Rudakemwa said the month should also be used as an opportunity to remember and test for other types of cancer.

    He said although there is still more to be done, the responsibility should not solely be left to government, advising that everyone should play a role in raising awareness since prevention is better than cure.

    “In Rwanda, we still have a lot to do. With a population of 11 million people, we have one oncologist and though there other doctors who can treat cancer, the disease needs special expertise,” Dr Rudakemwa said.

    The head of cancer unit at Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC), Dr Francois Uwinkindi, said in the past 20 years, there has been a big problem of infectious diseases especially HIV.

    However, he said the older one gets, the more chances of getting non-infectious diseases, calling for constant checkups if they are to be curbed.

    “I can point out two cancers that affect women; breast and cervical cancers, and that’s why the Ministry of Health is focusing on fighting them but for us to effectively do this, we need to detect them earlier. There is so much challenge we face in the fight against cancer, but at least I can say we are making progress,” Dr Uwinkindi said.

    Charlotte Gaston, a breast cancer survivor and nurse at King Faisal Hospital, said the journey is hard but it can be avoided if the disease is detected early enough.

    “In February last year, I just decided to have a check up. I was shocked to find out that I had breast cancer. When I went back home, I examined myself and I noticed a lump but luckily it was in its early stages,” Gaston said.

    The New Times

  • WHO experts urge pilot roll-out of malaria vaccine

    WHO experts urge pilot roll-out of malaria vaccine

    { {{GENEVA – A World Health Organization expert panel on Friday recommended pilot roll-outs of the world’s most advanced malaria vaccine to young children in several areas of sub-Saharan Africa, before considering wider use.
    }} }

    The panel said the Mosquirix or RTS,S vaccine, should be given in three to five different areas with moderate-to-high malaria transmission, reaching up to a million children.

    The first dose would be given to children between the ages of five and 17 months and the aim would be to assess its protective effect and whether it will be practical to administer four doses in routine vaccination programmes.

    “In these areas of Africa … the number one killer now of children is malaria,” said professor Jon Abramson, chair of the WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE), which advises the UN health agency on immunisation policies.

    Mosquirix is the most clinically-advanced vaccine against the mosquito-borne disease that infects some 200 million people and kills about 600,000 every year, more than 75 percent of them children under five.

    In sub-Saharan Africa alone, the plasmodium parasite kills about 1,200 children on average per day, according to the WHO.

    Developed by GlaxoSmithKline with funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Mosquirix is the first malaria vaccine to reach Phase III clinical testing — the final stage before market approval — and the first to be assessed by regulators.

    It received a nod from European regulators in July.

    GSK hailed the SAGE recommendations as “an important step” towards making the vaccine available and Abramson said the pilot could pave the way for wide-scale deployment within the next five years.

    WHO still need to make its final policy recommendations about the vaccine, but is expected to follow the SAGE recommendations.

    Mosquirix could thus become the first licenced vaccine against a parasitic disease. But that decision still lies a way off.

    In April, the results of a years-long trial with 15,500 children in seven African countries were published in The Lancet medical journal — announcing mixed success.

    Only around a third of the children who received the vaccine were protected for the full duration of the trial, researchers found.

    Could save 100,000 lives

    But even so, the vaccine has the potential to prevent millions of cases and could save “well over 100,000” lives, Abramson said.

    He said one of the biggest concerns was whether parents would bring their children back for a final fourth dose of the vaccine, which must be given a year and a half after the first three doses.

    “If you don’t give the fourth dose, essentially the efficacy of the vaccine goes back to zero,” he said.

    The trial of the vaccine had also showed an increase in the number of cases of meningitis and cerebral malaria among those who received it, and Abramson said the pilot implementation would help determine the increased risk.

    But he stressed that the health community had “ways of potentially mitigating” that threat, and the lifesaving benefits of the vaccine could outweigh the risk.

    Not everyone was as enthusiastic, with medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) urging caution.

    “Given the current characteristics of the vaccine regarding its efficacy, safety concerns and therefore very limited conditions for use, MSF will not roll out the RTS,S vaccine,” MSF said in a statement, insisting much more research was needed.

    It pointed out that most areas with high malaria transmission are in places with low vaccination rates and weak health systems, making it extremely difficult to ensure children receive all four doses.

    Abramson acknowledged it would be tough, but stressed the need for “new tools” to fight the scourge of malaria.

    The malaria parasite has developed resistance to successive treatments.

    While there is a limited medicine chest available, insecticide-treated bed nets remain one of the most effective prevention methods.

    But Abramson insisted “the nets alone are not going to get the job completely done.”

    GSK has said it would provide the drug at a “not-for-profit price”, and Abramson said it might cost around $5 a dose, or $20 per child for a full treatment.

    The New Vision

  • Pediatricians Are Asked to Join Fight Against Childhood Hung

    Pediatricians Are Asked to Join Fight Against Childhood Hung

    Asia Thompson, a student at Misericordia University in Dallas, Pa., and a mother of two, said she hoped the screening by doctors would help.

    { {{The American Academy of Pediatrics on Friday urged pediatricians to screen all patients for food insecurity and to refer parents to appropriate agencies so children do not go hungry.}} }

    Sixteen million children live in homes where there is consistently not enough food, according to the Agriculture Department. Those children get sick more often, have poorer overall health and are hospitalized more frequently than peers who are adequately nourished.

    So-called food insecurity has also been linked to behavioral and emotional problems from preschool through adolescence.

    “It’s high time,” Mariana Chilton, the director of the Center for Hunger-Free Communities at Drexel University, said of the new policy. “We know food insecurity drives up health care costs, and is associated with more hospitalizations, and is related to poor childhood development and health.”

    Few pediatricians research childhood hunger, said Dr. Chilton, a principal investigator with Children’s HealthWatch, a national network tracking the impact of public assistance programs on pediatric health.

    “It’s been very difficult to get the broader pediatrician community to pay attention to food insecurity, and yet it’s one of the most important vital signs of a child’s health and well-being,” Dr. Chilton said.

    The academy’s new policy also encourages pediatricians to familiarize themselves with local food banks and federal nutrition programs.

    “If you think about meeting families where they are, they are in schools and in doctors’ offices,” said Melissa Boteach, a vice president of the poverty-to-prosperity program at the Center for American Progress. “Having pediatricians connect them to resources they need could really have a big impact.”

    The academy said that pediatricians might identify hungry children with a screening tool that posed two questions to parents: whether, in the last year, they worried that their food would run out before they had money to buy more, and whether the groceries they bought lasted until they had more money available to buy more.

    The answers to these questions identify 97 percent of families that are insecure about food, said Erin R. Hager, a nutritional epidemiologist at the University of Maryland
    School of Medicine who helped validate the tool.

    Across-the-board screening may encourage worried parents to step forward, experts said. “A big barrier to accessing resources for families is they are scared and embarrassed to ask,” said Maryah Fram, an associate professor of social work at the University of South Carolina who has researched food insecurity in children.

    Pediatricians can not only share information on resources, but also reassure parents. “They can let them know it’s not just them, and this is a common situation,” Ms. Fram said.

    The questionnaire may also take the guesswork out of trying to identify children forced to skip meals or go to bed famished.

    “People think you can recognize food insecurity when you see it, or that people with food insecurity look poor,” said Dr. Sarah J. Schwarzenberg, a lead author of the new policy statement and director of pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition at the University of Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital.

    “People who look just like you and me have food insecurity,” she added. “Income is more unpredictable than it used to be.”

    Unemployment, underemployment and poverty are all linked to food insecurity, the academy noted, helping make chronic hunger a problem for millions of families.

    Asia Thompson, a 22-year-old mother of two and a student at Misericordia University in Dallas, Pa., never told her children’s pediatrician that the family sometimes lacked food, even though she worried about it frequently.

    “Imagine having two children who are equally if not more hungry than you are, and only having one ration of food to split between three of you,” Ms. Thompson said. “That’s what is happening in homes in America right now.”

    Ms. Thompson said she hoped universal screenings for hunger “would take away the embarrassment of having to reach out yourself, because it does take a lot of courage to talk to your pediatrician about not being able to feed your kids. It’s embarrassing as a parent.”

    Food stamps have been “incredibly helpful,” she said, but they still run out early.
    The new policy also urges pediatricians to use their influence beyond their offices. “It’s very important that pediatricians advocate for programs that provide food, particularly healthy food, for children,” Dr. Schwarzenberg said.

    Assistance programs “are always under pressure to be cut, diminished or changed,” she said. “Pediatricians know about children’s health. They should be right up there saying you’ve got to make them stronger and to keep them in place.”

    The New York Times

  • Depression: Causes, symptoms and solutions

    Depression: Causes, symptoms and solutions

    {{10th October was World Mental Health Day. Along with other mental problems, it is to make people aware of depression that causes much suffering and even loss of productivity without any organic sickness.{}}}

    About 15% of patients in any population suffer from depression. This should be taken very seriously. Majority of those attempting suicide consult physicians to seek relief in their symptoms. The person affected may not be able to express the intensity of his misery and the underlying real or imaginary causes.

    But internally, he may be suffering a lot and may even attempt suicide because of failure to cope with depression.

    Therefore any person with the features of depression needs to be tackled very delicately. Due attention should be paid to his problems however trivial and he should be watched constantly.

    Many people develop depression because of some tragedy but this passes off with time. Depression also can occur if someone suffers from some terminal illness or if a family member is terminally sick.

    These are cases of depression because of some known cause. But endogenous depression, i.e. in which no known cause exists, is difficult to handle. It can be part of a bipolar disorder known as maniac depressive psychosis where the patient has mood swings between depression and excitement. These cases are mostly hereditary and run in families.

    Chronic alcoholics mostly suffer from depression both in the inebriated state and due to withdrawal as a result of abstinence from alcohol. Other addicting substances especially like marijuana and cannabis can also lead to depression if one is addicted.

    Apart from addicting substances, many drugs also produce depression. Some antihypertensive agents when used for long can induce depression in the affected person. A person suffering from hypertension can suffer from depression due to the illness and as a side effect of the medicines.

    Drugs used to reduce cholesterol, anti arrhythmic agents (drugs used to regulate the rhythm of the heart), glucocorticoids, antiparkinsonism drugs, etc. also cause depression as adverse effect.

    Women suffer from depression around or after menopause because of the changes in hormones.

    Depression can be seen in any gender but is more in women. Statistics say that mostly people around 30 to 50 years of age suffer from endogenous depression.

    Endogenous depression is said to exist when there is no known cause of depression
    The common symptoms which suggest the possibility of depression are unexplained easy fatigue, feeling of dullness or losing interest in surroundings, loss of interest in work, loss of appetite and constipation.

    Loss of sleep is also common. The pattern of sleep in a case of depression is typical. The patient goes off to sleep at the usual time but gets up after midnight to spend nights strolling around.

    Such people when examined seem to be dull, apathetic to their surroundings; skin is dry, personal hygiene is poor because of neglect. There may be signs of malnutrition due to loss of appetite and neglecting a balanced diet. Clinical examination is always normal.

    The investigations reveal no abnormality.

    Any small problem can precipitate depression in one who is prone to it. These people remain unhappy and do not allow their family members to be happy. How can the family remain happy when a member suffers from depression and refuses to be relaxed and happy?

    Antidepressant drugs remain the mainstay for treatment of depression. But they produce side effects like somnolence, stiffening of face or limbs, involuntary movements, etc.

    Counseling by professional counselors is beneficial. Show of love and attention by family and friends can help to elevate the mood of the depressed person.
    The individual should also be motivated to remain busy creatively, so that the mind does not wander to negative thoughts. Mental relaxation would also help him.

    The New Times

  • Drug-resistant malaria could spread to Africa: study

    Drug-resistant malaria could spread to Africa: study

    {{
    A drug-resistant malaria parasite from southeast Asia can infect African mosquitoes, said a study Tuesday, boosting fears that a hard-to-cure variant of the disease could reach the world’s most vulnerable continent.{}}}

    Lab tests showed that drug-immune Plasmodium falciparum, the deadliest malaria parasite, are able to infect the Anopheles coluzzii mosquito — the main transmitter of the disease in Africa.

    The parasite has evolved to resist the effects of artemisinin, the frontline malaria drug which earned its maker a Nobel Medicine Prize on October 5.

    “The discovery suggests Africa — where malaria will cause an estimated 400,000 deaths in 2015 — is more at risk for drug-resistant malaria infections than previously thought,” said a statement from the United States’ National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), which took part in the study.

    This, in turn, “could further compromise efforts to prevent and eliminate the disease.”
    The study was published in the Journal Nature Communications
    {{
    Developing resistance}}

    There were some 584,000 deaths from malaria in 2013, out of estimated 198 million infections, according to the World Health Organisation. Ninety percent of the deaths took place in Africa.

    Artemisinin-resistant malaria has not yet been documented in Africa, but has been spreading rapidly through southeast Asia.
    It was not known prior to the study whether the parasite could infect Africa’s Anopheles coluzzii mosquito.

    The scientists tried to infect a variety of mosquito species, including the African type, with resistant parasites from Cambodia. It worked.

    “The scientists also discovered a shared genetic background among artemisinin-resistant parasites that may enable them to infect diverse mosquito species by evading their immune systems,” said the NIAID statement.

    “The ability of artemisinin-resistant parasites to infect such highly diverse Anopheles species… may explain the rapid expansion of these parasites in Cambodia and neighbouring countries, and further compromise efforts to prevent their global spread,” wrote the authors.

    There have been two examples in history of malaria drugs becoming less effective due to the emergence of resistance.

    From the 1950s to 1970s, chloroquine-resistant parasites spread from Asia to Africa. Chloroquine was replaced by sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP), resistance to which emerged in western Cambodia and spread to Africa.

    SP was then followed by artemisinin, a drug derived by Chinese scientists from a herb called sweet wormwood.

    Scientists Tu Youyou, who helped unlock artemisinin’s therapeutic powers in laboratory work at the height of China’s repressive Cultural Revolution, was awarded this year’s Nobel for medicine.

    In February, researchers said artemisinin-resistant parasites have spread westward from southeast Asia as far as the Indian border.

    DAILY NATION

  • Six effective ways to lose belly fat

    Six effective ways to lose belly fat

    {Getting pregnant, indulging in too much food or one too many beers might leave us with belly fat. So what are the effective methods for getting rid of belly fat?

    Below are 6 effective ways to lose belly fat}

    {{1. Eat lean proteins}}

    One effective way of losing belly fat is by eating lean proteins. According to a Harvard School of Public Health study, lean sources of protein aid in keeping the saturated fat intake at a healthy level. Go for protein sources like chicken or beans.

    {{2. Cardio and strength training}}

    Undertaking cardio and strength training leads to increased consumption of oxygen which leads to fat loss. All types of cardio exercise routines would help you achieve this.
    {{
    3. Avoid high carb meals }}

    Another effective way to lose belly fat is by avoiding carb meals and choosing a diet filled with fruits and vegetables instead as this would help you lose belly fat. You should avoid cookies and donuts.

    {{4. Lemon juice }}

    Another effective way to lose belly fat is by starting your day with lemon juice. Squeeze some lemon juice into a glass of warm water and add some salt to it. Drink this every morning to start your day as it helps boost your metabolism and help you fight belly fat.

    {{5. Basic plank or the elbow plank }}

    This exercise is also effective for losing belly fat. Place your elbows by the side of your chest while you lie down on your stomach. Come up on your toes while ensuring your back hips and legs should be in a straight line. Hold this for 10-20 secs. Keep your abs tight.

    {{6. Reduce salt intake }}

    Salt is very bad for the belly because it causes water retention and this makes you look bloated. Reducing your salt intake would help you lose belly fat.

    With these tips, you can effectively lose belly fat.

    EL CREMA

  • 10 Benefits to Drinking Warm Lemon Water Every Morning

    10 Benefits to Drinking Warm Lemon Water Every Morning

    1{{) Aids Digestion}}. Lemon juice flushes out unwanted materials and toxins from the body. It’s atomic composition is similar to saliva and the hydrochloric acid of digestive juices. It encourages the liver to produce bile which is an acid that is required for digestion. Lemons are also high in minerals and vitamins and help loosen ama, or toxins, in the digestive tract. The digestive qualities of lemon juice help to relieve symptoms of indigestion, such as heartburn, belching and bloating. The American Cancer Society actually recommends offering warm lemon water to cancer sufferers to help stimulate bowel movements.

    {{2) Cleanses Your System }} / is a Diuretic. Lemon juice helps flush out unwanted materials in part because lemons increase the rate of urination in the body. Therefore toxins are released at a faster rate which helps keep your urinary tract healthy. The citric acid in lemons helps maximize enzyme function, which stimulates the liver and aids in detoxification.
    {{
    3) Boosts Your Immune System}}. Lemons are high in vitamin C, which is great for fighting colds. They’re high in potassium, which stimulates brain and nerve function. Potassium also helps control blood pressure. Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) found in lemons demonstrates anti-inflammatory effects, and is used as complementary support for asthma and other respiratory symptoms plus it enhances iron absorption in the body; iron plays an important role in immune function. Lemons also contain saponins, which show antimicrobial properties that may help keep cold and flu at bay. Lemons also reduce the amount of phlegm produced by the body.

    {{4) Balances pH Levels.}} Lemons are one of the most alkalizing foods for the body. Sure, they are acidic on their own, but inside our bodies they’re alkaline (the citric acid does not create acidity in the body once metabolized). Lemons contain both citric and ascorbic acid, weak acids easily metabolized from the body allowing the mineral content of lemons to help alkalize the blood. Disease states only occur when the body pH is acidic. Drinking lemon water regularly can help to remove overall acidity in the body, including uric acid in the joints, which is one of the primary causes of pain and inflammation.

    {{5) Clears Skin. }} The vitamin C component as well as other antioxidants helps decrease wrinkles and blemishes and it helps to combat free radical damage. Vitamin C is vital for healthy glowing skin while its alkaline nature kills some types of bacteria known to cause acne. It can actually be applied directly to scars or age spots to help reduce their appearance. Since lemon water purges toxins from your blood, it would also be helping to keep your skin clear of blemishes from the inside out. The vitamin C contained in the lemon rejuvenates the skin from within your body.

    {{6) Energizes You and Enhances Your Mood.}} The energy a human receives from food comes from the atoms and molecules in your food. A reaction occurs when the positive charged ions from food enter the digestive tract and interact with the negative charged enzymes. Lemon is one of the few foods that contain more negative charged ions, providing your body with more energy when it enters the digestive tract. The scent of lemon also has mood enhancing and energizing properties. The smell of lemon juice can brighten your mood and help clear your mind. Lemon can also help reduce anxiety and depression.

    {{7) Promotes Healing.}} Ascorbic acid (vitamin C), found in abundance in lemons, promotes wound healing, and is an essential nutrient in the maintenance of healthy bones, connective tissue, and cartilage. As noted previously, vitamin C also displays anti-inflammatory properties. Combined, vitamin C is an essential nutrient in the maintenance of good health and recovery from stress and injury.

    {{8) Freshens Breath}}. Besides fresher breath, lemons have been known to help relieve tooth pain and gingivitis. Be aware that citric acid can erode tooth enamel, so you should be mindful of this. No not brush your teeth just after drinking your lemon water. It is best to brush your teeth first, then drink your lemon water, or wait a significant amount of time after to brush your teeth. Additionally, you can rinse your mouth with purified water after you finish your lemon water.

    {{9) Hydrates Your Lymph System}}. Warm water and lemon juice supports the immune system by hydrating and replacing fluids lost by your body. When your body is deprived of water, you can definitely feel the side effects, which include: feeling tired, sluggish, decreased immune function, constipation, lack of energy, low/high blood pressure, lack of sleep, lack of mental clarity and feeling stressed, just to name a few.

    {{10) Aids in Weight Loss}}. Lemons are high in pectin fiber, which helps fight hunger cravings. Studies have shown people who maintain a more alkaline diet, do in fact lose weight faster. I personally find myself making better choices throughout the day, if I start my day off right, by making a health conscious choice to drink warm lemon water first thing every morning.

    Source: Sports360

  • Kabutare hospital director held over embezzlement

    Kabutare hospital director held over embezzlement

    Police in the Southern Province are holding the Director of Huye-based Kabutare Hospital, Dr Saleh Niyonzima, and the hospital accountant over allegations of embezzlement.

    The arrests follow an audit exercise that was carried out in the hospital in September which revealed missing funds, according to sources.

    Inspector of Police Eulade Gakwaya, the acting spokesperson of Police in the Southern Province, confirmed the arrests, saying the duo was apprehended on September 30 and was being held at Ngoma Police Station in Huye District.

    “They were arrested in connection with embezzlement of hospital funds,” he said.

    “Police compiled a dossier and submitted it to the prosecution but investigations are still ongoing,” he said.

    The law provides that Police make a dossier within five days after the arrest of a suspect and pass it on to the Prosecution for further action.

    Gakwaya said the amount of money thought to have been embezzled will be established after the investigations.
    The duo met prosecution officials on Monday, he added.

    Meanwhile, Police are still hunting for the hospital administrator, another suspect in the case.

    The arrest comes days after the hospital on September 28, announced that it needed Rwf80 million to pay workers August salary.

    Dr Niyonzima told journalists then that the salary delays were due to Health Insurance Scheme (Mutuelle de Santé) arrears.

    He explained that the hospital had used Rwf29 million from government to buy medicine in July but when it sent receipts to Rwanda Social Security Board (RSSB), for refund, the latter delayed to disburse the money to the hospital.

    He announced this after the Minister for Health, Dr Agnes Binagwaho visited the hospital, where she held a meeting with the hospital staff and the directors of health centres in Huye District.

    Speaking at the meeting then, the minister said there is a need for concerted effort among local government entities to ensure timely payment of health insurance premiums.

    It is understood the government usually provides funds to complement health insurance in covering health workers’ salaries in health facilities.

    It is estimated that the health insurance scheme owe Kabutare Hospital up to Rwf300 million in arrears.

    The NewTimes

  • A Peruvian baby is born with two tubes on his face instead of a nose

    A Peruvian baby is born with two tubes on his face instead of a nose

    The baby boy, who has been named Angelito – meaning little angel or cherub – was born at the hospital of Caleta, in the city of Chimbote, in the west Peruvian province of Santa.
    The boy’s mother Lorena Rodriguez Zavaleta, 20, and his unnamed father, are constantly at their newborn’s bedside.

    The baby was transferred from his home in Nuevo Chimbote to the Hospital del Nino some 300 miles away in the Peruvian capital Lima where he will need to undergo an operation to treat the growths and give him a normal nose.

    Paediatrician Jose Castillo said the unusual condition was the result of a very rare genetic deformity called Patau syndrome, which happens in just one in every 15,000 births.

    He said that the baby is currently in a stable condition and is keeping down the food he is being given and that his heart and respiratory system are also working fine.
    The hospital’s neonatal care boss Carlos Arrestegui Ramos said: ‘He doesn’t have difficulty breathing now, but he will need plastic surgery.’

    He added that further tests would be needed to determine how else the boy’s mutation had affected his body.
    The mayor of the Nuevo Chimbote district in Lima, Valentin Fernandez, has presented the young parents with a gift of nappies, milk and money to cover their stay in the capital whilst their newborn receives treatment.

    Source: Dailymail.com