Prevention infancy

If the concepts and facts presented in this paper are correct, a major kind of human cancer in many regions of the world, cancer of the stomach, is due to a type of nitroso compound, a nitrosoureido derivative, even though not a nitrosamine It is quite certain that the formation of such compounds can be blocked by vitamin C and vitamin E, as well as by some other substances such as gallates Thus, the primary prevention of cancer caused by nitroso compounds is readily accomplished through an adequate Intake of such harmless inhibitors with every meal from infancy onwards ... 

Phenylketonuria was among the first inheritable metabolic defects discovered in humans. When this condition is recognized early in infancy, mental retardation can largely be prevented by rigid dietary control. The diet must supply only enough phenylalanine and tyrosine to meet the needs for protein synthesis. Consumption of protein-rich foods must be curtailed. Natural proteins, such as casein of milk, must first be hydrolyzed and much of the phenylalanine removed to provide an appropriate diet, at least through childhood. Because the artificial sweetener aspartame is a dipeptide of aspartate and the methyl ester of phenylalanine (see Fig. l-23b), foods sweetened with aspartame bear warnings addressed to individuals on phenylalanine-controlled diets. 

Since the recognition of the biological role of lycopene in the prevention of chronic diseases, the emphasis of the scientific community has been in the area of cancer, with special focus on prostate cancer. However, based on the hypothesis that oxidative stress may be an important etiological factor in the causation of most of the degenerative diseases and that lycopene is a potent antioxidant, the scientific community has started to study its role in diseases other than the ones reviewed in this chapter. These health disorders include skin and ocular diseases, rheumatoid arthritis, periodontal diseases, and inflammatory disorders. The scientific information pertaining to the role of lycopene in these diseases is still in its infancy. However, the rationale for undertaking these studies is scientifically valid and it is hoped that in the next 3-5 years several studies will be reported in the literature. 

It is well established that vitamin A deficiency (VAD) is a public health problem in more than ioo countries, especially in Africa and Southeast Asia, hitting hardest young children and pregnant women. Worldwide, over 124 million children are estimated to be vitamin A deficient. Many of these children go blind or become ill from diarrhea, and nearly eight million preschool age children die each year as the result of this deficiency. The World Health Organization estimates that improved vitamin A nutritional status could prevent the deaths of 1.3—2.5 million late-infancy and preschool age children each year (Humphrey et al. 1992). The heartache of losing a child to a preventable disease is not one commonly encountered in the developed world. 

Harris S (2002) Can vitamin D supplementation in infancy prevent type 1 diabetes Nutrition Reviews 60,118-21. 

Gas hydrate should be considered as a material which directly impacts our planet s population, in many ways as yet to an unknown extent. Although hydrates and their structures have been studied for many years, the understanding of hydrate formation processes is still in its infancy but is of critical importance today for a variety of reasons understanding the nature of natural gas hydrate deposits and how they accumulate", the prevention and control of pipeline hydrates, and the development of hydrate-based processes such as gas storage. ... 

BCG has also been found to have no effect on IgE sensitisation or even may have a protective effect. A retrospective case-controlled cohort study in children bom in Stockholm found that the BCG vaccination in infancy, beyond the neonatal period, had no primary preventive effect on the development of IgE sensitisation in children with atopic heredity [173(IIIC)]. The effects of BCG in early life in non-atopic families have not been studied. A study in Guinea-Bissau showed that children who were vaccinated with BCG in early infancy were less likely to be atopic, defined as positive skin prick testing at... 

In contrast, strategies aimed at secondary prevention can be based on the early manifestation of the IgE-mediated disease or even disease preceding IgE sensitisation, which usually occurs during infancy. Potential interventions include allergen avoidance measures to induce tolerance and early immunotherapy. Data have been provided that the early administration of pharmacotherapy in infants who have already developed atopic eczema can attenuate the allergic march into asthma (see Chapter 3, Early Immunological Influences). 

The prevalence of seborrheic dermatitis peaks during infancy, and then again during the fourth to seventh decades of life, affecting 3% to 5% of adults in the United States. In infants, seborrheic dermatitis is commonly referred to as cradle cap. Typically, this condition occurs around the areas of skin rich in sebaceous follicles, such as the face (Fig. 94-9, Plate 9), ears, scalp, and upper trunk (Fig. 94-10, Plate 10), although it is not classified as a disease of the sebaceous glands per se. Therapy of seborrheic dermatitis has four major goals to loosen and remove scales, prevent yeast colonization, control any secondary... 

Kimpimaki T, Kupila A, Hamalainen AM, Kukko M, Kulmala P, Savola K, Simell T, Keskinen P, llonen J, Simell O, Knip M (2001) The first signs of beta-cell autoimmunity appear in infancy in genetically susceptible children from the general population the Finnish Type 1 Diabetes Prediction and Prevention Study. J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 86 4782—4788. 

Hebei JR, Kinch D, Armstrong E Mental capability of children exposed to lead pollution. British Journal of Preventive and Social Medicine 30 170-174,1976 Holt LE Lead poisoning in infancy. American Journal of Diseases of Children 25 229-233, 1923... 

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