Children who get less than the recommended amount of sleep for their age are at a higher risk of developing obesity, a study has found. Researchers at the University of Warwick in the UK found that children and adolescents who regularly sleep less than others of the same age gain more weight when they grow older and are more likely to become overweight or obese. “Being overweight can lead to cardiovascular disease and type-2-diabetes which is also on the increase in children. The findings of the study indicate that sleep may be an important potentially modifiable risk factor (or marker) of future obesity,” said Michelle Miller, from Warwick Medical School. The study published in the journal Sleep reviewed the results of 42 population studies of infants, children and adolescents aged 0 to 18 years which included a total of 75,499 participants.

Their average sleep duration was assessed through a variety of methods, from questionnaires to wearable technology. The participants were grouped into two classifications: short sleeper and regular sleepers. Short sleepers were defined as having less sleep than the reference category for their age. This was based on the most recent guidelines in the US which recommends that infants (4 to 11 months) get between 12-15 hours of nightly sleep, that toddlers (1-2 years) get 11-14 hours of sleep, children in pre-school (3-5 years) get 10-13 hours and school aged children (6-13 years) between 9 and 11 hours. Teenagers (14-17 years) are advised to get 8-10 hours.

Participants were followed up for a median period of three years and changes in BMI and incidences of overweight and/or obesity were recorded over time. At all ages short sleepers gained more weight and overall were 58 per cent more likely to become overweight or obese. “The results showed a consistent relationship across all ages indicating that the increased risk is present in both younger and older children. The study also reinforces the concept that sleep deprivation is an important risk factor for obesity, detectable very early on in life,” said Miller. “By appraising world literature we were able to demonstrate that, despite some variation between studies, there is a strikingly consistent overall prospective association between short sleep and obesity,” said Francesco Cappuccio from University of Warwick.

“This study builds on our previous analysis of cross-sectional data published in 2008. The importance of the latest approach is that only prospective longitudinal studies were included, demonstrating that short sleep precedes the development of obesity in later years, strongly suggesting causality,” said Cappuccio.

Besides smoking and drinking alcohol, parents’ health including obesity and poor diet can have “profound implications” for the growth, development and long-term health of their children before their conception, says a series of studies published in the journal Lancet.

The findings showed that smoking, high alcohol and caffeine intake, diet, obesity, and malnutrition in either or both parents, potentially increases a child’s lifelong risk of heart attacks, stroke, diabetes, immune and neurological diseases.

The research emphasises the need for greater awareness of preconception health and improved guidance, with a greater focus on diet and nutrition to improve the health of future generations.

“Research is now showing that our gametes and early embryos are sensitive to a variety of environmental conditions including poor parental diet. These effects can change the process of development, affecting growth, metabolism, and health of offspring, so makes the case for both parents to have a healthy lifestyle well before conception and pregnancy,” said Tom Fleming, Professor at the University of Southampton.

Maternal obesity is thought to enhance levels of inflammation and hormones, which can directly alter the development of the egg and embryo. This, in turn, boosts the odds of chronic disease later in life.

In men, being obese leads to poor sperm quality, quantity, and motility associated with many of the same conditions.

“The preconception period is a critical time when parental health — including weight, metabolism and diet — can influence the risk of future chronic disease in children, and we must now re-examine public health policy to help reduce this risk,” said Judith Stephenson, Professor from the University College of London.

“While the current focus on risk factors such as smoking and excess alcohol intake is important, we also need new drives to prepare nutritionally for pregnancy in both parents,” Stephenson added.

The results were based in part on two new analyses of women of reproductive age – 18 to 42 – in the UK and Australia.

The team also found that women are often not “nutritionally prepared” for pregnancy. Some 96 per cent of the women, for example, had iron and folate intakes below the recommended levels, 14.8 milligrams and 400 micrograms per day, respectively.

Adjusting diet after a pregnancy has begun is often not good enough to fundamentally improve child health, the researchers said.

They propose that behaviour change interventions, supplementation, and fortification starting in adolescence, by schools could help young adults prepare for healthy parenthood in the future.

In the time when nutritionists and experts are debating how much of coffee in a day is good or bad, a recent Australian based study has demonstrated that a limited caffeine intake by premature babies may improve their lung function in later life.

The study shows that caffeine acts as respiratory stimulant that may improve short-term breathing rates in infants. In the study a regulated portion of caffeine, helped them perform slightly better in tests that measure their ability to breathe out later in life. The findings also found that the infants were also significantly better at exhaling during a forced breath.

In the study Melbourne Royal Women's Hospital doctors examined the development of over 140 premature babies (under ten days), half of whom were given a dose of caffeine once a day, over 11 years, and half of them were given a placebo. The trial participants were checked at 18 months and five years, with the group that received caffeine found to have a better breathing ability at the age of 11, than the other group. The caffeine was given to the infants with milk through a tube or as an injection, once daily.

Lead author of the study, Dr Lex Doyle explained that caffeine belongs to a group of drugs known as methylxanthines. This group of drugs has the ability to reduce apnea of prematurity, a condition in which the baby stops breathing for many seconds.

काही लहान मुलांना माती खाण्याची सवय असते. मुलांच्या या सवयीमुळे पालकांना खूप सतर्क राहावे लागते. कारण मुले कधी कुठे जावून माती खातील याचा थांगपत्ता लागत नाही. आरोग्यासाठी घातक असलेली मुलांची ही सवय सोडवण्यासाठी तुम्ही हे घरगुती उपाय करु शकता. तुमच्या मुलांनाही आहे का ही सवय? मग हे उपाय तुमच्या कामी येतील...

# मुलांची माती खाण्याची सवय सोडवण्यासाठी लवंग फायदेशीर ठरते. यासाठी लवंग पाण्यात उकळवा. आणि ते पाणी दिवसातून २-३ वेळा १-१ चमचा मुलांना द्या. काही दिवसात मुलांची ही सवय दूर होईल.

# मुलांच्या माती खाण्याच्या सवयीमागे कॅल्शियमची कमतरता असते. यासाठी मुलांना आहारात कॅल्शियमयुक्त पदार्थांचा समावेश करा.

# थोड्या पाण्यात आंब्याच्या बाटचे चुर्ण मिसळून दिवसातून २-३ वेळा द्या. यामुळे मुलांच्या पोटातील जंत मरतील आणि त्याचबरोबर मुलांची माती खाण्याची सवयही दूर होईल.

# दररोज मुलांना केळं आणि मध एकत्र करुन द्या. यामुळे मुलांची माती खाण्याची सवय सुटण्यास मदत होईल.

# रोज रात्री झोपण्यापूर्वी मुलांना कोमट पाण्यासोबत ओव्याचे चुर्ण द्या. यामुळेही मुलांची माती खाण्याची सवय दूर होईल.

डायरिया पोटासंबंधितचा मुख्य आजार आहे. इंफेक्डेट अन्न, पाणी घेतल्याने हा त्रास सुरु होतो. नाशिकमध्ये या आजाराने थैमान घातले आहे. या आजाराची आठवड्याभरात २०० लोकांना लागण झाली आहे. तर यामुळे जाणाऱ्या बळींच्या संख्येतही दिवसागणित वाढ होत आहे. त्यामुळे याबद्दलची माहिती असणे गरजेचे आहे.

स्वच्छता ठेवा
मुलांमधील डायरियाचा त्रास रोखण्यासाठी गरजेचे आहे घर स्वच्छ ठेवणे. मुलांना अन्न भरवण्यापूर्वी हात साबण, हॅंडवॉश किंवा सॅनिटायझरने स्वच्छ धुवून घ्या. त्याचबरोबर अस्वच्छ वस्तूला हात लावल्यानंतर किंवा दूसऱ्याच्या घरातून आल्यानंतर हात स्वच्छ धुवा.

मुलांना शुद्ध पाणी पिण्यास द्या
ही सर्वात महत्त्वाची गोष्ट आहे. उकळलेले किंवा फिल्टर केलेले पाणी मुलांना पिण्यास द्या. त्याचबरोबर पाणी स्वच्छ भांड्यात स्वच्छ ठिकाणी भरुन ठेवा.


मुलांना नेहमी हायड्रेट ठेवा
डायरिया झाल्यास उलटी आणि जुलाबामुळे डिहाड्रेशन होते. यामुळे शरीरातील मिनरल्स आणि पोषकतत्त्व बाहेर निघून जातात. शरीरातील इलेक्ट्रोलाईटचा बॅलन्स बिघडतो. डिहाड्रेशन अधिक प्रमाणात झाल्यास ब्रेन डॅमेज किंवा इतर अवयवांना नुकसान पोहचू शकते. त्यामुळे मुलांना इलेक्ट्रोलाईट आणि पाणी सातत्याने देत रहा.

इलेक्ट्रोलाईट सप्लीमेंट्स द्या
डायरियाने पीडित मुलांमध्ये पोषकघटकांची कमतरता निर्माण होते. अशावेळी त्यांना इलेक्ट्रोलाईट सप्लीमेंट्स देणे फायदेशीर ठरेल. त्यांना पाण्यात ओआरएस घालून द्या.

हलके भोजन द्या
मुलं जर खूप लहान असेल तर त्यांला आईचे दूध देणे योग्य ठरेल. कारण त्यामुळे पोषकतत्त्वांची कमतरता भरून निघेल. त्यापेक्षा थोड्या मोठ्या मुलांना बिना मसाल्याचे अन्न द्या. त्यामुळे अन्न सहज पचेल. उदा. इडली, मूग डाळ खिचडी, तांदळाची खीर, यांसारखे.