Lack of Sleep Hormone Linked to Diabetes Risk

Low levels of melatonin, the hormone that regulates sleep, more than doubles the risk of diabetes in women, a study has found.

Researchers made the connection after analysing data on 740 women with and without the disease.

Melatonin, a popular remedy for jet lag, is best known for its role in helping to control the body’s sleep-wake cycle. But it also has many other biological functions, including some linked to the blood sugar hormone insulin.

None of the women taking part in the study had diabetes at the start. Over a 12-year period, researchers identified 370 who developed Type-2 diabetes and compared them with a matched 370 who did not.  Melatonin secretion varied widely among the participants.

Women who produced the least were more than twice as likely to develop diabetes as those who secreted the most.

Study leader Dr Ciaran McMullan, from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, US, said: “This is the first time that an independent association has been established between nocturnal melatonin secretion and Type-2 diabetes risk.

“Hopefully this study will prompt future research to examine what influences a person’s melatonin secretion and what is melatonin’s role in altering a person’s glucose metabolism and risk of diabetes.”

The research, forming part of the US Nurses’ Health Study, is reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

“It is interesting to postulate from these data, in combination with prior literature, whether there is a causal role for reduced melatonin secretion in diabetes risk,” wrote the authors.

Whether or not the same association is seen in men remains to be investigated.

Source: Nursing Times

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Simple Tips for AIDS Patients

Modern treatments with combinations of antiretroviral drugs have dramatically enhanced the survival prospects of people with AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) and have enabled those with HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) to remain symptom-free for prolonged periods. AIDS is a disease in which the body's immune system breaks down, so patients are no longer efficient at fighting disease.

Signs of the onset of AIDS 

• Weight loss and general debility. 
• There may also be swollen glands in the groin, neck and armpits; cold sores and other skin disorders.
• Thrush
• As the disease progresses patients may suffer from pneumonia, malnutrition and various cancers - typically large purplish blotches on the skin called Kaposi's sarcoma. 
• Patients often suffer from serious malnutrition. Sound nutrition at the onset of the disease to build up body weight and boost the immune system is now recommended.

Foods to choose

Deficiencies in certain nutrients, notably vitamins A, B6, B12 and zinc, which are known to impair immune function are often apparent at the time of an HIV-positive diagnosis. A diet which includes:

• Fish, liver, full-fat milk and other dairy products will boost the intake of all of these nutrients. 
• Vitamin B12 is found in animal produce and fortified foods, and wholegrain bread and nuts provide both vitamin B6 and zinc. 
• Fats should come mainly from vegetable oils and dairy produce, to ensure adequate supplies of vitamins A, D, E and K. 

Until recently, the selenium deficiency which had been noted widely among AIDS sufferers was attributed to the effect of wasting and an increasing inability to digest food. However, there is now some speculation that selenium depletion may promote development to full-blown AIDS.

What to do?

• Avoid undercooked and unwashed foods, raw or lightly cooked eggs, meat pates, and unpasteurized dairy products.

Rekindling a lost appetite

If people with AIDS cannot face three large meals, they should try:

• Eating six smaller meals.
• Taking a high-calorie drink half-an-hour after eating.
• Snacking on nuts and seeds - such as pumpkin seeds - for their calories, vitamins and minerals.

When suffering from nausea, patients should avoid:

• Greasy or spicy foods.
• Acidic drinks.

Plants that helps

Plants that have shown some potential in fighting HIV include hyssop, silver birch and winter savory. Echinacea and liquorice stimulate the immune system. Rosemary helps to fight fatigue. Garlic and oregano may be helpful in treating recurrent infections.

Source : Readers Digest

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How To Do Newborn Physical Examination?

A complete physical examination is an important part of newborn care within the first 12 hours of life. Each body system is carefully examined for signs of health and normal function. The physician also looks for any signs of illness or birth defects. Physical examination of a newborn often includes assessment or examination of the following:

A. Vital Signs (normal readings):

• Axillary temperature - 96°F to 99°F or 35.6°C to 37.2°C 
• Pulse - 120 - 160 bpm, normally irregular 
• Respiration - 30 - 60 per minute, irregular, abdominal 
• Blood Pressure - 60 - 90mmHg (systolic) , 40 - 90 mmHg (diastolic) 

B. Measurements:

• Length - 18 - 22 in. or 45 - 55 cm., average - 20 in. 
• Head circumference - 13 - 14 in. or 33 - 35 cm 
• Chest circumference - 12 - 13 in. or 30 - 33 cm 
• Weight - average is 7 pounds or or 3.2 kilogram 

C. Skin

• The skin is usually reddish, although the fingers and toes may have a bluish tinge because of poor blood circulation during the first few hours.
• Presence of vernix caeseosa (is the waxy or cheese-like white substance found coating the skin of human babies.)
• Some cracking and peeling of skin
• Presence of Milia (tiny cysts and appear as whitish pinhead-sized spots mainly on and around the nose which usually disappear within a few weeks.
• Occasionally, the skin has several hard lumps (subcutaneous fat necrosis) due pressure from bones destroyed some fatty tissue. Most common on the head, cheek, and neck, particularly if forceps were used during delivery. May break through to the skin surface, releasing a clear yellow fluid, but they usually heal fairly quickly.

D. Head

• Presence of moulding (shaping of the head from passage through the birth canal)
• Sutures are palpable with small separation
• Presence of anterior fontanelle (diamond shaped, soft and flat and has 2-4 cm in size) and posterior fontanelle (triangular shape and has 0.5 - 1 cm in size)
• Caput succedaneum presents as a scalp swelling that extends across the midline and over suture lines and is associated with head moulding. It does not usually cause complications and usually resolves over the first few days.
• Hair are silky and soft

E. Face

• Symmetric in appearance and movement
• parts are proportional and appropriately placed

     1.  Ears

• Well formed and complete
• Startle response to loud noises
• Upper ear must be about same level with the outer canthus of the eye

     2.  Eyes

• Symmetric and clear
• Scant or absence of tears
• Pupils equal and react to light
• Follow objects across midline
• May have subconjunctiva haemorrhage
• Edema of eyelids from pressure during birth

     3.  Nose

• Both nostril open to air flow
• May have slight flattening from pressure during birth

     4.  Mouth

• Mouth, gums, and tongue are pink
• Lips and palate intact
• Presence of sucking, rooting, swallowing and gag reflexes

     5.  Neck and Clavicles

• Short neck turns head easily from side to side
• Presence of clavicles (bones across the upper chest)

     6.  Chest

• Cylindric.  Xyphoid process may be prominent
• Symmetric
• Nipples present and located properly
• May have engorgement with white discharge

     7.  Abdomen

• Usually distended
• Check for masses and hernias
• Umbilical cord clumped securely.  Cord must have 2 arteries and 1 vein    

     8.  Genital
          
      Female

• Labia  are prominent because of exposure to the mother's hormones, and they remain swollen for the first few weeks
• Small amount of vaginal discharge white mucous in color
• Urethra is open and vagina present 

      Male

• Testes should be present in the scrotum
• Rogue on scrotum
• Urethra open at the tip of penis

     9.  Extremities (both upper and lower)

• Equal and bilateral movement of extremities
• Correct number and formation of fingers and toes
• Good muscle tone and flexion
• Legs equal in length
• Normal position of feet

     10.  Back

• No opening observed or felt in the vertebral column to exclude spina bifida  (is a developmental congenital disorder caused by the incomplete closing of the embryonic neural tube)
• Anus patent
• Sphincter tightly closed

     11. Reflexes

• Grasp reflex
• Press finger against base of fingers or toes
• Fingers curl tightly and toes curl forward
• Plantar creases - these creases on the soles of the feet range from absent to covering the entire foot, depending on the maturity.

• Sucking reflex - when an object is placed in their mouth, newborns begin sucking immediately

• Rooting reflex - when either side of their mouth is touched, newborns turn their head toward that side. This reflex enables newborns to find the nipples.

• Moro Reflex - when newborns are startled, their arms and legs swing out and forward in a slow movement with fingers outstretched. This disappears in 6 months.

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