46 | February 2012 | woman this month Showcase Healthy Baby BAHRAIN SPECIALIST HOSPITAL Jaundice is a condition which presents as the yellowing of a baby’s skin or eyes, caused by bilirubin — a by-product of the normal breakdown of a baby’s extra red blood cells. “An unborn baby requires extra oxygen when in the uterus so extra blood cells are needed to carry the oxygen around the baby’s body. Once born, the baby needs to get rid of these extra blood cells. These are broken down by the baby’s liver,” explains Dr. Srinivas Akasam, paediatrician and neonatologist at BSH. For some babies, it gets difficult to cope with the amount of bilirubin during the disposal of these extra blood cells, so their levels may build up. This extra bilirubin is stored in the skin giving the baby a yellow or tanned look. “A very high bilirubin level may be harmful if left untreated. Complications can include hearing problems and brain damage. By testing and monitoring your baby’s bilirubin level we can provide treatment quickly, if the level is too high, to prevent any harm to the baby,” notes the doctor. The Highly specialised BSH team recommends phototherapy, which involves the baby lying under fluorescent lights. “These lights help the baby’s body to chemically break down the bilirubin in the skin so it can be passed out in the baby’s urine and bowel motions.” Intravenous fluids or extra feeds are also considered as treatment, as well as a special blood transfusion for severe cases. Dr. Srinivas, who is the latest addition to BSH, completed his medical degree in India and has worked in India, Saudi Arabia, Srilanka and in the Maldives before joining BSH. Call 17 812-000. Dr. Srinivas Akasam Jaundice in new born babies is common, but for some cases it can be a cause for concern. Eat Yourself Healthy AMERICAN MISSION HOSPITAL You are what you eat, as the saying goes. Dietician Abigail C. David of the American Mission Hospital explains the importance of knowing what we put in our body. Rather than putting in a tonne of effort into calorie counting, it is better to understand how certain classes of food can help our bodily functions. For instance, protein and minerals are body-building foods, carbohydrates and fats are energy giving foods, vitamins and minerals are protective foods and water and fibre are regulatory foods. “Each nutrient has its own purpose in human health. One of the most common mistakes people make is cutting out a class completely in their diet, like carbs,” says the dietician. Another common error dieters make is surfing the net for some random diet. Abigail stresses that each individual person needs a tailored plan. At AMH, the diagnostic procedure is elaborate; including the assessment of a patient’s personal information, medical history, biochemical traits, anthropometric measurement, physical activity and eating behaviours. “Once all these procedures are done you get an idea of where exactly the person stands, what are the mistakes or if he/she has any misconception about nutrition. Then the plan is made.” Three main meals and two snacks a day is vital and if they are looking to lose weight, to keep a goal of losing 1.5 to two kilos a month. The dietician finished her BSc and MSc in food and nutrition from D.K.M College, India and her MPhil in exercise physiology and nutrition from TNPESU (Sports University) with a dietetics internship at G.K.N.M.H, Hospital, Coimbatore. Call 17 248-138. Abigail C. David
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