Infant Immunity At Birth

दुनिया भर में जारी कोविड-19 महामारी के खतरे के साथ, आयुष मंत्रालय 'समग्र स्वास्थ्य' की अवधारणा को सामने रखते हुए एक व्यापक दस्तावेज लेकर आया है। मंत्रालय ने एक बयान में कहा, 'समग्र स्वास्थ्य और देखभाल' पर जनता के लिए सिफारिशें निवारक उपायों और देखभाल पर ध्यान केंद्रित करती हैं। मंत्रालय के एक अधिकारी ने कहा, "कोविड-19 एक नई बीमारी है और इसे पोस्ट-कोविड सिंड्रोम और लॉन्ग कोविड-19 के रूप में पहचानी जाने वाली प्राथमिक बीमारी के सीक्वेल के विकास की विशेषता है। यह देखा गया है कि सार्स-कॉव-2 से ठीक होने वाले मरीज़ लगातार और अक्सर, कमज़ोर करने वाले लक्षणों से पीड़ित होते हैं, जो उनके प्रारंभिक निदान के कई महीनों तक चलते हैं।” दस्तावेज़ समग्र स्वास्थ्य की अवधारणा को सामने रखता है, जो जीवन और स्वास्थ्य के विभिन्न आयामों को संबोधित करके व्यक्तियों की स्वयं की देखभाल पर जोर देता है। "समग्र स्वास्थ्य और कल्याण" पर इन सिफारिशों को आयुष निवारक उपायों और कोविड-19 और लॉन्ग कोविड-19 के संबंध में देखभाल के साथ एक स्वस्थ जीवन शैली की आवश्यकता पर बल दिया गया है। मंत्रालय द्वारा सामान्य निवारक उपायों, प्रणालीगत प्रतिरक्षा को बढ़ावा देने के तरीकों, स्थानीय म्युकोसल प्रतिरक्षा को बढ़ावा देने के तरीकों के साथ-साथ अन्य निवारक उपायों जैसे धूमन (धूपना) की सिफारिश की गई है। आयुष प्रथाओं और स्थानीय म्युकोसल प्रतिरक्षा राहत के लिए चित्रात्मक प्रस्तुति, अच्छे और कमजोर पाचन (अग्नि), पोषण, प्रतिरक्षा और संक्रमण के बीच संबंध, और भूख की ताकत (अग्नि) के संबंध में आहार के स्पष्ट व्यवस्था को भी अधिकतम समझ और आम जनता तक पहुंच के लिए सिफारिशें इनमें शामिल की गई हैं। कोविड-19 और पोस्ट/लॉन्ग कोविड-19 के लिए मानसिक स्वास्थ्य के लिए सिफारिशें और मानसिक ताकत (सत्वबाला) बढ़ाने के उपाय भी दस्तावेज़ का हिस्सा हैं, जो आयुष मंत्रालय द्वारा जारी पिछले दिशानिर्देशों / सलाह में नहीं थे। आसानी से पचने योग्य भोजन (लघु अहार) जैसे मूंग दाल (हरा चना) खिचड़ी और मुडगा युशा (मूंग की दाल का सूप) के व्यंजनों को सावधानी के साथ चुना गया है और सिफारिशों में शामिल किया गया है। दस्तावेज़ में योग आसनों के उदाहरण हैं जिनका अभ्यास कोविड-19 के दौरान लोगों को आसानी से समझने के लिए इसकी तस्वीरों के साथ किया जा सकता है। यह सिफारिशें कोविड-19 उपयुक्त व्यवहार और सावधानी के उपायों के पूरक हैं और इसे विकल्प के रूप में नहीं लिया जाना चाहिए। स्वास्थ्य अधिकारियों द्वारा समय-समय पर जारी दिशा-निर्देशों के अनुसार मास्क का उपयोग, हाथों को बार-बार धोना, शारीरिक / सामाजिक दूरी, कोविड श्रृंखला को तोड़ने के लिए टीकाकरण, स्वस्थ पौष्टिक आहार, प्रतिरक्षा में सुधार और अन्य सभी सामान्य स्वास्थ्य देखभाल उपायों की सलाह दी जानी चाहिए। दस्तावेज़ में कहा गया है कि विभिन्न स्वास्थ्य प्राधिकरणों (स्वास्थ्य और परिवार कल्याण मंत्रालय, विश्व स्वास्थ्य संगठन, और विभिन्न राज्य और स्थानीय स्वास्थ्य प्राधिकरणों) द्वारा जारी किए गए सभी स्थायी निर्देशों का पूरी तरह से पालन किया जाना है और आयुष दिशानिर्देश वर्तमान में कोविड-19 और पोस्ट / लॉन्ग कोविड-19 के संबंध में प्रबंधन की दिशा में "ऐड ऑन" के रूप में शामिल हो सकते हैं। इनमें आगे कहा गया है कि यहां अनुशंसित दवाएं आवश्यक दवाओं की सूची, मानक उपचार दिशानिर्देश, भारत भर में विभिन्न स्वास्थ्य अधिकारियों द्वारा जारी की गई अन्य सिफारिशों के विचारों के साथ भारत के आयुर्वेदिक फार्माकोपिया, आयुष सरकार मंत्रालय पर आधारित हैं। कोविड-19 महामारी दुनिया भर में मानव अस्तित्व को प्रभावित करने वाली एक अभूतपूर्व स्वास्थ्य चुनौती है। विश्व स्वास्थ्य संगठन के अनुसार, सार्स-कॉव 2 ने अब तक विश्व स्तर पर 271 मिलियन से अधिक व्यक्तियों को संक्रमित किया है और सीधे तौर पर 5.3 मिलियन से अधिक मौतों के लिए जिम्मेदार है। भारत में अब तक 34.7 मिलियन कोविड-19 मामले सामने आ चुके हैं, जबकि अब तक 4.76 लाख मौतें हो चुकी हैं। भारत में 1.34 अरब कोविड टीकाकरण की खुराक दी जा चुकी है। यह अंग्रेजी में भी पढ़े► Ministry of Ayush Issues Fresh Recommendations for ‘Holistic Health and Well Being’

With the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to loom over the world, the Ministry of Ayush has come out with a comprehensive document putting forth the concept of ‘Holistic Health’. The recommendations for the public on ‘holistic health and well-being’ focus on preventive measures and care during ‘COVID-19 and Long COVID’-19’, the Ministry said in a statement. COVID-19 is an evolving disease and characterised by the development of sequelae to the primary disease known as Post-Covid syndrome and Long Covid-19. It has been observed that patients recovering from SARS-CoV-2 suffer from persistent and often, debilitating symptoms extending several months past their initial diagnosis,” a ministry official said. The document puts forth the concept of holistic health, which emphasizes the self-care of the individuals by addressing various dimensions of life and health. These recommendations on “holistic health and well-being” have been formulated emphasizing the need for a healthy lifestyle with Ayush preventive measures and care in respect of Covid-19 and Long Covid-19. General preventive measures, methods for promoting systemic immunity, ways to promote local mucosal immunity along with other preventive courses such as fumigation (Dhupana) have been recommended by the Ministry.  Pictographic presentation for Ayush practices and local/mucosal immune responses, relationship between good and weak digestive fire (agni), nutrition, immunity, and infection, and categorical administration of diet in respect of strength of appetite (Agni) have also been incorporated in these recommendations for maximum understanding and outreach to general public.  Recommendations for Mental health for COVID-19 and post/long COVID-19 and measures to increase mental strength (Satvabala) are also part of the document, which were not in the previous guidelines/ advisories issued by the Ministry of Ayush.  Recipes of easily digestible food (Laghu ahara) such as Moong dal (Green gram) Khichdi and Mudga Yusha (Moong dal soup) have been carefully chosen and included in the recommendations. The document has illustrations of Yoga asanas that one can practice during COVID-19 along with its photographs for easy understanding of people.  The recommendations are a supplement to the COVID-19 appropriate behavior and precautionary measures and should not be taken as a substitute. Use of mask, hand sanitization, physical/social distancing, vaccination to break the chain, of healthy nutritious diet, improving immunity, and all other general health care measures are to be advised as per the guidelines issued by health authorities, from time to time  “All the standing instructions issued by various health authorities (Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, World Health Organization, and various State and Local Health authorities) are to be adhered to completely and Ayush guidelines may stand as an “add on” to the current line of management in respect of Covid19 and Post/Long Covid-19,” the document said.  The medicines recommended here are based on the Essential Drugs List, Standard Treatment Guidelines, Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India, Ministry of Ayush Govt. of India along with considerations from other recommendations issued by various health authorities across India, it further added. The COVID-19 pandemic is an unprecedented health challenge affecting human existence across the globe. As per the World Health Organization, SARS-CoV2 has globally infected over 271 million individuals till date and has directly attributed to over 5.3 million deaths. In India, 34.7 million Covid-19 have emerged till date, while there have been 4.76 lakh deaths so far. 1.34 billion Covid vaccination doses have been administered in India. Also, read in hindi► आयुष मंत्रालय ने 'समग्र स्वास्थ्य और देखभाल' के लिए नई सिफारिशें जारी कीं

New York- Covid-19 infection during pregnancy leads to distinct immune changes in mothers and babies, according to a study. The researchers found that Covid-19 dysregulates maternal immune response, with different immune signatures between mothers with asymptomatic and severe disease. "We know that pregnancy increases maternal risk for Covid-19, but relatively little is known about the long-term consequences of in-utero exposure for infants," said Jae Jung, Director of the Cleveland Clinic Global Center for Pathogen & Human Health Research. The study highlights "how important it will be for long-term follow-up after pregnancy to catch and hopefully prevent any unforeseen long-term health conditions related to prenatal infection,"Jung added. For the study, published in the journal Cell Reports Medicine, the team involved 93 mothers with Covid-19 and 45 of their infant children who were exposed to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19. The research team studied immune profiles for more than 1,400 cytokines and other inflammatory proteins collected from peripheral and cord blood samples. The researchers compared maternal blood specimens collected close to the initial detection of SARS-CoV-2 and at different time points throughout pregnancy and delivery. They found that compared to mild or moderate disease, pregnant women with severe Covid-19 exhibited significantly more inflammation and elevated levels of a protein called IFNL1 (interferon lambda 1) and the receptor it binds with, IFNLR1, which plays a critical role in protecting against viruses. "This increase in interferon lambda signaling may help explain why we see relatively little direct transmission of Covid-19 between mother and baby during the period right before or after birth -- what we call vertical transmission," explained Suan-Sin (Jolin) Foo, a research associate in Dr. Jung's lab and co-first author on the paper. Despite the lack of evidence for robust vertical transmission, the researchers found that SARS-CoV-2 infection alters maternal immunity at delivery and that gestational SARS-CoV-2 exposure alters infant immunity at birth. At delivery, the women exhibited dysregulated levels of several cytokines that are associated with pregnancy complications, including MMP7, MDK, ESM1, BGN and CD209. Among infants, prenatal exposure induced the expression of cytokines related to T cells, which are a type of immune cell involved in recognising and attacking specific antigens. The majority of births within the cohort were healthy, but there was a high incidence of some complications, including preeclampsia and foetal growth restriction. More research will be necessary to understand the extent to which the observed immune changes are related to these clinical outcomes, the team said. Read More► How Covid-19 Exposed Vulnerability in People With Diabetes

Winter is the time to bask in the sun, stroll around the lanes and devour all the great delicacies. While indulging in all these activities, parents should remember that their little ones need more protection during this season. Winter days come with a lot of smog, and when temperatures are really chilly outside. A mask is something that can protect a baby from various environmental hazards and also protect the little nose and mouth from the harsh winds during the winter season. A mask specially designed for kids: A mask has become a clothing accessory over the last couple of years, and people tend to wear them for longer hours. When buying masks for children, the first thing for parents to understand is that the masks made for adults are not suitable for children. There are masks available on the market which are specifically designed for kids in the age group of 3-6 and for kids in the age group of 7-12 years. Choose suitable mask material: Always look for a material that is soft enough to not irritate your child's sensitive skin. The ideal mask should have six layers of filtration, and the innermost layer is recommended to be made of soft fabric that is breathable for kids. The ear loops and noseband should be flexible and adjustable in order to fit the child's face properly and provide protection from dust, pollution, and germs. Breathable factor: The breathable factor of a mask is important for every individual, considering the longer usage span. Children's daily routines are more active when compared to adults; they run, they play, they fight, and they enjoy being outdoors, which increases their breathing level. Thus, it becomes more important for a child to wear masks under which they can breathe properly, encouraging them to wear them for a longer period of time. Filtration Efficiency: While considering the entire comfort factor, parents must not ignore the filtration capacity of a mask. The pandemic has added to the ongoing pollution hazard, seasonal viruses, dust, pollen, and other harmful particles in the environment, making parents more cautious while selecting the right mask for their babies. It is always important to choose a mask with at least 95 percent filtering efficiency of > 0.3 microns when releasing the child into the outdoors.While you may find many masks on the market mentioning various layers, it's important to check that the mask has layers of melt-blown filters inside to give your child effective protection against germs and pollution. Colourful masks: The biggest challenge for parents these days is to make sure that their kids are wearing masks all the time. To make this easier, choose a mask with cheerful designs and decorations that the kids can relate to and will encourage them to wear it. Re-usable masks: Another factor that people consider while choosing a mask is the price. The market has a range of masks that are expensive and can be used only once. The expenses are always on the higher side with a child at home, as a parent always wants the best for their baby. To balance out the budget, it is advisable to choose a re-usable mask that is re-usable at least up to 25 washes without affecting the 95 percent filtration efficiency. With the spread of smog, parents have become more cautious when it comes to protecting their babies. Every parent knows what is best for their babies, and with a little research and effort, they can never go wrong with their choices. Rajesh Vohra, CEO, Artsana India (Chicco) Read More► 5 Products to Help Fight The Ill Effects of Pollution