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Cow’s milk harmful for toddlers below one year

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New Delhi, Sep 10 (IANS) Feeding cow’s milk to toddlers below the age of one year is a growing factor behind allergic diseases, including in the respiratory and digestive system, as they cannot tolerate protein in the milk, experts said on Sunday.

Stating that infants who do not get breast milk need an alternate form of nutrition to maintain their health, the child experts said if cow’s milk is fed at such an initial age then the low concentration of iron and its consumption during infancy is linked to anemia.

“Though cow’s milk is associated to our culture for ages, it should not be given to toddlers below one year… It may put a strain on the infant’s immature kidney and is also difficult to digest,” said Nandan Joshi, Health and Nutrition Science, Danone India.

While older infants can be fed with household complementary food, younger ones need special hydrolysed and amino acid-based formula which do not produce allergy.

As per the National Family Health Survey (NFHS), only 40 per cent of children were introduced timely complementary foods, while only 10 per cent children between six to 23 months received adequate diets.

The infants are given cow milk in India as awareness is low among the people especially in rural areas.

As per the Rapid Survey on Children (RSOC), 42 per cent of non-breastfed infants below one year received cow’s milk or any other milk.

“Allergic diseases are on the rise worldwide. The incidents are more in developed countries though it is on the rise in India as well. Milk allergy is the most common allergy in children,” said Lalit Bharadia, Consultant Paediatric Gastroenterologist at Jaipur’s Santokba Durlabhji Memorial Hospital.

“Around 3 per cent of children can’t tolerate milk protein in animal milk. Milk allergic infants, who do not get breast milk, need an alternate form of nutrition to maintain their health.”

Durlabhji said that while older infants can be fed with household complementary food, younger ones need special hydrolysed and amino acid-based formula which do not produce allergy.

“Such products are easily available in India.”

Allergy is a result of one or more cow’s milk proteins triggering an adverse reaction by our body’s immune system.

The symptoms vary and may affect several organ systems such as skin, digestive or the respiratory tract, possibly resulting in skin rash, eczema, vomiting, diarrhoea, colic, wheezing or excessive crying.

In a study conducted at a tertiary care hospital in India, three out of 10 children with chronic diarrhoea were estimated to be suffering from cow’s milk allergy. Globally, the prevalence rate of cow’s milk allergy is approximately 3 to 5 per cent.

–IANS
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Covid toll in Karnataka is a worrying sign for state government

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Even though Karnataka recorded the lowest number of Covid deaths in April since the virus struck first in 2020, the state is recording a rise in the positivity rate (1.50 per cent). Five people died from the Covid infections in April as per the statistics released by the state health department. In March, the positivity rate stood around 0.53 per cent. In the first week of April it came down to 0.38 per cent, second week registered 0.56 per cent, third week it rose to 0.79 per cent and by end of April the Covid positivity rate touched 1.19 per cent.

on an average 500 persons used to succumb everyday in the peak of Covid infection, as per the data. Health experts said that the mutated Coronavirus is losing its fierce characteristics as vaccination, better treatment facilities and awareness among the people have contributed to the lesser number of Covid deaths.

During the 4th and 6th of April two deaths were reported in Bengaluru, one in Gadag district on April 8, two deaths were reported from Belagavi and Vijayapura on April 30. The first Covid case was reported in the state in March 2020 and three Covid deaths were recorded in the month. In the following month 21 people became victims to the deadly virus, and May 2020 recorded 22 deaths. The death toll recorded everyday after May crossed three digits. However, the third wave, which started in January 2

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