Babies sleeping on their backs are
more likely to develop flat spots on their head
Nearly half of the newborns develop flat spots on their
heads by the time they are two-month old due to sleeping on their backs to
prevent sudden infant death syndrome, a new Canadian study has found. Published
in the US journal Paediatrics, the study investigated the occurrence of
positional plagiocephaly, or flat spots on heads, in infants 7 -12 weeks of age
who attend a two-month well-child clinic in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, Xinhua
reported.
Researchers from the Canadian Mount Royal University
assessed 440 healthy full-term infants who had been born at more than 37 weeks
of pregnancy. Of these infants, 205, or more than 46 per cent, were observed to
have some form of flat spots on their heads. Of all infants with the condition,
about 63 per cent had flattening on the right side and about 78 per cent had a
mild form of the condition, they said.
‘Since the 1992 recommendation from the American Academy of
Paediatrics to have infants sleep on their backs, infant mortality from sudden
infant death syndrome has declined dramatically,’ the researchers said in a
statement. ‘One consequence, however, has been an increase in positional
plagiocephaly, or flat spots on infants’ heads.’
According to the researchers, the high rate of head
flattening indicates that parents should be educated early about how to prevent
the condition from occurring. Flat spots, however, are generally harmless. The
researchers said there is some indication that children with positional
plagiocephaly have mild developmental delays, but that those typically
disappear by 18 months.
Treatment for the condition is usually simple and painless,
often cured by repositioning the infants while they sleep, encouraging them to
alternate their head position while sleeping on their backs. The American Academy
of Pediatrics does not recommend using any wedge pillows or other devices to
keep babies in one position, and only kids with severe cases may need to wear a
special orthotic helmet.
11.07.2013
Conjoined twins from Madhya Pradesh
successfully separated at AIIMS
A little less than eight months old, Shaily tries to grab
the hands of a reporter her mother is talking to while her twin Shilpa plays in
her father’s lap nearby. Shaily and Shilpa were joined at birth and were
surgically separated at the All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) here
a few months ago when they were six months old. They are both healthy and
cheerful now. The twins were born to Lal Bhai, a daily wage labourer, and
Shashikala in Aber village of Satna in Madhya Pradesh. They were brought to
AIIMS Nov 12, 2012, nearly a month after their birth. For the poor parents, a
surgery for their daughters was an impossible dream. However, MP from Satna,
Ganesh Singh, stepped in and brought them to AIIMS.
Doctors took nearly five months to complete check-ups on the
girls and plan the surgery, which took place May 29.Doctors said the girls
shared one vital organ, the liver, which was to their advantage. ‘The girls were
joined at chest, so our first concern was whether they shared the heart.
Fortunately, they had separate hearts and other organs, but shared liver,’ said
said M. Bajpai, professor of paediatric surgery at AIIMS.
The surgery took about eight hours, of which nearly four
hours were taken to give anaesthesia. Then the liver was separated and was
covered in local body tissues. The chest and bone muscles were also separated
and a reconstructive surgery was done. ‘We are feeling blessed that our
children are healthy,’ said Lal Bhai.
‘We were sad, we cried when they were born. We did not know
why this happened. I did not know I was carrying twins. When we went for
delivery to the government hospital, we were asked to go to a private
hospital,’ said Shashikala. However, the parents are now hopeful of a bright
future for their girls. ‘We want to give them good opportunities in life, to
educate them,’ said Lal Bhai. Doctors also said that the girls would have a
normal life. ‘They will have to come here for checkups for some years. They
will have a normal life,’ Bajpai added.
In recent times, there have been various conjoined twins in
the news most including a pair in Panvel who were almost sacrificed by their father who was
hoodwinked by a black magic, Bihar’s17-year-old conjoined twins Saba and
Farah who
won’t be separated according to a SC ruling because there were chances that one
of the twins wouldn’t survive the surgery and Betul’s twins (Stuti and Aradhana)
where Aradhana passed away of septicaemia.
11.07.2013
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To
accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan,
but also believe
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Anatole France
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