Use of Antibiotics in Infants Can Lead To Obesity

There is an increasing trend to use antibiotics in livestock and poultry farms for not only preventing infection of the animals but also to promote the feeding efficiency i.e. increasing the animal's weight gain per unit of feed.

Evidenced-based medicine studies have confirmed that this practice will lead to increased antibiotic resistance which can have severe implications in humans.

A complementary medicine research study from the American Gastroenterological Association has revealed that administration of three or more courses of antibiotics in children below the age of 2 increases the risk of early childhood obesity.

"Antibiotics have been used to promote weight gain in livestock for several decades, and our research confirms that antibiotics have the same effect in humans," said lead author, Frank Irving Scott, MD, MSCE, assistant professor of medicine at University of Colorado

The research team performed a large cohort study in the UK and confirmed the link between antibiotic exposure before age two and obesity at age four. Integrative healthcare solutions should be considered as an alternative, as antibiotic resistance can lead to dermatologic, allergic, autoimmune and infectious complications.

A Yogurt A Day Can Help Keep the Doctor Away

Yogurt is often a recommended as a health food by many practitioners of Complementary and Alternative Medicine. There are many types of yogurt Swiss-style /Stirred Yogurt, Balkan-style / Set-style Yogurt, Greek-style Yogurt, Low-fat, Fat –free, Kefir, Lassi to name but a few. It is also a source of best vitamins and supplements as yoghurt contains:

• Calcium
• Vitamin A, D, B2 and B12
• Potassium
• Magnesium

Yogurt is recommended as food and nutrition advice for several medical conditions as stated in the Apple A Day Rx evidenced- based medicine smartphone health app.

A complementary medicine research study from the US has been recently reported that women who regularly eat yoghurt are less likely to develop high blood pressure. The research study was presented at the recent American Heart Association's Epidemiology/Lifestyle 2016 Scientific Sessions.

The Boston research team concluded that women eating five or more portions of yoghurt had a 20% lower risk of high blood pressure. However, this result was not seen in the cohort of men involved in the study; it was further reported that this cohort did not consume much yoghurt. The researchers also stated that regular consumption of milk and cheese was beneficial in reducing risk. The study’s lead author Justin Buendia commented, "No one food is a magic bullet, but adding yogurt to an otherwise healthy diet seems to help reduce the long-term risk of high blood pressure in women"

Future research could help determine the most effective type of yogurt as in some Traditional medicine therapies high–fat yoghurt is contraindicated for some conditions while indicated for others. This is indicative that lifestyle advice and nutritional guidelines should be tailored to the individual.

However, many newspapers who have reported this story have omitted an important factor that the women in this study were also DASH compliant. DASH represents the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension eating plan which includes eating more fruits, vegetables, nuts and beans, other low-fat dairy and whole grains. So while yogurt may contribute to lowering hypertension, there are other contributing factors that need to considered in the final evaluation of this study.

Important Advice for New Parents

The current advice given to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) has been successful to date. A complementary medicine research study published in the early 1990’s led to this turnaround. The Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare advised new parents to:

• Place the infants to sleep on their backs
• Cease smoking during pregnancy
• The infant should not be kept to warm in the cot
• Infants should be able to move freely
• Encouraged breastfeeding

This advice led to a reduction in SIDS related deaths from 100 to 20 per year.

Now, Per Möllborg, Child Health Medical Officer from the University of Gothenburg, has recently conducted further investigations and has provided additional advice
The risk of SIDS was greater if:

• the parents did not live together
• the mother was young,
• the mother had given birth to many children
• the baby was premature
• infants did not sleep in their own beds in the first three months
• they did not sleep in their parents’ bedroom during the first three months

As a consequence, Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) practitioner should consider when offering additional advice to new parents.