Eclampsia linked to lack of vitamin D

Pre-eclampsia and Eclampsia are complications of pregnancy. In preeclampsia, the woman has dangerously high blood pressure, swelling, and protein in the urine. If allowed to progress, this syndrome will lead to eclampsia.
   Pre-eclampsia is most common among women who have never given birth to a baby (called nulliparas). About 7 per cent of all nulliparas develop pre-eclampsia. The disease is most common in mothers under the age of 20, or over the age of 35. African-American women have higher rates of preeclampsia than do Caucasian women. Other risk factors include poverty, multiple pregnancies (twins, triplets, etc.), pre-existing chronic hypertension or kidney disease, diabetes, excess amniotic fluid, and a condition of the fetus called nonimmune hydrops. The tendency to develop preeclampsia appears to run in families. The daughters and sisters of women who have had preeclampsia are more likely to develop the condition.
   
   Causes and symptoms
   Experts are still trying to understand the exact causes of preeclampsia and eclampsia. It is generally accepted that preeclampsia and eclampsia are problematic because these conditions cause blood vessels to leak. The effects are seen throughout the body.
   General body tissues. When blood vessels leak, they allow fluid to flow out into the tissues of the body. The result is swelling in the hands, feet, legs, arms, and face. While many pregnant women experience swelling in their feet, and sometimes in their hands, swelling of the upper limbs and face is a sign of a more serious problem. As fluid is retained in these tissues, the woman may experience significant weight gain (two or more pounds per week).
   Brain. Leaky vessels can cause damage within the brain, resulting in seizures or coma.
   Eyes. The woman may experience problems seeing, and may have blurry vision or may see spots. The retina may become detached.
   Lungs. Fluid may leak into the tissues of the lungs, resulting in shortness of breath.
   Liver. Leaky vessels within the liver may cause it to swell. The liver may be involved in a serious complication of preeclampsia, called the HELLP syndrome. In this syndrome, red blood cells are abnormally destroyed, chemicals called liver enzymes are abnormally high, and cells involved in the clotting of blood (platelets) are low.
   Kidneys. The small capillaries within the kidneys can leak. Normally, the filtration system within the kidney is too fine to allow protein (which is relatively large) to leave the bloodstream and enter the urine. In preeclampsia, however, the leaky capillaries allow protein to be dumped into the urine. The development of protein in the urine is very serious, and often results in a low birth weight baby. These babies have a higher risk of complications, including death.
   Blood pressure. In preeclampsia, the volume of circulating blood is lower than normal because fluid is leaking into other parts of the body. The heart tries to make up for this by pumping a larger quantity of blood with each contraction. Blood vessels usually expand in diameter (dilate) in this situation to decrease the work load on the heart. In preeclampsia, however, the blood vessels are abnormally constricted, causing the heart to work even harder to pump against the small diameters of the vessels. This causes an increase in blood pressure.
   
   Vitamin D
   Researchers in the United States have found an association between vitamin D levels in pregnant women and the risk of pre-eclampsia; they say women who have a vitamin D deficiency early in their pregnancy are at risk from pre-eclampsia.
   Pregnant women who have pre-eclampsia, which is also known as toxemia, suffer from raised blood pressure as well as swelling of the hands and feet and it is the most common cause of premature birth, and is a factor in 76,000 deaths each year worldwide.
   In a study by Dr. Lisa M. Bodnar, an assistant professor of epidemiology at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, data and blood samples were evaluated from 1,198 women and newborns from 1997 and 2001 at Magee Women's Hospital.
   Blood samples were collected from the pregnant women prior to 22 weeks pregnancy and again just before delivery and newborn umbilical cord blood also was tested for 25 hydroxyvitamin D, an indicator of vitamin D levels in the babies.
   The researchers found that the risk of pre-eclampsia could be five times as high as that for those who were not deficient of vitamin D during pregnancy and even a small decline in vitamin D concentration more than doubled the risk of pre-eclampsia.
   The researchers were concerned that many of the women had apparently been taking prenatal vitamins, which typically contain 200 to 400 International Units (IU) of vitamin D.
   A deficiency in vitamin D has been linked to rickets, osteoporosis asthma and schizophrenia, as well as tuberculosis, cancer, periodontal disease, multiple sclerosis, chronic pain, depression, seasonal affective disorder and several autoimmune diseases.
   The research team say the results showed that maternal vitamin D deficiency early in pregnancy is a strong, independent risk factor for pre-eclampsia.
   Vitamin D is only present in a few foods such as oily fish and eggs but certain foods are fortified with the vitamin; however many believe that the fortified vitamin, which is usually vitamin D2, is inferior to vitamin D3.
   Vitamin D3 is produced in skin exposed to sunlight and pregnant and breastfeeding women are advised to take 200 IU, but experts suggest more is needed as the vitamin is safe and provides many health benefits.
   The study is published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.
   Source: The Women's Health News and Internet

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The tale of one and his several perceptions

Saad Quasem

As the Holy Ramadan is pacing up, religious interpretation is becoming more and more widespread. At this hour, I would like to trace back major differences between Islam and Christianity. Both religions consider monotheism as the fundamental norm. The concept of Christianity began around the 1st century of the Christian Era, whereas Islam started in 827 CE. The Book of Matthew traces its roots back to the Old Testament. The Quran was revealed much later, but is persistent with the Judeo-Christian beliefs, especially that of the saints. In the Book of Luke, Jesus Christ is presented as the only God, who is powerful enough to pursue any activity. On the other hand, Surah Marium of the Quran includes illustrious descriptions of Jesus; however he is portrayed as another special human being aligned with many other prophets. Islam and Christianity are parallel in portraying Jesus Christ; however the depiction is totally different.
   Despite the fact that Jesus is looked upon as God or a holy prophet, the major similarity between the Quran and the Book of Luke remains that Jesus is a human. His birth might not have been stereotypical, but Jesus was a son born to a mother, according to both texts. Luke clearly points out in this quotation "she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloth and placed him in a manger." It is a regular phenomenon to wrap the newly born child with a cloth. The Book of Luke is trying to portray Jesus as a human being, therefore such descriptions of him being born. Whereas the Quran also descriptively mentions the birth of Jesus from a mother, but it fails to provide details of post birth, childcare. The Quran is based on the thought that Allah is the superior commander and all humans are under his shadow. Jesus is shown as one of his messengers. Therefore, the Quran does not specify Jesus as a human specifically, as it is taken for granted.
   The Book of Luke and the Quran both put forward the idea that Jesus was born from Mary, blessed with the Holy Spirit. Mary is portrayed as a chaste human being. Hence, the Angel Gabriel is sent to her, by God to bare the "Holy Child." In both the texts, Mary questions the angel about the possibility of her bearing a child as she was not touched by any man. Gabriel in the Book of Luke said "do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favour". In Christian tradition, Mary had been favoured as she would give birth to the Lord, Jesus. However, Islamic tradition inclines humankind to believe that God is invisible and intangible, thus the birth of God cannot be credited to anyone. Hence, when answering Mary's question, Gabriel in the Quran says ""Thus said your Lord, `It is easy for Me. We will render him a sign for the people, and mercy from us." It was easy for the Lord to choose a chaste figure such as Mary, the Virgin to give birth to "a sign for the people and mercy from us." In Islam, man shall never favour Allah, whatever duties are assigned is a must, therefore the delivery of Jesus by Virgin Mary is a duty and not a favour, as Gabriel in the Book of Luke says. Islam and Christianity had highlighted its difference even before Jesus was born in the respective holy texts.
   The Quran and the Book of Matthew both stress on the importance of Jesus, yet in different ways. Both are shown as humans but their power and impact is variant. The Quran shows Jesus as a "Pre-destined" "sign for the people." On the other hand the Book of Matthew seems to have granted infinite power to Jesus, the upcoming Lord. Today, Jesus seems to be an important, yet not widely celebrated Islamic figure. However, the symbol of Christianity is often seen in Jesus. This trend started during the revelation of the religions. Although Islam treats Jesus with due respect, Christianity worships the notion of Christ causing an imbalance in the coherence between the two inter-developed, parallel and mono-theistic schools of thought.

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Hurled Back to Earth

Rayyan Kamal

A sad but common realisation that many freshmen come to soon after beginning classes at Yale is that they aren't the best. Math nerds discover that there are others who are much nerdier, nerdy enough to make the less nerdy feel like the socially-competent and mathematically-challenged popular kids whom they simultaneously looked down on and envied in high school. Music maestros find that having played violin since they were seven hasn't equipped them with the skills to get into the Yale Symphony Orchestra. (Only those who began playing at age three made the cut.) Basically, it sucks.
   There are several reactions to this crushing epiphany. Some never recover. They simply stop doing what, as a child and later as a teenager, they thought was their calling. Science Olympiad champions shun the subject. Violinists abandon violins that are worn out from countless hours of intense practice. Things like this happen every fall.
   Others bounce back quickly. They start practising even harder and spending even more time on their area of expertise. They may never be the best, but they still refuse to get any closer to being the worst, a transition that would inevitable occur if they quit.
   Then there are the select few that realise they never really liked doing what they did and excelled at throughout school. The only reason they played hockey was because their fathers pushed them to do it. In fact, by the end of high school, they had convinced themselves that they actually enjoyed the sport. Fortunately for them, Yale restored their vision, enabling them to now pursue what they actually like.
   A few of the bitter ones develop an insecurity that manifests itself in different surroundings. For example, a debater whose ego-balloon has been punctured by brighter and more persuasive speakers might resort to being extra argumentative and verbose in the classroom. Though I must admit that when quiet people like myself feel outshone by a particularly intelligent articulate classmate, our first reaction is to attribute his verbosity to his insecurity in order to appease our own insecurities.
   When I first came to Yale I was sure I wanted to major in a math or science. This desire was extinguished after I actually took math and science classes. Then, for a while, I was an English major. I thought to myself, "Hey, you like to read and you like to write. How could you go wrong with English?" But then during sophomore year I took a class called Major English Poets, a required class for all English majors. I had thought it would be impossible for me to hate a course more than the Quantitative Foundations of General Chemistry, a class I took freshman year, but Chaucer's Canterbury Tales and Spenser's Faerie Queene put me to sleep, thus proving me wrong. As of now, I am an economics major. Is this another phase? No, it's a sure thing, but only because you can't change your major after declaring it at the beginning of fall semester junior year.
   Rayyan Kamal is a sophomore at Yale University.

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Peace not war, love not hate

Dhiraj Kumar Nath

The International Day of Peace will be observed today (21st September) in Bangladesh and elsewhere in the world. The day is being observed since 2001. Earlier in 1981 the United Nations General Assembly decided the International Day of Peace as one of global ceasefire and non-violence and invited all nations and peoples to honour cessation of hostilities at least for the duration of the day.
   "May peace prevail on earth" is the slogan of the day to establish global ceasefire through education, public awareness and cooperation. The purpose of the Peace Day is to generate global movement to establish a culture of peace. The movement is to transform our societies and unite global communities to work together for a peaceful, just and sustainable world for all. The vision of the day is unique, purpose is well conceived but the pious desire demands massive drives and initiatives of all states and communities to achieve the goals.
   Peace is more than the absence of war. The implication of peace movement is much widespread and extensive. The movement is to make major changes in the mentality and way of behaviour conducive to peaceful co-existence.
   Since the inception of civilisation, propagations were in practice with ardent and repeated calls for peace and tranquility but conflict and crisis never ceased to an end, rather increased manifold with the insatiable desire to acquire wealth and power as we observe in our country. Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King sacrificed their lives to establish nonviolence and peace. All religious leaders prophesied to uphold the spirit of humanity through universal brotherhood.
   But hostilities and hatred never sstopped rather opened new drastic ways of destruction.
   Wars and conflicts
   The last century has witnessed a series of wars, conflicts and crises posing positive threats to peace. The world saw during the last century enough of wars like Russo-Japan war (1904), First World War (1914-1919), Easter Revolution of Ireland (1916), Civil War of Spain (1936) Japanese invasion to China (1937), Second World War (1939-1945), Stalingrad War (1942), explosion of Atomic bomb at Hiroshima and Nagasaki (1945), Korean War (1950), Revolution in Hungary (1956), Suez Canal Battle (1956), Indo-China War (1962), USA-Vietnam War (1965-1975), Indo-Pak War (1965), Six-day War in middle East (1967), Lebanon crisis (1975) Iraq-Iran War (1979), US invasion of Iraq (2003) and many other conflicts and hostilities.
   The world has observed revolutionary changes in medical science, agricultural production, transport and communication, information technology, environmental control, standard of education, empowerment of women, and overall economic development. In spite of these facts, every decade has witnessed horror of wars, oppressions and sufferings of poverty-stricken destitute and distressed people.
   
   Against militarism
   The atmospheres of peace must be established in the world at any cost. In the words of Albert Einstein, "We must inoculate our children against militarism, by educating them in the spirit of pacifism....Our schoolbooks glorify war and conceal its horrors. They indoctrinate children with hatred. I would teach peace rather than war, love than hate."
   The United Nations since its inception almost 62 years back had taken different measures to establish peace whenever there was any crisis and conflict. But its successes are not total. Even during this century, 9/11 emerged as a major challenge to peace; war against terror started to threaten the very fabric of freedom. The conscientious citizens of the world became perturbed. The threat to peace appeared now as major obstacle to the achievement of Millennium Development Goals.
   As against these challenges, one minute's silence for peace, lighting a few candles, ringing of bells, singing songs for peace or planting few trees might not create ardent appeal for peace in the world. It must necessitate massive movement in favour of peace. The movement must embrace every school, all institutions and obviously in the perception and sensation of everybody. Each and every country must devise its plan of actions how to inculcate the spirit of peace in the perception of every citizen. No political party should be voted to power unless it expressly commits to wage war against terror and declare to stop hostilities of any nature.
   In the words of Eleanor Roosevelt, "It is not enough to talk about peace; one must believe in it. And it is not enough to believe in it; one must work at it."

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