Author: Supplefer

Introduction

Humanitarian efforts are underway in the Asian
countries affected by the massive earthquake and resulting tsunamis that
devastated the region on December 26, 2004.  Relief operations initiated by international
and regional groups are acting urgently to prevent further tragedy and loss of
life of the hundreds and thousands of survivors that will be vulnerable to the
next wave of infectious disease and malnutrition.  The World Food Program of the United Nations
has endorsed an emergency approach to provide supplementation with
micronutrients in disaster situations as a cost-effective way to save lives and
prevent disease where food is limited and sanitation poor.  Supplementation with micronutrients (SUM)
offers a unique set of advantages as a first-line response in emergency aid:
(1) high impact, (2) low cost, (3) minimum storage needs, (4) little if no
preparation, (5) easily transportable and (6) a gateway to communities and
individuals for assessment and implementation …

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Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid):

Function

Vitamin C is involved in the formation of collagen, tissue repair, and wound healing. It also is involved in the synthesis of several hormones and reactions. Ascorbic acid solublizes copper and iron, putting them in a form that can be more easily absorbed in the body. It may also play a role in membrane permeability, leukocyte function, and prevention of histamine accumulation in the body.

Physiology

Absorption of vitamin C occurs in the small intestine. Ascorbic acid is water-soluble and is easily excreted in urine. It is stored in large quantities in the retina, adrenal and pituitary glands, kidney, pancreas, spleen and liver. It is also present in tissues such as the testes, ovaries, lungs, platelets, leukocytes, erythrocytes and plasma.

Food Sources

Food sources richest in vitamin C include black currants, citrus fruits, other fruit and raw vegetables. Prolonged heating or aging can significantly reduce …

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B12 is required for folate metabolism, cell division and replication. It is also involved in the metabolism of certain amino and fatty acids.

Physiology

A glycoprotein called “intrinsic factor” must be present in the gastrointestinal tract in order for B12 absorption to take place. Instrinsic factor is secreted from cells lining the stomach. It then forms a complex with B12, carrying it to the small intestine where B12 is absorbed. In the small intestine, B12 can also be synthesized by bacteria. In the blood, B12 is present as methylcobalamin II, where it circulates bound to a protein called transcobalamin II. In the body, B12 is stored in the liver as adenosylcobalamin and circulates through the biliary system. Very small amounts are lost in the feces or urine and therefore deficiency takes a long time to develop.

Food Sources

Cobalamin is found almost exclusively in foods of animal origin. These include …

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COMPARISON OF DOSING FREQUENCY AND SAFETY OF MICRONUTRIENT SPRINKLES ON IRON STATUS IN PRESCHOOL CHILDREN IN NORTHERN CHINA. M Chan, S Zlotkin, SA Yin, W Sharieff, C Schauer: The Hospital for Sick Children, Research Institute, Canada; Departments of Paediatrics, Nutritional Sciences, and Centre for International Health, University of Toronto; Institute of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine, Beijing, China.

Adherence to iron supplementation has been disappointing in unsupervised settings. Evidence suggests that in supervised settings, such as in schools, intermittent dosing may be as efficacious as daily dosing. Sprinkles containing iron and other micronutrients can easily be added to school meals. Aims: (1) To determine whether Sprinkles given once/week would yield similar increases in hemoglobin (Hb) and ferritin (Fn) as Sprinkles given 5-days/week; (2) To explore whether a 30mg Fe dose would be safe to administer to preschool children. Methods: A 3-arm RCT using cluster randomization was …

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PROCESS EVALUATION OF THE DISTRIBUTION OF MICRONUTRIENT SPRINKLES IN OVER 10,000 MONGOLIAN INFANTS USING A NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION (NGO) PROGRAM MODEL.

C. Schauer, S. Zlotkin1, M. Nyamsuren, C.R. Hubbell, M. Chan, O. Purevsuren, C. MacDonald, N. Klaas: The Hospital for Sick Children, Research Institute, Canada; Departments of Paediatrics, Nutritional Sciences, and Centre for International Health, University of Toronto; World Vision Mongolia; World Vision Canada.

Background Economic instability and severe winters have resulted in food shortages across Mongolia. As a result, micronutrient deficiencies (iron and vitamin D) are common among children. ‘Sprinkles’ containing iron and other micronutrients (including Vitamin D) were developed as an inexpensive micronutrient supplement. Objectives 1. To determine the prevalence of anemia and rickets in children <5 years. 2. To develop an NGO distribution model to deliver Sprinkles to infants 6-36 mo. and achieve 80% coverage. 3. To monitor and evaluate process and biological outcome indicators. Methods A cross-sectional …

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How to Use Sprinkles

->Tear open the top of the package

-> Poor contents of the package into the complementary food after it has been cooked and is no longer steaming hot

-> Mix Sprinkles with an amount of food that the child can consume at a time

–>Mix the food well after you have added the package of Sprinkles

->Give one full package each day at any mealtime

->Do not share the food with Sprinkles with others because the child will not get enough…

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Sprinkles are sachets (like small packets of sugar) containing a blend of micronutrients in powder form, which are
easily sprinkled onto foods prepared in the home. Any homemade food can be instantly fortified by adding Sprinkles. Coating of
the iron prevents changes to the taste, colour or texture of the food to which Sprinkles are added. Sprinkles were developed by the Sprinkles Global Health Initiative to prevent and treat micronutrient deficiencies among young children and other vulnerable groups at risk.…

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Summary by Month
MonthDaily AvgMonthly TotalsHitsFilesPagesVisitsSitesKBytesVisitsPagesFilesHits
Oct 20043312371573339376533157237331Sep 20042811781015311721746221619304653668449Aug 20043152101215410872060811679376565159771Jul 200432721411961109723085018953695665910161Jun 200435024714064102319621219374225741010505May 20043842781406197325020619034346864711917Apr 200440127613361139626897918413995828912043Mar 200438528314466176225699320604482880211951Feb 2004335251134689391723791990391272879726Jan 200420814275346671287131058233144276458Dec 2003157106633250889848999196433054894Nov 2003162102593251074723930172729814717
Totals2053371179443764569925100923

…

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Vitamin D:

Function

Vitamin D aids in the absorption of calcium and phosphorous and in the regulation of bone mineralization.

Physiology

Vitamin D is a hormone and a prehormone. Much of the needed amount of vitamin D can be acquired through sunlight, which converts precursors into the active form. In the body, vitamin D3 is converted into its hormonal forms; 1, 25 dihydroxy D3 and 24, 25 dihydroxy D3 through a process occurring in the liver and then kidneys, which performs the regulatory functions involved in bone mineralization. As in vitamin A, vitamin D is absorbed with fat.

Food Sources

Dietary sources of vitamin D include fatty fish, eggs, liver, butter and fortified milk and margarine.

Deficiency

In infants and young children, vitamin D deficiency may lead to rickets, a condition resulting in bone deformities.
In adults, deficiency may result in osteomalacia, a demineralization of bone affecting the spine, pelvis …

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