Natural Health and Herbal Remedies Blog – information on herbal medicine

How do you know you need plastic surgery? First, consider the distinction between reconstructive and cosmetic surgery. Some cases are clearly necessary, such as a baby born with a misshapen head or a cleft palate. Or when an accident breaks the bones of a girl’s face and gouges out a chunk of flesh, leaving a deep hollow. Such victims often suffer social ostracism that warps their self-esteem.

Similarly, the psychological impact of losing a breast to cancer only now is; being appreciated by doctors. Women who have had mastectomies overwhelmingly talk of losing their sense of being a woman and their sexual drive, of feeling somehow ashamed. Having the breast rebuilt by surgeons has made it easier for many of these women to cope.

Peggy Palmer, a former junior high school teacher from Tucson, at first did not want a breast reconstruction be-, cause, she says, “1 had to deal with the shock of having cancer.” But the prosthesis proved uncomfortable. Now, with her breast reconstructed, she wears a bathing suit with a plunging neckline. “I am so pleased,” she says.

And the latest development: In some cases, doctors start breast reconstruction during the surgery   that   removes the organ. The surgeon leaves the nipple and enough skin and muscle so that it is easier to add either tissue or plastic implants. Any woman facing a mastectomy should ask her doctor about this.

*141/266/5*

More than a hundred enzyme deficiencies have been identified. These are generally inherited and are sometimes called inborn errors of metabolism. Many of them are evident shortly after birth and others are acquired later in life.

Phenylketonuria

Clinical findings. Phenylketonuria occurs in about 1 infant of every 10,000. The infant is born without the enzyme necessary to use phenylalanine, one of the essential amino acids. As a result the level of the blood phenylalanine is increased and phenylketones are also excreted in the urine – hence the name phenylketonuria (PKU). The deficiency can be diagnosed shortly after birth by blood and urine tests.

High blood levels of phenylalanine are toxic. The infants are usually blond, blue-eyed, fair, and often have eczema. Untreated infants are hyperactive, irritable, and have an unpleasant personality. They have a persistent musty or gamey body odor caused by the production of the phenylketones. If the disease is not diagnosed in the first months of life, mental retardation is usually severe.

Dietary management. Phenylketonuria is successfully treated by a phenyla-lanine-restricted diet when diagnosis is made in the first months of life. If treatment is delayed, the mental retardation that has occurred cannot be reversed.

The phenylalanine is adjusted to maintain a normal level in the blood. Since this is an essential amino acid, some must be provided to meet normal growth needs. This has been estimated to be 20 to 30 mg per kg. Thus, a 3-month infant weighing 6 kg would need 120 to 180 mg phenylalanine daily.

Proteins contain about 5 per cent phenylalanine. The recommended allowance for protein for a 6 kg infant is about 13 gm. From milk formulas and supplementary foods this would supply 650 mg phenylalanine, which is about 4 to 5 times as much as he should have.

A special formula Lofenalac is used for these infants. It supplies just enough phenylalanine for growth and is adequate for all other nutrients. As the infant grows, ordinary foods that are low in phenylalanine are added. Mothers are given detailed food lists for fruits, vegetables, breads, and cereals from which to choose, and careful instructions are needed for measurement. Even low-protein foods such as fruits contain some phenylalanine and must be given in measured amounts.

Successful treatment depends upon dietary adjustment at frequent intervals-

Based upon the blood levels of phenylalanine the diet is adjusted so that the amount furnished to the body is just sufficient for growth needs. As the child grows the diet is increased to meet all nutritional requirements. The low-phenylalanine diet is continued throughout the early years of childhood. Whether it needs to be continued indefinitely is not yet known.

Galactosemia

Clinical findings. From birth infants with this condition lack transferase, a liver enzyme that converts galactose to glucose. Galactose is one of the simple sugars resulting when lactose is digested. When the enzyme is absent the levels of galactose in the blood reach toxic levels. A few days after birth the infant has vomiting, diarrhea, drowsiness, edema, liver failure, and hemorrhage. If the infant survives, mental retardation is severe.

Dietary management. A galactose-free formula must be started within the first few days of life. Nutramigen, ProSobee, Mul-Soy, and MBF (Meat-Base Formula) are suitable. Since milk is the only food that supplies lactose, other foods are added to the infant’s diet as he grows. All milk-containing foods must be rigidly excluded.

*141/234/5*