Spina bifida is a birth defect that occurs when the bones of the spine (vertebrae) do not form properly around part of the baby’s spinal cord. It can be like a sac of water at any point on the back of the baby or an open sore.

Having adequate levels of folic acid before and during pregnancy is the most crucial preventative measure of spina bifida. There are three recommended ways to increase folic acid uptake in women of child bearing age.

Intake of one folic acid tablet daily for women in reproductive age is highly recommended.  While daily supplements are a simple method of decreasing the likelihood of an infant contracting spinal bifida supplements are still not readily available to the entire female population of child-bearing age or are only taken after the first trimester, when the spine has already formed. Health workers and policy makers have a role to advocate for the use of folic acid tablets in women of child bearing age and not only after the first antenatal visit.

Folic acid is found in local foods in Uganda, and women in child bearing age are encouraged to eat foods rich in folic acid such as greens, liver, ground nuts, fresh maize, and fresh mangoes to prevent spina bifida in their unborn infants.

Folic acid can be added to food through fortification of staple foods more especially maize flour, wheat flour and corn flour.

Ends

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Causes of spine defects (read spine bifida) in babies: Society still treats spine bifida with a lot of stigma and many times it is linked to witchcraft.

But the condition is a birth defect that involves incomplete closure of the spinal cord or its covering. ‘One or more of the bones that make up the spine don’t form correctly, leaving a gap in the spine and causing nerve damage.’

It’s influenced by deficiency of folic acid before conception and during the first months of pregnancy. A total of 95% of mothers in Uganda never plan for their pregnancies.

Ugandan women only get to know after they have missed their periods. Folic acid is an essential nutrient early growth and development of the baby’s spinal cord in the first 28 days of pregnancy.

Ends

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Causes of spine defects (read spine bifida) in babies: Society still treats spine bifida with a lot of stigma and many times it is linked to witchcraft.

But the condition is a birth defect that involves incomplete closure of the spinal cord or its covering. ‘One or more of the bones that make up the spine don’t form correctly, leaving a gap in the spine and causing nerve damage.’

It’s influenced by deficiency of folic acid before conception and during the first months of pregnancy. A total of 95% of mothers in Uganda never plan for their pregnancies.

Ugandan women only get to know after they have missed their periods. Folic acid is an essential nutrient early growth and development of the baby’s spinal cord in the first 28 days of pregnancy.

Ends

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Poor sitting posture can tighten, weaken or shorten some of your muscles. It can also result in chronic back pain, fatigue and muscle strain.

When sitting, many people have a tendency to slouch back or slump over e.g when watching TV stations like WBS, NTV, Bukedde TV, BBC, CNN and NBS.

This gives the spine a “C” shape instead of its “S” shape. This posture strains the neck and instead of distributing the weight along the spine. It is placed on the muscles, discs and ligaments, resulting in compression of the vertebral discs. Scientists say that one should sit upright when relaxing and ensure that the TV is not posted too high. The same applies to desk jobs. Many hours spent at the desk or a poorly-positioned chair can cause back pain.

Walakira Nyanzi

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Scientists tell us that wallets when tucked in the back pocket like many men in Africa and around the world do may trigger pain in de back, buttocks and legs.

The medical experts say that a loaded wallet may slightly shift the spine out of alignment, causing muscle tension.

Worse still, scientists pronounce that storing wallets in the back pocket can lead to compression and irritation of the sciatic nerve.

Compression and irritation of the sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in the body and begins from nerve roots in the lumber spinal cord in the lower back. It extends through the buttock area to send nerve endings down the lower limb. The best preventive method is to remove the wallet before sitting, especially in the car.

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Systems of Tuberculosis (TB) and malnutrition often go together. A child with the disease may fail to gain weight, lose energy, and have cough lasting for more than two weeks.

That child may look unhealthy, have prolonged fever and is tired all the time. In addition, a child with TB may find it hard to breathe.

There are also some dangers of TB in children below the age of 2 and among HIV victims.

The children below 2 years and people living with HIV are particularly at risk because they have an under developed and compromised immune system.

The disease (TB) starts with presents as an on and off cough, resisting most antibiotic treatment.

TB is an airborne disease caused by TB bacilli which is primarily affects the lungs; lymphnodes, intestines, kidneys, joints, brain, spine and the skin are also affected. Over 1000,000 children develop TB and 100,000 die annually in Uganda.

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How we can do Pilates in our homes. Lie on your back with legs straight and arms stretched above your head and shoulders down.

Keep your back flat on the floor, slowly fit your arms towards the ceiling as you breathe in and as you breathe out.

Slowly roll forward, peeling your spine off the mat.  The head remains straight, eyes focused forward; stomach remains taut and not crunched.  Breathe in again. Stretch out over your legs. Don’t pause but as you breathe in roll up again. You can do all these for over 10 times in a given day.

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Pilates have a number of benefits in our bodies. They shape the body and strengthen the torso.

The people who do it improve posture and overall health. It promotes and strengthens the muscle development as well as flexibility and improving the joints and the back.

It safely increases the length of our muscles especially in the spine area. It allows the rest of the body to stretch, improve breathe and blood circulation.

It stimulates the spine and muscles and allows the body to feel good.

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