AllForKids Now Offers Specialized Allergy and Asthma Care for Children and Adults

By appointment only, please call ahead on 0484-645 2772/649 2772 .

AllForKids provides all age appropriate vaccinations.

Our Vaccine Reminder service reminds you of upcoming vaccinations by e-mail or SMS.

By Dr. M.Vijayalakshmi M.D(Peds), M.D(USA), FAAP, DAA

• Injectable Polio Vaccine (IPV) – injectable polio vaccine is used as against oral polio vaccine (OPV) in the western countries. Both IPV and OPV are equally effective vaccines. Oral Polio Vaccine has actually helped us reduce the incidence of polio across the world. Both vaccines give immunity to polio, but OPV is better at keeping the disease from spreading to other people. However, for a few people (about one in 2.4 million), OPV actually causes polio. IPV does not have any such risks. Thus IPV is a better option in people and communities with a lower risk for actually contacting polio.
• Influenza vaccine (Flu Shot) – very commonly used in United States and other western countries and has been available in India for the last couple of years. It is available from the first week of September until end of May. This is because each year the viral strain most likely to spread during the upcoming year is predicted by experts and the vaccine is made specific to those viruses.
• Pneumococcal Vaccine (Prevnar)- Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine is recommended for children less than 24 months old and for children between 24 and 59 months old who are at high risk of disease. The vaccine was licensed in the US in 2000 and is available in India from last year. It protects children against Pneumococcal pneumonia and meningitis.
• Rotavirus is a virus which causes severe diarrhea in infants and children. It is often accompanied by vomiting and fever. A vaccine for Rotavirus has been available in the United States for some time and has been recently made available in India.

• Feeling tired and weak
• Decreased work and school performance
• Slow cognitive and social development during childhood
• Difficulty maintaining body temperature
• Decreased immune function, which increases susceptibility to infection
• Glossitis (an inflamed tongue)

• Babies who were born early or small.
• Babies given cow’s milk before age 12 months.
• Breastfed babies who after age 6 months are not being given plain, iron-fortified cereals or another good source of iron from other foods.
• Formula-fed babies who do not get iron-fortified formulas.
• Children aged 1–5 years who get more than 24 ounces of cow, goat, or soymilk per day. Excess milk intake can decrease your child’s desire for food items with greater iron content, such as meat or iron fortified cereal.
• Children who have special health needs, for example, children with chronic infections or restricted diets.

• What is genetics? What is genomics?
  Genetics is the study of inheritance, or the way traits are passed down from one generation to another. Genes carry the instructions for making proteins, which in turn direct the activities of cells and functions of the body that influence traits such as hair and eye color. Genomics is a newer term that describes the study of all the genes in a person, as well as interactions of those genes with each other and with that person’s environment.
• What does genomics have to do with my health?
  Genomics plays a part in nine of the Ten Leading Causes of death in the United States , most of which are top killers here in India too. This include Heart disease, Cancer, Stroke (cerebrovascular diseases), Chronic lower respiratory diseases, Diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, Influenza/Pneumonia,Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome, and nephrosis and Septicemia.
  All human beings are 99.9 percent identical in genetic makeup, but differences in the remaining 0.1 percent may hold important clues about the causes of disease. We hope that the study of genomics will help us learn why some people get sick from certain infections, environmental factors, and behaviors, while others do not. Better understanding of the interactions between genes and the environment will help us find better ways to improve health and prevent diseases.
• What is the Human Genome Project?
  The Human Genome Project (HGP) identified all of the genes in human DNA. The project was completed in 2003 by the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Institutes of Health with input from other countries around the world.
• What is stem cell research?
  Stem cell research is a hot topic in science and the media. Stem cells renew themselves for long periods of time through cell division. When a stem cell divides, it can either remain a stem cell or become another type of cell with a more specialized function such as a blood cell, a muscle cell, or a brain cell. Scientists are investigating using cell- based therapies to treat diseases.
• What is gene therapy?
  Gene therapy is a technique for correcting faulty genes responsible for disease development.

Phone: 0484-645 2772,Website: www.allforkidsindia.com ,

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