Evaluation of iron status in relation to feeding practices in early infancy

Despite the Turkish government mandate to educate every new mother about the advantages of breastfeeding and pre- and perinatal nutrition programs, the prevalence of both iron deficiency (ID) and iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is very high among young children. The major risk factors for IDA include prolonged consumption of cow's milk, either early cessation or prolonged exclusive breastfeeding. In the present article, the authors discuss IDA continues to be a significant public health problem in Turkey. The rate of IDA was 44% in infants received cow's milk following 2 months exclusive breastfeeding vs 2% who received exclusive breastfeeding until 6 months. Infants who had ID more likely to receive cow's milk after 2 moths of breastfeeding (25% vs 4%). Authors conclude that Turkish infants have a high risk to develop either ID or IDA in their first 6 months of life. Continuation of exclusive breastfeeding after 4 months could reduce this risk compared to earlier introduction of complementary foods. For evaluation and introduction of nutritional interventions to reduce infant anemia risk needs to be assessed in particular in the context of traditional feeding practices and exclusive breastfeeding, as the proportion of exclusively breastfed infants remains persistently low in many developing countries. © 2011 Polat T

Six different CYBA mutations including three novel mutations in ten families from Turkey, resulting in autosomal recessive chronic granulomatous disease

One of the rarest forms of autosomal recessive chronic granulomatous disease (AR-CGD) is attributable to mutations in the CYBA gene, which encodes the alpha polypeptide of cytochrome b(558), (also known as p22-phox), a key transmembrane protein in the phagocyte NADPH oxidase system. This gene is localized on chromosome 16q24, encompasses 8.5 kb and contains six exons