Growth Rate from Birth to Three Months of Breastfed and Non-Breastfed Infants Delivered in Hospitals at Owo Metropolis

The growth rate from birth to three months of some breastfed and non-breastfed infants age 0 – 12 weeks delivered in hospitals at Owo metropolis was evaluated with a view to know the effect of breastfeeding on growth rate. A total of one hundred (100) breastfed and non-breastfed neonates were purposely selected in the neonatal sections of three hospitals in Owo, March 2012. Anthropometry measurement was used to assess growth rate for length, weight, head and mid upper arm circumference of the infants on weekly basis using standard length board, digital weighing scale and shakir tape for twelve weeks. Epi-info 2008 nutritional software was used to determine length for – age z-score, weight for – age z-score, Head and mid-upper arm for age z – scores. Data were analyzed using SPSS soft ware (version 17.0). Results show that the rate of growth in length per week ranged between 0.5 – 1.0cm within 4th to 12th weeks of growth while an average rate of growth in weight of 100 – 400g was discovered between 2nd to 6th weeks of growth among both breastfed and non-breastfed infants. Observation shows that between birth to 4th week formula fed babies tend to be leaner in weight compared to their breastfed counterpart which maintained stable weight within this period. The study shows that breastfeeding significantly (P> 0.05) affect rate of growth among the breastfed infants. Growth pattern of infant skewed toward – 2 and 0 when compared with the NCHS/CDC reference population growth curve. In all, 2% of the breastfed and 8% of non-breastfed were severely underweight. There is no alternative to breastfeeding at this critical stage of life for optimum growth of infants. Therefore, mothers should be encouraged to breastfeed exclusively for 6th months in order to achieve optimum growth and development

Evaluation of some Nigerian staples sundried on the highways for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons level

Background: Many reports have shown that the consumption of foods containing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) may induce diseases such as lung, skin and stomach cancers because of their carcinogenic potentials. Objective: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon levels of some three Nigerian staples namely plantain (Musaparadisiacia), cocoyam (Colocasiaesculenta) and yam (Dioscorea rotundata) usually sundried on the highways were evaluated. Methods: The three samples were procured at two separate locations from samples sundried along Akure–Owo– Benin highway, milled into powder and chemically analysed using gas chromatography (HP 6890 powered with Hp chemstation Rev. A09.01). All analysis was done in triplicates. Results were expressed as means and compared with the recommended standard values for the various PAHs using SPSS (version 20) programme. Results: Findings showed that all the PAH values were less than the recommended value of 3.00 e-5mg/kg except for benzo (a) anthracene (5.142e-5mg/kg) in sundried plantain, acenaphthene (8.936e-5mg/kg) and chrysene (4.859e-5mg/kg) in cocoyam, while yam contained acenaphthene (5.196e-5mg/kg), chrysene (5.145e-5mg/kg) and benzo (b) fluoranthene (4.759e-5mg/kg). The concentration of benzo (a) pyrene ranged from 4.272-6.915e6mg/kg and this was discovered in all the highway sundried food samples. Conclusion: The amount of benzo (a) pyrene which is often used as an indicator of level of PAHs contamination in foods was lower than the recommended minimum level (3.00e-5mg/kg) in all the three products evaluated in this study but the values of other PAHs studied were appreciable.Therefore alternative ways should be used considering the carcinogenic potential of the PAHs in the foods. Keywords: PAHs, highways, sundried, Nigerian staple

Nutrient and phytochemical composition of two traditional soups used by malaria patients and post partum mothers in Owo, Ondo State

Background: Indigenous tribes in Nigeria have been using herbal mixture such as soups for therapeutic purpose with limited knowledge on their nutrients and phytochemical components.Objective: The nutrients and phytochemicals composition of two soups consumed by postpartum mothers and malaria patients in Owo were investigated.Methods: Ingredients such as cotton seed, beef, fish, black pepper, calabash nutmeg, turmeric, scent leaf, garlic, palm oil, back of mahogany tree and octomeles sumatrana 'erima' seed were procured, processed and prepared according to local methods into two samples of soups. The ingredients for the cotton seed soup and scent leaf soup samples were similar except for sample cotton seed soup that contain, back of mahogany tree and cotton seeds. One hundred grammes of each soup samples were subjected to proximate, phytochemical and instrumental analyses (AAS for minerals and Vitamins with Gc-HP 6890 powered with HP chemstation Rev. A09.01 (1206) software. Descriptive statistics such as mean and standard deviation were used to analyze data generated and t-test was used in Separation of meansResults: Findings showed that the protein content was significantly (P>0.05) higher in Scent leaf soup (21.85%) than in cotton seed soup (20.63%). No significant difference was observed in the minerals composition of the soups except for iron content of cotton seed soup (23.75mg/100g) that was significantly higher (P>0.05) than that of sent leaf soup (20.85mg/100g). There were significant differences (P>0.05) in the values of vitamin C (14.85 vs 3.04mg/100g), vitamin E (5.72 vs 8.72mg/100g), and vitamin B1 (8.61 vs 9.72mg/100g) of cotton seed and sent leaf soups. Phytate (8.24%) and alkaloid (1.61%) were significantly higher in scent leaf and cotton seed soup respectively.Conclusion: The high nutrients diversity and phytochemicals in the two soups might be responsible for their therapeutic effect on postpartum mothers and malaria treatment.Keywords: Traditional soups, Nutrients Composition, Postpartum, Malari