Beikost in Form von Breimahlzeiten oder Fingerfood

Background

The evaluated dietary schedule for the first year of life comprising pureed complementary meals guarantees an adequate nutrient supply. Recently, a new concept called baby-led weaning (BLW) has come into discussion. Following this concept the baby determines food selection and amounts solely by itself while being weaned from breastfeeding, resulting in self-feeding of complementary food as finger food. Thus, traditional complementary food in the form of pureed or mashed meals is questioned.

Methods and results

In a structured literature review only heterogeneous and mostly small observational studies on BLW were identified. They examined different aspects, such as growth, nutritional habits or mothers’ attitudes and the results were inconsistent. Interpretation of study results is additionally hampered by the fact that BLW is not precisely defined.

Conclusion

Eating capabilities necessary for sufficient self-feeding develop only during the course of the second half of the first year of life. The risk of a delayed introduction of nutrient and energy-dense foods by strict adherence to the self-feeding of complementary food cannot be excluded up to now. Nevertheless, some main ideas behind the BLW concept may lead to a widening of the traditional complementary feeding recommendations of the dietary schedule in Germany as complementary feeding in the forms of puree and finger food may complement each other. By combining both the nutritional safety of the dietary schedule and the potential of the sensory variety of appropriate family foods can be achieved.     

Clinical observations with Paxirasol aerosol in patients suffering from chronic bronchitis accompanying silicosis.

Paxirasol aerosol applied in daily 3 x 5 puff doses in the treatment of silicosis patients is found to be a well tolerated drug form. In the course of the 21-day therapy especially coughing and chest pain were moderated, but the product also controlled, the catarrhal coat formation on the mucosa. It influenced abundant expectoration and dispnoea beneficially. During the therapy the laboratory parameters did not change. The objective respiratory parameters improved but the change was non-significant. Paxirasol aerosol is found useful in the treatment of chronic bronchitis accompanying silicosis. Evaluable side-effects were not registered.     

In vivo imaging with cellular resolution of bone marrow cells transplanted into the ischemic brain of a mouse

The aim of the study was to monitor in vivo and noninvasively the fate of single bone marrow cells (BMCs) transplanted into the ischemic brain of unirradiated mice. In vivo imaging was performed through a closed cranial window, throughout the 2 weeks following cell transplantation, using laser-scanning confocal fluorescence microscopy. The window was chronically implanted above the left parieto-occipital cortex in C57BL/6J adult mice. BMC (3 x 10(5) nucleated cells in 0.5 microL medium) from 5-week-old transgenic mice, ubiquitously expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP), was transplanted into the ipsilateral cortex 24 h after the induction of focal ischemia by coagulation of the left middle cerebral artery (n = 15). Three nonischemic mice served as controls. Repeated in vivo imaging, up to a depth of 200 microm, revealed that BMCs survived within the ischemic and peri-ischemic cortex, migrated significantly towards the lesion, proliferated and adopted a microglia-like morphology over 2 weeks. These results were confirmed using ex vivo imaging after appropriate immunocytochemical treatments. This study indicates that confocal fluorescence microscopy is a reliable and unique tool to repeatedly assess with cellular resolution the in vivo dynamic fate of fluorescent cells transplanted into a mouse brain. These results also provide the first in vivo findings on the fate of single BMCs transplanted into the ischemic brain of unirradiated mice.     

Benzene in infant carrot juice: Further insight into formation mechanism and risk assessment including consumption data from the DONALD study

Benzene was previously detected as a heat-induced contaminant in infant carrot juices. This study shows that carrot juice contains substances such as β-carotene, phenylalanine or terpenes that may act as precursors for benzene formation during food processing. As benzene exposure has been associated with childhood leukaemia and other cancers, this study aimed to provide a quantitative risk assessment. To accomplish this, we used measured food consumption data from the Dortmund Nutritional and Anthropometric Longitudinally Designed (DONALD) study, along with survey data on benzene in different juice categories. The calculated exposures for infants between 3 and 12 months were low, with averages between 1 and 10 ng/kg bw/day, resulting in a margin of exposure above 100,000. The exposures were judged as unlikely to pose a health risk for infants. Nevertheless, carcinogenic contaminants should be reduced to levels as low as reasonably achievable. The focus should be set on improving the sterilization conditions.     

Rheologic behavior of sickle and normal red blood cell mixtures in sickle plasma: implications for transfusion therapy

BACKGROUND: Guidelines for transfusion in sickle cell disease usually define an upper hematocrit (Hct) limit of 0.30 to 0.35 to avoid blood hyperviscosity. In vitro viscosity studies of normal (AA) and sickle (SS) red blood cell (RBC) mixtures in buffer appear to confirm that this Hct limit is optimal for oxygen delivery to vascular beds as judged by the ratio of Hct to viscosity, with this ratio often termed "oxygen or RBC transport effectiveness." In the absence of plasma, however, effects due to RBC-RBC interactions mediated by plasma proteins cannot be assessed. STUDY DESIGNS AND METHODS: To investigate the optimal Hct-to-viscosity ratio of RBCs in plasma, the rheologic effects of Hct (0.20-0.40), the proportion of SS RBCs (0-100%), and shear rate (1-1000/sec) for mixtures of oxygenated and deoxygenated SS and AA RBCs were evaluated in sickle plasma at 37 degrees C. RESULTS: RBC suspension viscosity was shear-dependent (i.e., viscosity decreased with increasing shear rate) and increased with Hct and proportion of SS RBCs. An "optimal" Hct level (defined as a maximal of the Hct-to-viscosity ratio) was seen only at shear rates above 50/sec. At lower shear rates (e.g., 5/sec), where plasma-mediated RBC-RBC interactions predominate, any increment in Hct was offset by a proportionally greater increase in viscosity, thus leading to a lower Hct-to-viscosity ratio. CONCLUSION: These results indicate the importance of plasma-mediated RBC interactions and suggest that the benefits of transfusion may vary depending on local flow rates (i.e., shear rates) and organ-specific hemodynamics.     

Effects of cyclodextrins on RBC aggregation and blood viscosity

Cyclic oligomers of glucose, termed cyclodextrins (CDs), can contain 6 (alpha-CD), 7 (beta-CD) or 8 (gamma-CD) glucose units and are able to remove cholesterol from platelet membranes and decrease platelet aggregation. The present study was designed to examine the effects of these CDs on RBC aggregation and blood viscosity. Blood from normal adult volunteers was incubated at 37 degrees C with 3.0 x 10(-4) to 1.5 mM levels of the CDs, then processed to obtain platelet-rich plasma, platelet poor plasma and 40% hematocrit blood; measurements included collagen-induced platelet aggregation, RBC aggregation (Myrenne Aggregometer) and blood viscosity at 1-1000 sec(-1)(Rheolog). Our results indicate the expected dose-dependent inhibition of platelet aggregation by beta-CD, with no significant effects of alpha-CD or gamma-CD. RBC aggregation studies showed no effect of alpha-CD but highly significant (p<0.01) decreases by both beta-CD and gamma-CD; at the concentrations studied (1.5 x 10(-3) to 1.5 mM), beta-CD had somewhat greater effects. Blood viscosity was not affected by alpha-CD, but was significantly decreased in a dose-dependent manner by beta-CD and, at the highest concentration (1.5 mM), by gamma-CD. Interestingly, the effects of beta-CD and gamma-CD were independent of shear, with these effects not explained by the usual mechanisms. These results suggest the potential hemorheological value of CDs, yet also indicate the need for additional studies.     

Hemorheological abnormalities in stable angina and acute coronary syndromes

The pathophysiological abnormalities of stable angina (SA) and acute coronary syndromes (ACS) may, in part, be promoted by fluid forces associated with local blood flow and hence by the rheological properties of blood. This study evaluated several hemorheological parameters in 16 healthy controls and in 16 SA, 18 unstable angina (UA) and 19 acute myocardial infarct (AMI) patients; all patients underwent diagnostic angiography following blood sampling. Rheological measurements included whole blood viscosity, plasma viscosity and RBC aggregation via erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and Myrenne aggregometer indices. Compared to controls, RBC aggregation was significantly elevated in all patient groups (p<0.001), with the rank being AMI>UA>SA. RBC aggregability as tested in 70 kDa dextran exceeded control in all patients. Blood viscosity values calculated at 40% Hct, plasma viscosity and yield shear stress values followed the same pattern (AMI>UA>SA>control); increases of inflammatory markers (i.e., WBC count, hs-CRP) were elevated in all patient groups in the order AMI>UA>SA. Our study thus indicates an association between hemorheological abnormalities and the severity of coronary artery disease, and suggests the merit of evaluating whether therapeutic interventions that normalize blood rheology may reduce the incidence and/or progression of coronary artery disease.