A Senior Registrar in Paediatrics at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Dr. Chinwe Ogbonnaa-Njoku says while pap is a very nutritious meal for babies, nursing mothers should not depend on it for the growth of their children.

According to Dr. Ogbonnaa-Njoku, pap is not enough by itself for growing babies, hence the need to gradually introduce the whole range of family diets to babies from six months. “Pap is a very nutritious meal high in carbohydrate, B vitamins and has some protein and other micronutrients. 

A new study has indicated that persons using marijuana may find it more difficult to perform cognitive functions. According to the study, persons using marijuana, especially youth, are at risk of brain damage as the weed can affect the ability to think, solve problems and plan.

While the debate on the health effect of marijuana had remained contentious for years, the new study has once again highlighted the impact it can have on its users, CNN reported. The review of the study published on Thursday in the journal Addiction stated that contrary to the view of many people, the impact of marijuana may well go beyond the initial high and may affect the ability to think and plan, especially for adolescents.

A new study by Canadian researchers has indicated that pregnant women who consume lots of artificial sweeteners could be more at risk of giving birth to children who end up being obese. The study, though carried out on rats, found that pregnant rats fed stevia or aspartame artificial sweeteners had pups that were fatter.

The researchers who performed the experiment stated that their findings could be used to caution expectant mothers against consuming sweeteners, noting that other studies have found similar findings in humans.

A new report has indicated that Eti-Osa, Ibeju-Lekki, and Epe Local Government Areas lead the pack of LGAs with a high HIV prevalence rate in Lagos state. The report was from a survey carried out by the Maryland Global Initiatives Corporation and titled ‘Nigerian HIV/AIDS Indicator and Impact Survey report in Lagos State’

The report covers the overall HIV/AIDS surveillance in the state. The Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi disclosed this on his Instagram handle @profakinabayomi, when he received the Country Director, Maryland Global Initiatives Corporation, Dr. Sylvia Adebajo.

A pharmaceutical scientist, Tony Oyawole has warned Nigerians against the indiscriminate use of paracetamol, noting that it could damage the liver and kidney.  According to Oyawole, people engaging in the indiscriminate use of paracetamol are also at increased risk of blood cancer.

Speaking with PUNCH Healthwise, the community pharmacist, urged Nigerians to refrain from self-prescription of the pain killer, noting that using it indiscriminately can cause serious health problems. He said while paracetamol is a simple drug, it is also a very dangerous drug when not used according to prescription.

A new study has found that eating a small serving of dried goji berries may help prevent or delay the development of age-related macular degeneration. Age-related macular degeneration is an eye disease that may get worse over time. It’s the leading cause of severe, permanent vision loss in people over age 60. It happens when the small central portion of your retina, called the macula, wears down. 

The research, conducted by the University of California, Davis, suggests that a small serving of dried goji berries may help prevent or delay vision decline among healthy middle-aged people.

After a six-week surge, Africa’s fourth pandemic wave driven primarily by the Omicron variant is flattening, marking the shortest-lived surge to date in the continent where cumulative cases have now exceeded 10 million.

As of 11 January, there have been 10.2 million COVID-19 cases in Africa. Weekly cases plateaued in the seven days to January 9 from the week before.  WHO Regional Office for Africa in Brazzaville in a statement said Southern Africa, which saw a huge increase in infections during the pandemic wave, recorded a 14 per cent decline in infections over the past week. 

Cardiologists have urged Nigerians living with hypertension to always ensure that they have good blood pressure control, especially at night and early in the morning. The cardiologists said studies have shown that heart attacks occur more in the early hours of the morning, noting that ensuring good blood pressure control at night and early in the morning could help prevent it.

They explained that heart attacks in the early hours of the day are usually fuelled by some hormonal changes that tend to occur at that time of the day. According to the heart care specialists, the surge in hormones during the early hours of the morning could lead to a heart attack which could also lead to cardiac arrest if not managed promptly and properly.

The National Primary Healthcare Development Agency has given a vaccination waiver for individuals aged 16 and 17 to enable them to receive coronavirus jabs.  The agency said this in an advisory made available to journalists on Thursday.

“The NPHCDA has given a waiver for persons aged 16 and 17 to receive COVID-19 vaccines if required for educational purposes,” the advisory read.  The PUNCH had reported that the Federal Government, through the NPHCDA, had earlier recommended that only eligible Nigerians from age 18 and above would be allowed to take the vaccine.

The Director of Disease Control, Kaduna State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Hamza Ikara, on Wednesday said an outbreak of Lassa fever has claimed two lives in the state.

This was as residents of Narayi, in the Chikun Local Area of the state scrambled for suspected toxic frozen fish dumped at a cemetery in the area. Meanwhile, Ikara said the two Lassa fever cases involving a female and a male were recorded in Kubau and Chikun Local Government Areas of the state.