TIMES CITY THE TIMES OF INDIA, CHENNAI MONDAY, MARCH 7, 2011*

CADRES HOPE RAPPORT BETWEEN KARUNANIDHI PONDY TRANSGENDER IS THE FIRST TO BE

AND SONIA WILL SAVE THE DAY | 4 ENROLLED UNDER THE THIRD GENDER | 7

TNEB to text you METRO DIGEST

Know your baby’s Achilles heel job-done msg on

Graduation day
At the recent 11th

Testing A Drop Of Blood From Heel Can Tell If A Child Is Prone To 140 Diseases graduation day of Easwari

Pushpa Narayan | TNN
Chennai: Can a blob of
blood pricked out from your
newborn’s heel be a crystal
ball on the baby’s health?
Yes, say doctors.
Even before parents could
figure out there is something
wrong with the child’s health,
the blood test can help sniff
out whether the baby is prone
to or has a particular disease
— and the doctors have a list
of 140 ailments that they will
look for in the test. Of course,
the whole gamut of 140 tests
will cost you money. De-
pending on your budget, doc-
tors can limit the test to a
clutch of suspects. (See
graphics box on the right.)
It could save the child from
serious and potentially debil-
itating diseases that could lead
to organ failure and mental
retardation, doctors said.
“These tests can often mean
the difference between life and
death,” said Dr S Suresh, di-
rector of the Fetal Care Re-
search Foundation, a non-prof-
it group.
The foundation has asked
the government to make
screening mandatory in all
hospitals. Dr Suresh, who
also heads a private diag-
nostic laboratory, Mediscan,
has submitted a recommen-
dation on this to the state
health department.
The apex biomedical re-
search body in the country, In-
dian Council of Medical Re-
search (ICMR), has switched
on a trial in the country to see
if heel blood tests should be
made compulsory. And as a
part of it, Dr Suresh and his
team screened over 21,000 ba-
bies born at the Government
Hospital for Women and Chil-
dren in Egmore for two com-
mon disorders — congenital
hypothyroidism and adrenal
hyperplasia.
Congenital hypothy-
roidism affects infants from
birth (congenital) and arises
from a partial or complete loss
of thyroid function (hypothy-
It can save the child
from serious and
potentially debilitating
diseases that could
lead to organ failure
and mental retardation
roidism). Thyroid makes io-
dine-containing hormones
that regulate growth, brain de-
velopment, and metabolism.
If untreated, it can stymie
mental and physical growth.
In Egmore, three out of 1,000
babies screened had hypothy-
roidism. Globally, it is esti-
mated that one in 4,000 babies
suffer from this condition.
Almost three out of 1,000
children screened at Egmore
power complaint
Engineering College, Justice
S Rajeswaran of the Madras
high court delivered the
Future teller The sample is
sent to a
A Prathap keynote address and
presented awards to the
laboratory students, said a press
A drop of blood to test it for release.
is drawn from 140 kinds of
baby’s heel diseases Wine shop burgled: A
Tasmac wine shop in
The blood is collected Injambakkam was
on a special paper reportedly broken into on
Saturday and Rs 3.5 lakh in
cash and Rs 50,000 worth of
It takes 10 days Test for six For 140
for the results Charges common diseases `500 diseases `3,000 liquor bottles stolen. The
theft came to light on
Sunday morning, the police
Five common diseases that can be detected through heel blood test said.
Congenital hypothyroidism: Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase
A condition that affects infants from birth diseases (G6PD): It Occurs when the body Youth arrested for
(congenital) and results from a partial or com- doesn’t have enough of the enzyme, G6PD, motorcycle theft: Magesh
plete loss of thyroid function (hypothy- which helps red blood cells’ function. It can (23) was arrested on
roidism). Thyroid makes iodine-containing hor- cause a kind of anaemia Saturday for allegedly
mones that regulate growth, brain develop- Call centre staff will pick up the complaint call and forward it to stealing a motorcycle in the
Treatment: Includes avoiding certain drugs the Fuse of Call (FOC) centre of the respective areas. A self- Elephant Gate area.
ment, and metabolism. If untreated, it can and foods that can trigger renal failure
lead to growth failure and permanent mental generated feedback message is then sent to the consumers once Investigations revealed that
retardation the fault is rectified he had been involved in 15
Cystic fibrosis: Causes build-up of thick, such cases in
Treatment: Daily dose of thyroid hormone sticky mucus in the lungs and digestive tract. Vivek Narayanan | TNN Kancheepuram.
It can cause chronic lung diseases in children preferred language of com-
Congenital adrenal hyperplasia: and may result in death Chennai: Soon, power con- munication (Tamil or English New Delhi-Chennai TN
Congenital adrenal hyperplasia: A disorder of Treatment includes antibiotics, enzyme re- sumers in the city like 60-year- by pressing number 1 or 2). Express delayed: The New
the adrenal gland. Such babies lack an enzyme placement, vitamins or even lung transplant old Arivarasu, who lodged a After this the consumer is Delhi-Chennai Tamil Nadu
needed by the gland to make the hormones, complaint at the Tamil Nadu asked to key in his/her power Express was delayed by
cortisol and aldosterone. Without the hor- Galactosemia: A condition in which infant’s Electricity Board (TNEB) of- connection number. “At this over 30 minutes on Sunday
mones, body produces more of a male sex hor- body is unable to use the simple sugar, galac- fice in his locality and worried stage, the consumer’s mobile after a crack was detected
mone (androgen). This causes male characteris- tose. Even breast milk can damage liver, brain, for long about the complaint’s number is saved in the com- in the track near Minjur
tics to appear early (or inappropriately) kidneys and eyes status, can breathe easy. puter along with his service railway station. Sources
Treatment: Includes daily dose of harmones Treatment: Avoid milk and its products, and From April 1, they will re- number. The call is then di- said that after railway
other foods that contain galactose ceive an SMS or Interactive verted to the call centre staff officials were alerted, track
Voice Response System who register the complaint,” engineers rushed there and
(IVRS) message once the said a TNEB official. repaired the track. The train
Pricking the heel is safer here because it reduces chances of damage to bones
Why feet? or nerves
fault, for which they lodged a The staff then forwarded reached Chennai Central
petition, has been rectified. the complaint to the Fuse of more than half an hour late,
TNEB officials are in the Call (FOC) centre of the re- said railway officials.
hospital, too, were found to baby might have to continue ing. “If this can bring down process of updating the data- spective area. “There are 57 However, suburban services
have congenital adrenal hy- on these hormones for life. infant deaths, we do not mind base with the consumers’ mo- FOCs in the city. The person- were not affected.
perplasia, a disorder of the Children with adrenal hy- doing them,” he said. bile numbers with their ad- nel inform us once the fault is
adrenal gland. The global perplasia need a daily dose of The state has signed an dress. There are over two rectified. A self-generated feed- Safety week held: As part
prevalence of the disease is steroids. In some cases, they MoU with Mediscan through crore power consumers in back message is sent to the con- of Southern Railway’s efforts
less than 1 in 15,000 births. Hy- may have to undergo cosmet- which experts in the Chen- Chennai city alone. sumer once the complaint is to enhance safety, a safety
perplasia babies lack an en- ic surgeries to correct physi- nai-based scan centre will At the TNEB call centre, closed in the computer. It also week was celebrated at the
zyme needed by the gland to cal damage. “With medica- train technicians and staff in where consumers can call the carries the date and time when zonal electric traction
make the hormones, cortisol tion, the quality of life of more than 350 primary toll-free number 155333 and the complaint was lodged and training centre (ZETTC),
and aldosterone. Without the these children can be im- healthcare centres in six dis- lodge complaints about their rectified,” said the official Avadi. Safety quiz,
hormones, body produces proved,” said Dr Suresh. tricts. They will also audit various problems, 15 persons adding that an IVRS message extempore speech on safety
more of a male sex hormone The research team were every ultrasound scan report work round the clock in shifts. would be sent to consumers issues and poster design
(androgen). This causes male able to treat the babies be- of pregnant women to ensure They attend to nearly 400 calls calling from landlines. competition on hot-axle and
characteristics to appear ear- cause they looked for these there are no structural ab- a day and as many as 1,000 calls According to TNEB chair- train parting were
ly (or inappropriately). Girls diseases in them. “We must normalities. “This should a day during summer. man C P Singh, this is expect- conducted, said a press
born with hyperplasia usu- search for at least three more bring down the number of Earlier, a consumer calling ed to improve the efficiency of release. Loco pilots,
ally have male genitals along common disorders,” said Dr children being born without the number was greeted with the staff and also help serve assistant loco pilots,
with normal female repro- Suresh. The tests can help de- limbs or brain and spine de- a boring ringtone or an en- consumers better. “We will technicians and junior
ductive organs, and boys as tect early other rare metabol- fect,” Subburaj said. gaged tone and he/she never know when the complaint was engineers took part. The
young as three will show ic, blood or genetic diseases. ICMR has extended the got a feedback on the status of lodged and when it was recti- ZETTC imparts training to
signs of puberty. State health secretary VK study to cover a bigger sam- the complaint. Beginning April fied. This way we can check the loco pilots, assistant loco
Dr Suresh gave thyroid Subburaj said the government ple size. “We are convinced of 1, a recorded female voice will reaction time and improve it pilots as well as trainees
hormones to babies with hy- was willing to consider the the need for universal screen- welcome the caller and asks further,” said Singh. from maintenance of rolling
perthyroidism — and the proposal for compulsory test- ing,” Dr Suresh said. him/her to choose between the vivek.kn@timesgroup.com stock to traction distribution.

Power cut on Tuesday

Ramasamy Salai: KK Nagar East & West, parts of
Ashok Nagar, Arcot Road.
MCC shifts to less appetising BUILDING A HOME
Avadi: Thirumullaivoyal, Railway Car Shed, Senthil
plants to shoo off farm raiders
Nagar, Vaishnavi Nagar, Police Quarters, Avadi,
CTM Road, NM Road, Kannikapuram, Gandhi
Nagar, Cavarapalayam, Telephone Exchange,
Shivashakthi Nagar, Balaji Nagar and
Manikandapuram. West Mambalam- II: West
Arun Janardhanan | TNN

Chennai: Deer, porcupine and

Arun Janardhanan
ago, the farm administra-
tion is now all set to exper-
iment with Jatropha, which
ON THE HIGH SEAS C Suresh Kumar

Mambalam, Rangarajapuram, Sudeeyammanpet
Railway Batter Road, 70-feet Road, Kavery Nagar,
Kumaran Colony, Appavoo Nagar, Sasthry Nagar,
parts of T Nagar, Postal Colony and Kannammapet.
Ramapuram: Bharathi Salai, Sathiya nagar,
Mugalivakkam, Manapakkam, Nesapakkam,
Venkataraman Salai, Venkateswara Nagar, Valluvar
Salai, Sabari Nagar, Ramapuram, Poonamalli High
Road, Jaya Balaji Nagar, Soolai Pallam (MGR
Nagar) and Poothapedu. Sembium: Eithiraj Salai,
Lakshmiamman Nagar, Supudalkarai, SA Colony,
Rajv Gandhi Nagar, Krishnamoorthy Salai,
Telephone Exchange, MH Road, Venkateswara
Nagar, Thiruvallur Nagar, AP Arasu St,
Sivashakaran St, Indira Nagar West, GNT Road.
Madhavaram: MRH Road, GNT Road, CMDA Truck
Terminal Ring Road Housing sector, Srinivasa & VS
Mani Nagar, Seethapathi Nagar, Lotus Colony,
Swamy Nagar, Prakash, Ponniammanmedu,
Thanigachalam Nagar and Vadaperumbakkam.
ICF: Ponnankinar St, Rajiv Gandhi Nagar, East
Mada St, Villivakkam, Thiruvallur St, Devar St,
Mounasamy, Madam St and Sannathi St.
Gummidipoondi: Sipcot and Elavur.
peacock. For many, these animals produces bio-diesel. The
are nature’s gifts that need to be campus community will try
protected, but, for some, especially out more than 30 varieties
farmers, they are a threat. of mango saplings brought
At the Madras Christian Col- from Krishnagiri, which is
lege (MCC) in Tambaram, in- to be surrounded by oil
creasing deer, porcupine and pea- seeds to prevent attack from
cock populations are posing a se- animals.
rious challenge to the college’s 30- A farm on MCC campus MCC is moving towards
acre farm house. Though the col- fruit bearing plants that are
lege has introduced several innovative measures less labour-intensive but more productive. The farm
such as organic, pesticide-free farming, the growing house also caters to the academic needs of students
animal population has restricted the cultivation of be helping with their research in insects, crops and
paddy and vegetables to a limited area. vermin-compost, said Dr. James Kurien, who is in-
To face the challenge from these animals, the col- charge of the campus scrub society. Kurien recent-
lege has changed its strategy to growing plants that ly brought about 300 different variety of mangoes
are less attractive to animals. While the deer popu- from Santhur in Krishnagiri taluk.
lation in the campus is around 100-120, porcupines The farm, which used to supply fruits and veg-
are 50 and peacocks have been counted not less than etables for many government and private estab-
20. Dr C Livingston, director of the farm house, said lishments in old Madras Presidency, now caters to
that threat from animals has forced them to take up the growing demand for organic food products in
the cultivation of oil seeds, which are less attractive Chennai. This farm house will soon fulfill all the
to animals. If the leukemia-fighting Nayantara crop food requirements of the campus community, said
brought the MCC farm into the spotlight a few years Livingston.

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daughter Rachel Mather. Out
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is commandered by Donald Mc-
Hasn’t piracy made sailing
dangerous these days? The
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