To Dye or Not To Dye

 To Dye or Not To Dye

"Wow! Great moves, Pradeep!" exclaimed our new acquaintance after watching my short dance. "You have a flexible body! Because of your young age, you can pull off those moves." my agonized acquaintance analyzed my performance. "I am your age, Adam," I proudly announced, further astonishing him. He stared at my paltry hair in despair after I compared my age with his. Yes, I did a good paint job, I thought, as a restrained quaint smile pervaded my freshly painted facial hair! This renewed my confidence, and I was never confused about whether to dye or not to dye. 

 

Well, days passed—I mean, months went by—and I went for my job interview. As I explained the reason for my move—my daughter getting married and the other daughter in her Master's—we felt free to explore our ambitions. The interviewer was amazed at my actual age and adored my dexterous dye job!

 

As months went by, I mean years passed by, to dye or not to wasn't even a question! We went to Snoqualmie Falls near Seattle. As the guidance was given by a Ms, we were apparently misguided to the top of the falls! The walk to the bottom of the falls was steep and arduous. We saw several young, athletic men and women panting and walking up the falls! As believers of our perceived age, we both walked down to the amazing falls! That's where our confidence had an amazing fall! Walking up the steep, deep inside, we felt our actual age may overcome our perceived one. However, my painted face had a picture-perfect smile, masking my true age! To our astonishment, a middle-aged couple spotted us and unabashedly asked, "Uncle, why don't you wait here? I will get my car to take you to the upper parking lot. It will be too much to walk at your age". My wife readily agreed, as she was aware of my actual age! I immediately grabbed my phone and took a selfie! Actually, I remembered to dye! I did not miss any strands as well! Who is he then? A radiologist looking through me to diagnose my bone age? My wife insisted, and my twisted ego resisted, but her insistence persisted, and she enlisted the new aspiring radiologist's assistance.  I finally consoled myself that my wife didn't dye her hair so he could predict my age.

 

As hours passed, it was time to head to the airport. We took a connecting train, and it was packed! I moved forward to look for any vacant seats. There were none. As I was turning back to wade through the crowd towards my wife, a middle-aged man in his fifties with flawless grey hair offered to me with the blackest hair, "Uncle, do you want a seat?" I considered asking him to take a selfie and compare it with mine. Who has black hair? Now the question is, to dye or not to dye? It may be time to change the brand, as I introspected and went ahead and changed it.

As days passed, It was time to see the biggest blockbuster-Kalki 2898 AD. After all, it was made by my close friend's son! With my wife waiting in the car, I rushed to purchase the first day's first show tickets. The middle-aged lady at the counter said, "For you, the price is $20 a ticket". I assumed she was giving me a discount based on my imposing mustache. Upon inquiry, she revealed that it was a senior citizen discount. A grand brand or no brand, is it time to disband? I had to take out my ID to prove my young age and disprove her terrible and deplorable assumption. However, I pretended I was purchasing alcohol and hence, I was proving I was above 21!

Well, to dye or not to dye-is that even question?

 

 

Sex-Specific Differences in Nutrient Intake in Late Preterm Infants

by 

Pradeep Alur

 1,*,

Sumana Ramarao

 2,

Addie Hitt

 2,

Simmy Vig

 2,

Radha Alur

 1 and

Naveed Hussain 

https://www.mdpi.com/2683666

Abstract

Challenging the assumption of uniform nutritional needs in preterm feeding, this study identifies crucial sex-specific disparities in formula milk intake and growth among late preterm infants. Premature infants have difficulty regulating their oral intake during feeds, which is why clinicians prescribe feeding volume, calories, and protein via the nasogastric route. However, premature male and female infants have different body compositions at birth, and, subsequently, there is no evidence to suggest that male and female preterm infants differ in their nutritional consumption once they begin feeding ad libitum. This study investigates whether there are any differences in the volume and nutrient intake between the sexes when fed formula ad libitum. Methods: The study involved a retrospective analysis of preterm infants admitted to the NICU and evaluated between 34 0/7 and 36 6/7 weeks of corrected gestation. Late preterm infants appropriate for gestational age who were spontaneously fed formula milk ad-lib and free of any respiratory support for at least two days were included. The study excluded infants with short gut syndrome, severe chromosomal anomalies, or congenital heart conditions. We included 85 male and 85 female infants in this study. The data collected included sex, gestational age, birth weight, anthropometric data at birth, maternal data, nutritional intake, and neonatal morbidity. Results: This study found that female infants consumed more volume, protein, and calories than male infants. The mean formula intake in female and male infants was 145.5 ± 20.8 mL/kg/d and 135.3 ± 19.3 mL/kg/d, respectively, with p = 0.002. However, ad-lib feeding duration was not different between the sexes. Growth velocity was also higher in female infants. Conclusions: This study is the first to demonstrate differences in formula milk intake among late preterm infants fed ad libitum. Additional research is needed to confirm our findings and understand sex-specific differences in neonatal nutrition in extremely early preterm infants.

Association between Weight for Length and the Severity of Respiratory Morbidity in Preterm Infants

 https://www.mdpi.com/2635470

Association between Weight for Length and the Severity of Respiratory Morbidity in Preterm Infants

by Pradeep Alur 1,*,Kristen Harvey 2,Kyle Hart 2,Wondwosen K. Yimer 3 andRenjithkumar Kalikkot Thekkeveedu 4

Abstract

Association Between Weight for Length and the Severity of Respiratory Morbidity in Preterm Infants. Objective: To determine whether higher weight-to-length z-scores after 32 weeks of gestation are associated with higher pulmonary scores (PSs) in preterm infants requiring respiratory support using a prospective observational study. Methods: Infants born at <30 weeks, with a post-menstrual age (PMA) of 30–33 weeks, were enrolled. The infant’s weight, length, and head circumference were measured weekly. Data on calories/kg/d, protein g/kg/d, weight-for-length percentiles, z-scores, and BMI at 33 through 40 weeks PMA were collected. The PS was calculated. Results: We analyzed 91 infants. The mean gestational age was 26.9 ± 1.7 weeks. The mean birthweight was 0.898 ± 0.238 kgs. They were predominantly African American (81.3%) and girls (56%). Postnatal steroids were administered in 26.4% of the infants. The mean duration of invasive ventilation was 19.23 days ± 28.30 days. There was a significant association between the PS and W/L z-score (p < 0.0001). For every one-unit increase in W/L z-score, the PS increased by 0.063. There was a significant association between the PS and W/L percentile (p = 0.0017), as well as BMI (p ≤ 0.0001). For every unit increase in W/L percentile, the PS increased by 0.002, and for a unit increase in BMI, the PS increased by 0.04. The association remained significant after postnatal steroid use, sex, and corrected and birth gestational ages were included in the regression analysis. Nutrition did not affect the anthropometric measurements. Conclusions: Our study is the first to demonstrate that a higher BMI and W/L may adversely affect the respiratory severity in preterm infants. Studies with larger sample sizes are needed to confirm our findings.

Mother Thy Name is Love!

"Mother, thy name is love."

A force to be reckoned with, recognized even by the heavens above.

In every deed, your care is woven,

In every word, love is spoken.

 

Dad may make you mad,

Our follies may make you sad,

Yet, you have made our smiles your only goal,

Showing love is the only way for every soul.

 

When life's tempests rage and roar,

A wicked display it had in store,

Your love revived the strength as never before,

And made us face the world with fear no more.

 

The love you have sown,

Which has grown over the years we have known,

Will there be a day, will there be a way

We can match and repay?

 

Mother- thy name is love!

By

Pradeep Alur. May 12, 2024.

 Happy Nurses' Week!

Lucky we are, we have nurses. 

When life brings a curse 

And the situation becomes adverse, 

The care of a nurse is a soothing verse. 

Lucky we are, we have nurses! 

 

When hope turns to reverse, 

And the options are so diverse, 

And chances seem to be inverse, 

A nurse- your best buddy to converse. 

Lucky we are, we have nurses! 

 

Their hearts are so tender, 

The service they render, 

The fears they disperse, 

The patience they disburse. 

Lucky we are, we have nurses! 

 

Pradeep Alur, MD.  

May 7, 2024.