Browsing by Author "Van Niekerk, Evette"
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- ItemAcidified infant formula explained(Medpharm Publications, 2013) Labuschagne, Irene; Van Niekerk, Evette; Lombard, Martani J.The development of effective methods to prevent acute gastroenteritis is an important goal for infant health. Exclusive breastfeeding and postponement of complementary foods until the age of six months is recommended for healthy infants. However, at times, infant formula is required. Various types are commercially available. Acidified cow’s milk formula has been found to prevent the growth of pathogenic bacteria and concurring diarrhoeal disease.
- ItemDiet and childhood asthma : review(Taylor & Francis, 2016) Labuschagne, Irene L.; Van Niekerk, EvetteChildhood asthma is the most common chronic inflammatory childhood disease with almost 20% children and adolescents reporting asthma symptoms in South Africa. Associations between asthma and dietary antioxidants (vitamin E, vitamin C, carotenoids, selenium, polyphenols, and fruit), polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), and vitamin D have been found. Adherence to the Mediterranean diet seems protective. This condensed review briefly reports on available data of possible protective dietary patters and practices.
- ItemFactors affecting body composition in preterm infants : assessment techniques and nutritional interventions(Elsevier, 2019) Strydom, K.; Van Niekerk, Evette; Dhansay, M. A.Limited research has been conducted that elucidates the growth and body composition of preterm infants. It is known that these infants do not necessarily achieve extra-utero growth rates and body composition similar to those of their term counterparts. Preterm infants, who have difficulty in achieving these growth rates, could suffer from growth failure. These infants display an increased intra-abdominal adiposity and abnormal body composition when they achieve catch-up growth. These factors affect the quality of weight gain, as these infants are not only shorter and lighter than term infants, they also have more fat mass (FM) and less fat-free mass (FFM), resulting in a higher total fat percentage. This could cause metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular problems to develop later in a preterm infant's life. The methods used to determine body composition in preterm infants should be simple, quick, non-invasive and inexpensive. Available literature was reviewed and the Dauncey anthropometric model, which includes skinfold thickness at two primary sites and nine body dimensions, is considered in this review the best method to accurately determine body composition in preterm infants, especially in resource-poor countries. It is imperative to accurately assess the quality of growth and body composition of this fragile population in order to determine whether currently prescribed nutritional interventions are beneficial to the overall nutritional status and quality of life—in the short- and long-term—of the preterm infant, and to enable timely implementation of appropriate interventions, if required.
- ItemThe role of human milk oligosaccharides in preventing necrotising enterocolitis and human immunodeficiency virus transmission(MedPharm Publications, 2014-11) Van Niekerk, Evette; Blaauw, Renee; Kirsten, Gert F.The heavy burden of maternal human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection has resulted in a high prevalence of premature births, with an associated increase in the incidence of necrotising enterocolitis (NEC). NEC is a life-threatening inflammatory disease of the gastrointestinal tract that predominantly occurs in preterm infants. Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) are carbohydrate compounds which have been shown to have health-promoting effects through their bifidogenic and antiadhesive properties. There is a reduced incidence of NEC in infants who receive human milk, compared to those receiving infant formula. It is suggested that the oligosaccharides found within human milk may act as specific substrates in assisting the growth of selected beneficial bacteria, called probiotics. Probiotics are live microbial food ingredients which have been shown to have health-promoting effects. Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG and Bifidobacterium infantis have been used as probiotics to reduce the incidence of NEC. Furthermore, HMOs have been associated with protection against postnatal HIV transmission. HMOs may hold key responsibility for the prevention of NEC, and possibly the transmission of HIV, to infants in resource-limited settings and in a developing country, such as South Africa, where HIV plays a major role in the outcomes of preterm neonates.
- ItemStaff and student health and wellness at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University : current status and needs assessment(MedPharm Publications, 2017) Koen, Nelene; Philips, Lauren; Potgieter, Sunita; Smit, Yolande; Van Niekerk, Evette; Nel, Daan G.; Visser, JanickeBackground: Emphasis is currently placed on the importance of employee and student wellness initiatives. The aim was to assess staff and student health status at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS), Stellenbosch University (SU), and to conduct a wellness needs assessment. Methods: Online, self-administered questionnaires were used to collect data concerning staff and students. Additionally, students’ anthropometric and biochemical parameters were assessed. Summary statistics, correlation coefficients and appropriate analysis of variance were used for data analyses. Results: Data were obtained from staff (survey: n = 300) and students (screening: n = 536; survey: n = 330). Some 58% (n = 174) of staff had a self-reported BMI of ≥ 25 kg/m2 whilst mean screening values for all variables fell within normal reference ranges for students. In all, 78% (n = 232) of staff reported to exercise < 150 min/week and 28% (n = 91) of students were sedentary for > 8 h/day; 63% (n = 188) of staff expressed the need to make better food choices, 17% (n = 55) of students were aware of the need to change but experienced reluctance, and both staff and students felt dietary assistance would be beneficial (43% vs. 46%). In addition, 79% of staff (n = 208) and 42% of students (n = 138) reported being under constant pressure. Conclusion: Much can be done to improve the health and well-being of both staff and students at the FMHS, SU. Wellness is a multifactorial concept; as such, health-promotional strategies for classrooms and workplaces should consider all factors in order to provide a holistic approach and potentially identify those who are at risk of a sub-optimal wellness status. (Full text of the research articles are available online at www.medpharm.tandfonline.com/ojfp) S Afr Fam Pract 2018; DOI: 10.1080/20786190.2017.1396788
- ItemThe use of probiotics in the management of necrotising enterocolitis in HIV exposed premature and very-low birth weight infants(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2014-12) Van Niekerk, Evette; Kirsten, Gert; Blaauw, Renee; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. Dept. of Interdisciplinary Health Sciences. Division of Human Nutrition.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Introduction: An association between maternal human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and Necrotizing Enterocolitis (NEC) in preterm infants has been reported. The impact of probiotics in an HIV-exposed very low birth weight (VLBW) infant on the occurrence of NEC is uncertain at present; however it is known that probiotics have protective effects against inflammation and prevent NEC. Postnatal growth restriction is a major issue in preterm, especially extremely-low-birth-weight (ELBW) infants and probiotics have been found to improve feeding tolerance in preterm infants. Human milk oligosaccharides (HMO) also known as the prebiotics of human milk, are known to have bifidogenic and anti-adhesive effects. Infants that receive human milk show a reduced incidence of NEC compared to those who receive infant formula. Very little is known about the composition of breast milk in the HIV-infected mother. Objective: The primary objective of the study was to assess the effect of probiotics on the incidence and severity of NEC in high-risk infants born to HIV-positive and HIV-negative women. The secondary objectives were to assess the effect of probiotic administration on feeding tolerance and growth outcomes of HIV-exposed but uninfected preterm infants, to describe the HMO composition of HIV-infected mothers breast milk and lastly to determine if HMO composition affects the incidence of NEC in HIV-exposed preterm very low birth weight infants. Patients and Methods: A randomized, double blind, placebo controlled trial was conducted for the period July 2011 to August 2012. HIV-exposed and HIV-unexposed premature (<34 weeks gestation) infants with a birth weight of ≥500g and ≤1250g were randomized to receive either a probiotic or a placebo. The probiotic consisted of 1x109 CFU, L. rhamnosus GG and B. infantis per day and was administered for 28 days. NEC was graded according to Bell’s criteria. Anthropometrical parameters and daily intakes were monitored. Breats milk samples were analysed for oligosaccharide content. Results: 74 HIV-exposed and 110 HIV-unexposed infants were enrolled and randomized (mean birth-weight, 987g; mean gestational 28.7 weeks). The incidence of death and NEC did not differ significantly between the HIV-exposed and unexposed groups but a significantly higher NEC incidence was found in the control group. There was no difference in the average daily weight gain for treatment groups or HIV exposure. The HIV-exposed group achieved significantly higher z-scores for length and head circumference at day 28 than the unexposed group (p<0.01 and p=0.03, respectively). There were no differences in the incidence of any signs of feeding intolerance and abdominal distension between the groups. Our results show significantly higher absolute concentrations of 2’-fucosyllactose, laco-N-tetraose and lacto-N-fucopentaose 1 and higher relative abundance of 3’-sialyllactose, difucosyl-lacto-N-tetraose and fucosyl-disialyllacto-N-hexaose in HIV-infected compared to -uninfected Secretor women. DSLNT concentrations were significantly lower in the breast milk of mothers whose infants developed NEC compared to infants without NEC. Conclusion: Probiotic supplementation reduced the incidence of NEC in the premature infants; however results failed to show a lower incidence of NEC in HIV-exposed premature infants. Probiotic supplementation did not affect growth outcomes or the incidence of any signs of feeding intolerance in HIV-exposure. The data confirms previous reports that HIV-infected mothers have higher 3’sialyllactose milk concentrations. Most intriguing though, the data also indicates that low levels of DSLNT in the mother’s milk increase the infant’s risk for NEC, which is in accordance with results from previously published animal studies and warrants further investigation.