Reforms at NIH / Tobacco Smoke a Danger to Children / A New Way to Add Iron to the Diet

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2005-2-14

VOICE ONE:

This is SCIENCE IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English. I'm Sarah
Long.

VOICE TWO:

And I'm Bob Doughty. On our program this week, we tell about a
treatment for lack of iron in the diet; the dangers of cigarette
smoke for children; and reforms at the National Institutes of
Health.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

The World Health Organization says iron deficiency is the most
common nutritional disorder in the world. The W.H.O. estimates that
as many as eighty percent of people may not be getting the iron they
need.

The body needs iron to manufacture hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is the
protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen to body tissues. The
body also needs iron to produce several enzymes necessary for
muscle, the brain and the body's natural defenses to work correctly.

Iron is stored in bone marrow and two organs -- the spleen and
liver. Iron deficiency is the main cause of anemia. A person becomes
anemic when iron levels are severely reduced.

VOICE TWO:

Children in developing countries are especially at risk of iron
deficiency and iron deficiency anemia. Officials estimate that as
many as seven hundred fifty million children have one or more of the
conditions.

Common signs of iron deficiency include a loss, or lightening, of
skin color. Adults who do not get enough iron get tired more
quickly. And, there are special risks for pregnant women. But risks
for children can be much more serious, especially in the first two
years of life. That is because iron deficiency can cause problems
with physical and mental development. It also can result in reduced
performance in school.

In fact, some economists believe that iron deficiency can have a
major effect on a nation's economy. Iron deficiency and anemia often
result in lower productivity. This, in turn, can affect economic
development.

VOICE ONE:

Health experts say iron deficiency is the most common preventable
nutritional problems. Meat, fish, chicken and other birds have
plenty of iron. But some developing countries lack enough of the
foods that provide iron.

There have been efforts to deal with the problem. Some wealthy
countries have led successful health campaigns. But traditional ways
of getting more iron into children in developing countries have been
largely unsuccessful. Foods supplied with iron are often too costly.
And many children object to taking any iron supplements by mouth
because of the taste.

VOICE TWO:

An expert in treating children, Stanley Zlotkin, says he has a
solution. Doctor Zlotkin teaches at the University of Toronto in
Canada. His solution is called sprinkles. Iron and other minerals
necessary for good health are processed into very small particles.
These particles are covered with a neutral food product to hide the
taste. He says the mixture can be easily added to food and mixed in.

The mixture comes in a small container called a sachet (sash-AY).
Doctor Zlotkin says it provides the exact amount needed to meet a
child's daily need for iron at a cost of three cents or less a day.
The sachets also include vitamin C, which helps the body process
iron, and vitamin A, zinc, and folic acid.

VOICE ONE:

Recently, Doctor Zlotkin and other research scientists reported
on successful tests of sprinkles in West Africa. The findings were
reported in the publication of the Public Library of Science.

Up until now, only the United Nation's Children's Fund and
private groups have offered sprinkles to those in need. A few
government programs in Pakistan and Bangladesh also have begun using
this new intervention. Doctor Zlotkin says his goal is to expand the
use of sprinkles in the nutrition policy of all developing
countries.

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VOICE TWO:

A new study serves as another warning of the dangers from
cigarette smoke around children. This was one of the largest studies
ever done on the risks to people who breathe tobacco smoke in the
air. Experts call this "passive smoking." Many studies have shown
increased risks for lung cancer and other diseases. But few studies
have involved people who seemed healthy when the research began.

Paolo Vineis of Imperial College, London, led the new study. The
British Medical Journal published the report.

VOICE ONE:

More than one hundred twenty thousand people provided information
about their history of exposure to tobacco smoke. They might have
worked with smokers, or had parents who smoked. The people were from
ten countries in Europe. All said they had never smoked or had
stopped for at least ten years.

The study followed their health for an average of seven years.
During that time, ninety-seven people developed lung cancer. Twenty
developed upper-respiratory cancers. And fourteen died from the lung
disease emphysema.

VOICE TWO:

The report compares lung cancer rates among people who had been
around tobacco smoke when they were children. Those who had breathed
it many hours a day were three-and-one-half times more likely to get
lung cancer than those who reported no exposure. Yet the risk was
still one-and-one-half times higher in adults who had breathed
tobacco smoke as children even a few times a week.

The study also found that former smokers had a greater risk of
lung cancer than people who never smoked. This link was limited to
exposure at work. The report says former smokers may be more at risk
from low levels of tobacco smoke in the environment. One possible
explanation is that they already have damaged cells.

Smoking is the main cause of lung cancer. And lung cancer is the
leading cause of cancer deaths in the world.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

One of the world's leading medical research centers has announced
new ethics rules for its workers. The National Institutes of Health
says the rules are meant to guide the moral, or ethical, actions of
the workers. The N.I.H. is an agency of the United States Department
of Health and Human Services. The agency employs more than eighteen
thousand people.

Under the new rules, N.I.H. employees may no longer offer expert
advice to, or accept money from, companies in the medical industry.
This includes drug or biotechnology companies, makers of medical
devices, healthcare providers and trade groups. It also includes
universities, hospitals and research centers that receive money from
the National Institutes of Health.

VOICE TWO:

The new rules require most N.I.H. scientists and all top
officials to sell their investments in drug and biotech companies.
The rules also affect other employees with the agency. They are
limited to no more than fifteen thousand dollars in stock in any one
drug or biotech company.

Elias Zerhouni is the director of the National Institutes of
Health. Doctor Zerhouni says his goal is to protect the public trust
in N.I.H. and its research programs. He says there should be no
conflict of interest or the appearance of conflict of interest.

VOICE ONE:

The reforms are meant to deal with concerns raised last year by a
Congressional investigation and media reports. They showed that some
N.I.H. scientists received money and stock offers from drug and
biotech companies. Many of the companies had dealings with the
agency.

N.I.H. workers have reacted strongly to the new rules. Critics
say the restrictions are not justified. They say that all N.I.H.
employees will be punished for the actions of a few dishonest
people. Doctor Zerhouni admits that most of the employees have
served honorably. He says the reforms are meant to protect their
image and the public's trust.

VOICE TWO:

The National Institutes of Health also announced a policy on
publication of research paid for by the federal government. The
policy establishes what is called open access publishing. It will
come into effect on May second.

Under the new policy, scientists using federal money are to give
their research papers to the National Library of Medicine after they
are accepted for publication. The National Library of Medicine will
then release the information on the Internet.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

This SCIENCE IN THE NEWS program was written by Cynthia Kirk and
Jill Moss. It was produced by Cynthia Kirk. I'm Sarah Long.

VOICE TWO:

And I'm Bob Doughty. If you have a general question about science
that we can answer on this program, you can e-mail it to
special@voanews.com. Join us again next week for more news about
science in VOA Special English.