MICRONUTRIENT DEFICIENCY SCREEN

MICRONUTRIENTS THOUGH REQUIRED IN SMALL AMOUNTS, ARE ESSENTIAL FOR PROPER GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE HUMAN BODY. MICRONUTRIENT DEFICIENCIES (POPULARLY KNOWN AS HIDDEN HUNGER) AFFECTS THE HEALTH, LEARNING ABILITY AS WELL AS PRODUCTIVITY CONTRIBUTING TO MALNUTRITION AND UNDERDEVELOPMENT. MICRONUTRIENT DEFICIENCIES AFFECT ALL AGES, THE GROUPS MOST SUSCEPTIBLE TO DEFICIENCIES ARE PREGNANT AND LACTATING WOMEN, YOUNG CHILDREN BECAUSE OF RELATIVELY HIGH NEED, CHRONICALLY ILL PATIENTS AND ALCOHOLICS. IT CAN LEAD TO NIGHT BLINDNESS, BITOT S SPOT, KERATOMALACIA, GROWTH RETARDATION, IMPAIRED SKELETAL DEVELOPMENT, ANEMIA, DECREASED IMMUNITY, DERMATITIS, DIARRHEA, DEFECTIVE PIGMENTATION, CARDIOMYOPATHY, PERIPHERAL NEUROPATHY ETC. EARLY DIAGNOSIS CAN HELP TO INITIATE APPROPRIATE SUPPLEMENTATION SO THAT HARMFUL EFFECTS OF THESE DEFICIENCIES CAN BE PREVENTED AND PROPER NUTRITION CAN BE ASSURED.