The research paper found out that chromosomal abnormalities were present in 69 (66%) of the 104 children who were born with mental challenges. Further, parents of 14 of these children revealed that the mothers had consumed traditional herbs and medicines, collectively called sex selection drugs (SSDs), for a period of up to two months during the first trimester of pregnancy. Incidentally, all 14 were male children whose parents did not have any chromosomal abnormality.
Geneticist Archana Verma, who presented the paper in the Women's Congress, claimed that mothers of 14 children admitted to consuming sex selection drugs during pregnancy. "We have excluded all other factors such as parental age, mode of delivery, medications taken during pregnancy, exposure to radiation, eating habits and even genetic profile of parents before deducing SSDs as the cause for these 14 children. "In the remaining children, we could identify other factors. But in these 14 children, consumption of SSDs emerged as the pre-dominant reason," she said.
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The anomalies ranged from chromosomes having extra copies, getting transpositioned, breaking or simply deleting. Chromosomes form the centre of a cell and each cell contains 46 chromosomes or 23 sets.
These drugs were procured from babas, sadhus or some elderly people in the villages of Haryana, where the study was based. "Women were strictly prohibited to reveal this to anyone during the course of intake," she said. Verma said names of medicinal plants Shivalingi and Majuphal often cropped during interviews with patients. "Others were using SSDs loaded with testosterone, progesterone, natural steroids and several other combinations without knowing their composition or consequences," she said.
DCP of the Commissioner's Task Force ASC Wesley addresses the media after apprehending a quack doctor Hakeem Mohd. Nazeer Inqalabi and seized huge quantity of Herbal Medicines for curing HIV/AIDS at his residence in Barkas,Hyderabad. (Representative Photo, TOI)
It is common knowledge that SSDs are freely available in grocery stores and chemist shops in north Indian villages. A previous study published in the Indian Journal of Community Medicine had found the use rate was as high as 46% and 30% in the community. "SSDs resulting in children with abnormal chromosomes also put a load of genetic burden on society," Verma said.
Some experts in the field, however, remained skeptical of Verma's findings. "There have been studies to look into the relation of traditional drugs with pregnancy but we need more samples to establish the cause and effect with certainty," said cytogenetics expert Dr Swarna Mandava of SRL Diagnostics. "Some of the herbs used in first trimester may cause harm but whether they can affect the genetic makeup will need more detailed research," she said.
Gynaecologist Dr Suchitra Pandit, who consults with Kokilaben Hospital, said pregnant women are not recommended anything apart from folic acid during the first trimester of pregnancy. "Unnecessary intake of medicines or hormones can cause anything from incorrect embryo formation to miscarriage," said Pandit. She, however, added that there is certainly a lot of doubt whether hormones can lead to chromosomal anomalies.
http://ift.tt/14qqgKT Congress,Unborn babies,sex selection drugs,Quacks,herbal medicines
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