Dr MFONFU Daniel
Independent Researcher
Tel: +237 677601207
Email: dmfonfu@yahoo.com
Obesity Oils and Non-Obesity Oils
Soya Bean Oil Contributes to Obesity Pandemic
Cholera a Kalemie et Moba
Yam Cultivation Without Traditional Mulching
Skin Rashes in Children & Manyanga
Batibo District Hospital Surgical Complex
Cholera au Cameroon de 1971 à 1988
1. INTRODUCTION
Consumption of
raw cassava leaves juice is not good for pregnant women because it causes congenital
hypothyroidism in the new-born baby.
Congenital
hypothyroidism (CH) is defined as thyroid hormone deficiency present at birth
(Maynika V Rastogi, Stephen H LaFranchi).
Congenital
hypothyroidism is a condition where the thyroid gland does not make enough
thyroid hormone. The thyroid gland is a small butterfly-shaped gland located in
the neck. Normally, it uses iodine from food we eat to make thyroid hormone.
This thyroid hormone is also known as thyroxin (T4). T4 is needed for normal
growth and development. If congenital hypothyroidism is left untreated, it can
lead to growth failure, mental retardation and other serious health problems (Julie
J. Gordon).
If the child
thrives he/she will grow up to be a cretin. A cretin is one who is severely
stunted physically and has a severe retarded mental growth due to untreated
congenital hypothyroidism.
The author
clinically diagnosed a case of congenital hypothyroidism on 22 September 1983
at Divisional Hospital at Edea in the Sanaga and Maritime Division in Cameroon.
The treatment of the child with thyroxin produced such a spectacular recovery
that spurred the author to document the case in 1984,with the consent of the
mother of the child, in order to encourage clinicians working in areas with
limited diagnostic facilities to always think about the existence of such a
rare endocrine disease. A copy of this report was given to the mother to use
for consultation as the child developed; she also provided me the pictures as
the child grew up and permitted me to publish them.
In 1984 there
was not enough literature to identify neither the cause nor the contributing
factors to the disease; but as time evolved, the arrival of internet permitted
me to consult literature on congenital hypothyroidism that provided among
others the nutritional causes and risk factors of the congenital
hypothyroidism. Of recent, community traditional believes and practices revealed
that raw juice of cassava leaves is consumed by pregnant women believing that
it provides blood to the pregnant woman and the in-utero baby. This traditional
believe is being promoted by the increasing number of homoeopaths, naturopaths,
and traditional healers in Cameroon. Even health care providers have joined the
chorus by encouraging pregnant women during antenatal clinics to drink raw
cassava leaves juice.
This traditional
doctrine was greatly practised by the community at Edea; it is still being
practised in that community and it is spreading in Cameroon. It is for this
rapid growing doctrine that I am writing this report to draw the attention of
health care providers and the community of the ill effects of noxious
traditional believes without a scientific background such as the consumption of
raw cassava leaves juice by pregnant women.
This article on
congenital hypothyroidism will be based on the nutritional causes of congenital
hypothyroidism. The references used in this article are meant to backup and
prove the goals and objectives of this study for the good of humanity.
2. GOAL
The
purpose of publishing this article in 2015 on congenital hypothyroidism
diagnosed on 22 September 1983 in Edea-Cameroon is to prevent congenital
hypothyroidism due to consumption of raw juice of cassava leaves, and soya bean
by sensitizing health care providers and the community.
3. OBJECTIVES
i)
Review literature of congenital hypothyroidism (CH)
ii)
Present the case of CH diagnosed at Edea
iii)
Discuss CH due to soya bean,
iv)
Present “Bamenda huckleberry
leaves” which is a save edible vegetable
4. METHOD
The CH due cassava leaves
will be demonstrated by the case diagnosed at Edea (Picture 4) while that due
to soy bean will be obtained from literature reviewed.
In the previous documentation there were no
facilities such as the internet to consult in order to obtain literature on the
exhaustive causes of CH and pathophysiology of CH. Some books were consulted
locally. Presently most of the references were obtained from downloading
documents from the internet. The diagnosis of CH was made on the basis of a
picture of CH seen in a paediatric text book ‘Disease in infancy and childhood’
by Ross G. Mitchell.
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