Latest Science News

30-minute sunbath a week can make infants Vitamin-D sufficient: Study

Published

8 years ago

September 16, 2017

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]-By Bhavya Khullar

Exposing 40 per cent of baby’s body to the sun for 30 mins a week will make infant Vitamin-D sufficient within 6 months say Delhi docs

New Delhi: It used to be a routine practice in India to massage infants and give them a sunbath. But changing lifestyles in recent decades have confined kids indoors. This has led to emergence of Vitamin D deficiency as a major problem among infants.

A study from Delhi has suggested an estimate for the minimum duration for which infants need to be exposed to sunlight every day to achieve sufficient levels of vitamin-D in their body.

Doctors at the University College of Medical Sciences, New Delhi enrolled 100 infants and asked their mothers to record the time, duration, and the body area exposed during sunbath every day starting 6 weeks of age.

The study found that an exposure of as low as about 30 minutes of sunlight per week with about 40 per cent of the child’s body exposed to the sunlight can help achieve adequate vitamin-D status at 6 months of age. The researchers also found that the ideal time to give the sunbath is between10 AM and 3 PM.

“This small intervention can help improve levels of vitamin D in infants without the need for supplements or formula feed, and can possibly benefit more than 16 million babies born in the country every year,” Dheeraj Shah, professor of pediatrics at the University College of Medicine Sciences, New Delhi, who is a co-author of the study, told India Science Wire.

The study took into account factors like skin colour of infants and season of sunbath. About 90% of the mothers in the study were themselves vitamin D deficient. Mothers who were on vitamin D supplements were excluded so that the study results remained unaffected, researchers explained. The study has been published in journal Indian Pediatrics.

“We are planning further studies with a larger group of infants to test it as an intervention therapy”, said Piyush Gupta, corresponding author of the paper. Vitamin D is synthesized in the skin when ultraviolet rays from the sun convert a molecule, 7-dehydrocholesterol, on the skin into an inactive form of the vitamin. This enters the blood circulation and is converted to its active form in the liver and kidney.

Several studies over the years have shown that more than 50% of the Indian population is vitamin D deficient. This is a matter of concern especially for infants because Vitamin D is important for calcium absorption, normal growth and development, and maintenance of bone health and hair follicles. Insufficient vitamin D levels cause lethargy, irritability, and a predisposition to infections. Extreme Deficiency of vitamin D can causes ricket which results in malformation of leg bones.

Umesh Kapil, professor of Gastroenterology at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, who is not connected to the study, felt that the proposed strategy may not be feasible in winters when the temperature remains low. While agreeing with Kapil, Shah said “we have reported that for the winter months if the child is fully clothed with only face and hands are exposed, the required sunbath is calculated to be two hours per week or approximately 17 minutes per day.”

Ramesh Agarwal, professor of Pediatrics AIIMS New Delhi, suggested that randomized control trials must be done to test this intervention as a therapy. He also highlights the need to evaluate the safety of sun exposure in relation to hyperthermia, burns and skin cancer in infants.

-This article is from a syndicated feed provided by the India Science Wire

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Latest Science News

Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla to meet PM Modi after return from historic space mission

Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, who recently returned from the ISS as part of the Axiom-4 mission, will meet PM Modi this evening. Parliament will also hold a special discussion on his historic journey.

Published

5 months ago

August 18, 2025

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Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, the first Indian to visit the International Space Station (ISS), will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi this evening at his official residence in New Delhi.

PM Modi to host meeting with astronaut

According to officials, the meeting at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg is expected to take place between 5 pm and 5:30 pm. Shukla, who arrived in India on Sunday, will also be part of the National Space Day celebrations scheduled for August 23.

Warm welcome in India

The astronaut was greeted at the airport by his family, Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, and hundreds of citizens waving the national flag. Shukla had been in the United States for a year, preparing for the Axiom-4 mission, which launched from Florida on June 25 and docked at the ISS the next day. He served as the mission’s pilot.

Emotional note from Shukla

Before his return, Shukla shared an emotional post on Instagram, expressing mixed feelings of leaving his space colleagues while being eager to meet his loved ones and people of India. He also quoted a song from the film Swades, which he had chosen as his anthem on the launch day.

Parliament session on India’s space journey

In honour of Shukla’s mission, the Lok Sabha is holding a special session today to discuss “India’s first astronaut aboard the ISS – critical role of space programme for Viksit Bharat by 2047.” Union minister Kiren Rijiju said the discussion would highlight the importance of India’s space achievements and future goals.

India News

Shubhanshu Shukla pens emotional note as he returns to India after space mission

Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla penned an emotional Instagram post as he returned to India after his 18-day ISS mission, marking a milestone in India’s space journey.

Published

5 months ago

August 16, 2025

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Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla has shared an emotional Instagram post as he heads back home after completing his 18-day mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

Astronaut reflects on mixed emotions

In his heartfelt message, written from the aircraft, Shukla expressed the whirlwind of emotions he felt while leaving behind his fellow astronauts, who had been his family during the mission. “As I sit on the plane to come back to India, I have a mix of emotions running through my heart. I feel sad leaving a fantastic group of people behind who were my friends and family for the past year during this mission. I am also excited about meeting all my friends, family and everyone in the country for the first time post mission. I guess this is what life is — everything all at once,” he wrote.

Acknowledges support and inspiration

The astronaut thanked everyone for the love and support he received throughout his journey. He also recalled the words of his commander Peggy Whitson, saying, “Goodbyes are hard, but we need to keep moving in life. As my commander Peggy Whitson fondly says, ‘The only constant in spaceflight is change’. I believe that applies to life as well.”

Shukla ended his note with a line from the song Yun Hi Chala Chal from the film Swades, reflecting his spirit of resilience.

Link to India’s space ambitions

Shukla’s return comes at a crucial time as India advances its space programme. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had earlier mentioned that the astronaut would soon return and that he was tasked with documenting his training and ISS stay. This record will serve as a valuable reference for Gaganyaan, India’s first human spaceflight mission.

Over the past year, Shukla trained extensively at NASA, Axiom, and SpaceX facilities. His flight to the ISS as part of the Axiom 4 mission marked a milestone in India’s preparations for future human space exploration.

The Gaganyaan project aims to send Indian astronauts into orbit aboard an indigenous rocket. The government has also outlined plans for a Bharatiya Antariksh Station by 2035 and a crewed mission to the moon by 2040.

Latest Science News

Shubhanshu Shukla becomes second Indian in space, lifts off for ISS aboard Axiom-4 mission

Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla becomes the second Indian astronaut to travel to space after four decades, aboard the Axiom-4 mission to the International Space Station.

Published

7 months ago

June 25, 2025

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Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla of the Indian Air Force has etched his name in history as the second Indian astronaut to travel to space. Launching aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon on the Axiom-4 mission, Shukla began his journey from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, from the very launchpad that propelled Neil Armstrong’s Apollo 11 moon mission in 1969.

Four decades after Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma became the first Indian to journey into space in 1984, Shukla’s mission marks a monumental milestone for India’s space ambitions. Speaking ahead of the mission, Shukla expressed the emotional weight of the moment, saying, “I carry with me not just instruments and equipment, but the hopes and dreams of a billion hearts.”

A multinational crew on a scientific journey

Group Captain Shukla is joined by Commander Peggy Whitson from the US, Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland, and Tibor Kapu from Hungary. The four-member crew is on a mission to the International Space Station (ISS), where they are scheduled to arrive after a 28-hour journey and dock around 4:30 pm tomorrow.

The fortnight-long mission includes the execution of 60 scientific experiments, with seven of them designed by Indian researchers. Shukla is also expected to engage in an interaction with a VIP from space during the mission, adding a special human touch to this scientific voyage.

A mission delayed, but not denied

The Axiom-4 launch had faced multiple delays due to unfavorable weather and technical complications. June 25 finally saw the successful launch, marking NASA’s sixth official date announcement for the mission.

Before lift-off, Shukla shared a heartfelt message with his family: “Just wait for me, I’m coming.” The Indian pilot had been under quarantine for over a month in preparation, ensuring he was in optimal health for the journey.

As the spacecraft orbits Earth en route to the ISS, India watches with pride and anticipation, inspired once again by the courage of its space pioneers.