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

Published

9 years ago

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[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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PM Modi hails ISRO after successful GSLV-F17 launch, calls it proud moment

PM Modi congratulated ISRO after GSLV-F17 successfully launched EOS-05, calling the achievement a proud moment for India.

Published

1 week ago

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September 4, 2026

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday congratulated the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) after the successful launch of the GSLV-F17 rocket carrying the EOS-05 Earth observation satellite, describing the achievement as a proud moment for the nation.

The GSLV-F17 lifted off at 2:55 a.m. IST from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. The EOS-05 satellite was subsequently placed into its designated sub-geosynchronous transfer orbit.

PM Modi praises ISRO’s growing capabilities

In a post on X, PM Modi said the successful mission reflected the excellence, innovation and expanding capabilities of India’s space sector.

He also highlighted the growing partnership between ISRO and Indian industry, saying it was strengthening India’s space programme and expanding capabilities across the wider space ecosystem.

The prime minister described the successful launch of GSLV-F17 carrying EOS-05 as another outstanding achievement by ISRO and a matter of national pride.

EOS-05 strengthens earth observation capabilities

According to the report, EOS-05 is India’s first-ever imaging satellite from geosynchronous orbit. The satellite is designed to provide continuous observation of the country from an altitude of nearly 36,000 km above Earth.

The mission is expected to strengthen India’s earth observation capabilities and support advanced imaging and observation applications.

ISRO Chairman Dr V Narayanan expressed satisfaction with the mission, saying the satellite was precisely injected into its intended orbit.

Mission Director Thomas Kurian described the launch as a significant milestone for the GSLV programme. He said it was the 19th flight of the GSLV and noted that EOS-05 is the heaviest satellite the launch vehicle has placed into a geosynchronous transfer orbit or sub-GTO orbit.

GSLV-F17 launch vehicle details

The GSLV-F17 stands 51.7 metres tall and has an approximate liftoff mass of 420.5 tonnes.

Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh also congratulated the ISRO team following the successful mission. He described EOS-05 as a state-of-the-art Earth observation satellite capable of advanced imaging across visible, infrared, multispectral and hyperspectral bands.

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Indian-origin astronaut Anil Menon begins first mission to International Space Station

Indian-origin NASA astronaut Anil Menon has launched aboard Soyuz MS-29 on his first mission to the International Space Station, where he is expected to spend around eight months conducting research.

Published

2 months ago

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July 14, 2026

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Indian-origin NASA astronaut Anil Menon has embarked on his first journey into space after successfully launching aboard Russia’s Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft to the International Space Station (ISS).

The mission lifted off from the historic Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 8:17 PM on Tuesday. Menon was accompanied by Russian cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina as the three-member crew began their expedition to the orbiting laboratory.

Crew to spend about eight months aboard ISS

The Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft is expected to dock with the International Space Station a little over three hours after launch. Once aboard the ISS, the crew will carry out a range of scientific research and technology demonstration projects during their mission.

The expedition is scheduled to last approximately eight months, with the crew expected to return to Earth in 2027 after completing their planned activities in orbit.

Menon’s maiden spaceflight marks a significant milestone in his astronaut career as he joins the International Space Station crew for long-duration research and operational work.

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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

1 year ago

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August 18, 2025

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Subhanshu shukla

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.

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