Protect children from sexual predators
A room in Homa Bay town where two boda-boda riders defiled two primary school girls. The two suspects were arrested on November 23, 2020.
What you need to know:
- Parents should monitor their children despite their busy schedules.
- Smartphones have largely contributed to illicit activities due to peer pressure.
It hurts to see children being exposed to immoral activities. The case of the 44 teenagers who were found in an apartment in Nairobi with alcohol, drugs and used condoms points to a broken system.
Influencers are taking advantage of the closure of schools to prey on children and there could be many other cases out there that haven’t been reported.
Parents should monitor their children despite their busy schedules. Smartphones have largely contributed to illicit activities due to peer pressure. Children are exposed to countless groups on social media, which lure them to sex and drugs.
The criminals offer them ‘dangerous goodies’ like free alcohol and trips to places they have never been to. The community should report any gatherings of children. We should stay vigilant.
Roselyne Karisa, Mombasa
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Since the first case of the Covid-19 pandemic was reported in the country in March, Kenyans have tried their best to contain it. Thousands are admitted to hospitals, with frontline workers risking everything to save lives.
They have sacrificed their time and family to protect the nation from the pandemic. Sadly, we don’t motivate them. They are poorly paid, lack basic allowances and forced to buy their own personal protective equipment in the line of duty.
Protection of our frontline workers should be a priority.
The government should set aside funds that will take care of these needs. We should not wait until things get out of control as they have threatened to strike again. Health is wealth, let’s take care of our medical staff.
Betty Wivinya, Mombasa
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Recent studies indicate maternal transfer of allergic antibodies across the placenta to trigger allergic reactions in newborns, a discovery that will go a long way in treating conditions such as eczema.
In experimental studies, mice that were allergic to ragweed had higher levels of antibodies known as IgE in the blood. The IgE bind mast cells respond by undergoing a process known as degranulation, where vasoactive compounds such as histamine are released.
Histamine causes constriction of airways with subsequent breathing difficulties, a major trait of asthmatic allergy.
The compound also promotes eczema on the skin. In the study, newborn mice born by allergic females were found to have high maternal IgE following birth. The maternal antibodies bound newborn mast cells triggering allergic reactions specific to ragweed.
The maternal IgE lasted four months in the newborn system, indicating that the antibodies were sequestered and destroyed in the newborn liver as is the case with acquired maternal antibodies.
Dr P.M Mutua, Makueni
