Nestlé Nutrition Institute hosts nationwide lecture tour in KSA

Stepping up its efforts to promote science-based nutrition in the region and create increased nutritional awareness among health professionals, Nestlé Nutrition Institute organized a nationwide lecture tour in Saudi Arabia that addressed the most critical issues relating to infant nutrition. 

The four-city lecture tour - organized by Nestlé Nutrition Institute in the Middle East – kicked off in Jeddah on April 17, and covered the cities of Dammam (April 18), Abha (April 19), and Riyadh (April 20). More than 600 of the region’s leading pediatricians and general practitioners attended the lecture tour. 

“The lecture series complements our ongoing efforts to promote an evidence-based approach to nutrition,” said Dr. Hanan Anwar, Medical Director, Nestlé Nutrition Institute Middle East. “Nestlé has been contributing to the continuing nutrition education of health professionals for the past several decades, and the lecture tour in KSA forms an important part of our regionwide endeavor to heighten awareness of healthy nutritional practices and facilitate new levels of collaboration among the region’s pediatricians and the medical community at large.” 

The lecture tour in KSA was conducted by Prof. Ahmed El Beleidy, Head of Pediatric ICU, Cairo University, who discussed “the role of Probiotics in supporting immunity for Caesarean section-born infants.” 

“Infants are an open field for colonization by different types of bacteria, and infants born by Caesarean section may be at increased risk for gastrointestinal infections and allergic diseases. Birth cohort studies have demonstrated the association between Caesarean delivery and an increased incidence of gastrointestinal infections and allergic sensitization or allergy in the first years of life,” said Prof. El Beleidy. 

He added, “Bifidus lactis (Probiotics) supplementation in infants and young children has shown positive clinical impact particularly in the prevention of diseases that have a strong immune background, mainly allergy and infections.”