title: Salt Toxicity (Sodium Intake): A Serious Threat to Infants and Children of Pakistan.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Excess sodium intake can lead to hypertension, the primary risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The aim of this study was to investigate the sodium and potassium contents of foodstuff used by infants and children of Pakistan.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed the sodium and potassium contents of infant milk formula (<6 months), follow up milk formula (>6 months), baby food (cereals), biscuits, fruit juices, potato chips (crisps), cheese puffs, roasted cereals (salty), ice cream cones (kulfi) all of which are the processed food extensively used by the children. The amount of sodium and potassium contents in drinking water of few cities of Pakistan were also considered to assess the additional sodium/potassium in the preparation of milk using infant milk formula.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Na to K ratio (Na:K) was determined 0.3-1.23, 0.3-1.16, 0.33-0.82, 0.54-2.68, 0.51-0.85, 2.86 and 1.02 for infant milk formula (<6 months), follow up milk formula (>6 months), baby food (cereals), biscuits, fruit juices, potato chips (crisps, cheese puffs, roasted cereals), ice cream cones (kulfi), respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The higher sodium content is present than most of the quoted values; whereas lower potassium is present than the recommended values. The higher Na:K ratio indicates the severity of the situation where it is commonly stated that "higher an individual's salt intake, the higher an individual's blood pressure". Present study indicates that nearly all Pakistani children consume substantially more salt than they need which will affect health status in later life.
authors.affiliation: 1. Dept. of Chemistry, Quaid-i-Azam University , Islamabad, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Amir
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Waseem
authors.affiliation: 2. State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University , Nanjing 210093, China.
authors.forename: Muhammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nafees
authors.affiliation: 3. Dept. of Pharmacy, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology , Islamabad, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Ghulam
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Murtaza
authors.affiliation: 4. Institute of Biochemistry, University of Balochistan , Quetta, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Ashif
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sajjad
authors.affiliation: 4. Institute of Biochemistry, University of Balochistan , Quetta, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Zahid
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Mehmood
authors.affiliation: 5. Department of BioSciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology , Islamabad, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Abdul Rauf
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Siddiqi
keywords: Dietary intake; Hypertension; Infant milk formula; Na/K ratio