#Bindi can become a Life Saving Dot for women and children in #India [#geekgirl]
In the rural pockets of India, a lifesaving device may be hidden in plain sight.
Across the country, it’s not uncommon to see women sporting a small dot on their foreheads between their eyebrows. The mark is known as a bindi. And it’s a Hindu tradition that dates to the third and fourth centuries.
The bindi is traditionally worn by women for religious purposes or to indicate that they’re married. But today the bindi has also become popular among women of all ages, as a beauty mark. And it comes in all colors, shapes and sizes.
Iodine is needed to make thyroid hormones. Too little can cause a number of problems, such as depression, weight gain and cognitive impairment. During pregnancy, iodine is critical for brain development of the fetus. Deficiencies can lead to mental problems for the child or even death.
In India, about 350 million people are at risk for iodine deficiency because they live in areas where crops are grown in iodine-deprived soil. And about a third of families don’t have access to iodized salt.
That’s the idea behind a new campaign from the Neelvasant Medical Foundation and Research Centre, a nonprofit based in Nashik, India. The organization worked with the creative ad agency Grey Group Singapore to come up with a way to coat the back of bindis with iodine. The hope is that the iodine will adsorb into a woman’s skin as she wears it, says Dr. Prachi Pawar, who’s leading the project at the nonprofit.
Source: NPR