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(Feng Mok) 7 Tips To Manage Your Child’s Hives

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Concerned about feng mok (also known as fong mok or fung mok)?

Since childhood, we call these rashes by other names too like “ruam”.

Your child has been well all and suddenly, you see big patches of red rashes appearing on the face and body.

Otherwise, your child appears alright apart from the frequent scratching because of the itchiness.

 

What is feng mok?

Feng mok could be an allergic reaction.

At least that is what most parents would think, the very first thing that crosses their minds.

It is possible but not all the time.

In this topic, we will touch on these:

  • what hives look like
  • the causes of hives/feng mok/ruam
  • what to do with hives
  • treatment for hives

Feng mok appears as red large patches of rash on the body.

Hives are bumpy red rashes that appear on the skin which is itchy most of the time, although sometimes hives can be painful too.

They look like big scratch marks too at times.

They look like mosquito bites, just that they appear bigger and redder.

They can appear anywhere on the body, be it the face, body or limbs.

As fast as they appear, they disappear very fast too.

A child will scratch regardless of what you tell them.

 

What causes hives?

One of the more common reasons hives appear is an allergic reaction towards a certain type of food or medication.

Or even after being bitten by an insect.

The common food types include:

  • berries
  • egg
  • milk
  • nuts
  • wheat
Berries and nuts.

Food that may trigger an allergy.

Hives can also appear in non-allergic conditions such as:

  • change in temperature
  • exercise
  • stress or anxiety
  • infections

However, a majority of the time, you will not be able to find out the exact cause.

Antihistamines.

Antihistamines help to relieve hives.

 

7 tips to treat hives

Most hives in children go away spontaneously even without medications, sometimes within a matter of hours.

If it troubles your child, these are what you can do:

Stay out of the sun

Direct contact with the sun for a long period of time can actually trigger hives.

Try to get your child to stay in a cool environment, which will reduce the incidence of getting hives.

Stress-free environment

If your child is highly stressed out, it actually increases the risk of hives developing.

Try to keep home as calm as possible.

Excessive homework, arguments, parenting methods, etc. should be dealt with more carefully.

Use antihistamines

If you are familiar with runny nose medications, those are called antihistamines.

Hives occur when there are high levels of histamine are released into the skin.

Histamine is a chemical compound released by our cells in response to allergies or injuries.

In order to counteract with the reaction, antihistamines are helpful in this context.

A child taking in medication.

A child taking in medication.

Some of the antihistamines that you can use:

  • Cetirizine (Zyrtec)
  • Desloratadine (Aerius)
  • Chlorphenamine (Piriton)

These medications mentioned above are generally safe to be used for children above 2 years of age.

It relieves the itchiness from hives and prevents further recurrence.

Also, it can be used as a runny nose medication as well.

You can purchase these medications over the counter from the pharmacy.

Just be sure to get the right dose by reading the instructions or from the pharmacist in-charged before giving it to your child.

Take a cool bath

A cool shower helps to reduce the itchiness and chances of hives forming.

Similarly, you can also use a cold towel to wrap over the itchy areas.

Or, you can use ice packs wrapped in a towel and compress it over itchy areas for a couple of minutes.

Calamine lotion

If you’ve had chickenpox before, you may come across calamine lotion.

It is a cool lotion which is dry after application and has a cooling effect over the skin.

It helps to reduce itchiness and lower the chances of scratching.

Moisturising cream

Somewhat similar to calamine lotion, moisturising cream keeps the skin moist instead of dry.

A moisturising cream with anti-itch properties such as Suu Balm Kids helps to reduce itchiness almost instantly.

It contains 1% methol, made directly from mint leaves which helps to relieve itching really fast.

Suu Balm Kids 45ml

Suu Balm Kids anti-itch moisturiser.

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Steroidal cream

As you probably know, most parents hate it.

Even the mention of steroids strikes fear in most parents.

However, if steroidal cream is used appropriately, it can actually improve the outcome.

Using a low dose of steroidal cream such as 1% hydrocortisone is helpful in managing hives.

Allergy testing.

Skin allergy test.

 

Is an allergy test necessary?

A lot of parents have been asking countless times whether their child needs an allergy testing.

Should your child be doing one too?

The answer is yes, and also a no.

A majority of the time, it is no. If you have the read the above, you will not be able to identify the cause of hives.

Even if you can do an allergy test, it will not be able to pinpoint the exact cause.

So when is an allergy test useful?

An allergy test should be performed if there is a bad allergic reaction.

Meaning, if a child has difficulty in breathing upon getting hives or gets a bad swelling because of it, then it will be useful to do one.

At least with the results, you can try to avoid certain foods or products.

Like I said earlier, it may not tell you the cause of the hives, but at least you can avoid the items that can trigger an allergic reaction.

A girl bitten by an insect.

Hives caused by insect bites.

 

When do hives require medical attention?

Here’s a short article from PubMed (a medical portal for research papers).

“In children, urticaria is more often acute than chronic. Acute urticaria is caused frequently by IgE-mediated allergic reactions to foods or by acute infections, usually viral respiratory tract infections.”

“Approximately 30% of children with chronic urticaria have a positive ASST and approximately 4% have positive thyroid peroxidase antibodies.“

“Referral to a specialist centre is suggested if the child has very severe symptoms.“

Feng mok in a child.

The appearance of a hive.

Now, don’t worry about all the bombastic words above. Here’s what it means:

  • Hives are part of the big group called urticaria.
  • Hives in children are usually caused by a known/unknown triggering factor which should go away over time.
  • Chronic refers to hives that are stubborn, that keeps happening again and again.
  • If it is chronic, your child should seek medical attention as there may be other underlying health conditions rather than just simply hives.
  • Severe symptoms include difficulty in breathing, coughing badly or there is significant swelling of the skin, apart from the rashes.

In summary, most hives do not require further workup unless other symptoms such as above present.

Hopefully, you know what to do now if your child gets it.

Do you have a child with hives?

What are the ways you use to combat it?

Share your thoughts and leave us a comment below!

References:

  1. An approach to the patient with urticaria | PubMed
  2. Hives (Children) | WebMD
  3. Hives | HealthChildren.org by American Academy of Pediatrics

 

13 Cara Hilangkan Ruam Bayi (Panduan Lengkap 2019)

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Kadangkala, saya akan berjumpa dengan ibu bapa yang betul-betul bimbang mengenai jenis ruam bayi yang muncul pada kulit bayi mereka. Ini memang membimbangkan, terutamanya jikalau anda tidak pasti.

Walaubagaimanapun, kebanyakan ruam yang muncul pada kulit bayi yang baru dilahirkan adalah jinak.

Secara umumnya, anda patut mengetahui 13 jenis ruam bayi dan cara hilangkan ruam bayi di bawah:

  1. Cradle cap
  2. Eksema
  3. Gigitan upeh
  4. HFMD
  5. Hives
  6. Jerawat neonatal
  7. Kulat
  8. Kulit ayam
  9. Milia
  10. Ruam lampin
  11. Ruam panas
  12. Toksikum eritema
  13. Tompok mongolian

 

Cradle Cap

Masalah cradle cap ini biasanya dijumpai di atas kepala bayi.

  • Berlaku pada bayi yang berumur lebih kurang 3 bulan.
  • Akan tetapi,  bayi yang lebih tua juga boleh mendapat cradle cap.
  • Istilah cradle cap berasal daripada perkataan minyak.
  • Selain kulit kepala, ia boleh mejejaskan kelopak mata dan hidung juga.
  • Disebabkan oleh produksi minyak yang berlebih dalam kulit kepala.
  • Tidak berjangkit.
  • Boleh dikatakan sebagai kelemumur bayi.
Cradle cap.

Tompok kuning di atas kepala bayi.

Rawatan:

  • Tiada rawatan khas yang diperlukan.
  • Akan sembuh apabila bayi membesar.
  • Basuh kepala bayi dengan syampu yang ringan sudah mencukupi.
  • Kalau cradle cap berlarutan, patut berjumpa dengan doktor.
  • Syampu kulat boleh digunakan untuk kes cradle cap yang teruk.

 

Ekzema

Dalam perkataan lain, alahan kulit.

Agak biasa di kalangan rakyat Malaysia terutamanya apabila sejarah keluarga yang ada latar belakang asma.

  • Ruam bayi ini kerap muncul pada bayi sebelum umur 5 tahun.
  • Hampir 20% bayi dan budak kecil mengalami eksema.
  • Ruam pipi bayi merah dan permukaannya kering.
  • Bayi akan berasa gatal dan akan cuba menggarunya.
  • Kulit boleh menjadi radang apabila terlebih garu.
  • Ekzema dijumpai di kepala bayi.
  • Ia juga boleh dijumpai di celah celah leher, tangan dan kaki juga.
Eczema in a baby.

Ruam akan kelihatan merah dan bengis.

Rawatan:

  • Mandi dengan air suam.
  • Jangan mandikan bayi terlalu lama.
  • Keringkan badan bayi dengan menepuk tuala tanpa menggosok kulit.
  • Kerap menyapu krim pelembap (3-4 jam sekali) pada kulit yang kering dan merah.
  • Gunakan sabun dan syampu yang ringan.
  • Kalau ruam menjadi lebih teruk, sila rujuk pada seorang doktor.
  • Krim steroid yang ringan boleh digunakan untuk kes-kes ekzema.

 

Gigitan Upeh

Gigitan upeh (atau dikenali sebagai stork bite dalam bahasa Inggeris) adalah sejenis tanda lahir.

  • Disebabkan oleh kecacatan formasi salur darah di dalam kulit bayi.
  • Adalah jinak dan tidak membimbangkan.
  • Biasanya formasi ini dilihat pada muka, kelopak mata ataupun leher belakang bayi.
  • Lebih prominen jikalau bayi menangis.
  • Inilah adalah kerana peningkatan saluran darah ke arah kawasan tersebut.
Salmon patch.

Boleh dijumpai di muka bayi juga.

Rawatan:

  • Tiada rawatan khas yang diperlukan.
  • 95% bayi yang ada ruam tersebut akan pudar apabila bayi membesar.
  • Kadangkala mengambil masa sekurang-kurangnya setahun.
  • Sekiranya sudah bertahun tapi ruam masih kekal, rawatan laser boleh dipertimbangkan.

 

HFMD

HFMD, ataupun dikenali sebagai penyakit tangan, kaki dan mulut.

  • Disebabkan oleh kuman virus.
  • Merebak melalui air liuh, lendir hidung, cecair dari lepuh dan najis.
  • Paling berjangkit pada minggu pertama.
  • Anak-anak yang lebih mudah lebih senang dijangkiti HFMD.
  • Kadangkala diikuti demam pada hari pertama dan kedua.
HFMD.

Tompol merah berisi cecair yang boleh berjangkit.

Rawatan:

  • Kebanyakan kes HFMD sembuh secara semulajadi selepas 2 minggu.
  • Antibiotik tidak diperlukan.
  • Ubat demam seperti panadol/uphamol boleh digunakan untuk melegakan demam.
  • Tapak tangan dan kaki disapu dengan losyen calamine untuk mengurangkan kegatalan.
  • Krim lampin boleh digunakan untuk ruam di bahagian punggung.
  • Makan makanan yang sejuk untuk mengurangkan sakit ulser di mulut.
  • Sapu gel ulser jikalau perlu.
  • Jumpa doktor dengan segera jika demam berlarutan lebih 48 jam ataupun selera makan bayi semakin kurang.

 

Hives

Kalau menterjemahkan hives kepada bahasa Melayu, pelik juga kalau dipanggil sarang.

Jadi kita gunakan hives sahaja untuk rujukan.

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Seperti ekzema, hives terdiri daripada sejenis golongan alahan kulit.

  • Ruamnya besar dan merah.
  • Pelbagai jenis saiz.
  • Dicetuskan oleh makanan, ubat, cuaca, gigitan serangga, debunga dan sebagainya.
  • Bayi mungkin akan merasa gatal tetapi tidak sakit.
Hives in a child.

Hives yang berbagai saiz dan bentuk.

Rawatan:

  • Tiada rawatan yang khas diperlukan untuk kebanyakan hives.
  • Ruam tersebut akan lenyap lebih kurang dalam masa 48 jam.
  • Cuba kenalpasti ejen pencetus hives.
  • Elakkan bayi daripada terdedah kepada ejen pencetus tersebut.
  • Ubat tahan gatal seperti Zyrtec boleh digunakan untuk kanak-kanak lebih 2 tahun.
  • Losyen calamine boleh disapu untuk mengurangkan kegatalan bayi.
  • Jikalau bayi diiringi sesak nafas atau nampak lemah, sila rujuk pada doktor dengan serta merta.

 

Jerawat Neonatal

Anda patut hairan.

Mengapakah ruam pipi bayi yang baru lahir kelihatan seperti jerawat?

Apabila bayi masa berada dalam kandungan ibu, bayi tersebut and berkongsi darah dengan ibunya.

Sehubungan dengan itu, hormon ibu akan berada di dalam darah bayi si kecil juga.

Neonatal acne.

Kebiasaannya di dahi dan pipi.

Rawatan:

  • Tiada rawatan khas yang perlukan.
  • Tidak perlu meletakkan apa-apa krim ruam bayi.
  • Ambil pendekatan tunggu dan lihat.
  • Pastikan ruam di muka bayi dicuci dengan air bersih setiap hari.
  • Biasanya ruam tersebut akan hilang dalam beberapa minggu.

 

Kulat

Amatlah jarang sekali untuk seorang bayi untuk mendapat infeksi kulat.

Melainkan anda ada binatang peliharaan di rumah seperti kucing, hamster, anjing dan lain-lain.

  • Kulat berjangkit melalui sentuhan.
  • Ruam bertompok merah dan bersisik.
  • Biasanya dikelilingi oleh cincin yang merah.
  • Bahagian tengah ruam kulat adalah lebih pudar.
  • Bayi akan merasa gatal.
Fungal infection on a baby's scalp.

Nampak cincin berwarna merah?

Rawatan:

  • Untuk merawat kulat, ubat kulat diperlukan.
  • Rawatan semulajadi seperti menggunakan minyak olive tidak berkesan.
  • Untuk kes yang ringan, masa rawatan mengambil masa 2-3 minggu.
  • Kes kulat yang lebih teruk boleh mengambil masa sehingga 6 minggu.
  • Walaupun ubat kulat boleh dibeli dari farmasi, ini tidak dicadangkan untuk bayi.
  • Kenalpasti ruam tersebut dengan doktor dahulu sebelum memulakan rawatan.
  • Ubat kulat kalau disapu pada ruam lain boleh menyebabkan kulit bayi merasa perit dan sakit.

 

Kulit Ayam

Ataupun dikenali sebagai keratosis pilaris.

Mengapakan ia dipanggil kulit ayam?

Ini adalah kerana permukaan kulit seiras dengan kulit ayam (tanpa bulu).

  • Jenis ruam bayi ini kadangkala boleh menggatal tetapi tidaklah sakit.
  • Dijumpai di bahagian lengan, punggung dan paha.
  • Boleh dijumpai di muka juga tapi jarang sama sekali.
  • Disebabkan oleh pengumpalan keratin (sejenis protin) di bawah kulit.
  • Keratin tersebut menyumbat pintu liang bulu roma.
  • Kulit bayi yang kering lebih senang untuk mendapat ruam jenis ini.
Keratosis pilaris.

Permukaannya kasar seperti kertas pasir.

Rawatan:

  • Gunakan krim ruam bayi yang sesuai untuk mengurangkan kekeringan kulit.
  • Mandi dengan air suam.
  • Jangan mandi bayi terlalu lama.
  • Gunakan sabun yang ringan dan tidak mengeringkan kulit bayi.
  • Letakkan humidifier udara dalam rumah.

 

Milia

Salah satu jenis ruam bayi yang lebih biasa yang ditanya oleh ibu bapa.

“Apakah bintik-bintik putih di wajah bayi saya?”.

Tahu kenapa?

Milia on a baby's face.

Bintik-bintik putih terutamanya di hidung.

Gumpalan putih kecil yang muncul di wajah bayi adalah disebabkan oleh kelenjar minyak yang tersekat dalam kulit bayi.

Ruam ini tidak gatal atau sakit, malah bayi tidak akan terasa apa-apa pun.

Rawatan:

  • Tiada rawatan yang diperlukan.
  • Apabila bayi matang, kelenjar minyak akan membesar.
  • Minyak tersebut akan kembali ke tempat asalnya.
  • Biasanya akan hilang dalam beberapa minggu.

 

Ruam Lampin

Ruam lampin ialah sejenis ruam yang sangat biasa.

  • Disebabkan oleh pendedahan yang berpanjangan terhadap bahan kumuh.
  • Bahan kumuh terutamanya campuran najis dan kencing.
  • Lampin yang berkualiti rendah boleh mengakibatkan ruam lampin juga.
  • Ini adalah kerana geseran berulangan lampin kualiti rendah dengan kulit bayi.
A baby with diaper rash.

Ruam lampin biasanya kelihatan di bahagian sentuhan antara kulit bayi dengan lampin.

Rawatan:

  • Menggunakan lampin yang lebih berkualiti, dengan kadar penyerapan yang lebih tinggi.
  • Tukar lampin serta merta setelah bayi berkumuh.
  • Cuci dengan air sejuk apabila membersihkan punggung bayi.
  • Elak menggunakan kain lap bayi.
  • Jikalau boleh, biar bayi lampin-bebas untuk mempercepatkan persembuhan.
  • Sapu krim lampin pada ruam lampin setiap kali lampin ditukarkan.

Krim organik Little Innoscents sesuai untuk ruam yang merah dan pedih seperti ruam lampin.

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Ruam Panas

Ruam panas bayi berlaku apabila kelenjar peluh di dalam kulit si bayi tersumbat.

Apabila ini terjadi, kulit bayi tidak mampu untuk mengeluarkan peluh tersebut.

  • Lebih kerap semasa cuaca atau musim panas.
  • Pakaian bayi yang terlampau tebal.
  • Kelenjar peluh belum matang lagi.
  • Penyapuan losyen atau krim yang terlampau tebal pada kulit bayi.
  • Ruam kebiasaannya di bahagian leher, kelengkang dan ketiak.
Heat rash.

Pakaian yang terlampau tebal boleh menyebabkan ruam panas.

Rawatan:

  • Pakai pakaian yang lebih ringan semasa cuaca panas.
  • Gunakan kipas angin atau penghawa dingin untuk merendahkan suhu bilik.
  • Gunakan air suam semasa mandikan bayi.
  • Gunakan syampu bayi seperti Little Innoscents Hair & Body Wash yang diperbuat daripada minyak pati semulajadi seperti spearmint dan limau manis, yang tidak mengeringkan kulit bayi.

Little Innoscents - Hair & Body Wash

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  • Belikan pakaian bayi yang boleh menyerap peluh.
  • Ruam panas bayi biasanya akan hilang dalam beberapa hari.
  • Calamine losyen boleh membantu mengurangkan kegatalan.

 

Toksikum Eritema

Walaupun nama ruam ni ada perkataan toksik, sebenarnya ruam toksikum eritema adalah jinak.

  • Kelihatan di bayi-bayi yang lahir cukup bulan.
  • Ruam tumbuh beberapa hari selepas lahir.
  • Boleh dijumpai di muka, dada, tangan dan kaki tapi jarang di tapak.
  • Warnanya merah dengan cecair di tengah ruam tersebut.
  • Seperti nanah tapi sebenarnya bukan.
  • Bayi tidak akan rasa sakit ataupun gatal.
Erythema toxicum.

Biji berwarna putih kelihatan di tengah-tengah setiap ruam.

Rawatan:

  • Tiada rawatan khas yang diperlukan.
  • Ruam tersebut akan lenyap dalam masa beberapa minggu.
  • Kalau bayi didapati ada demam, sila rujuk pada seorang doktor serta merta.

 

Tompok Mongolian

Ruam ini agak ketara sekali apabila dibandingkan dengan ruam-ruam jenis lain.

Ini adalah kerana tompok Mongolian berwarna biru keungguan.

  • Bayi tidak akan merasa gatal atau sakit.
  • Kelihatan seperti lebam pada kulit bayi.
  • Akan tetapi tekstur kulit adalah normal.
  • Bayi yang berkulit gelap keturunan Asian, Afrikan atau India Timur lebih senang untuk mendapatinya.
  • Ia disebabkan oleh pigmen kulit yang tidak sempat mencampai permukaan kulit bayi semasa pembentukan kulit.
Mongolian spots.

Kelihatan seperti lebam yang besar.

Rawatan:

  • Tiada rawatan khas yang diperlukan.
  • Ruam biasanya akan pudar apabila bayi membesar (tingkat persekolahan).
  • Tompok Mongolion tidak merbahaya dan ia tiada kaitan dengan penyakit genetic ataupun kanser.

Sekiranya anda masih tidak dapat mengenalpasti ruam yang bayi anda ada, jangan tunggu.

Sila berjumpa dengan seorang doktor ataupun pakar kanak-kanak untuk mengecam ruam tersebut.

Baik berwas-was, asalkan bayi selamat.

7 Punca Kulit Bayi Kering (Merangkumi Rawatan)

Baca Panduan

 

Pernahkah bayi anda mendapat ruam-ruam yang disebut di atas?

Kongsi pengalaman anda bersama kami di bahagian komen bawah.

Rujukan:

  1. Erythema Toxicum | Kidshealth
  2. Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD) Guidelines | Ministry of Health Malaysia
  3. Cradle cap and seborrheic dermatitis in infants | UpToDate
  4. Diaper Rash | WebMD
  5. Keratosis Pilaris | WebMD

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7 Punca Kulit Bayi Kering (Merangkumi Rawatan)

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Kulit bayi kering dan mengelupas selepas lahir? Jangan khuatir sebab ini sebenarnya fenomena yang agak normal di kalangan bayi-bayi yang baru lahir.

Apa yang akan kita bincangkan di dalam topik ini:

  • Kenapa kulit bayi mengelupas dan kering.
  • Rawatan yang diperlukan.
  • Masalah kulit-kulit lain yang patut dirawat.
A baby with dry skin.

Kulit bayi mengelupas.

 

7 punca kulit bayi kering

Sebelum anda menyapu losyen ataupun krim pada kulit bayi anda yang baru lahir, anda patut mengetahui puncanya terlebih dahulu.

Jadi, mengapakah kulit bayi menjadi kering selepas lahir?

1. Kulit yang tipis

Kulit bayi, kalau dibandingkan dengan orang dewasa, adalah lebih sensitif. Ini adalah kerana kulit bayi selepas lahir adalah sangat nipis.

Kadangkala disebabkan kulit bayi terlalu nipis, ia tidak dapat mengekalkan kelembapan kulit yang diperlukan. Oleh itu, kebanyakan bayi-bayi yang baru lahir mengalami masalah ini.

2. Suhu bilik

Sekiranya kelembapan udara sekitar bayi sentiasa berada dalam keadaan yang kering, kulit bayi boleh menjadi kering juga.

Terutamanya bayi yang sentiasa berada dalam bilik berhawa dingin. Bilik yang terlampau panas juga akan menyebabkan kulit bayi mengelupas.

3. Pakaian bayi yang ketat

Kalau cuaca terlalu panas, janganlah gunakan pakaian yang terlalu ketat untuk bayi. Walaupun memang difahami kebanyakan ibubapa khuatir pasal selsema dan batuk tetapi ini bukan caranya.

Untuk kulit bayi yang kering dan sensitif, biar pakaian longgar sedikit.

Baby in a laundry basket.

Gunakan produk dobi yang bersesuaian.

4. Produk dobi

Sesetengah produk dobi untuk membersihkan baju bayi mengandungi parfum boleh menganggu kulit bayi. Sekiranya boleh, gunakan produk yang tidak mengandungi bahan pewangi.

Baju bayi patut dibilas sekurang-kurangnya 2 kali supaya tiada bahan pencuci yang tertinggal.

5. Mandi terlalu kerap

Adalah disyorkan supaya bayi-bayi yang kecil/baru lahir dimandikan sekali sehari sahaja. Jikalau bayi dimandikan terlampau banyak, ini akan menyebabkan kulit bayi kering.

Apabila terlampau kering, kulit akan mengelupas. Kalau terlalu kering, kulit akan meretak and bayi anda akan merasa kesakitan.

6. Sabun mandi kuat

Walaupun terdapat pelbagai jenama sabun di pasaran untuk bayi, anda patut was was ketika membuat pembelian.

Baca terlebih dahulu kandungan sabun tersebut sebelum menggunakannya.

Breastfeeding a child.

Pastikan anak anda mendapat susu yang mencukupi.

7. Susu tidak mencukupi

Ibu-ibu di Malaysia, malah di seluruh dunia disarankan supaya menyusu bayi-bayi mereka. Sekiranya kadar penyusuan tidak memuaskan, kulit bayi boleh kering juga. Penyusuan bayi patut dilakukan sekerap yang mungkin, dan tidak melebihi 3 jam untuk setiap penyusuan.

Salah satu cara untuk mengetahui sama ada bayi mendapat susu yang mencukupi adalah mengira lampin yang ditukar. Kadar penukaran lampin yang basah untuk 6-8 kali sehari menunjukkan bahawa anak anda mendapat susu yang diperlukan.

 

Pelembab untuk kulit kering pada bayi

Memang biasa kita akan fikirkan pasal menggunakan pelembab untuk kulit kering pada bayi. Sebelum anda menggunakan produk-produk pelembab untuk bayi anda, pastikan anda menghapuskan punca yang disebut di atas terlebih dahulu.

Bayi-bayi bawah umur sebulan kebanyakannya tidak memerlukan sebarang krim pelembab. Akan tetapi, adanya juga kes-kes masalah kulit yang boleh menyebabkan kulit bayi kering. Ini termasuk cradle cap, eksema, gigitan upeh, HFMD, kulat, ruam panas, tompok mongolian dan sebagainya.

Sekiranya anda nak mengetahui rawatan untuk masalah kulit bayi yang disebut di atas secara lanjutnya, dijemput membaca artikel kami, 13 petua hilangkan ruam bayi.

Applying lotion to a baby.

Baca bahan kandungan losyen bayi.

Jadi, bila patut kita menggunakan krim pelembab untuk kulit kering pada bayi?

Suu Balm Kids 45ml

Pelembab untuk kulit kering pada bayi – Suu Balm.

BELI SEKARANG

Apabila anda telah menghapuskan punca kulit bayi kering yang disebutkan tetapi kulit bayi tetap kering. Dengan pelbagai jenama krim pelembab bayi di pasaran, rambang mata kalau memilih.

Akan tetapi, yang penting krim pelembab tersebut mengandungi bahan-bahan yang selamat untuk kulit bayi. Sama ada organik ke tidak, terpulang pada anda asalkan krim pelembab melakukan fungsinya, iaitu melembabkan kulit.

Bathing an infant.

Jangan mandikan anak anda terlalu banyak kali.

 

Cara mengelakkan kekeringan

Sekarang anda telah mengetahui punca-punca utama kenapa kulit bayi kering, cara mengelakkan ia daripada berlaku patutnya tidak susah. Langkah-langkah yang boleh diambil adalah seperti berikut:

  • Mandikan bayi sekali sehari (melainkan bayi kotor amat sekali).
  • Gunakan sabun pencuci yang bersesuaian terutamanya yang dikhaskan untuk kanak-kanak.
  • Jangan menggunakan sabun mandi atau syampu yang terlampau kuat.
  • Pakaian bayi patut longgar.
  • Gunakan pakaian yang diperbuat daripada kapas dan tidak berbulu.
  • Pastikan bayi anda mendapat susu yang mencukupi supaya penghidratan kulit dikekalkan.

Apabila anda telah mengambil langkah-langkah yang disebutkan di atas, anda juga boleh menggunakan krim pelembab atau losyen untuk kulit bayi kering. Ini merupakan langkah yang penting sebelum menggunakan krim medikasi yang lebih kuat seperti steroid.

Salah satu krim pelembab yang sesuai untuk kanak-kanak dari semua umur dan tidak mengandungi steroid tetapi boleh membantu mengurangkan kekeringan serta kegatalan adalah Suu Balm.

Jika dibandingkan dengan losyen untuk kulit bayi kering, Suu Balm tidak melekit dan mengandungi menthol yang mampu mengurangkan kegatalan kulit.

Kebanyakan masalah kulit terutamanya jenis yang gatal, tidak dapat kembali ke keadaan asal kerana kulit berulang-ulang kali digaru. Apabila anak anda tidak mengaru kulit, ini akan mempercepatkan proces pemulihan kulit yang kering dan meretak.

Krim pelembab Suu Balm Kids dari RM64.90.

BELI SEKARANG

Jadi, bila patut kulit bayi yang kering memerlukan rawatan perubatan? Kita akan bincangkan di segmen yang seterusnya.

 

Ubat ruam bayi

Walaupun kes-kes majority kulit bayi kering adalah tidak merbahayakan, adanya tanda-tanda yang anda patut berwaspada.

Di antaranya ialah:

  • kulit merah dan panas apabila disentuh
  • bayi cuba menggaru kulitnya
  • bayi menangis apabila kulit disentuh
  • nanah kelihatan di kulit
  • kulit bayi retak
  • bayi demam dan tiada selera minum/makan

Sekiranya anda melihat tanda-tanda sebegini pada anak anda, janganlah tunggu dan segera berjumpa dengan seorang doktor untuk siasatan selanjutnya.

Ini adalah kerana kes sebegini bukan sekadar kulit kering sahaja, malah memerlukan ubat-ubatan untuk pulih sepenuhnya. Antara ubat ruam bayi yang mungkin digunakan:

A steroid cream.

Krim steroid adalah tidak merbahaya jika digunakan secara berhati-hati.

Krim steroid

Untuk kes-kes kulit kering yang disebabkan oleh ekzema, doktor mungkin akan menetapkan penggunakan krim steroid untuk mengawalnya.

Ramai yang tidak gemar menggunakan krim steroid sebab kesan sampingannya. Akan tetapi anda patut tahu, bahawa krim steroid (terutamanya krim yang berkekuatan rendah) jika digunakan dengan betul, adalah selamat untuk bayi.

Antihistamin

Lebih dikenali  sebagai ubat selsema, boleh digunakan untuk mengurangkan kegatalan pada kulit bayi.

Namun, antihistamin hanya dibenarkan untuk bayi yang lebih tua, sekurang-kurangnya umur lebih setahun. Antara jenama antihistamin yang selamat digunakan adalah Zyrtec.

Antibiotik

Jikalau kulit bayi menjadi merah, sakit dan bernanah, kemungkinan besar kulit dijangkiti kuman.

Kuman-kuman tersebut terdiri daripada kumpulan bakteria yang hanya boleh dibunuh melalui penggunaan antibiotik. Antibiotik akan diberikan untuk merawat jangkitan kulit apabila telah disahkan oleh seorang doktor.

 

Kembali pada anda

Masihkah kulit bayi anda kering selepas menggunakan kaedah di atas?

Ada cara cara lain yang anda gunakan selain daripada yang disebut?

Amat disilakan untuk berkongsi pengalaman anda mengendalikan kulit bayi anda yang kering melalui komen di bawah!

Rujukan:

  1. Dry Skin | BabyCenter
  2. Why Is My Newborn’s Skin Peeling? | Healthline

7 Petua Hilangkan Batuk Bayi (Dan Selsema Sekali)

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Tengah mencari petua hilangkan batuk bayi yang berlarutan?

Sebagai seorang ibu bapa, saya pasti anda berada dalam situasi di mana anak anda jatuh sakit walaupun anda sudah cuba sedaya upaya.

Kekadang, sampai juga takat yang di mana anda menjadi agak paranoia mengenainya.

Tiada ibu bapa yang ingin melihat anak mereka jatuh sakit.

Apa yang akan dibincangkan:

  • Punca bayi batuk dan selsema
  • 7 petua menghilangkan batuk dan selsema bayi
  • Tanda yang perlu anda was was
  • Keselamatan menggunakan ubat batuk
  • Cara melegakan hidung bayi tersumbat
A toddler with runny nose.

Terdapat lebih daripada 200 jenis virus di dunia yang meyebabkan bayi batuk dan selsema.

 

Apakah punca bayi batuk dan selsema?

Kebanyakan punca bayi selsema dan batuk ialah kuman virus yang dipanggil influenza.

Adalah jarang sama sekali disebabkan oleh kuman bakteria.

Maklumat tambahan yang anda patut tahu:

  • Bayi yang kecil lebih senang dijangkiti kuman virus.
  • Bayi akan membina sistem imunnya apabila jatuh sakit.
  • Dalam setahun, bayi akan mendapat batuk dan selsema lebih kurang 8 kali.
  • Apabila bayi membesar, kekerapan seorang bayi untuk jatuh sakit akan menurun.
  • Bayi tidak memerlukan apa-apa ubat yang khas untuk merawat batuk atau selsema.
  • Cuma masa yang secukup yang perlu diberi untuk bayi pulih sepenuhnya.

 

7 Petua hilangkan batuk bayi dengan cepat

Tanpa menggunakan ubat-ubatan, ini adalah beberapa cara hilangkan batuk bayi anda:

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Using the air-conditioner.

Padamkan penghawa dingin kalau anak batuk tidak berhenti-henti.

1. Suhu bilik

Zaman ini, kebanyakan kanak-kanak tidur di bilik berhawa dingin.

Memang difahami memandangkan cuaca yang panas berterik.

Walau bagaimanapun, hari yang bayi anda terbatuk-batuk dengan hidungnya yang tersumbat, tidur tanpa penghawa dingin akan menjadi alternatif yang baik.

Udara dalam bilik berhawa dingin pada umumnya adalah kering.

Tanpa kelembapan di udara, ia akan menggelitik tekak menyebabkan batuk sebelum bayi anda tidur.

2. Rehat yang mencukupi

Sekiranya anak anda jenis yang aktif, itu adalah petanda yang baik tetapi anda perlu memastikan bahawa dia mendapatkan rehat mencukupi.

Tubuh anak anda hanya boleh menyembuh bila mendapat rehat secukupnya.

Kembali pada mata pertama, suhu bilik.

Jikalau bilik sejuk dan anginnya kering, anak anda akan mendapat batuk dan ini akan mengganggu waktu tidurnya.

Tanpa tidur malam yang baik, dia tidak akan dapat pulih secepat mungkin yang anda inginkan.

Sterimar for nasal congestion.

Salah satu jenama yang lebih baik di pasaran.

3. Penyembur hidung

Terdapat beberapa jenama yang baik untuk penyembur hidung di pasaran.

Secara peribadi, saya cadangkan untuk menggunakan Sterimar, yang kandungannya terdiri daripada sebatian semula jadi.

Garam dan air laut sahaja.

Dengan membersihkan laluan hidung kanak-kanak mengikut masa, ini akan menghilangkan lendir dan hingus yang tidak diingini.

Lebih rendah risikonya untuk hidung menjadi tersumbat.

Ini akan mempercepatkan masa pemulihan dan mengurangkan mukosa yang dijangkiti virus di dalam salur pernafasan.

Steam inhalation technique.

Pastikan anak dapat mengikut arahan anda.

4. Penyedutan wap

Ini adalah teknik lama tetapi jika anak anda lebih tua, anda boleh menggunakan kaedah ini:

  • Isikan mangkuk besar dengan air panas (dengan stim).
  • Dapatkan anak anda untuk meletakkan kepala di atas mangkuk.
  • Letakkan tuala besar di atas kepalanya.
  • Galakkan anak anda untuk menyedut seberapa banyak stim yang boleh.
  • Wap yang disedut membantu untuk melegakan kesesakan hidung, terutamanya yang disebabkan oleh lendir.

Akan tetapi, satunya kelemahan kepada kaedah ini ialah ia melibatkan air panas.

Anda cuma perlu berhati-hati apabila melakukan ini, supaya jangan melecur anak semasa membikin proses ini.

Oleh itu, gunakan kaedah ini hanya apabila anak anda dapat menerima arahan dan mempunyai pemahaman yang jelas tentang apa yang akan dilakukan.

A child drinking water.

Air membantu mengeluarkan toksik dari badan.

5. Minum air yang mencukupi

Perhatikan bahawa saya tidak mengatakan banyak air.

Mencukupi.

Dalam budaya kita, kita sering diberitahu untuk minum banyak air.

Lebih banyak, lebih bagus. Tapi itu sebenarnya tidak benar.

Inilah pengambilan air yang disyorkan oleh Institut Perubatan Akademi Kebangsaan:

  • 0 hingga 6 bulan: 700 ml (termasuk susu formula atau susu ibu)
  • 7 hingga 12 bulan: 800 ml
  • 1 hingga 3 tahun: 1300 ml
  • 4 hingga 8 tahun: 1700 ml

Sila ambil perhatian bahawa nilai-nilai yang dinyatakan adalah untuk kanak-kanak yang sihat.

Jika anak anda sakit dan minum apa-apa yang kurang daripada nilai yang disyorkan, kemungkinan besar dia tidak mendapat cecair yang mencukupi.

Dengan meminum air yang mencukupi, sel-sel akan menjadi sihat dan terhidrat.

Ini akan membantu anak anda pulih dengan lebih cepat.

Honey for cough and sorethroat.

Madu boleh digunakan untuk kanak-kanak 1 tahun ke atas.

6. Menggunakan madu

Madu melegakan sakit tekak and batuk, kadangkala lebih cepat daripada ubat batuk yang boleh dibeli daripada farmasi.

Berikan 1/2 sudu teh madu sebelum waktu tidur.

Amaran. Madu hanya sesuai digunakan untuk kanak-kanak umur 1 tahun ke atas.

Ini adalah kerana madu mungkin mengandungi kuman bakteria yang boleh menghasilkan botulisme.

Botulisme boleh meracuni bayi bawah umur 1 tahun kerana usus bayi yang belum cukup matang.

Untuk keselamatan, pakar kanak-kanak telah menyaran supaya hanya memberi madu kepada kanak-kanak yang lebih tua.

A baby sleeping with a pillow.

Tinggikan kepala bayi dengan bantal semasa tidur untuk mengurangkan batuk.

7. Tinggikan kepala bayi

Pernahkah anda mengguna 2-3 bantal untuk tidur semasa hidung tersumbat ataupun batuk?

Cara ini dapat membantu bayi anda bernafas dengan lebih selesa.

Ia juga mengurangkan kekerapan batuk.

Anda boleh menggunakan bantal yang kecil ataupun gulungkan tuala untuk meninggikan kepala bayi.

Ini adalah supaya kahak dan lendir tidak menggelitik bahagian tekak, yang boleh menyebabkan anak batuk tanpa berhenti.

Justeru, anak dapat tidur dengan selesa dan masa pemulihan adalah lebih singkat.

A child coughing.

Anda harus berjaga-jaga jika batuk berlarutan.

8. Wap balsem

Pernahkah anda menggunakan wap balsem berjenama vicks?

Vicks adalah salah satu daripada wap balsem yang boleh membantu memanaskan badan terutamanya apabila disapu di bahagian dada.

Wap balsem juga boleh membantu melegakan hidung bayi yang tersumbat supaya anak anda boleh tidur dengan lebih lena.

Sekiranya anda risau akan elemen-elemen yang tidak selamat dalam sesetengah wap balsem, anda juga boleh menggunakan wap balsem yang menggunakan bahan semulajadi.

Contohnya seperti wap balsem oleh Little Innoscents, yang diperbuat daripada minyak pati semulajadi seperti Wintergreen and Eucalyptus.

Little Innoscents Winter Blues Balm Vapour Rub

BELI SEKARANG

 

Tanda bayi selsema dan batuk yang perlu was was

Demam

Bayi selsema dan batuk kebiasaannya datang dengan demam dari masa ke semasa.

Itu tidak bermakna semua kanak-kanak dengan demam patut pergi berjumpa dengan doktor segera.

Demam yang disebabkan oleh virus biasanya akan berlangsung untuk beberapa hari dan kadangkala sehingga seminggu.

Suhu badan melebihi 38.0ºC dianggap demam.

Walau bagaimanapun, adalah disarankan supaya membawa anak anda berjumpa dengan doktor jika demam tidak surut selepas 48 jam.

Adalah dinasihati supaya anda memiliki termometer inframerah di tangan untuk menyukat suhu.

Menggunakan tapak tangan anda untuk menyukat adalah tidak tepat sama sekali.

A sick child resting.

Berhati-hati kalau demam anak melebihi 48 jam.

Tempoh masa

Jika anak anda batuk hampir sebulan atau lebih, ia dianggap batuk berpanjangan.

Anak anda mungkin mempunyai sumber jangkitan yang tidak dapat dikesan di dalam paru-parunya seperti pneumonia.

Ini memerlukan siasatan radiologi seperti sinar-x dada.

Sekiranya keluarga anda mempunyai sejarah latar belakang asma, hidung sensitif atau gatal-gatal kulit kronik, dia mungkin mempunyai asma juga.

Macam mana pun, anak anda patut berjumpa dengan seorang doktor.

Pernafasan

Ibu bapa yang berbeza mempunyai persepsi yang berbeza mengenai bagaimana anak mengalami kesesakan nafas.

Oleh itu, untuk menjadi lebih objektif, berikut adalah beberapa parameter yang boleh anda lihat.

Lubang hidung membesar:

  • Pernah melihat kerbau yang bengis?
  • Apabila ia marah, lubang hidungnya menjadi besar.
  • Sama dengan bayi, apabila mereka kesesakan nafas, lubang hidungnya membesar.

Dada melekuk ke dalam:

  • Pergi dan pecut 100 meter dan berhenti segera.
  • Perhatikan bahawa anda bernafas begitu kuat, dinding dada anda akan melekuk ke dalam?

Kadar pernafasan:

  • Apabila anda menghirup dan menghembus nafas, ia dianggap sebagai satu nafas.
  • Jika anak anda bernafas dengan cepat, ia mungkin menunjukkan tanda-tanda gangguan pernafasan.
  • Kadar pernafasan berbeza dengan umur.
  • Umur
  • 0 – 6 Bulan
  • 6 -12 Bulan
  • 1 – 5 Tahun
  • 6 – 12 Tahun
  • Kadar Pernafasan / Minit
  • 30 – 60
  • 24 – 30
  • 20 – 30
  • 12 – 20

Pernafasan yang cetek:

  • Ini sebenarnya adalah kecemasan.
  • Pernah melihat seekor ikan yang hampir mati? Bayangkan pernafasan itu.
  • Sila hubungi ambulans dengan segera.
A toddler visiting a doctor.

Baik berjumpa dengan doktor kalau tidak pasti.

Bunyi

Perhatikan bunyi yang datang dari pernafasan anak anda.

Jika anda mendengar apa-apa bunyi seperti dengkur (walaupun anak anda terjaga), dapatkan seorang doktor untuk melihatnya dengan segera.

Selagi anda mendengar bunyi yang luar biasa yang anda tidak pernah dengar daripada anak anda, itu tanda yang tidak biasa.

Selalunya, itu nasihat yang saya berikan kepada ibu bapa yang membawa anak mereka ke klinik untuk batuk dan selsema.

Cough syrup.

Ubat batuk adalah sama sekali dilarang untuk kanak-kanak di bawah umur 2 tahun.

 

Ubat batuk untuk bayi?

Di Malaysia, Kementerian Kesihatan telah melarangkan penggunaan ubat batuk untuk bayi sejak 2007.

Ya, betul. 2007. Ia bukanlah sesuatu yang baru.

Peraturan ini telah ditetapkan lebih daripada 10 tahun yang lalu.

Kita dibesarkan dengan mengambil ubat batuk semasa sakit.

Pernahkah anda menyedari bahawa ubat batuk itu sendiri tidak benar-benar menyembuhkan batuk?

Masa yang menyembuhkan batuk. Bukannya ubat batuk.

Mengapakah ubat batuk untuk bayi tidak selamat?

  • Menyebabkan bayi rasa mengantuk.
  • Susah untuk mengenalpasti sama ada bayi betul-betul lemah ataupun kesan sampingan ubat batuk.
  • Ada risiko ubat batuk boleh memberhentikan pernafasan bayi.
  • Boleh mecetuskan alahan yang tidak diingini.
Iliadin nose drops.

Salah satu ubat yang selamat untuk digunakan untuk bayi hidung tersumbat.

 

Cara melegakan hidung bayi tersumbat

Untuk bayi yang kecil, ada 2 kaedah untuk melegakan hidung yang tersumbat.

Iliadin

Ini adalah sejenis ubat yang dititiskan ke dalam lubang hidung bayi.

Cara penggunaan:

  • Sesuai untuk bayi umur 1 bulan ke atas.
  • 1 atau 2 titis, 2 hingga 3 kali sehari ke dalam hidung bayi.
  • Jangan menggunakan Iliadin melebihi 5 hari.
  • Jumpa doktor kalau hidung bayi masih tersumbat.

Alat sedut hingus bayi

Apabila memilih alat penyedut, pastikan muncung penyedut yang dipilih tidaklah sampai menusuk ke dalam hidung bayi.

Jikalau muncung terlalu panjang, ia akan mencederakan dinding lubang hidung.

Gunakan tekanan yang lembut apabila memicit alat tersebut supaya tekanan udara tidak terlampau kuat.

Fluimucil.

Fluimucil boleh mengurangkan kahak tetapi hanya sesuai untuk kanak-kanak berumur lebih 2 tahun.

Fluimucil

Ubat ini sebenarnya boleh dibeli dari farmasi tanpa memerlukan preskripsi doktor.

Fungsi ubat ini adalah untuk mengurangkan pembetukan kahak di samping membantu mengeluarkan kahak tersebut.

Akan tetapi, amaran. Fluimucil tidak boleh diberikan kepada kanak-kanak kurang daripada 2 tahun.

Sekiranya bayi batuk berkahak, tiada apa ubat yang boleh diberikan melainkan apa yang telah disebutkan di atas.

 

Semoga anak anda pulih cepat!

Moga-moga apa yang dicadangkan di atas dapat membantu anak anda pulih dengan segera.

Sekiranya batuk anak yang berlarutan ataupun semakin teruk, janganlah teragak-agak membawa anak berjumpa dengan seorang doktor.

Ada kaedah-kaedah lain yang anda lakukan selain daripada yang disebut di atas?

Sila berkongsi pengalaman anda bersama kami di bahagian komen!

Rujukan:

  1. Coughs and Colds in Children | Patient
  2. Cough and Cold Medication in Children: A Public Health Concern | Medical Journal of Malaysia
  3. Normal Breathing Rates for Children | WebMD
  4. Infant botulism following honey ingestion | NCBI

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Potty Training 101 – A Made Easy Guide For Parents

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Potty training is arguably one of the more important events in your child’s development.

Most parents are eager to get their child to use the potty as soon as possible, just like you.

In this topic, we will talk about:

  • basics of potty training
  • potty training readiness checklist
  • the must-haves
  • challenges faced
  • potty training rewards
Potty training.

Potty training can be a fun process too!

 

What is potty training?

Potty training, also known as toilet training is a process in which you train your child to use the toilet appropriately.

Mainly for urination and of course, the bigger businesses like the poo.

The term potty refers to a small toilet bowl-shaped device that helps to accommodate your child’s bum when he begins his training.

 

What is the potty training age?

Most children develop this skill between the age of 18 months to 3 years old.

However, it is relatively easier to train an older child rather than a younger one.

Also, it is easier to train girls rather than boys.

Most parents will want to train their children as early as possible:

  • It minimizes the need to purchase diapers.
  • Reduces the risks of skin irritation from a diaper rash.
  • Being independent when the children are in childcare or preschool.

 

Potty training readiness checklist

Here is a potty training readiness checklist to see if your child is ready to be trained:

  • A fixed poo-ing time.
  • Diaper stays dry after 1 to 2 hours.
  • Wakes up with a dry diaper.
  • Interested in you going to the bathroom.
  • Able to pull up and down his own pants.
  • Able to understand simple instructions.
  • Knows the difference between pee and poo.
  • Able to tell you that he has pee’d or poo’d, or even before doing so.
  • Able to show facial expressions or postures when he is about to do it.
  • Enjoys praises.
  • Tries his best to please you.
  • Wants to do things by his own effort.
  • Feels uncomfortable with his own wet/dirty diaper.

If you answer yes to most of the questions above, then your child is all ready and set to go!

A toddler in a toilet bowl.

The potty training itself is part of your child’s milestone development.

 

Potty training must-haves

Before you start to potty train your child, here are the things you might want to prepare ahead:

A potty

You can’t try a potty train a child without the most basic thing, can you?

There are a variety of potty sizes available in the market but get one that suits your child.

If a potty is too large or high, your child may feel uncomfortable and end up refusing it altogether.

A potty chair

An alternative to using a potty.

A potty chair is a kind of like the smaller version of a toilet bowl.

Your child will be able to get on and off the potty with much ease.

Besides, most children who go through potty training like to be independent, and a potty chair reinforces on that.

A travel potty

If you do travel frequently, you may want to consider getting a travel potty too.

Travel potties are equipped with a disposable bag which helps you to discard the poo without the messes.

It also creates consistency.

If your child starts to wear diapers again in the midst of potty training, you may have to start from scratch again.

A pair of training pants

Compared to diapers, training pants have a lesser absorption rate.

It indirectly creates an uncomfortable situation for your child while keeping the mess at bay.

It also helps to teach your child not to wet his pants.

Once he realizes how uncomfortable it is to walk around in a pair of wet and dirty pants, he will likely try his best not to do it again.

A toilet trainer

The toilet trainer is an equipment that can be attached on top of your regular toilet bowl.

It provides your child with a more comfortable and fitting seat to sit on when he poos instead of having his bum slipping into the bowl itself.

A stepping stool

For older children, stepping stools, especially the non-slip ones (highly recommended to avoid falls) are especially useful in helping them to get on top of the toilet seat.

It also provides the needed height for boys to stand and pee into the toilet bowl.

Ubbi 3-In-1 Potty

Having the right equipment is the key to potty training.

Check out the 3-in-1 Ubbi potty for all your child’s potty training needs!

Show Me

The best potty training seats

You want to get the best potty seat, we get it.

As simple as it sounds, we may overlook some of the details when we look for a potty for our child.

Knowing these few tips will come in handy:

Potty fit and size

Just like buying a sofa, you get the one you are most comfortable with.

Same goes to buying a potty too.

You should get one that fits your child.

A potty which is too big, or too small may cause discomfort to your child’s buttocks.

Splash guards

Particular useful for boys as boys have the tendency to pee upwards while seated down.

If you have a boy, it is advisable to get a potty with a splash guard as it minimizes mess.

Otherwise, urine may just end up everywhere else except the potty itself.

Fun features

Some potties come equipped with fun toys and gadgets that keep your child occupied.

Your child will have something to look forward to during each potty session.

However, your child may get too occupied with them that he may lose focus on the main task itself.

Ease of cleaning

Since you are going to wash the potty after use, make sure you find one that is easy to clean.

Some potties come in different parts, which can be assembled and detached after use.

Smaller parts make cleaning much easier.

Storage

Some potties are really large.

If you have minimal storage space, we suggest looking for a smaller one.

Getting a detachable potty is a plus point too.

Otherwise, that potty will just occupy a space in your home for a very long time.

Potty training.

Make potty training interesting.

 

Toddler refuses to use potty?

It is possible that your child is not ready for potty training yet.

Give him another month or two, before attempting again.

However, if your child has most of the signs stated in the checklist above, this is what you can do:

Set up a comfortable environment

Show it to your child that there is nothing scary about the toilet.

As embarrassing as it can be, you may want to keep your toilet door open when you do your business too.

This reassures him that there is nothing to be afraid of.

Subsequently, place his potty in the toilet next to the toilet bowl.

Get him to sit down with you once he is comfortable being in the toilet.

Have his favourite toys or books nearby to make him feel at ease too.

Get your child to eat healthily

You must be wondering, what does eating healthy have to do with potty training?

Well, if your child is constipated and has been passing out hard stools all these while, do you think he would be comfortable sitting on the potty?

Constipation itself may be a cause as passing out hard stools can cause pain.

If you want to know more about this, check out our guide on how to deal with your child’s constipation.

Getting your child to eat an adequate amount of fibre does help to relieve constipation.

Get your child interested

If your child likes to read, then read him books related to the toilet training.

Let him grasp the concept of using the toilet with colour pictures and stories.

If your child is not the reader-type, getting toys to simulate the scenario is beneficial too.

 Once your child has an idea about a toilet, it would make potty training an easier process.

 

My child won’t poop on potty!

Yes, that happens!

And very often, very frustrating too but do not let that get to you.

Remember, you are dealing with a toddler, and the approach is different as compared to an older child.

Therefore, you may want to consider doing this one step at a time.

  • Identify the time your child poops.
  • Get your child to poop with his diapers on in the toilet.
  • Next, get him to poop with the diapers on while seated on the potty.
  • After that, let him know that you will loosen the strap of the diapers.
  • He will still get to poop into the diapers, with the diapers overlying the potty.
  • Do that a couple of times before removing the diapers completely.
  • You can reinforce each step by rewarding him with a star, sticker or cookie.
A little girl crying.

It can be really stressful for a child.

 

Can potty training cause constipation?

Yes, it does.

If not done correctly, potty training can lead to constipation.

Why?

If your child is receiving too much pressure from your end, he may end up feeling all stressed up and will refuse to sit on the potty.

In return, your child has a greater tendency to hold his bowels which leads to constipation.

Remember to give your child the time he needs to potty train.

The earlier you potty train your child, the longer the time he takes to acquire the skill.

Potty training rewards.

A reward system encourages your child to potty train.

 

Potty training rewards

Do not get confused with a reward and a bribe.

A reward is something you receive after accomplishing a task.

A bribe, however, works the other way round.

You give a bribe to make something happen.

A REWARD IS NOT A BRIBE!

A reward undoubtedly works better as compared to a bribe when it comes to potty training.

It reinforces your child’s behaviour after each successful potty training session.

A reward system is best used when your child is older, at least when he is close to 3 years of age.

As for a bribe, your child may initially agree to your request, but children being children, they may not always keep their own promises.

However, do not be hard on your child if he is unable to keep his promise.

After all, he is unable to understand what promises are all about at his current age yet.

A mother potty training her child.

Patience is one of the key elements in potty training.

 

Forcing a child to potty train

Take potty training as part of your child’s developmental milestone.

If your child is not ready, he is not ready.

Remember the time when your child started to walk independently?

Just imagine yourself trying to get him to walk when he is 6 months old, which is not possible at all.

If your child is not able to understand the idea of using the potty yet, then take a chill pill and try again later.

In the meantime, you can stimulate your child with stories and encouragement in preparation for the next training session.

Potty training.

Potty training a girl is generally easier than a boy.

 

Gender differences in potty training

Girls tend to reach their milestones quicker as compared to boys.

And again, do understand potty training is just like any other milestones.

You just have to be patient and wait for your child to acquire the particular skill set.

Apart from that, girls tend to be more concerned about their own cleanliness and hygiene as compared to the boys.

Well, no prize for guessing since it is the same for adults too.

Henceforth, girls are easier to be potty trained as compared to boys.

 

Now it’s your turn!

Potty training, indoubtly will take up a lot of your time, and patience if not done correctly.

  • Recognize the signs that your child is ready for potty training.
  • Prepare the right equipment before training.
  • Start potty training only when you and your child are ready.
  • Have a positive and consistent approach towards potty training.
  • Potty training is a natural process and it is part of your child’s developmental milestone.

Did you manage to potty train your child successfully?

At what age did your child be able to use the potty efficiently?

Let us know in the comments below!

References:

  1. How to Choose the Perfect Potty | Parents
  2. Should we bribe our toddler to use the potty? | BabyCentre
  3. Potty training: How to get the job done |  Mayo Clinic
  4. Potty training: Overview | PubMed Health
  5. Kiddoo, Darcie A. “Toilet Training Children: When to Start and How to Train.” CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association Journal 184.5 (2012): 511. PMC. Web. 20 Mar. 2017. | PubMed Central

HFMD (Malaysia) 2018 Guidelines – Parents Edition

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With the recent outbreaks of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) in Malaysia, we as parents should be wary of this disease itself.

In this guide, we will take a look at how to manage a child with HFMD.

This includes:

  • HFMD symptoms to watch out for
  • how a mouth ulcer in HFMD looks like
  • treating and managing it correctly
  • medications that can be used
  • effective disinfectants
  • feeding a child with HFMD
  • criteria for hospital admission
  • parental leave involved
HFMD in a child.

Be careful as HFMD is contagious.

 

What is HFMD?

HFMD is an infection caused by viruses.

It can affect both children and adults.

However, the younger a child is, the easier for him/her to get HFMD.

It presents with rashes on the:

  • hands
  • wrists
  • feet
  • mouth
  • buttocks (occasionally)

The rash looks like a blister, filled with fluid in the middle.

A child with HFMD can be accompanied by a fever which commonly subsides within 1 to 2 days.

HFMD spreads through direct contact:

  • nasal discharge
  • saliva
  • fluid from blisters
  • stools

HFMD most contagious period is during the first week of illness.

If your child has been exposed to someone who has HFMD, watch out for symptoms in the next 3 – 5 days.

This period of 3 – 5 days is known as the incubation period.

We will talk more about it in the section below.

 

What are the HFMD symptoms in a child?

These are the common HFMD symptoms that a child may present with:

  • fever
  • feeling tired
  • redness of the eyes
  • muscle aches
  • headaches
  • loss of appetite
  • loose stools

Symptoms you should look out for:

  • worsening headaches
  • vomiting
  • drowsiness
  • fits
  • a weakness of the limbs
  • minimal urine output
  • breathing fast
  • refuses to eat/drink
HFMD rashes on the feet.

Fluid-filled blisters on the feet.

 

How HFMD ulcers in the mouth look like?

90% of HFMD cases present only with mouth ulcers.

So, it is important to be able to detect them early.

Here are the characteristics:

  • They present on the soft part of the throat called the soft palate.
  • Can also be seen on the tonsils and tongue.
  • Each ulcer or blister is surrounded by a red ring.
  • They appear on and around the lips too.
HFMD ulcers in mouth.

The location of HFMD ulcers in the mouth.

 

What is the HFMD treatment?

Like any other viral infections, recovery from HFMD takes some time.

There is no specific HFMD treatment that makes recovery faster.

Good thing is, most cases of HFMD are self-limiting and do not require any antibiotics or anti-virus.

However, you can use to take these measures to relieve symptoms such as:

  • fever
  • muscle aches
  • headaches
  • sore ulcers
  • irritable rashes
Panadol syrup.

Paracetamol helps to reduce pain and relieve fever.

Using medications

These symptoms can be relieved using easily available medications from the pharmacy.

For children less than 12 years old, it is good practice to use the body weight or age to calculate the right dose.

Paracetamol:

  • 10-15mg/kg every 6 hours
  • also known as Panadol or Uphamol
  • best used for fever or muscle aches
  • not necessary to be taken if symptoms subside

Ibuprofen:

  • 10mg/kg every 8 hours
  • also known as Nurofen
  • can be used together with paracetamol
  • may trigger an asthma attack
  • should be avoided in children with a background history asthma
  • a stronger pain reliever compared to paracetamol

Cetirizine:

  • 2.5ml twice a day (2 to 6 years old)
  • 5.0ml twice a day (6 years old and over)
  • also known as Zrytec
  • suitable for itchy throat or rashes

Personally, I don’t fancy using ibuprofen as it has a higher risk of causing an allergic reaction.

You can purchase these medications over the counter from your nearby pharmacies such as Guardian or Watson.

Always consult the pharmacist in charge if you are unsure of the dosage. Please be safe, no harm asking.

A child gargling with saltwater.

Gargling with salt water helps to reduce soreness in the mouth.

Using non-medications

Apart from medications, you can use these methods to help your child to feel better.

Saltwater:

  • use saltwater for gargle to reduce soreness of the mouth ulcers
  • dilute in lukewarm water
  • as many times in a day as possible

Vaseline:

  • helps to reduce soreness caused by the rashes
  • able to retain moisture

Diaper cream:

  • best used for rashes around the buttocks or thighs
  • ones that contain zinc oxide work best
  • apply a thick layer to reduce friction and discomfort

All being said and done, it is more important to:

  • get your child to drink lots of fluids.
  • wash your hands and feet (and your child’s) regularly.
  • separate cups, spoons or other feeding utensils.
  • throw away soiled diapers in a right manner.
  • separate siblings temporarily (if possible).
  • avoid poking the blisters.
  • disinfect soiled clothes and toys.
HFMD hand blisters.

Blisters appearing on the fingers and palm.

 

How long is HFMD contagious?

The HFMD contagious period is between 2 days to 2 weeks.

It is most contagious during the first week.

And it may remain contagious up till the second week.

The best clue is to look at the blisters themselves.

If there are no new blisters forming and the current ones have all dried up, it’s safe to say that the infection has subsided.

If you want to send your child back to childcare centres or school, do this 3 fitness check first:

  • measure the temperature to ensure there is no fever (<38°C).
  • make sure all blisters have dried up.
  • check the mouth for any ulcers present.
A child sneezes.

You can prevent the spread of HFMD by practising good hygiene.

 

Is HFMD contagious during the incubation period?

No, it is not.

As stated earlier, the incubation period is 3 – 5 days.

During this period, the virus lies dormant until it is ready to “hatch”.

It becomes contagious once the symptoms start to appear and remain contagious for up to 2 weeks.

Nevertheless, if you suspect that your child may have been exposed to HFMD, it is advisable to be on the lookout.

If any symptoms appear, get your child to stay home and be away from the childcare centre or school for the next 2 weeks.

Chlorox.

One of the more popular bleach agents.

 

What is the best disinfectant for HFMD?

Bleach.

You may have come across brands like Bleach by Tesco or Chlorox.

  • First, wash the affected items with soap and water.
  • Then disinfect the item(s) with bleach by mixing 1 tablespoon of bleach with 4 cups of water.
  • Alternatively, you can use any cleaning agents that contain bleach.

Alcohol solutions or wipes are ineffective unless you use solutions/wipes with an alcohol concentration of >95%.

Even so, it cannot fully inactivate the virus causing HFMD.

Therefore, alcohol wipes, sprays or alcohol-based hand disinfectants alone is useless against HFMD.

Personal hand hygiene.

Keep your hands clean, all the time!

 

How to prevent HFMD?

Like the saying goes, prevention is always better than cure.

So, how can we actually prevent HFMD from getting to our children?

In general, it will require cooperation from all parties involved including:

  • parents
  • teachers
  • kindergarten and nursery operators
  • premise cleaners
  • children

It starts from the very basic of maintaining personal hygiene:

1. Wash your hands

  • After going to the toilet.
  • Before and after food.
  • After handling dirty and soiled clothes/diapers.

2. Do not share food/drinks

  • Although sharing is caring, always remind your child not to share food/drinks if possible.
  • Use your own utensils.
  • Water tumbler for personal use.

3. Clean the toys

  • Clean the toys with a bleach-like disinfectant such as Chlorox.
  • Anti-HFMD sprays are generally ineffective (as stated earlier).
  • Nursery toys should be cleaned regularly with bleach too.

4. Screening

  • Nursery and kindergartens should have a screening protocol.
  • Any child with a fever or unidentified ulcers, rashes or blisters should be sent home.
  • Any staff with similar symptoms should not be allowed to work.

 

A child eating an ice cream.

Chilled food helps to reduce mouth sores.

 

How to feed a child with HFMD?

This is a major concern for most parents.

Have you had a mouth ulcer before?

If you do, you sure know it feels when you try to eat/drink.

Getting a child with mouth ulcers to eat is a very difficult task, but it can be done.

Here’s what you can do:

  • Cool the milk.
  • Avoid giving warm/hot drinks.
  • Use chilled teethers.
  • Use pain-relief gels (eg. Medijel) for the mouth ulcers.
  • Give soft diet like porridge instead of rice.
  • For those with reduced appetite, give chilled fruits like watermelon or papaya as a temporary source of energy.
  • Yoghurt is also a good alternative.
  • Worst case scenario, ice cream.
Hospital Kuala Lumpur.

Admitting a child depends on the HFMD guidelines.

 

HFMD guidelines for admission in Malaysia

In most cases, a child recovers from HFMD without issues.

However, there are cases that a child needs to be admitted into the hospital for care and treatment.

So how do we know as parents?

The doctors in the hospitals have a set of guidelines to follow when it comes to admitting a child.

It will give an idea of when you should bring your child to the hospital too.

This is based on the HFMD guidelines set in Malaysia:

  • the child is unable to tolerate any food/drinks.
  • the child is very tired looking and weak.
  • fever is persistent for more than 48 hours (2 days).
  • the child is drowsy, confused or has fits.
  • parents unable to cope with the child’s illness.
  • inadequate family support at home to care for the child.
  • the doctor suspects of a more serious disease.
Vaccinating a child.

Wouldn’t it be great if you could vaccinate your child against HFMD?

 

Any HFMD vaccines in Malaysia?

In Malaysia, no.

There are HFMD vaccines available, but only in China at the moment.

Even so, these vaccines are not exactly practical.

Why?

HFMD is caused by different types of viruses but these vaccines protect against one only.

To simplify things, say we have virus Entero and virus Cox.

Both viruses cause HFMD.

The vaccines protect against Entero (a more dangerous one that can cause a really bad HFMD) but not against Cox.

However, Cox is the more common virus that causes a lot of mild HFMD among children.

Wouldn’t it be more beneficial (and logical) to have a vaccine that can protect against both Entero and Cox?

Unfortunately, there are no HFMD vaccines of that sort made available in Malaysia yet.

Caring for a sick child.

To care for a sick child is not an easy task.

 

HFMD parents quarantine leaves

If you are a working parent, then you should know that taking leaves when your child is sick is not easy.

For HFMD, although not mandatory, it is advisable to quarantine a child at home for at least a week.

With a limited amount of leaves in hand, this comes as a real headache.

However, there are parents quarantine leaves that you can take in certain circumstances.

Government sector

If you are working with the government, then you are in luck.

“For government staff, we have 5 days of quarantine leave, which is separate from the annual leave. Hence, this is not an issue for government staff.“

As mentioned by Penang’s State Health Committee chairman Dr Afif Bahardin.

Therefore, on top of your current amount of days of leave, you can apply for an additional 5 days to take care of your child.

Private sector

However, if you are in the private sector, you may want to apply for unrecorded/unpaid leaves with your employer.

Truth to be told, it’s easier said than done. And it is not exactly easy to apply leaves last minute.

Here’s what you can do:

  • Get your parents or in-laws to help.
  • Get your siblings to help.
  • Apply for child care leave (if your company provides it).
  • You and your spouse take turns to apply for leave.
  • Take an emergency leave using your remaining days of leave.
Children being examined.

New cases of HFMD will be reported to the MOH.

 

An inquiry by Ministry of Health (MOH)

As long as you have brought your child to a doctor for HFMD, it is compulsory by law for the doctor to notify the case.

It does not matter if it is a suspected case or a confirmed one, it has to be notified.

When that happens, just get ready these details as the health authorities may just call you:

  • the particulars of your child
  • the HFMD symptoms your child presented with
  • the duration of the sickness
  • what treatment was given to your child
  • details of admission into the hospital (if any)
  • your child’s travel history for the last 2 weeks
  • any contacts with other children with similar symptoms
    • name of the childcare centre or school
    • contact numbers if available

Now, if you have any other questions in mind, don’t be shy to ask.

Did your child have HFMD?

Share with us your experience in the comments below!

References:

  1. Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD) Guidelines | Ministry of Health Malaysia
  2. Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease | Ministry of Health Singapore
  3. Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease | CDC
  4. Efficacy of alcohols and alcohol-based hand disinfectants against human enterovirus 71  | PubMed
  5. Enterovirus 71 infection and vaccines | PubMed

Newborn Jaundice 101 (Complete Guide For Parents)

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When it comes to caring for a newborn child, it is very common for a newborn to get jaundice.

Also known as neonatal jaundice, most newborn jaundice will recover without issues over time.

However, I am sure you will have some concerns too so in this topic, we’ll touch on:

  • causes of newborn jaundice
  • symptoms of jaundice
  • the risk of a baby getting jaundice
  • breastfeeding related jaundice
  • ways of monitoring the jaundice level
  • effects of confinement food on jaundice
  • hospital management of jaundice
A baby undergoing phototherapy.

A baby needs to be almost fully exposed during a phototherapy session.

 

What is newborn jaundice?

Newborn jaundice is a condition in with the eyes and skin of a baby becomes yellow.

It is caused by a content called bilirubin:

  • Bilirubin is one of the components of blood.
  • When blood ages and breaks down, it releases bilirubin.
  • A high level of bilirubin causes a baby’s skin and eyes to turn yellow.

Most of the time, newborn jaundice is physiological.

After birth, it takes a while before a baby’s liver starts to function at full capacity.

During this period, the level of bilirubin builds up in the body.

The signs to look out for:

  • The white area of the eyes is yellow.
  • Skin appears yellow.
  • Not sucking milk strongly (when the jaundice is bad).
  • Dark tea coloured urine.

Watch this simple to understand 1-minute video to know what newborn jaundice is all about.

 

Other causes of newborn jaundice?

The other causes of newborn jaundice are:

  • breastfeeding jaundice
  • breast milk jaundice
  • medical conditions

Breastfeeding jaundice

It usually occurs during the first week after birth.

This happens when the mother’s breast milk supply has yet to establish.

The insufficient breast milk causes a small level of dehydration in a baby.

As a result, the level of bilirubin rises.

You may want to consider supplementing it with infant formula until your breastmilk supply is established.

Breast milk jaundice

Occurs in healthy babies.

Some substances in the breast milk impair the liver’s ability to process the bilirubin.

Of course not!

Breastfeeding itself has a lot of proven benefits.

You just need to monitor the level of jaundice until it goes away.

Medical conditions

Jaundice that occurs within the 24 hours of life is always considered serious.

The causes include:

  • Mother’s blood type is O and baby’s blood type is A, B or AB, apart from O.
  • Mother is Rhesus-negative and baby’s positive.
  • Baby’s blood has abnormal shapes.
  • Infections in a baby.
  • Genetic disorders.
  • Low thyroid function.
  • Bumps/bruises on a baby.

 

The risks of getting newborn jaundice

Some babies are more likely to get jaundice compared to others.

If your baby belongs in these categories, then chances are higher:

  • Preterm babies who are less than 37 weeks old.
  • East Asian or Mediterranean of origin, which includes us Malaysians & Singaporeans.
  • Siblings who had newborn jaundice.
  • Newborn babies with feeding difficulties.
  • You have diabetes or pregnancy-related diabetes.
  • Your baby has a bruise or a bump on the scalp after delivery.

 

How to monitor newborn jaundice?

There are several ways you can monitor a newborn’s jaundice:

Using the Kramer scale

Kramer Scale

Do not use this scale if you’re unsure as it is just an estimation.

Jaundice is best seen under natural light.

This chart is a rough guide to gauge the severity of jaundice.

Zone 1 indicates jaundice at its lowest level and Zone 5 indicates the highest.

If you do see yellowing of the skin in Zone 4 and 5, bring your baby to see a doctor immediately.

Take heed.

It is usually very difficult to determine the level of jaundice using this method under untrained eyes.

Using a jaundice meter

A jaundice meter.

A jaundice meter will give you a more accurate reading.

This is a tool used to screen and monitor the level of jaundice if you are not comfortable with the Kramer scale method.

Besides, a visual inspection of jaundice is considered insufficient as it can lead to false estimates, which may lead to serious consequences.

This meter measures the yellow pigmentation under the skin and mucous membranes.

It is a non-invasive method, in which your baby does not need to be pricked for blood.

Heel prick test

Heel prick test.

A small of blood is needed to check for jaundice.

Through a heel prick test, a small amount of blood is taken from your baby’s heel to be measured.

This test gives the most accurate reading.

It is performed in a clinic or a hospital to monitor the level of jaundice in a baby.

 

Complications of neonatal jaundice

Most newborn jaundice resolves when a baby turns 1 month old.

However, a small percentage of babies develops severe jaundice.

If left unchecked, it can lead to serious complications:

  • Permanent brain damage.
  • Developmental delay.
  • Deafness.
Herbs for confinement.

There is no confinement food that causes jaundice.

 

Does confinement food worsen jaundice?

In Malaysia and Singapore, most mothers will go through a period called confinement which allows a mother to recuperate during the first month after delivery.

In this period, certain herbs and food will be used more frequently.

Does ginger cause jaundice in a baby?

Now, there is no evidence at this point in time that suggests a direct correlation between ginger and jaundice

Maybe there is an association but not a direct cause.

If you are breastfeeding and is taking in a ginger during this period and you notice that your baby’s jaundice has worsened, you need to look into other causes.

How about red dates?

Red dates used to make tea are rich in iron and vitamins.

They have been widely used in mothers during confinement.

There is no harm in taking them as long as you consume enough fluids to keep yourself hydrated.

Dehydration leads to a reduction in breast milk, which may lead to breastfeeding jaundice.

And Benedictine D.O.M.?

Alcohol is also commonly used in some of the confinement dishes, especially D.O.M.

It is relatively safe as the alcohol evaporates after being cooked.

Alcohol in the cooked food itself does not cause jaundice.

However, your baby may not be able to eliminate some of the alcohol that passes through breast milk as your baby’s liver is yet to mature.

Your baby may end up being drowsy and not taking in the right amount of milk.

A baby undergoing phototherapy.

Remember to cover the eyes even if you are sunbathing your baby.

 

Sunlight for jaundice

This is somewhat controversial.

If you know what you are doing, then it may be beneficial.

Otherwise, it may worsen jaundice.

Sunbathing a baby under the sun is not recommended these days as there is an increased risk of sunburn and dehydration.

However, if you feel strongly about sunbathing, do it safely with each session no longer than 15 minutes each session, 4 times a day.

Remember to cover your baby’s eyes to avoid direct sunlight.

Breastfeeding a baby.

Breastfeeding is highly encouraged even if your baby is having jaundice.

 

Newborn jaundice treatment at home

The most important thing for you to do right now for your baby is to ensure that your baby is fed enough.

This is what you can do:

  • Ensure that each feed is no longer than 3 hours apart.
  • Breastfeed your baby at least 8 to 12 times a day.
  • Ensure the baby gets about 30 to 60 ml each feed.
  • This helps your baby to remove the bilirubin through the stools and urine.
  • Consider using infant formula intermittently if breastmilk supply is low.
  • 4 to 6 wet diapers a day tells you that your baby is getting enough milk.
  • A baby who opens his bowels (poo-poo) between 2 to 3 times a day is a good sign.
A baby undergoing phototherapy.

Phototherapy helps to reduce high levels of jaundice in babies quickly.

 

Neonatal jaundice chart (Malaysia)

Different countries have a different jaundice chart to follow.

To make things simple, we’ll use the Malaysian one as a point of reference.

Due to the complexity of the chart, you can skip this section if you want to.

However, it’s good to know as it gives you an idea if what your baby needs.

Neonatal jaundice chart.

A chart which shows whether a phototherapy or an exchange transfusion (ET) is a more appropriate treatment.

Just a quick explanation on how the jaundice chart works:

  • Hours of life represents the hours from the time your child was delivered.
  • Use the same unit on your baby’s blood result (mg/dL or μmol) for comparison.
  • There are 3 risk groups: low/medium/high.
  • The weeks’ portion represents the number of weeks mom has been pregnant.
  • Pair it with risk factors below to determine your baby’s risk group.

Risk factors for neonatal jaundice.

Once you have your baby’s risk group:

  • Look at the correct risk column.
  • Determine the number of hours after your newborn was delivered.
  • Check if it hits the values stated in the column.
  • If it hits the phototherapy’s value, your child needs phototherapy treatment.
  • If it hits the ET’s value, the level is high enough to warrant an exchange transfusion.

Treatment of  neonatal jaundice in hospital

If the level of jaundice gets too high, your child will require treament in the hospital.

Always get a doctor involved in the care of your newborn’s jaundice.

In the event that jaundice worsens, these are the treatment options:

Intravenous fluids

An intravenous line will be inserted into your newborn’s vein.

It provides the necessary glucose and fluids for calories and hydration.

Phototherapy

Phototherapy is used to treat mild to moderate levels of jaundice.

  • Your baby will be placed in a bassinet or an incubator under a special fluorescent lamp.
  • The light will be absorbed by your baby’s skin.
  • It turns bilirubin into another form which is excreted easily in the urine and stools.
  • Each phototherapy session lasts about 3 to 4 hours.

Phototherapy does not damage your baby’s skin.

Surgery

What? A surgery to treat jaundice?

Yes. In a rare condition called biliary atresia.

There is an abnormality in a baby’s liver and surgery is needed to correct it.

Upon correction, the liver will function like normal to drain the excess bilirubin.

Blood exchange transfusion

In the case of severe jaundice, small amounts of blood will be removed from your baby.

  • Blood will be replaced with a donor’s blood of the same exact blood type.
  • A small tube inserted into your baby’s umbilicus.
  • The level of jaundice will drop relatively fast.
  • The entire process will take a few hours to complete.

That being said, blood exchange transfusion is not a first line treatment.

There are risks involved such as:

  • bleeding
  • blood allergies
  • transmitted diseases
A portable phototherapy device.

An ingenious portable phototherapy device designed by Firefly.

 

How to prevent neonatal jaundice?

To be honest, there is very little that you can do to prevent newborn jaundice.

As we have mentioned earlier, most babies with jaundice are likely to be physiological.

Getting a portable device like the above can be helpful but not very cost effective.

Taking into consideration the time needed for a baby’s liver to mature, newborn jaundice is somewhat inevitable.

However, the very least you can do for your little one is to ensure your newborn baby gets enough breast milk or infant formula.

This will definitely help to minimise the risk of developing breastfeeding related jaundice.

Was there anything extra that you did to help reduce your baby’s jaundice?

Share with us in the comments section below!

References:

  1. Management of Neonatal Jaundice | Clinical Practice Guidelines by Ministry of Health Malaysia
  2. Newborn Jaundice | MedlinePlus
  3. Neonatal Jaundice | Medscape
  4. Jaundice (Newborn) | NUH kids
  5. Treating jaundice in newborn babies | NHS choices

8 Whys Your Toddler Blinking Hard (Complete List)

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A toddler blinking hard or fast and excessively is one of the common complaints in the clinic.

These forceful blinks are a major concern for most parents as these blinks can really get to you.

So what exactly is causing your toddler to blink a lot?

A child blinks.

These persistent blinks can really get to you.

Why does a toddler blink a lot?

There are a lot of reasons as to why a toddler blinks fast and hard:

  • Allergies or infection of the eyes/eyelids
  • Anxiety or fear
  • Bored
  • Dry and strained eyes
  • Eyelashes growing inwards
  • Medical conditions
  • Muscle spasms called tics
  • Short-sightedness

It can either be caused by something very trivial or something more serious.

CONSULT A DOCTOR IF YOU ARE UNSURE OF THE CAUSE

If you look at the list, you can easily (most of the time) identify the cause.

Do note, the medical conditions involved are rare.

Let’s have a look at each of them.

 

1. Allergies or infection of the eyes/eyelids

Most of the time, the white part of the eyes will be affected.

Be it an allergy or an infection.

These are the signs:

  • redness of the eyes (the white portion)
  • teary
  • the eyelids may be puffy and swollen
  • lumps/bumps on the eyelids
  • yellow eye discharge
  • yellow crusts along the eyelids
Conjunctivitis in a child.

These red eyes are also called conjunctivitis.

What you can do:

If there is redness of the white part of the eye:

  • Keep your child’s hands clean.
  • Use normal saline eye drops to keep eyes clean.
  • Antihistamines (eg. Zyrtec) can reduce itchiness and redness.
  • Advisable to see a doctor if it worsens after 3 days.
  • Commonly caused by viruses.
  • Lasts 1 to 2 weeks.
  • Resolves without any antibiotics.

If there is redness over the eyelid:

  • Clean the lids with a sterile eye wipes to remove crusts.
  • Warm compress the affected lid if you see a lump.
  • Do not poke the lump.
  • Keep your child’s hands clean.
  • Antihistamines can reduce itchiness.

If it is a form of allergy:

  • Avoid triggering factors (eg. pets, carpets, curtains, etc.).
  • Antihistamines reduce itchiness and redness.
  • Linked to a family history of asthma or sensitive noses.

 

2. Anxiety or fear

Take some time and talk to your kid.

Anxiety and hard blinking of eyes are associated with one another, psychologically.

It is possible that your child is going through some issues and it is manifesting as blinks.

What you can do:

  • Encourage your child to share his/her anxiety of fears.
  • Encourage him/her to face them instead of running away.
  • Solve problems together.
  • You have to learn to stay calm too.
  • Reward good behaviour but not excessively.
  • To focus on the positives.
  • Do fun and relaxing activities.
A bored child.

How does your child feel most of the time?

 

3. Bored

Just imagine, something as trivial as boredom as cause a child to blink hard too.

However, that does not mean that you have to entertain your child all day long.

Boredom stimulates creativity in a child after all.

What you can do:

  • Take a chill pill.
  • Let your child be.

 

4. Dry and strained eyes

Child blinking a lot when watching TV or using smartphones?

If you let your child use these devices for prolonged hours, this is bound to happen.

You tend to blink less when you are using these devices.

A toddler using a smartphone.

Does this look very familiar in your household?

It is advisable to limit screen time to an hour a day for toddlers.

The uncomfortable eye effects come later, and hence the blinks to remove the irritation.

And it’s not just the eyes, but there are other unwanted side effects too.

What you can do:

  • Set rules and limit usage.
  • Remove the electronic device completely.
  • Be an example and stop using yours excessively too.
  • Play with your child.
  • Do activities together.
  • No devices in the bedroom.
  • Eat together.

Is the iPad hurting children's brain development?

The truth behind excessive screen time.

Learn More

5. Eyelashes growing inwards

It could be due to eyelashes growing in the wrong direction, or caused by an abnormal eyelid.

The eyelashes will be irritating the eyes, causing discomfort.

The image below shows clearly the direction of the eyelashes (lower eyelid) are growing.

In-growing eyelashes.

Notice the bottom eyelashes are pointing upwards.

What you can do:

  • Get an eye doctor to have a look at your child’s eyes/eyelids.
  • Do not attempt to cut/pluck the eyelashes.

 

6. Muscle spasms called tics

Tics are fast and repetitive muscle movements that result in sudden and jerky body motions.

Tics do not specifically refer to forced blinking only, but a group of other movements such as:

  • coughing
  • grunting
  • the clicking of fingers
  • head-banging

To rephrase, blinking hard does not mean your child has tics.

But if your child has tics, blinking hard may be part of it.

Get it? Not so difficult, right?

TICS TEND TO HAPPEN BEFORE THE AGE OF 6

No one knows why exactly tics happen.

However, these tics are temporary and usually goes away when your child grows older.

Therefore, most forced blinking gets better over time.

What you can do:

  • Observe and see if the forced blinking tic goes away.
  • Seek medical advice if it persists for more than 1 year.
A toddler blinking hard.

Other facial tics may be present.

 

7. Medical conditions

However, if these blinks drag on for more than a year, then it can be problematic.

Some of these conditions include Tourette’s syndrome and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

May possibly need to see a child psychologist or psychiatrist for further examination.

Watch the video below if you want to have a better understanding of Tourette’s syndrome.

Like I mentioned earlier, these blinks are generally not dangerous.

“Excessive blinking is very common in children younger than 6 years of age and is equally common among boys and girls.

The condition starts suddenly with a high-frequency blink. It lasts about six months and vanishes as quickly as it arrived.“

Above is an excerpt which was written by a paediatric eye specialist.

What you can do:

  • Book an appointment to see a child psychologist or psychiatrist.

 

8. Short-sightedness

There is no harm getting the eyes checked for visual acuity, yes?

Kids are wearing spectacles at such a young age these days.

If you are wearing spectacles (or even your spouse) has short-sightedness, there is a chance that your child has it too.

How to reduce risk of myopia in children.

Especially in young children.

Read Guide

 

What you can do:

  • Allow natural sunlight into your home.
  • Let your child play outdoors for at least an hour a day.
  • Watch TV or use mobile devices not more than an hour a day.
  • Take a break in between activities such as reading, drawing, etc.
  • Encourage your child to eat:
    • Green leafy vegetables such as spinach.
    • Citrus fruits like oranges.
    • Salmon or tuna.
    • Proteins such as beans, nuts or eggs.

What to do if your toddler blinks hard?

If your 2-year old is blinking hard, it’s caused by emotional triggers most of the time.

Listening to a child.

No one understands your child better than you.

These are what you can do for your child:

  • Try to understand what made your child blinks hard.
    • Is your child stressed out?
    • Or is the confidence affected?
    • Fear, maybe?
  • Get your child to do happy things, like going to the playground or arts and crafts.
  • Do not keep nagging your child. Say it once, and reinforce it later.
  • Encourage your child to do things that he is good at and praise when necessary.
  • Ensure that your child sleeps adequately.
  • Avoid watching TV or using electronic devices for long hours without supervision.

Did you manage to find out what causes your child to blink so much?

What did you do for your child after that?

Share with us in the comments below.

References:

  1. Tics | NHS Choices
  2. Paediatric ophthalmology: Things that do not require referral | PubMed
  3. Excessive Blinking in Children | American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus
  4. Dry Eye and Screen Use | WebMD
  5. 12 Tips to Reduce Your Child’s Stress and Anxiety | Psychology Today

Guide: Baby Itchy Skin 101 (Remedies Included)

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Statistics recently reported in the Dermatitis journal alleged that 13% of American children under 18 years old have atopic dermatitis, a skin condition more commonly known as eczema.

According to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), 90% of these children contract it before turning five years old, while 60% develop the condition within their first year of life.

A child with itch.

What Is Eczema?

Eczema is characterized by red rashes that make the skin itchy, dry, and scaly.

Other signs include:

  • red small bumps that might ooze fluid
  • a darker skin around the eyes and eyelids
  • thickened skin
  • swelling

The condition can range from a manageable inconvenience to severe irritation.

The dryness of the skin can cause itching all over the body. The location of the dryness can grow and change over time, developing in areas like under the elbows, the knees or on the face.

Bumps, lumps, and hives could be an indication of an allergy flare-up

Fleshy, dome-shaped lesions that are itchy with a dimpled centre are likely to be signs of Molluscumcontagiosum virus, and while its symptoms are relatively mild, great care should be taken as it’s considered to be highly contagious.

A child scratching.

Causes of skin itching/eczema

Eczema is triggered by irritants, allergens and other substances that cause the immune system to react as though it has come across a harmful substance.

These include things like:

  • allergenic foods
  • certain scented products
  • cigarette smoke
  • dry air in air-conditioned rooms
  • dust mites
  • emotional stress
  • mould
  • pet dander
  • pollen
  • wool
  • skin infections
  • sweating
  • synthetic materials used for clothes

Exactly what causes eczema in some people remains unknown.

However, it’s understood that when normal skin bacteria like staphylococcus gets lodged in the cracks of dried skin it causes an immune response.

As such, the appearance of eczema is actually the skin fighting back.

Baby Itchy Skin Remedies

The itching associated with eczema is a stubborn condition, partially because it can be dormant for years and then all of a sudden flare-up.

Clinically there is no cure, but in children, the condition usually grows less severe as they get older.

Hives in a child.

Treatment methods are typically aimed at reducing the skin’s dryness, which is what accelerates flare-ups and inflammation.

The combination of a few lifestyle modifications with the right clinical treatment methods provides sufferers with their best chance of beating eczema.

Here are the steps you can take at home:

Low potency steroidal creams

Stubborn scaly patches that don’t improve after proper moisturizing may require the application of 1% hydrocortisone cream, which is available at most pharmacies.

Do not use hot water

Use lukewarm or cool instead of hot water when bathing your baby or cleaning his/her face. Stay away from rough loofahs, towels and washcloths.

Try not to bathe your baby too frequently

The natural oil of their skin acts as a protective layer.

While hygiene is, of course, important, consider reducing their full baths to four times a week.

Four Cow Farm baby lotion.

Moisturize regularly

After bathing them, be sure to moisturize your baby’s skin with dye-and fragrance-free lotions, creams, and ointments like Little Innoscents and Four Cow Farm.

It’s imperative not to use alcohol-based lotions as they dry out the skin.

Oils such as jojoba oil and coconut oil are easily absorbed into the skin and possess certain healing properties, making them good options if you are unable to find alcohol and fragrance-free creams at your pharmacy.

Loose clothing

Dress your baby in soft cotton or smooth silk apparels that are loose and allow space to “breath”.

Wool fabrics should be avoided as their fibres poke the delicate, smooth skin surface of your baby, causing itching and irritation – not to mention a histamine response and ripple effect itching as well.

Wool also sometimes contains a skin irritant called lanolin.

Other materials to be avoided are synthetic fabrics such:

  • polyester
  • rayon
  • nylon

These retain heat and promote eczema.

Make sure your baby’s fingernails are always short to prevent your infant from scratching their skin, potentially leading to more infections and inflammation.

Doing so will prevent microbes and germs from entering the skin in the event your child’s scratching opens a wound.

Additional protection

The changing seasons can greatly affect your child’s eczema.

In summer, the sun, salt, and chlorine (from swimming pools) can cause your little one’s skin to dry.

Always apply quality sunscreen with a high UV to protect your child from the sun’s potentially damaging rays.

Throughout the winter months make sure to install a humidifier in your child’s bedroom.

This will help keep the right amount of moisture in their room, preventing the dry winter air from causing an eczema outbreak.

Antihistamine - Zyrtec.

How To Treat Baby’s Itchy Skin Medically?

  • Antihistamines
  • Non-steroidal medications for inflammation control — including topical calcineurin inhibitors.
  • Oral medicines for suppressing the immune system
  • Topical corticosteroids
  • Antiviral, antifungal or antibacterial skin infection drugs

A baby’s skin is delicate, their immune systems simply aren’t as developed and strong like those of adults.

As such they’re particularly vulnerable to viruses, easily picking them up, even from people with no visible symptoms or signs of carrying such viruses.

Make sure if anyone in direct contact with your child gets sick to insist that they thoroughly sanitise their hands before touching your child, or ideally, to stay at a distance until they’re better.

It’s important to remember that infants with eczema won’t necessarily live with it for the rest of their lives.

Most people outgrow the condition as their immune systems mature and get better at fighting irritants and allergens.

References:

  1. Caring For A Child With Eczema | American Academy of Dermatology
  2. Can’t Stop Scratching? 10 Skin Care Tips To Ditch The Itch | Zwivel

The Top 10 Food Safety Tips You Ought To Know

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Whether we are having home-cooked meals or eating out, food safety rules should always be observed.

If you do a Google search about food poisoning cases in Malaysia, you will find an alarming number of cases that involved school children. Young children are very susceptible to food-borne sicknesses when food handlers do not follow food safety guidelines.

While we could not control how restaurant workers handle food preparation and its hygiene level, we could follow food safety tips when we prepare meals for our children at home.

Adhering to food safety rules will help prevent food poisoning, stomachache, vomiting, diarrhea and other more serious conditions that may affect vulnerable people such as young children, the elderlies, and those with compromised immune system.

There are 10 basic food safety tips that we would like to share with you. In this article, we will discuss the first five tips.

1. Always wash your hands.

Proper hand washing does not mean a quick rinse under water for a few seconds.

Our hands are full of bacteria we pick up as we go about our daily routine—this is a known fact—so it is important to wash our hands:

  • Before starting to prepare food
  • After handling uncooked meat, chicken, fish
  • After using the toilet
  • After sneezing or coughing

Re-contamination by bacteria may happen when hands that have just handled raw food are also handling fresh vegetables and cooked food without washing or washing without soap or using a dirty towel to dry washed hands.

What is proper hand washing? Use soap/hand-wash cleanser and wash thoroughly between each finger for at least 20 seconds under running water.

Read about the 5 steps for proper hand washing.

2. Use different knives and cutting boards.

Cross-contamination is more commonly caused by bacteria from a raw/uncooked product such as meat, chicken and fish; even eggs.

Deadly bacteria include Salmonella, E.coli, Listeria, Staphylococcus, Clostridium.

One important way to reduce this risk is to always use different knives and cutting boards. Label them clearly so that other family members know which knife and board to use appropriately.

Clean and sanitize cutting boards, knives and kitchen counter-top in between handling uncooked and cooked/ready-to-eat foods (including vegetables).

NEVER mix them up thinking that it is not a big deal. It is a big deal! And, back to point 1 above, always wash your hands!

3. Thaw frozen food in the fridge, microwave or cold water.

Did you know we should not thaw raw meat/chicken/fish on the countertop at room temperature?

You might say, but my grandma did that! Sorry to say, but this die-hard habit is actually a true cause for concern.

In ideal conditions (room temperature, moisture, food supply), bacteria double their numbers every 20 minutes.

In just 3 hours, 100 bacteria will multiply to over 50,000 bacteria.

See this table about how bacteria multiply on meat over 3 hours.

There are three ways to properly thaw frozen meat:

  • Place it in the fridge the night before
  • Defrost in the microwave (choose the defrost setting)
  • Place it in a Ziploc bag, soak/submerge in cold water and change the water every 20-30 minutes

4. Store marinated meat in the fridge.

Same as point 3 above—do not leave raw food including marinated meats in salt or sauces on the counter-top at room temperature.

Remember, bacteria breeds rapidly especially at room temperature.

The proper way is to store marinated meat in a leak-proof container in the fridge while waiting to cook it.

5. Avoid eating leftovers after 2 hours.

When a meal is done, store leftovers in the fridge as soon as possible. 

Perishable foods should not be left for more than 2 hours at room temperature. On very hot days, the cut-off time is about 1 hour. Cue: bacteria growth!

Kids will not be able to distinguish between foods that are still edible or have gone bad. They might get food poisoning if they eat spoiled food!

We’ve discussed about the first five basic food safety tips in our article two weeks ago. Here’s a recap of the five important tips:

1. Always wash your hands
2. Use different knives and cutting boards
3. Thaw frozen food in the fridge, microwave or cold water
4. Store marinated meat in the fridge
5. Avoid eating leftovers after 2 hours

Now, let us move on with the next five basic food safety tips that we should all adhere to while we’re preparing food to prevent food poisoning, stomachache, vomiting, diarrhea and other more serious conditions from happening.

6. Don’t keep leftovers too long in the fridge.

We might forget what type of food we’ve stored in the fridge and how long have they been in there. So go ahead and get your fridge checked out. You might find some that are well past their expiration date. For those that don’t have a specific expiry date, you might be wondering when should they be thrown away.

According to an article on FoodNetwork, the fridge can extend the shelf life of food temporarily. However, they can definitely spoil within a specific time frame.

For peace of mind, when you’re ever in doubt, toss the food out.

Read about how long will the food in your refrigerator last.

7. Separate raw and cooked foods in the fridge.

Always place raw meats on a tray or inside a leak-proof storage container before storing them in the fridge to avoid juices from dripping or leaking onto ready-to-eat food items. Then, place the meat container in the meat compartment or in the coldest part of the fridge.

Wrap up excess raw meats using plastic freezer bags and store in the freezer if you’re not cooking them within a day or two.

Always separate raw produces (fruits and vegetables) from cooked/ready-to-eat foods in the fridge.

If you’re storing leftovers, remember to keep them in leak-proof containers as well.

All the above steps are necessary to avoid cross-contamination that will introduce harmful bacteria.

8. Cook meats thoroughly.

Always cook all meats to the suggested internal temperature to eliminate any harmful bacteria. Use a meat thermometer to ensure proper temperature(s) are achieved during cooking.

For more information about recommended temperatures, see this guide by MeatSafety.org.

When grilling meats, always use separate plates and grill tongs when you’re handling both fresh and cooked meats.

9. Avoid drinking unpasteurized/raw milk.

According to FDA.gov, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that unpasteurized milk is 150 times more likely to cause foodborne illness.

Raw, unpasteurized milk from cows, sheep, or goats carry dangerous bacteria such as Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria, which are responsible for causing numerous foodborne illnesses and can be especially dangerous to people with weakened immune systems, older adults, pregnant women, and children.

Always read the label. Safe-to-drink milk will have the word “pasteurized” on the label.

10. Avoid eating raw eggs.

Fresh eggs, even those with clean, uncracked shells, may contain the Salmonella bacteria that can cause food poisoning so it’s important to cook eggs thoroughly until both yolk and white are firm.

Here’s an important FDA guideline regarding eggs: To prevent illness from bacteria: keep eggs refrigerated, cook eggs until yolks are firm, and cook foods containing eggs thoroughly.

If you need to cook recipes that use raw or undercooked eggs, use pasteurized eggs. You can find them easily at the eggs section in major hypermarkets.

We hope these tips will help you in your food preparation every day!