Infant Colic Situation

Colic Definition as per www.thefreedictionary.com:
- Severe abdominal pain caused by spasm, obstruction, or distention of any of the hollow viscera, such as the intestines.
- A condition of unknown cause seen in infants less than three months old, marked by periods of inconsolable crying lasting for hours at a time for at least three weeks.

Here are the real life of a baby having a colic:

Here are some suggestion to help on colics situation
1) Feeding - Mum diet can affect breast milk
Mummy whom breastfeed the baby should avoid food like cow's milk, caffeine, chocolate and gas-producing foods such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, onions, peppers, melons, tomatoes, citrus fruits, beans and peanuts.

2) Feeding - Using baby bottle
When buying baby bottle, look for anti-colic sign. The price for anti-colic baby bottle is much more compare to a normal baby bottle, but less cry is priceless. The reason to get anti-colic baby bottle is to minimize the air-intake while baby gulping the milk from the baby bottle.

3) Feeding - Burp baby after feeding
Do burp the baby after breast feeding as to release the gas that are trapped during feeding. Feel free to check out the baby burping method: http://incomingincomingbaby.blogspot.com/2012/10/baby-burping.html

4) Feeding - Formula milk powder
Change milk powder brand if baby are uncomfortable.

5) Feeding - Allergy to cow milk (lactose intolerance)
After trying so many types of formula milk powder and suspect the problem is due to allergy to cow's milk, then change to soy base milk powder or breast milk only.

6) Feeding - Use gripe water
Gripe water is a home remedy use to help on baby digestive system. So far the most popular are Colic Calm. The reason is because Colic Calm does not use Sodium Bicarbonate, Essential Oils and extracts to it's ingredient. Fast forward the below video to 2:20 to see the result:

7) Feeding - Use probiotics
Some studies suggest treating the crying with daily doses of probiotics, or "good bacteria" (such as Lactobacillus acidophilus or Lactobacillus reuteri) which can reduce crying times. Use this with care and seek doctor/pharmaceutical advice.

8) Baby massage to remove the gas
A simple massage to remove the gas inside the baby stomach

9) Apply Herbal Medicated Baby Oil on Baby's Tummy
This is a traditionally methods to relief winds and bloated problem in babies. Put a few drops, rub against your hand to heat it up and rub the baby's tummy in a circular motion to apply the herbal medicated baby oil.
a) Yu Yee Oil
Can get this baby oil at any Malaysia local store. For international reader, you can refer to http://www.myhealths.com/Children.htm

b) Amway Tropical Herbs Baby Oil
http://www.amway2u.com/mall_proddet.jsp?prrfnbr=6345

c) TYT Herbal Medicated Oil
http://tyt.com.my/products/tyt-herbal-medicated-oil/

Resources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baby_colic
http://www.babiesonline.com/articles/colic/naturalcolicremedies.asp
http://www.webmd.com/parenting/baby/news/20100816/probiotics-may-reduce-crying-from-colic

Vaccination Meaning

Below are the list of vaccination summary:
Chickenpox / Varicella (Can be prevented by varicella vaccine)

Caused By	Varicella zoster virus
Spread By	Air, direct contact
Symptom	Rash, tiredness, headache, fever
Complications	Infected blisters, bleeding disorders, encephalitis (brain swelling), pneumonia (infection in the lungs)
Vaccine Doses	Children who have never had chickenpox should get 2 doses of chickenpox vaccine at these ages: 1st Dose: 12-15 months of age 2nd Dose: 4-6 years of age (may be given earlier, if at least 3 months after the 1st dose) Children age above 13 years (who have never had chickenpox or received chickenpox vaccine) should get two doses at least 28 days apart.
Resources	http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chickenpox http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/vis/downloads/vis-varicella.pdf

Diphtheria (Can be prevented by Tdap vaccine)

Caused By	Corynebacterium diphtheriae bacteria
Spread By	Air, direct contact
Symptom	Sore throat, mild fever, weakness, swollen glands in neck
Complications	Swelling of the heart muscle, heart failure, coma, paralysis, death
Vaccine Doses	1st Dose: 2 months 2nd Dose: 4 months 3rd Dose: 6 months 4th Dose: 15-18 months 5th Dose: 4-6 years
Resources	http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diphtheria http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/vis/downloads/vis-dtap.pdf

Hib (Can be prevented by Hib vaccine)

Caused By	Haemophilus influenzae type b bacteria
Spread By	Air, direct contact
Symptom	May be no symptoms unless bacteria enter the blood
Complications	Meningitis (infection of the covering around the brain and spinal cord), mental retardation, epiglottis (lifethreatening infection that can block the windpipe and lead to serious breathing problems) and pneumonia (infection in the lungs), death
Vaccine Doses	2 months of age 4 months of age 6 months of age 12-15 months of age
Resources	http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haemophilus_influenzae_type_b http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/vis/downloads/vis-hib.pdf

Hepatitis A (Can be prevented by HepA vaccine)

Caused By	Hepatitis A virus
Spread By	Personal contact, contaminated food or water
Symptom	May be no symptoms, fever, stomach pain, loss of appetite, fatigue, vomiting, jaundice (yellowing of skin and eyes), dark urine
Complications	Liver failure
Vaccine Doses	Children between their first and second birthdays (12 through 23 months of age)
Resources	http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hepatitis_A http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/vis/downloads/vis-hep-a.pdf

Hepatitis B (Can be prevented by HepB vaccine)

Caused By	Hepatitis B virus
Spread By	Contact with blood or body fluids
Symptom	May be no symptoms, fever, headache, weakness, vomiting, jaundice (yellowing of skin and eyes), joint pain
Complications	Chronic liver infection, liver failure, liver cancer
Vaccine Doses	1st Dose: Birth 2nd Dose: 1-2 months of age 3rd Dose: 6-18 months of age
Resources	http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hepatitis_B http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/vis/downloads/vis-hep-b.pdf

Human Papillomavirus (Can be prevented by HPV vaccine)

Caused By	Human papillomavirus
Spread By	Sexual contact, hand contact
Symptom	Skin warts, genital warts
Complications	Cervical cancer in women
Vaccine Doses	1st Dose: 11-12 years 2nd Dose: 1 to 2 months after Dose 1 3rd Dose: 6 months after Dose 1
Resources	http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_papillomavirus http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/vis/downloads/vis-hpv-gardasil.pdf

Influenza (Can be prevented by annual flu vaccine)

Caused By	Influenza virus
Spread By	Air, direct contact
Symptom	Fever, muscle pain, sore throat, cough, extreme fatigue
Complications	Pneumonia (infection in the lungs)
Vaccine Doses	Children above 6 months of age should get flu vaccine
Resources	http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Influenza http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/vis/downloads/vis-flu.pdf

Measles (Can be prevented by MMR vaccine)

Caused By	Morbilliviruses
Spread By	Air, direct contact
Symptom	Rash, fever, cough, runny nose, pinkeye
Complications	Encephalitis (brain swelling), pneumonia (infection in the lungs), death
Vaccine Doses	1st Dose: 12-15 months of age 2nd Dose: 4-6 years of age (may be given earlier, if at least 28 days after the 1st dose)
Resources	http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Measles http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/vis/downloads/vis-mmr.pdf

Meningococcal Disease (Can be prevented by MCV vaccine)

Caused By	Neisseria meningitidis bacteria
Spread By	Air, direct contact
Symptom	Nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light, confusion and sleepiness
Complications	Death
Vaccine Doses	1st Dose: 11 - 12 years Booster Dose: 16 years
URL	http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meningococcal http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/vis/downloads/vis-mening.pdf

Mumps (Can be prevented by MMR vaccine)

Caused By	Mumps virus
Spread By	Air, direct contact
Symptom	Swollen salivary glands (under the jaw), fever, headache, tiredness, muscle pain
Complications	Meningitis (infection of the covering around the brain and spinal cord) , encephalitis (brain swelling), inflammation of testicles or ovaries, deafness
Vaccine Doses	1st Dose: 12-15 months of age 2nd Dose: 4-6 years of age (may be given earlier, if at least 28 days after the 1st dose)
URL	http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mumps http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/vis/downloads/vis-mmrv.pdf

Pertussis (Whooping Cough) (Can be prevented by Tdap vaccine)

Caused By	Bordetella pertussis bacteria
Spread By	Air, direct contact
Symptom	Severe cough, runny nose, apnea (a pause in breathing in infants)
Complications	Pneumonia (infection in the lungs), death
Vaccine Doses	1st Dose: 2 months 2nd Dose: 4 months 3rd Dose: 6 months 4th Dose: 15-18 months 5th Dose: 4-6 years
URL	http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pertussis http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/vis/downloads/vis-dtap.pdf

Pneumococcal Disease (Can be prevented by Pneumococcal vaccine)

Caused By	Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria
Spread By	Air, direct contact
Symptom	May be no symptoms, pneumonia (infection in the lungs)
Complications	Bacteremia (blood infection), meningitis (infection of the covering around the brain and spinal cord), death
Vaccine Doses	1st Dose: 2 months 2nd Dose: 6 months 3rd Dose: 4 months 4th Dose: 12-15 months
URL	http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pneumococcal http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/vis/downloads/vis-pcv7.pdf

Polio (Can be prevented by IPV vaccine)

Caused By	Poliovirus
Spread By	Personal contact, contaminated food or water
Symptom	May be no symptoms, sore throat, fever, nausea, headache
Complications	Paralysis, death
Vaccine Doses	1st Dose: 2 months 2nd Dose: 4 months 3rd Dose: 6-18 months 1st Booster Dose: 4-6 years
URL	http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polio http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/vis/downloads/vis-ipv.pdf

Rotavirus (Can be prevented by Rotavirus vaccine)

Caused By	Rotavirus
Spread By	Personal contact, contaminated food or water
Symptom	Vomiting, watery diarrhoea, and low-grade fever
Complications	Severe dehydration can become a life-threatening condition
Vaccine Doses	First Dose: 2 months of age Second Dose: 4 months of age Third Dose: 6 months of age (if needed)
Resources	http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rotavirus http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/vis/downloads/vis-rotavirus.pdf

Rubella (German Measles) (Can be prevented by MMR vaccine)

Caused By	Rubella virus
Spread By	Air, direct contact
Symptom	Children infected with rubella virus sometimes have a rash, fever, and swollen lymph nodes
Complications	Very serious in pregnant women—can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery, and birth defects
Vaccine Doses	1st Dose: 12-15 months of age 2nd Dose: 4-6 years of age (may be given earlier, if at least 28 days after the 1st dose)
Resources	http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubella http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/vis/downloads/vis-mmrv.pdf

Tetanus (Lockjaw) (Can be prevented by Tdap vaccine)

Caused By	Clostridium tetani bacteria
Spread By	Exposure through cuts in skin
Symptom	Stiffness in neck and abdominal muscles, difficulty swallowing, muscle spasms, fever
Complications	Broken bones, breathing difficulty, death
Vaccine Doses	1st Dose: 2 months 2nd Dose: 4 months 3rd Dose: 6 months 4th Dose: 15-18 months 5th Dose: 4-6 years
Resources	http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetanus http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/vis/downloads/vis-dtap.pdf

Note

• In layman terms, DTaP, DTPa, TDaP, Tdap, and dTap are the same. DTap and Tdap are both combined vaccines against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis. The difference is in the dosage, with the upper case letters meaning higher quantity.
• DTaP is a combination vaccine that protects against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis.
• MMR is a combination vaccine that protects against measles, mumps, and rubella.
• Please consult with your doctor for expert advice before going for vaccination

Resources:
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/vis/

Children Vaccination By Country

Below are the compiled list of vaccination among countries from birth till 18 years old
Summary

Australia
http://www.immunise.health.gov.au/
Link to download the schedule

Germany
http://www.rki.de
Link to download the schedule

Hong Kong
http://www.fhs.gov.hk
Link to the schedule

Malaysia

http://www.moh.gov.my
Link to download the schedule

OPV = Oral polio vaccine


Singapore
http://www.nir.hpb.gov.sg
Link to the Schedule

USA
http://www.cdc.gov
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/easy-to-read/child.html

http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/easy-to-read/preteen-teen.html

When To Cut Umbilical Cord

There are mix opinion on when to cut the umbilical cord after baby is out. To understand better on what happen when baby is out from mother's body, below chart shows the blood transfusion after birth.

Placental transfusion takes place immediately after birth and the cord start to pulsates. Placental transfusion is the system that provides the baby with red blood cells, stem cells, immune cells and blood volume. Delayed cord clamping allows time for the placental transfusion, ensuring safe oxygen levels and blood volume in the baby.

Left: Cord containing baby’s blood
Right: Cord after placental transfusion

Here is a demonstration on the reason not to cut umbilical cord immediately after birth.

The usual practise in hospital is to clamp and cut the cord in less than 30 seconds after birth. Delayed cord clamping is best to be done once the cord stop pulsating or beyond 2 minutes after birth.

Do discuss this with gynae/mid-wife before birth. Once decided, put delayed cord clamping in the birth plan so that everybody (gynae/mid-wife/nurse) helping on the delivery knows when to cut the umbilical cord.

Warning:
The 2008 Cochrane review found that infants whose cord clamping occurred later than 60 seconds after birth had a statistically higher risk of neonatal jaundice requiring phototherapy.

Resources:
http://cord-clamping.com
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umbilical_cord

Third Trimester Tea

We come across a product call Earth Mama Third Trimester Tea that contain Red Raspberry Leaf that help to promote uterine health during pregnancy.

My wife was delighted as finally there is a tea that can be drink during pregnancy as she love drinking tea. The reason she did not drink tea is because there is a risk of miscarriage. So we found out many review from people that claim they have a much better delivery when drinking Red Raspberry Leaf tea. And Red Raspberry Leaf tea is recommended to drink during third trimester pregnancy.

And we immediately head off to Bangsar Village Shopping Mall to find a shop call Bebehaus that sell Earth Mama Third Trimester Tea. Bebehaus is one of the distributor for Earth Mama product. The Earth Mama Third Trimester Tea cost RM 41 per box that contains 16 tea bags.

Once reached home, we open the box and the smell was wonderful. And my wife enjoys the tea.

For international reader, you can search for your local distributor at this link:
http://www.earthmamaangelbaby.com/store-finder

Here is the link to the manufacturer:
http://www.earthmamaangelbaby.com/pregnancy/third-trimester-tea.html

Update on 12 Nov:
The third trimester tea has finished and we place another order for Third Trimester Tea at price RM 37.50 via http://www.applecrumbyandfish.com/. And my wife continue to enjoy the Third Trimester Tea.

Resources:
http://www.bebehaus.com
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/pregnancy-nutrition/PR00109/NSECTIONGROUP=2
http://www.americanpregnancy.org/pregnancyhealth/herbaltea.html