Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Website shutdown (www.babiesconsult.com)

Dear everyone,

It is with a heavy heart that I am letting you know that I will be shutting down my website, www.babiesconsult.com. This is because I will be retiring at the end of June, and cannot afford to maintain the website. However, I know that many of you still look forward to reading the articles, so don't worry, I will be transferring the articles to my existing blog, http://babiesconsult.blogspot.com.

Thank you for your support all these years.


Warmest regards,
Cecilia

Monday, March 26, 2012

Rat Lungworm disease

If you have small children be careful when they are playing in the garden and please wash your veggies and fruits thoroughly before eating as accidental ingestion of slugs can lead to a serious infection called rat lungworm. It is best to soak green leafy vegetables in salt water for about 10 mins as salt will kill the slugs or snails. Please view the video for how the infection can happen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrRIu0qY444&sns=em

Sunday, March 4, 2012

My book is in Popular bookstore in Singapore!!




I never knew that it takes so long for a new book to be featured and sold in a book store. Anyway, it is finally in a booksore albeit in Singapore. Still waiting for news from Malaysian bookstores.

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Review of my book

I am on top of the world because of the excellent review of my book from the Star news paper’s website



The best book on feeding for Asian parents

17 October 2011

Review by BRIGITTE ROZARIO

“This is not a dolled up book. At first glance, you might not even want to pick it up. The cover is not particularly attractive and the pages do not look impressive.

However, not picking it up would be the worst decision you make if you're a new mother.

Pick it up, for although there aren't beautiful studio photos inside and the layout of the pages looks a bit textbook-like, the content is irreplaceable and indeed a gem.”

Go to the links below to read the rest of the review



http://parenthots.com/parents_corner/book_reviews/The-best-book-on-feeding-for-Asian-parents.aspx

http://parenthots.com/features/Tips-from-a-Malaysian-midwife.aspx


The book is not available in bookshops yet but you can purchase it from my website

http://www.babiesconsult.com/book-sale.php

If you are in the Klang Valley, you can purchase it from

The retail pharmacy
Sime Darby Medical Centre in Subang Jaya

Uniq Full Moon Speciality Shop
No: 4 Jalan Kenari 11, Bandar Puchong Jaya.
Tel: 03-8070 0686

Klinik kanak kanak Oh
SS2 Petaling Jaya

Klinik kanak kanak Koe
Overseas Union Garden – Old Klang Road

Dr Kim Wong Women’s clinic
Centrepoint – Bandar Utama

Sally at Dr Wong Wai Peng’s clinic
Pantai Medical Centre

A reminder that 50% of the sales proceeds will go to 5 children’s charities so, if you purchase the book you will be helping some unfortunate children.

Monday, August 29, 2011

My book is ready!!!

Well, I made it to being a published author!! But, the most important thing is that now there is a book to help new parents on how to best feed their baby using both western and asian practices. I have used a lot of pictures to illustrate the techniques and procedures so that the information is light and easy to remember. Below you can see what the book looks like and also what the contents are.
















CONTENTS

Section One – Feeding Your Newborn Baby

Chapter 1: Breast or Bottle


Chapter 2: Antenatal Preparations
A
- Preparing for Breast-feeding
- Mental preparations
- Physical preparations
B
- Preparing for Bottle-feeding
- What to buy for bottle-feeding
- Choosing a formula

Chapter 3: Getting Started
A
- Management of Breast-feeding
- supply and demand
- steps for successful breast-feeding
- Expressing breast-feeding
B
- Management of Bottle-feeding
- Sterilising bottles
- Making up a feed

Chapter 4: Baby Feeding Techniques
A
- Positions for Breast-feeding
B
– Positions for Bottle-feeding
- Burping your Baby

Chapter 5: Feeding Problems
A
- Breast-feeding problems
- Sore or cracked nipples
- Fungal Infection
- Painful lumps
- Engorged breasts
- Diminishing milk supply
B
- Bottle-feeding problems
- Some technical problems and what to do

Chapter 6: Looking after yourself
- Eating the Right Food
- Traditional Chinese confinement food
- Eating fruits and vegetables
- Recipes for making confinement teas and papaya soup


Section Two – All About Solid Food

Chapter 7: Weaning your baby
- Weaning schedule
- Preparing the porridge
- What to put in the porridge

Chapter 8 : Introducing fruits to small children
- When to start giving fruits
- Schedule for giving fruits

Chapter 9: Feeding your toddler
- Different eating styles
- Teaching your toddler to feed himself

Chapter 10: Food Facts
- Western Food Classification
- Asian Food Classification

Chapter 11: Cooking for your toddler and family
- Fish recipes
- Chicken recipes
- Pork recipes
- Vegetable recipes
- Soup recipes
- Pasta recipes

Chapter 12: Food Related Problems
- Colic
- Constipation
- Diarrhoea
- Allergic reactions
- Choking
- How to do CPR

The book is priced at RM 38.00 per copy. Currently, the book is not available in the book stores so if you are interested in purchasing a copy please check on my website for postal rates and how to order.
50% of the sales proceeds will go to 5 children's charities so if you buy the book, you will also be helping needy children. I look forward to your support. Thank you

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Additions to some families

My goodness, I did not realise that it is so long since I wrote anything. Anyway, I am excited to let you know that some families who use my childcare centre have had new additions. They are:


Zhi Xuan’s little sister Zhi Qing










Juen Yip’s little brother Joe Yip










Elena’s little sister Evangel










Jade’s little brother Kieren










They are so gorgeous and so different from their older siblings.

Sunday, August 8, 2010

Dangerous light bulbs

I just received this email from a friend in the USA so I thought I'll share it with anyone who uses this type of bulbs.

Below is a picture of a CFL light bulb from my bathroom. I turned it on the other day and then smelled smoke after a few minutes. Four inch flames were spewing out of the side of the ballast like a blow torch!

I immediately turned off the lights. But I’m sure it would have caused a fire if I was not right there. Imagine if the kids had left the lights on as usual when they were not in the room.

I took the bulb to the Fire Department today to report the incident. The Fireman wasn’t at all surprised and said that it was not an uncommon occurrence. Apparently, sometimes when the bulb burns out there is a chance that the ballast can start a fire. He told me that the Fire Marshall had issued reports about the dangers of these bulbs.

Upon doing some Internet research, it seems that bulbs made by “Globe” in China seem to have the lion’s share of problems. Lots of fires have been blamed on misuse of CFL bulbs, like using them in recessed lighting, pot lights, dimmers or in track lighting. Mine was not in any of those. It was a normal light socket. I bought these at Wal-Mart. I will be removing all the Globe bulbs from my house. I have not decided yet if we are going back to incandescent bulbs at this point.
Just thought you should know.




Sunday, May 2, 2010

Happy birthday to Marie and me

Well, I made to it to my 60th birthday and Marie is now 14. We had a great birthday bash but forgot to take pictures of the event except for the cake cutting.


Hello and goodbye

Welcome to







Xuan En













Elena











Livvy and Aaron










Kris Teen













How time flies. The children below came to me when they were about 2 months old and now they have graduated to go to play school.
This month we say goodbye to








Jeun Yip











Zhi Xuan













Twins : Mirabelle and Marissa













Last month we said goodbye to






Jeremy











Wei Jun













Lucas

Monday, April 19, 2010

Latest news on using onions to prevent flu

In December last year, I started putting onions all over the areas where the babies spend most of their time as you can see from the pictures.





















During the past 9 years, the children will usually have flu around the Chinese New Year period and it was a constant round of medications three times a day for all of them. This will last for about a week before they recover. It is heart breaking to see them coughing and sometimes wheezing.
The results of my onions experiment? So far none of the children had flu during the CNY period. A couple of them started sniffling with slight runny noses and I immediately placed an onion near them and the sniffling stopped. It is really nice to see children without runny noses. So, have you tried it out yet? Do let me know the results.

Sunday, February 7, 2010

Thursday, January 21, 2010

CHILDREN'S BALL PITS – Are they safe?

I just received this in my email and I think it is important that I share this with so that you can take precautions for the safety of your children.

“Hi. My name is Lauren Archer, a friend of mine that resides in The Hill, Johannesburg, took his only son to McDonald's for his 3rd birthday.
After he finished lunch, his parents allowed him to play in the ball pit. When he started whining later on, and his mother asked him what was wrong, he pointed to the back of his pull-up and simply said 'Mommy, it hurts.' they couldn't find anything wrong with him at that time. After bathing him when they got home, they found what looked like insect bites at the time.
Upon investigating, it seemed as if there was matter coming out of the wounds. They were on their way to the hospital, but soon he started vomiting and shaking, then his eyes rolled back into his head. From there, they went to the emergency room. He died later that night.
He was found to have snake bites all over his legs & buttocks. When they cleaned the ball pit they found that there was a snake's nest in the ball pit. He had suffered numerous bites from a very poisonous snake.”

THIS WAS FOUND IN THE BALL PIT!!!!




















There was a similar incidence in one of the department stores in the Klang Valley about five years ago. Unfortunately, the case was not highlighted in the local media. My advice is to be careful about letting your children play in areas where you cannot see what may be hiding there. It may not necessarily be snakes but sharp obstacles and even germs from other children.

Sunday, January 3, 2010

Update on using onions to prevent flu

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!! May 2010 bring you health, happiness and wealth.



On 25 December I mentioned that I will start putting onions all over the areas where the babies are and so far the children seems to be ok with less runny noses and coughs. However, the most significant outcome is its’ effect on Nash. Two weeks ago Nash had a very severe chest infection and was hospitalized for 6 days. When he came back to the centre, he was still coughing and had a lot of phlegm.


I placed an onion next to him and surprising by evening he was coughing less. Could this be due to the medication that he was taking? He was on antibiotics and ventolin. However, the next day he had stopped coughing and his chest was clear. I asked his mother if she used the onions and she said that being “kiasu” she put 2 onions in his cot and all over the house.






Maybe this is a fluke shot but I am monitoring the other children to see if the onions are helping to prevent them getting the flu so frequently. Have you tried it out? Do let me know the results.

Friday, December 25, 2009

Use onions to prevent flu


Just received this interesting email from a baby’s mother and thought that I will share this with you.

“In 1919, when the flu killed 40million people, there was this doctor that visited the many farmers to see if he could help them combat the flu. Many of the farmers and their family had contracted it, and many died. The doctor came upon this one farmer, and to his surprise, everyone was very healthy.
When the doctor asked what the farmer was doing that was different, the wife replied that she had placed an unpeeled onion in a dish in the rooms of the home (probably only two rooms back then). The doctor couldn't believe it, and asked if he could have one of the onions, and place it under the microscope. She gave him one, and when he did this, he did find the flu virus in the onion. It obviously absorbed the bacteria, therefore keeping the family healthy.
Now, I heard this story from my hairdresser in Arizona. She said that several years ago, many of her employees were coming down with the flu, and so were many of her customers. The next year, she placed several bowls with onions around in her shop.
To her surprise, none of her staff got sick. It must work . .. (And no, she is not in the onion business.)
The moral of the story is, buy some onions and place them in bowls around your home. If you work at a desk, place one or two in your office, or under your desk, or even on top somewhere. Try it and see what happens. We did it last year, and we never got the flu. If this helps you and your loved ones from getting sick, all the better. If you do get the flu, it just might be a mild case.
Whatever, what have you to lose? Just a few bucks on onions!
Now there is a P. S. to this for I sent it to a friend in Oregon who regularly contributes material to me on health issues. She replied with this most interesting experience about onions: I don't know about the farmer’s story, but I do know that I contracted pneumonia, and needless to say I was very ill. I came across an article that said to cut both ends off an onion, put one end on a fork, and then place the forked end into an empty jar, placing the jar next to the sick patient at night.
It said the onion would be black in the morning from the germs. Sure enough, it happened just like that. The onion was a mess, and I began to feel better. Another thing I read in the article was that onions and garlic placed around the room saved many from the black plague years ago. They have powerful antibacterial, antiseptic properties.”

I searched the net for more information and apparently this is an old wives tale. Most people rubbished it but there were a couple of people who claimed that it worked. So I thought that I may as well try it at my centre. If it works, the parents will thank me for helping them save on medical fees and if it does not, all I lose is a few onions. Maybe you might want to try it out and let me know the outcome.

An effective way to prevent spreading germs is to cover your mouth when you cough as Jeremy demonstrates.

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Are cell phones safe?

I just received this letter from Dr Al Sears and I had to share this with you.

Dear Cecilia,
When I was hiking through the Andes, I saw people chatting on their cell phones. In Kerala, India, I saw fishermen call into shore from their boats to negotiate a price for the day’s catch. They even send pictures!
Cell phones are ubiquitous. Especially in the third world, they give people that wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford it access to the internet. And in that way, the cell phone is one of the greatest inventions of our time.
But I’m conflicted about the health consequence.
A new study from the Environmental Working Group (EWG) warns that many of the new internet phones bombard your brain with dangerous electromagnetic waves.
1. These waves penetrate your skull and can double your risk of a brain tumor.
Back in 2003, the Food and Drug Administration assured us that cell phones do not cause brain cancer. Unfortunately, they based their study on only three years of cell phone use.
2. But if you use a cell phone for a decade or more, your risk goes up. Researchers in Scandinavia and the United Kingdom discovered that people who used cell phones for more than 10 years had a significantly higher risk of developing brain tumors.
3. Even more alarming is what happens to kids that use cell phones.
Young skulls are less than half the thickness of adults, making it much easier for radio waves to penetrate and damage the brain. Multiple studies show young children absorb more radiation than adults do, putting them at high risk for brain tumors.
4. A two-minute call can alter the natural electrical activity in your child’s brain for one hour. Multiply this by the average 2,600 minutes a month your child is on the phone…and you get 22 hours (nearly a day) of unnatural brain activity.
Wireless earpieces and keeping the phone in your pocket are not good options. The earpiece relies on radio waves for transmission – these go into your brain. The phone in your pocket is emitting radio waves straight to your vital organs, especially your genitals.
So what should you do? I for one don’t want to give up my cell phone. And I don’t suggest you give up yours either. But I do take certain steps to limit my radiation exposure.
Here are some steps you can take:
Check what kind of radiation your phone emits. The lower, the better.
EWG has an updated list of the best and the worst phones.
Put your phone in ‘airplane’ mode when you’re in places you can’t (or shouldn’t) use your phone – driving, theaters, meetings, and doctor’s offices. This reduces the number of radiation exposure hours.
Go ‘hands-free’. The further away your phone is from your body – the less radiation penetrates you. Twelve inches (one foot) is the closest you should be to your phone.
Use a wired head set for all calls – make sure the cord is long enough so your phone is at least twelve inches away from you.
Send text messages instead of calling. Or keep your calls short.
And possibly the hardest advice of all to implement… limit use of cell phones by your children and teens. I tell my son Dylan to text instead of call. This limits his exposure.
I keep my phone in my desk drawer while I’m at work. In the car, I keep it on the console. And when I’m going back and forth, I keep it in my briefcase. And I don’t use it for long. When I’m going to be on the phone for a while, I use a landline.

To Your Good Health,

Al Sears, MD
11903 Southern Blvd., Ste. 208
Royal Palm Beach, FL 33411

Cell Phone Radiation – Science Review on Cancer Risks and Children’s Health – Environmental Working Group http://www.ewg.org/cellphone-radiation

Saturday, November 7, 2009

Introducing my new super baby models

It has been some time since I updated the status of my super models. The latest addition are:





Nash





Jayden





Ee-Wern





Jason

Sunday, November 1, 2009

Birthdays galore

All my little 'rats' are one year old now and toddling. The 'rats' are those born in the Chinese lunar year of the rat.






The first birthday party started in September with Renee






Then it was Isaac and the twins Marrisa and Mirabelle in early October











Finally it was Xuan's turn in mid October

Sunday, August 23, 2009

My baby gymnast is one year old !!

I cannot believe that all the babies are one year old or will be soon. It seems like only yesterday when they came to the centre. So far, 4 of them are one year old and this is Jeun Yip celebrating his first birthday.




Hey! Are all my friends here?







That's my birthday cake








Mummy helping me to cut my cake

Monday, August 17, 2009

A Natural cure for AH1N1?

I just received this email and I do wonder if this natural therapy does work but considering that almost everyone who contrscts the virus dies from pneumonia, I feel that doing something is better than doing nothing at all and it does not cost much.

"JUST A SMALL BUT MEANINGFUL INFO FM ME TO YOU AND YR FRIENDS...MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE OF H1N1 SINCE IT PRACTICALLY HIT US LIKE A TIME BOMB.....

My staff was crying herself sick on Tuesday morning...was told that her son was confirmed of H1N1 in his Uni at Kangar, Perlis...worse was that when he was bedridden 2 days the warden didnt even bother to sent to hospital till his dad came fm KL and with his friends assistance brought him to GH Kangar....

No one bothered in the hospital and he was put in the normal ward for another 2 days!!! (imagine the amount of people he has infected!!) .....after 2 days and his eyes were turning yellow and saliva greenish...he was put in quarantined room...

His mom practically fainted just telling me the story.. cant do much cos she does not have enough money to go to the north with the father...

First thing we did was made her call the hospital and insist that they sent him to Sg.Buloh Hospital or any other hospital in KL since they seemed to be more alert and more equipt...they refused of course...so I sent her off to Kangar the same day to solve the problem.

Whilst this was happening, I had a call from one Ustaz who was in town to "help cure" another H1N1 child in Shah Alam....and was told this simple prescription by him.....

EAT MINIMUM 6 GREEN APPLES A DAY AND FRESH ORANGE JUICE

For those with sore throat please blend the apples and keep on taking till your fever disappear and yr symtoms are gone....I cannot explain it but the child in Shah Alam was ok too after taking this tip....

My staff's son was given the apple juice for the whole day on Monday/Tuesday and he was out of the fever yesterday Wednesday... .she called me and was crying on the phone to say that her son was out of ICU and was able to eat normally...all these happened within just 4 days today (thursday 6 august)...

This is just to share with my fellow sisters and brothers and hope this small info could assist others as well, No harm in trying and anything can happen!!!!"


Health benefits of apples

Apples contain flavonoids, antioxidants that improve immune function and prevent heart disease and some cancers. Apples also have antiviral properties and will help you detoxify your body. Green apples act as a liver and gall bladder cleanser and may aid in softening gallstones.

Because of their high water content, apples are cooling and moistening and aid in reducing fever. Simply grate them and serve them to feverish patients. Steamed apples sweetened with honey are beneficial for a dry cough and may help to remove mucous from the lungs.

Easy on the digestion, apples contain malic and tartaric acids that inhibit fermentation in the intestines. Their high fiber content adds bulk that aids the digestive process, making elimination natural and comfortable. Apples contain pectin, a soluble fiber that encourages the growth of beneficial bacteria in the digestive tract.


Apples are a good source of potassium, folic acid, and vitamin C. A single apple has approximately 1500mg of vitamin C to give the immune system a boost. Additionally, there are trace amounts of B vitamins, iron, magnesium, and zinc. The skin of an apple contains quercetin an anti-oxidant found to lower the risk of heart disease and even prevent the cell changes that lead to cancer. If you eat two apples a day you can reduce your cholesterol level by up to 10%. Apples also reduce the risk of type II diabetes, COPD, stroke, respiratory disease, some types of cancer and asthma. Eating raw apples gives the gums a healthy massage and cleans the teeth.

Sunday, August 9, 2009

Giving fruits to small children

Almost all the babies are 10 months old so time to introduce fruits. I personally do not like to puree the fruits because, firstly I am too lazy to do this and secondly but most importantly, processing fruits will reduce the nutritional contents of the fruits. I also do not like to extract the juice because the children need the fibre to prevent constipation and some of the vital nutrients are in the fibre so by just giving the juice alone your baby will not have all the nutrients of the fruit
Most of the children have a few front teeth so they can bite through the fruits but they do not know how to properly chew food yet therefore it is important to use the right method to feed them.






Fruits like apples are hard therefore the best way is to scrape them. Cut the fruit into big slices.







Using a teaspoon, scrape the fruit until you get a pulp onto the spoon.







Offer it to the child. Continue scraping and feeding it to the baby until the slice is finished. It is best to start with one big slice and as your child gets used to the fruit you can give more.




If the fruit is soft you can give it slice by slice instead of mashing it up. This will teach your baby to enjoy the real texture of the fruit and it is less messy. I like to use the local ‘pisang emas’ because the texture is smoother and one banana is just nice for small children.







Peel the banana and using a teaspoon, slice off a small piece at a time.








Feed your child one slice at a time.








If you give kiwi fruits, cut it into halves








Use the ‘slicing’ method








Give one slice at a time until it is all gone.








Watermelon should be cut into very small cubes








Use a fork to offer the cut fruits to the child








Jeun Yip showing us that the fruit is good. All children cannot use their thumb to show the “this is good” sign so they use their fore finger.