Below is a question from one of the mom :

My son who is coming to 5 months now still passing motion almost at each feed. One day is about 5-6, sometimes 7 times. His weight gain is about 400-600gm per month for the last two months. Sometimes the stool is watery too. However, He is still active and happy as usual.

Should I continue to fully breastfeed him or supplement with solid or formula?

And I provided some ideas :

Definitely not supplement with formula! Have you checked with your paediatrician about this? He may want to know the colour of the stool, the consistency, whether it is pasty (like flour mixed with water), totally watery or is there some transparent, jellylike stool. These are all very important indications for doctors.

A food allergy can cause loose stool. Eg, the food you take may not agree with your baby’s digestive system. Is this a daily occurrence? Does your baby get tummy aches, bloated tummy etc? Is there a history of allergy in both you and your hubby’s family?

Your decision whether to start solid depends on your comfort level. Many of us start solid at 4 months (only rice flakes mixed with ebm). But many prefers to wait till 6 months. Starting solid may not solve the problem unless you know the reason. Best to check with your child’s paed, pick up the phone and ask. Otherwise, answer the above questions and write in detail. I will check this out with a paed for you.
_________________
Lilian (co-owner, moderator and mom of 5)

The above is a common question asked by a lot of new mothers who breastfeed their babies.

Here is one question posted by a mom.

My Nina now is nursing fully, but it’s been 3 days since she’s moved her bowels. Is this something I should be worried about? I’m thinking of taking her to see my paed if she doesn’t do anything today. How long can a baby go without doing it? -Yat

And the other mothers who breastfeed their babies shared their own experiences :

Bowel – If Nina is not straining or looks uncomfortable, just sit and wait. You will be ‘rewarded’ with a big one soon. My son is also the same – sometimes poo about 7-9 times per day, then suddenly 3 days without bowel movement. All the moo-mies here will chorus – this is normal! if you are exclusively breast-feeding her. – Lilian

Not to worry! It’s normal for exclusively BFG babies do not pass the bowel very often. This is due to our super duper milk is almost 100% absorbed as nutrition by their body, thus not so much to be passed. At one time Wafiq (when he was 3 mths) did not do ‘bisnes’ for almost 10 days. Just minutes away before we went to see a paed, he gave us a surprise with long overdue bullet! – Fiz

There’s nothing to worry about. Joe Yue, now 3.5 months old, has been having bowel movement (since he turned 3 months)every 4 – 5 days. At first, I was worried like you too but after that I realised that it was normal. His paed said that there’s even a record of 11 days! As long as the poo-poo is not hard and pellet-like and your baby is not crying, it’s perfectly fine. – Christine

One does not need a whole range of kitchen utensils to prepare baby food. However, two things will come in very handy, i.e. the slow-cooker and a hand-blender. These are multi-tasking kitchen gadgets which can be used for the whole family food preparation and cost less than RM100 each. One just needs to toss in the ingredients like rice or oats into the slow-cooker to make a porridge and add the rest of the ingredients. In the earlier stage, baby food needs to be blended into very smooth consistency and thus, the hand-blender will come in handy.

Time saving tips

* To save time on cooking rice or oats, I wash a batch of rice, dry them in the oven, blend the rice/oats to powdery, and keep them in airtight container. Cooking time is very much lessen.
* When Matthew was younger and only took small serving of food, I cook extra portions, freeze them in ice tray, store the frozen food cubes in plastic bag, and kept in airtight container. However, label with the date and avoid storing frozen cubes longer than 1 week. Fishes do not store well. To heat up the cubes, one just has to pop it in the microwave and reheat for 1 minute or steam it. (Caution: One ought to be careful when giving food heated in microwave because sometimes, there are ‘hot spots’ that can burn because of uneven heat distribution. Always stir the food well.)
* At times, I will cook for the family, dish out a small portion of food before I add in any salt or flavourings and blend the food for my baby.
* When I prepare soups made of vegetables and meat/bones stock, I will dish out some before adding salt and cook porridge with it.
* As baby food is not supposed to be flavoured with any salt or soy sauce, I use herbs and spices like garlic, onion, bayleaf, cinnamon powder, celery etc to enhance the flavour.
* One readily available ingredient is homemade ikan bilis powder. I will soak the ikan bilis for a long time until all the saltiness is removed, dry them in the oven till crispy and pound them into fine powder. A pinch added to porridge not only makes it tastier, it is full of calcium too.
* Babies love the taste of soft fruits like banana and papayas. All one need to do is just to scrape the fruit with a spoon and fed to the baby.

More discoveries

* Different babies react differently to the texture of foods. While other 9 months old babies are adapting to soft porridges with bits and pieces of vegetables and meats, Matthew dislike any lumps in his food.
* Some babies only like Malaysian/Chinese flavoured porridges while others like those with a more Westernised taste like corns, peas, cheese and pasta.
* Food for young babies must be in a runny consistency instead of thick gooey stuff which sticks to the palate.
* It takes patience and time to make the transition for my baby to get used to chewing his food. I offer him rice crackers, rice crispies and soft fruits to chew on. However, he still oftens gagged while eating rusks and other baby biscuits. Therefore, one has to be very careful and never leave a baby alone with any kind of food.

Can I give my child “pearl powder”?

Pearl powder not excreted out will stay in the body and turn into gallstones. I will remember to ask the paed for a medical explanation next time. – Lilian

Does frozen porridge cause wind?

The paed confirmed that frozen porridge can cause wind if the frozen food is contaminated with bacterias. This is the medical explanation.  Best to have freshly cooked food but if there is no other option, then we have to make sure that the food is stored at the right temperature and is not kept for too long– Lilian

What do I do if my child has a suspected head injury?

I got this flyer from my paed’s office about head injuries. The hospital has a neuro-surgeon, paed surgeon and 3 paeds. So, they often get references for head injuries. Here goes:

See the doctor immediately if your child hurts his or her head and shows any of the following signs and symptoms:
1. Nausea and vomiting
2. Inconsolable cry and irritable
3. Fluid/blood draining from ears or nose
4. Increasingly severe headache
5. Weakness or numbness of body
6. Difficulty in walking or talking
7. Drowsiness
8. Confusion or unusual behaviour
9. Fits

According to my paed, normal falls rarely cause blood clots. If there is blood clot present, the first thing they suspect is child abuse because it takes a very hard trauma direct to the head to result in blood-clots. Unless of course, falling from very high places, which will result in very nasty knocks. (Do you all remember I mentioned about the 4 year old boy who fell down 4 floors and died while his dad was carrying him? They were walking along the corridor and the boy was very boisterous and the dad lost his hold.)

Once I shared a room with a mom whose 2-3 year old son was in a coma. The doctor told her he is blind and handicapped but miraculously, he recovered after surgery. The parents insisted the boy got the injuries (several clots) from falls sustained while at the babysitter’s (fell off baby walker) but the doctor refused to believe her.

Falls (i.e. hard knocks, injuries) also can result in a fever. It is not due to frazzled nerves but injuries to the body tissues and some other medical explanation. – Lilian

DEVELOPMENTAL MILESTONES

(Reference note: The actions mentioned in the bullet form are some of the things that a baby/child is able to do at the different ages. Those marked in bold are warning signs that you may wish to refer to your respective paediatrician if you observe them.)

6 weeks old

* Smiles
* Stares at faces
* Startles to sudden noise

3 months old

*
Holds rattle placed in hand
*
Eyes follow moving person/object
*
Vocalises & laughs

6 months old

* Sits with support
* Rolls prone to supine
* Reaches out to grasp
* Turns to voice

*

Warning : Hand preference

Persistence of fisting

12 months old

* Walks holding furniture
* Bangs 2 objects held in hands
* Waves bye-bye
* Papa/mama specific

*

Warning : Unable to sit or bear weight

Absence of babbling

18 months old

* Walks unsupported
* Scribbles
* Feeds self with spoon
* 3 words other than papa/mama

*

Warning : Inability to stand without support

Inability to understand simple commands

2 years old

* Kicks ball
* Imitates vertical line
* Combines 2 different words

*

Warning : Unable to speak in short sentences

3 years old

*
Pedals tricycle
*
Copies circle
*
Dresses with help
*
Names 4 pictures

4 years old

* Hops
* Copies cross and square
* Brushes teeth without help
* Recognise 4 colours

5 years old

* Walks down stairs one foot per step
* Draws man with 6 parts
* Dramatic group play
* Define 6 words

For MMR, the recommended age to jab is between 12 – 15 mths. Most hospitals recommend 15 months.

At 5 yrs old, a child has to be jabbed again a booster dose. After that, no more jabs. So, MMR is a one dose jab.

But a majority of children weren’t given the MMR when they were small and there is a risk of an outbreak. Thus, the Government is paying millions of ringgit to get every child jab.

Right now, my two older children, age 14 yrs and 12 yrs are going to get another jab because I cannot prove to the Government Healthcare that I had given them the jab when they were 5 yrs old. My paed told me that at their age, they can take another booster dose.

From the pattern found in the UK (paed said) bigger children contract measles. Not because the jab earlier was ineffective but probably, the virus has gotten smarter.

As for taking separate jabs of MMR, I cannot fathom the wisdom behind it. Firstly, the vaccine producer made them in one shot. It saves our babies the pain of 3 jabs. Secondly, MMR has been MMR and not M, M and R. All 3 of these infections have their own danger. Measles if not treated early can lead to death. Mumps sometime affects the testicles of male children. Rubella – it is deadly to fetus.

Previously, the risk of MMR was because they used mercury/thimoresal as the preservative in the vaccine. But now, it has been phased out. It is wise to ask your doctor about this and also find out the name of company manufacturing the vaccine. As I know, there are good and expensive drugs and there are cheaper alternatives. So, also good to find out whether one is getting the latest and best one available.

I heard that MMR is available free in district clinic too.

My paediatrician has provided a link for further readings on the MMR issue.

They have done a lot of research on the combined MMR vacines so , it is safe-lah! After all, isn’t it better? The kids don’t have to suffer 3X!

Yes, when we were young , measles, mumps etc is the common childhood disease but today, we have the option of immunisation in the form of vacines and these disease may cause serious problems . Sure, even after vacines, kids may still get it, but if they do, at least it won’t be serious. In our goverment effort to get rid of this disease, goverment hospitals is now giving free MMR jab these days. Yeah! I think we should follows every shot recommended by the hospital

Luckily, chicken pox is a once in a life-time thing. Otherwise, I don’t think I can go through another one again ever! I got the virus 4 months after I delivered J Y. (Two months before that, I got an appendicitis operation)….It was terrible…I got fever for two days before dh discover some red ‘benjol’ spots on my body. I have to leave JY at my mom’s place for 2 weeks plus….it’s like the saddest days of my life. I cried for a few days because I missed my baby so much and also because of the persistent headaches that occured. I also looked the ugliest at that time….My face hit the worst…Every one day is like forever…sometimes, I so tak sabar-sabar towards the end , I start to ‘kopek’ the dried crust. So, I really don’t want my children to go through such a terrible ordeal…. definetely not at my age lar. I heard younger children will go through easier period with this virus, that’s why dh also thinks no need to go for the chicken pox jab yet. But I think I will still send JY for the immunisation.
I’m a Kiasu mom, but I think I will have no qualms in having my son vaccinated when he is due for the MMR jab.

As there is no scientific evidence, which supports the correlation between MMR vaccine and autism. The MMR vaccine, just like any other immunization shots is administered to prevent children from being exposed to potentially deadly and serious diseases.

If we choose not to give our child the MMR jab, that would make him more susceptible to measles. Measles outbreak have recently been found occurring in the UK and Germany following an increase in the number of parents who chose not to give their children the MMR vaccine. Discontinuing a vaccine program based on unproven theories would not be in anyone’s best interest I believe. Splitting the vaccine into three doses would mean more discomfort for the children too.

Just imagine if the rubella vaccine was to be delayed, approximately 4 million children would be vulnerable to rubella for an additional 6 to 12 months. This would potentially allow congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) to occur through transmission of rubella from infected children to pregnant women. Ironically, infection of pregnant woman with “wild” rubella virus is one of the few known causes of autism. Thus, by preventing rubella infection of pregnant women, MMR vaccine also prevents autism.

The MMR ‘debate’ : MyMomsBest is an informed parenting website. It respects and supports the medical advices and recommendations from the Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia (Malaysian Health Ministry) and the local medical professionals. However, MyMomsBest is aware that there are many parents who are unsure of giving their child protection against Mumps, Measles and Rubella (MMR) because of the media exposure. Therefore, MyMomsBest hopes to present here some of the members’ opinions.

Opinion against giving their children MMR includes:

My GP said you can do it in three seperate doses if you are concerned abt having so many “doses” in one shot. I feel that THREE vaccinations in one is a lot for a young one,and now they r talking abt booster shots. if your doc can split them up so much the better. I also think that it is normal childhood disease, measles, mumps etc. Rubella is if the mother is exposed when pregnant. I dont know why we need to vaccinate, kids STILL get the illness *Shrug* The other vaccinations are fine. I guess it depends on your comfort level.

(Note: It is understood that there is no known suppliers of separate vaccines of M, M and R. Accuracy of the above information is uncertain)
Majority of members have done extensive readings and share here their respective paediatricians’ advices. The following are what some mothers have to say.

Vaccination

This topic is popular in our forum at MyMomsBest under Childcare. Questions asked includes:

*
What is the recommended vaccination schedule?

The below is a guideline from a private hospital. There may be slight variations depending on each hospital’s policy.

At birth BCG, Polio, Hepatitis B
1 month 2nd Hep B
2-3 mths 1st DTa P*, Polio & Hib
3-4 mths 2nd DTa P, Polio & Hib
5-6 mths 3rd DTa P, Polio & Hib
6 mths 3rd Hepatitis B
> 12 mths Chicken pox
12-15 mths MMR
18 mths DTa P, Polio & Hib – 1st booster
5 years MMR Booster
4-6 years DTa P, Polio – 2nd Booster

*
Is my baby going to be sick or in pain after the jab?

Not every vaccination is going to cause fever and pain. However, there are certain jabs that may make a baby feverish. Usually, the doctor will prescribed some paracetamol for your child after taking jabs like DaTP/Polio/Hib, chicken pox, MMR .

* = DTa P (Diptheria, Tetanus & Pertussis combination vaccine) a stands for acellular is a new improved version of vaccine which has been shown to cause less side effects, such as fever, painful swelling, fits, etc. But DTaP is more expensive compare to the older version. Only the private hospitals are using it.

*
I heard that there are two options to polio vaccine. What are those?

Polio drops are commonly given by dropping the vaccine in liquid form into the baby’s mouth. The other alternative is the injectable killed polio vaccine. Compared to the widely used oral live attenuated polio vaccine, the new generation injectable polio vaccine has less vaccine-associated complications.

*
What is BCG for? Why does it produce a scar?

BCG is to prevent TB, especially TB meningitis and a severe form of TB in the lungs (called miliary TB) in young children. It is just the nature of the vaccine which produce a very intense immune reaction on the injection site, hence resulting in a scar. Some may even have keloid formation. The scar is a clinical evidence to prove that the person has been given the BCG jab. Some countries health ministry gives BCG at the buttocks purely for cosmetic reasons.

*
I heard that if I bring my child for the Hib vaccination at an older age, he will get less jabs. Is this true?

Since May 2003, government clinics have started giving HiB vaccines to newborn babies. It is incorporated with the DTP/Polio vaccine according to the Malaysian immunisation schedule at 2,3 & 5 months. For those who has not received this vaccine, the schedule is as follow:….
Between 1-6 months, a baby will be given 3 jabs
If a baby is above 6mth and below 12 months, need 2 jabs
Once a child is above 1yr or up to 4 yrs old, need 1 jab

It is advisable to get a baby vaccinated against Hib (an infection affecting the brain) from an early age because of the severity of the illness. Otherwise, it can be too late for treatment when diagnosis is delayed. The jab given to a smaller baby is in a smaller dosage and thus, more repeats are required.