Baby girl weighing 13.47 pounds (6kg 109.89g) born naturally in Germany

  The Guinness Book of World Records,record for the heaviest baby ever born is 23 pounds and 12 ounces(10kg 772.82g).A boy who was born on January 19, 1879 to a giantess named Anna Bates in Seville, Ohio, but later died 11 hours after birth.
 The heaviest baby born ,who survived was born in Aversa, Italy in 1955 and weighed 22 pounds, 8 ounces!(10kg 205.83g).
 More recently, A baby was born without the aid of a cesarean section in Germany depsite weighing 13.47 pounds(6kg 109.89g), making her the country’s biggest baby ever. As reported by Herald Sun, Baby girl Jasleen was born at University Hospital in Leipzig, Germany on July 26. Jasleen’s mother only arrived at the hospital on the day of the birth, and it was discovered that she had suffered from an undiagnosed gestational diabetes, a condition that can cause excessive birth weight in the newborn child. Both mom and daughter are doing well after the birth.
  A fetus or infant that weighs above 4000 grams is said to bé big(macrosomic). Common causes of this include poorly controlled maternal diabetes(for this reason it is said to be commoner in africa), maternal obesity,it is also seen in tall mothers,Some genetic disorders like Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome to mention a few.
 Some problems associated with fetal macrosomia include difficult delivery which may lead to uterine rupture,maternal genital tract laceration, birth trauma. It is also associated with increase need for CS.

"Are teeth pacifiers good for my baby?" - A mother's question

....A must have for most mothers especially the working class. Despite its advantages, like every other thing,it has its disadvantages. Sucking is a natural process and a normal part of development which is soothing to children even after they stop breast feeding. Hence, the teeth pacifiers are used to achieve and maintain this process well into their first year of life.

  ADVANTAGES OF USING TEETH PACIFIERS 

• It calms an irritated baby and offers temporary distraction to them.
• It helps babies fall asleep.
• It has been shown from research,that there is a relationship between pacifier use during sleep and a reduced risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).    Sudden Infant Death Syndrome is the sudden death of an infant that is not predicted by medical history and remains unexplained after a thorough forensic autopsy. As infants are at highest risk of SIDS during sleep, it is sometimes referred to as "cot death" or "crib death". The cause of SIDS is unknown.

   PROBLEMS WITH THE USE OF TEETH PACIFIERS

• It can interfere with breast feeding when started early, causing a reduction in duration of breast feeding.
• Babies can become dependent on pacifiers. They may always need it before they can fall asleep with ensuing crying spells if it falls out of their mouth.
• The risk of infection is high especially if the pacifier is not routinely sterilized.
• It might cause a child’s front teeth to slant outward along with other teeth problems, especially if used for a protracted period.

Causes of snoring and how to deal with it

  Just about everyone snores occasionally. There’s an increased susceptibility as one increase in age. Snoring is the sound produced from the vibration of respiratory structures due to obstructed air movement during breathing while sleeping. Snoring causes sleep deprivation to snorers and those around them resulting in daytime drowsiness, irritability, reduced concentration and decreased libido.

   Factors predisposing to snoring include:

-          AGE- As one reaches middle age, the throat becomes narrower and muscle tone decreases.

-          SEX- Men have narrower airways than women. Hence, are more likely to snore.

-          GENETICS- Narrow throat runs in some families.

    Causes

Anything that causes narrowing of the air passage, blockage of airway and reduction of neck muscle tone will cause snoring.

•    Obstructive sleep apnea- it is important to rule this out when determining the cause of snoring.
•    Abnormally positioned jaw
•   Obesity- Deposition of fat in and around the throat narrows the airway.
•    Relaxants such as alcohol, drugs (e.g. sedatives and sleeping pills) reduce muscle tone.
•   Upper Respiratory tract infections
•    Smoking- this weakens and clogs the throat
•    Sleeping with too many pillows- this stretches and narrows the airway.
•    Sleeping on one’s back- this may result in the tongue dropping to the back of the mouth and blocking airflow.

  
    Treatment

The first step is determining the cause. Observing patterns in your snoring can often help pinpoint the reasons why you snore, what makes it worse and how to go about stopping it.

• Closed mouth snoring might indicate a problem with your tongue.
• Open-mouth snoring may be related to tissues in the throat.
• Snoring while sleeping on your back is probably mild. Improved sleep habits and lifestyle changes may be effective cures.
• Snoring in all sleep positions usually requires a more comprehensive treatment.

 

Some self-help cures include:

•    Lose weight
•    Stop smoking
•    Regular sleep patterns
•   Sleep on your side instead of your back
•   Avoid alcohol and sleeping pills
•   Avoid caffeine and heavy meals within 2hours of going to bed.Medical treatment include the use of nasal sprays, nose clips e.t.c.Surgery can also be done. Consult your ENT doctor on possible treatment options.

Coping As A Partner

The bed partner loses on average an hour of sleep per night resulting in significant relationship and health issues. Working together to stop snoring can be an opportunity to improve the quality of your bond.

-          Keep in mind it’s not intentional

-          Avoid lashing out

-          Use humor

The treatment options earlier mentioned can be explored together.

                                                                                               
                                                                            contributed by Dr. I.T joel

BODY ODOR - causes and treatment tips

  Often times unrecognized by the person who has it but unpleasant to others; Body odor also called Bromhidrosis is a perceived unpleasant smell given off by the body when bacteria that lives on the skin (e.g. propionibacteria) breakdown sweat into acids. Sweat is odorless but if left on the skin for long, the process of break down takes place. Although body odor can have a nice and specific smell to individuals,it can be influenced by diet, gender, health and medications.

  Who’s affected?
-Children below the age of puberty rarely have body odor because the specialized glands only become active at puberty. Hence, it is commonly seen from puberty.
-The obese
-people who take spicy food regularly e.g curry
-people that sweat too much:
This could be restricted to some part of the body like the feet and palms
It could be all over the body commonly seen in some medical conditions like diabetes, hyperthyroidism, tuberculosis etc

   Sites commonly affected
It is most likely to occur in the feet, groin, armpits, genital and pubic hair and other hairs, belly button, anus, behind the ear.

   Is it important to see the doctor?
As stated above, some medical conditions are associated with increased sweating (e.g. hyperthyroidism, tuberculosis etc) while some change how a person smells (e.g. liver diseases, diabetes etc).If your body odor becomes persistent or causes you concern, seek medical care.

  Treatment Tips
-Keep the body clean e.g. wash the armpits, feet etc. regularly
-Hair slows down the evaporation of sweat, so shave it off.
-Use a deodorant or antiperspirant
-Don’t use a cloth more than once or tight fitted clothes
-Reduce the intake of spicy food
-Treat or manage the medical condition cause the increase sweating.

World Suicide Prevention Day

   Today, 10th September is World Suicide Prevention Day and it aims to promote worldwide commitment and action to prevent suicides. On average, almost 3000 people commit suicide daily. For every person who completes a suicide, 20 or more may attempt to end their lives.
  Suicide is a major preventable cause of premature death and this awareness needs to be raised at the global level .A good policy frameworks for national suicide prevention strategies should be developed by governments and these as while as the research outcomes need to be translated into prevention programmes and activities in communities at the local level.
                                    

For more on suicide prevention visit: http://www.who.int/mental_health/prevention/suicide/suicideprevent/en/index.html

How much space is considered 'adequate' between subsequent births?

   A common question asked most times is, “how much gap is good between one birth aπδ the subsequent pregnancy?”. A published study in the New England Journal of Medicine reported that the best outcomes for both mother and baby is seen when there is a gap of 18 – 23months from birth to subsequent pregnancy.
Pregnancy spacing doesn’t just affect the age difference but "too long" or "too short" spacing has enormous effect on the child’s health and that of the mother’s.

Possible outcomes of short birth spacing:
-Low birth weight: Babies given birth to usually have weights less than 2.5kg
-Preterm birth: This is when the baby is born before 37th week of pregnancy. Possible problems associated with preterm birth include increased risk of infections, breathing problems e.t.c.
-Small for gestational age: Baby is small in size for the expected weight.
 -Uterine rupture: A tear through the uterus especially when trying to deliver a baby through the vagina after a previous caesarean section can occur.
-Mental health issues: Mother’s are prone to having post-partum depression probably due to stress.
-A study done in 2011, also suggested a link between pregnancy intervals of less than 12months and autism in second – born children

Possible outcomes of long birth spacing:
-    Research suggests that a gap of 5yrs or more after giving birth poses concern for mothers and babies because it can be associated with increased risk of
-Slow or difficult labor or delivery
-Low birth weight
-Small gestational age