Baby Healthcare

6 Things To Do NOW if Your Child has Flat Head Syndrome (Plagiocephaly)

Published on January 15, 2021January 15, 2021 by MamaKENGLeave a comment

If your child has flat head and you are wondering if it is normal, please take some actions immediately as the golden period to change baby’s head shape is between 4-8 months old!

I started noticing my second born preferred to sleep on his right (LEFT torticollis) when he was 2 months old. I flagged out to the pediatrician and he told me that he had stiff neck. He advised to do neck stretching exercise for 10 seconds x 3 times a day. As he didn’t say it is of concern, I wasn’t actively doing it and over the next 2 months, has resulted in him having flat head (plagiocephaly).

When he was 4 months old, I got panicky when I saw his right head was much flatter to the extend that it affected his facial symmetry (his right forehead started to bulge out more)!

Right forehead bulged and right head flattened.

So during his routine 4 months old checkup at the polyclinic, I highlighted to the doctor and she referred me to KK Hospital. The appointment was 2 weeks later and I was so worried that I made another appointment at a private orthopedist .

At KKH, the paediatrician also said it is mild and only referred me to physiotherapist for him to review if there is a need to do helmet therapy. I found out later that physiotherapist is unable to do referral (only doctors can) and KKH has no helmet therapy so I had to go back to the KKH pediatrician and ask for referral to Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH).

This has resulted in precious time lost as my son was already almost 5 months old. As of writing, only TTSH (subsidised) and Orthopaedia Singapore (private) do helmet therapy in Singapore.

Meanwhile at the private orthopaedia, we found out that his plagiocephaly was severe (yet 3 doctors told us was mild!), according to the head scan that the orthopedist did. She claimed that PD usually do not place flat head or torticollis as high priority since they don’t affect brain development. Maybe that’s why no doctors ever flag out to us about his plagiocephaly.

Looking back, I should have been more active in seeking treatment for his flat head. Deep inside, I was hoping not to do helmet therapy hence I did not actively research on the possible treatments. We might not have needed helmet therapy if I had done something to his torticollis. Argh! If only I could turn back time, I would…

1. Reposition his sleeping position

Since birth, alternate their sleep positions by turning LO’s head to the opposite side. This can allow even distribution of baby’s head weight. Put your baby at opposite ends of the crib each night to encourage baby to face to both directions.

For my flat head baby. I am now repositioning his head diligently such that the rounded side of his head is placed on the mattress instead of the flattened side.

This works best before 4 months old as after that baby will have the strength to move to his preferred side.

2. Alternating sides when handling baby

I made the mistake of always carrying baby on my right arm when feeding and this encourages him to turn to his right even more, making his left neck muscles more tense.

Carrying baby in alternate sides will prevent asymmetry neck muscles tightness and preferred head position.

For my left torticollis case, I need to cradle carry him on my left arm more to force him to look to his left. For upright carry, I need to carry him on my right shoulder so that his head will be force to look to his left.

3. Encourage more tummy time

Tummy time takes pressure off baby’s head and strengthen body and neck muscles.

Head is seldom at center position due to his left torticollis

I place toys or stand on his left to encourage him to turn.

4. Do more stretching exercises

This website has very useful exercises which are similar to what was being taught by my physiotherapist. Do take note of whether your child has right (prefers to turn left due to stiff right neck) or left (prefers to turn right due to stiff left neck) torticollis.

Helping him to turn his head to the left

5. Buy mimos pillow

Some mums claimed that mimos pillow helped to correct the flat head. I would have given it a try if my LO was much younger. But sadly, only helmet therapy can help him now.

6. Immediately ask polyclinic for helmet therapy referral

Don’t wait. I should have asked the polyclinic doctor to refer during the 2nd month routine checkup and not listen to them that it is mild and do nothing. The referral process takes some time (1-2 months) and it is best to start helmet therapy early as the later the child starts, the longer the treatment period (some even need 2 helmets as it is so severe!) It is also almost impossible to alter the head shape after 1 year old.

Hope this sharing helps any mummies with flat head babies. I will write another post on the helmet therapy after we have started with it. All the best! 🙂

5 Reasons Why I Donated Cord Blood and not Store with Private Bank

Published on June 18, 2020 by MamaKENGLeave a comment

If you have been to baby fair, chances are you are approached by some promoters from private cord blood bank. Like any parent, I wanted the best for my child and was tempted to sign up for cord blood storage despite the high cost involved. After all, there is no U-turn once you missed the only one chance to store.

What is cord blood?

Cord blood is blood from the umbilical cord. After the umbilical cord separates from your child, the doctor will extract the cord blood for processing, freezing and storage.

After doing my own research, these are the reasons why I decided to not store privately.

1. Chances of using the cord blood is extremely low

In Singapore, there is only a handful of people who withdraw their cord blood from private banked cord blood for use. Doctors estimate between 0.04% to 0.0005% of use.

The low rate of use for privately banked cord blood is mainly because of the second point…

2. Patient’s own cord blood is likely unsuitable for own use

The cord blood is mainly used for blood related diseases like leukaemia. However, this also means that is is likely the patient is unable to use his/her own cord blood since the blood may already carry the genetic abnormality that causes the blood or immune system to fail in the first place.

Hence, cord blood stored in the public bank has a higher chance of being used (2.2 per cent).

3. More research needed to expand the use of cord blood

The low rate of use also means that there are not many diseases that can use the cord blood. Most diseases involved blood cancers like leukaemia and lymphoma.

5 Questions About Cord Blood Banking — source: babybonus

4. Private banks may have poorer quality cord blood

Public banks are highly regulated. Private banks on the other hand may not meet stringent requirements, which can cause stored cord blood to be of lesser quality. Thus, the stored blood might not be useful after all.

“In order to meet international requirement for a life-saving cord blood transplant, all collected Cord Blood Units (CBUs) will be evaluated for volume of blood, cell count, cell viability, and infectious disease amongst other panel of testing requirements. These will ensure only samples of the highest quality are banked” ~SCBB

5. I can potentially help others and my child

Donating cord blood to public bank means I can potentially help others. The more people donate, the larger the community of cord blood available and thus higher chance of finding a right match.

And *touch wood* if my child ever needs cord blood, he has the priority to receive cord blood from the public bank too. And if his own cord blood is still available and is suitable, he can also withdraw for personal use.

Therefore, I decided to donate his cord blood to SCBB and used the money saved to buy a more comprehensive insurance coverage for baby.

Do note that SCBB’s requirement for donation is quite stringent, has to meet even higher cell count than private banks so if the blood is found unsuitable for storage, it will be used for research purposes unless otherwise requested by donor. They also offer private banking services at lower fees than private banks in the event that the cord blood does not meet donation requirement and the parents still want to store.

For my second baby, I would choose delayed cord clamping and also donate to SCBB (hopefully the cell counts are good even after the delayed clamping).

3 Steps to Protect My Family from Bacteria and Virus

Published on May 13, 2020May 13, 2020 by MamaKENGLeave a comment

How do you protect your LO and family from bacteria and virus?🤒🤧😷

I have a 3 steps process to protect my family of which the fundamental belief is prevention is better than cure.

1) Supplements

When baby A was below 1, I gave him daily DHA and probiotics as I’m worried that my breastmilk do no have enough DHA since I’m not a frequent fish and meat eater. I chose @kindernurture probiotics as it has 10 strains of probiotics, unlike some more popular brands that have 1 or 2 strains only. After he turns one, I continued to give him probiotics with immunped vitamic C since his formula contains DHA already. 👶🏻👶🏻👶🏻

As for the adults, fish oil, calcium, vitamin C and pine bark antioxidant are the 4 main supplements I prepare for the hubby. I do not eat calcium as I consume enough milk.

2) Essential oils

These are the top 5 most frequently used oils in the family.

Some of the frequently used essential oils.

-RC is good for his cough and phlegm 🗣🗣🗣while eucalyptus is good in clearing his blocked nose. 👃🏼👃🏼
-I use thieves as his hand sanitiser and immunity booster by dapping on his soles. 🦶🏼🦶🏼🦶🏼
-Purification is used in diffuser for cleansing the air especially when someone at home is ill. 🤒🤒🤒
-Lavender is used in diffuser to calm down a crying baby due to discomfort from sickness. It helps him to sleep better and longer. 😴😴😴

3) Cleaning equipment

Thanks to my OCD nature, I have all these stocks in the house. I’m shocked to see that all the hand sanitiser, spray and even Dettol antiseptic solution are out of stock in fairprice!🙀🙀🙀

For baby toys and baby items, I use thieves spray to clean as it is less harsh to the skin. I also DIY natural hand sanitiser for his little hands and feet. 👐🏼👐🏼

This formula has worked for the family as baby does not fall ill as often as before I started this. The husband has also never taken more than 3 MC in the past 10 years (touch wood and fingers crossed!)

Preview(opens in a new tab)

Check out my DIY hand sanitiser that is safe for baby use in this post!

Baby Eczema Cream Review

Published on December 23, 2019May 13, 2020 by MamaKENGLeave a comment

Decided to do a review on the eczema creams I have tried for baby A as it was really heartbreaking seeing him scratch and suffer in pain. Hope this review will be useful for anyone battling with eczema.

Baby A’s skin got better overtime, after we had success with some of the creams we tried.

Lush Dream Cream

“Light, cooling and easily absorbed into the skin, the combination of calming chamomile, organic, extra virgin olive oil and creamy, Fair Trade, organic cocoa butter quickly soothes and softens.”
https://sg.lush.com/products/dream-cream

I decided to try this out as after reading the viral post. Did a quick google and found that this has received so many good reviews from those with eczema.

I got the self-preserving version as I wanted less chemicals for my baby. The cream feels greasy but absorbs rather quickly on the skin. Hence it leaves only a slight sticky feeling. It is not viscous or watery but the consistency is like a smooth whipped cream. Though not watery, it will flow out and make a mess when the tub topples. It is value for money as I just need a little amount to apply for the whole body.

I really like the strong smell of rose water, lavender essential oil and oats which is rather relaxing.

The downside? The tub container is not hygienic nor travel friendly. I also didn’t like how the tub is all greasy since I use the same hands to close the tub after applying on my LO’s body. I’ve now transferred the cream into a pump bottle.

So does it really stop eczema flare up? Sadly, it did not prevent my baby’s severe flare up but it is a very good daily moisturiser as I noticed that my baby’s skin became more dry and patchy after I stopped using this.

Would I repurchase? Likely as a daily moisturiser since it is value for money and keeps my baby’s skin moist.

Ingredients: “Oat Milk, Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Rose Water, Glycerine, Fair-trade Organic Cocoa Butter, Stearic Acid, Triethanolamine, Rose Absolute, Chamomile Blue Oil, Tea Tree Oil, Lavender Oil, Tincture of Benzoin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Benzyl Alcohol, *Benzyl Benzoate, *Citronellol, *Geraniol, *Limonene, *Linalool, Perfume. *Occurs naturally in essential oils”

2. Ceradan Skin Barrier Repair Cream

“Backed by research which shows that skin’s ceramide is reduced by 30% to 50% in atopic dermatitis, Ceradan Skin Barrier Repair Cream is a hypoallergenic moisturiser which has a ceramide-dominant formula to replenish ceramide and strengthen skin barrier in eczema-prone skin. It uses a 3:1:1 ratio of intercellular physiological lipids such as ceramide, cholesterol and free fatty acids for optimal hydration and reparation in dry and sensitive skin.”
http://www.ceradan311.com/product/atopic-dermatitis/

I have seen two different PDs when my baby has severe flare ups and both prescribed Ceradan. Ceradan works wonder for both times and managed to calm the angry skin. He did not have any flare up afterwards and the dry flaky skin became soft and well moisturised.

Ceradan is very thick but it is not greasy and absorbs on skin very well. I don’t feel any stickiness but when I wash my hands after applying Ceradan on his body, it takes me lots of water and soap to get the creamy texture off my hands. I believe that this is good as it forms a protective skin barrier. It is also fragrant-free and paraben-free.

Wow, this seems the perfect cream for his eczema! The drawback? It is the priciest eczema cream among all the creams I have tried so far. That said, since the cream is very thick, I just need to use a little amount to cover his entire body. Another negative point is that the cream is not easily available in supermarket or department stores.

Would I repurchase? Definitely a yes for flare ups since it is the most effective cream so far.

Ingredients: Water, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Butylene Glycol, Cyclopentasiloxane, Behenyl Alcohol, Hydroxypropyl Bispalmitamide MEA (Ceramide), Cetyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, PEG-60 Glyceryl Isostearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Linoleic Acid, Cholesterol, Pentylene Glycol, Beeswax, Squalane, Trideceth-12, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Sorbitan Stearate, Dimethicone, PEG-6, PEG-32, Phenoxyethanol, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tocopherol, Sodium Hydroxide.

3. Aveeno Baby Dermexa Cream

“Formulated with naturally active Triple Oat Complex plus ceramides, this unique lotion works to soothe your baby’s dry, itchy skin, and is clinically proven suitable for eczema prone skin.”
https://www.aveeno.com.sg/baby-products/for-eczema-skin/aveeno-baby-dermexa-moisturizing-cream

I decided to give it a try as I read that oats is a good natural remedy for dry skin.

I cannot really say how effective this is when it comes to tackling very angry red rashes as my baby did not have another severe flare up (touch wood!) However, I did use it when he had minor heat rash and it was able to clear the rashes and kept the skin well moisturised.

I really like the consistency as it is not greasy and absorbs quickly into the skin, leaving the skin feeling soft and smooth (though a little sticky). I tried all the creams on my own skin and this is the best in terms of texture. It made my skin feel really soft and easy to wash off. This is the cream I enjoyed most putting on my baby’s body so far.

The smell of the cream is pleasant with a slight oatmeal smell.

Would I repurchase? Very likely since it is relatively effective but cheaper than Ceradan.

Ingredients: Water, Glycerin, Panthenol, Distearyldimonium Chloride, Petrolatum, Isopropyl Palmitate, Cetyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Flour, Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Oil, Steareth-20, Benzalkonium Chloride, Ceramide NP, Sodium Chloride, Potassium Sorbate, Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Extract.

4. Cetaphil Baby Daily Lotion (not the Eczema range)

“This gentle baby lotion is designed to soothe and nourish, while moisturizing and protecting your baby’s skin from dryness. It is specially formulated with soothing organic calendula extract, derived from the marigold flower and used for centuries to soothe dry, sensitive skin.”
https://www.cetaphil.com/baby-lotion/

Cetaphil Baby Daily Lotion With Shea Butter 400ml, Toiletries, Baby

I got this free together with Cetaphil body wash. This is not the eczema series but I thought of giving it a try.

The first drop I squeezed out from the bottle, I hated it. I hated the smell and the texture. It has a strong chemical fragrant smell and the texture is very runny yet leaves stickiness feeling on my hands.

That said, I have no chance to try it on very angry red rashes so I cannot say much on its effectiveness and it is also unfair to review on eczema skin since it is just a normal daily lotion.

Would I repurchase? Definitely no since I do not like the added fragrant. I want as little chemicals on my baby as possible.

Ingredients: Water, Sorbitol, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Isopropyl Palmitate, Octyldodecanol, Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate, Glycerin, Panthenol (Vitamin B5), Hexyldecanol, Hexyldecyl Laurate, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Caprylyl Glycol, Carbomer, Fragrance, Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Sodium Hydroxide, Dipropylene Glycol, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Squalane, Propylene Glycol, Glyceryl Caprylate, Heliotropine, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil

5. Physiogel AI Body Lotion

Clinically proven to strengthen and repair the skin’s moisture barrier
Makes skin less sensitive
Hypoallergenic, non-comedogenic
Free from preservatives, perfumes and colourants
https://www.physiogel.com/sg/our-products/calming-relief/cr-ai-body-lotion.html

Physiogel Calming Relief A.i. Lotion 400ml, Moisturizer, Skincare

Many mummies recommend this for their eczema baby so decided to give it a try.

The texture is very runny and thin so I need to apply quite a lot for the body. It absorbs well with no sticky feeling and does not have any fragrant. I find that the lotion is not rich enough to provide adequate moisture for my baby’s skin. Due to the hot weather, baby A keeps scratching his neck and this lotion does not seem to calm or soothe his itchiness. The area remains dry and patchy.

I really like the pump bottle though, it is super convenient especially during diaper changing. The fluid texture also allows me to apply on baby easily.

Would I repurchase? I’m sitting on the fence because the pump bottle is really convenient to use especially now diaper changing is a struggle. Good as a maintenance lotion but not so for angry eczema skin.

Ingredients: Aqua, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Palmitamide MEA, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Caprylyl Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Betaine, Squalane, Sarcosine, Acetamide MEA, Carbomer, Sodium Carbomer, Ceramide 3.

	Lush	Ceradan	Aveeno	Cetaphil	Physiogel
Effectiveness	4/5	5/5	4/5	2/5	3/5
User-friendly	2/5	4/5	4/5	3/5	5/5
Price	s$50 for 240g S$0.21/g	S$65.90 for 150g S$0.44/g	S$16.90 for 141g S$0.12/g	S$24.90 for 400g S$0.06/g	S$89.90 for 400ml S$0.22/ml
Overall	4/5	5/5	4/5	2/5	4/5

Outgrow Egg Allergy with Baked Egg Muffin Introduction

Published on July 14, 2019May 13, 2020 by MamaKENG1 Comment

I didn’t expect baby A to have egg allergy as I have fed him hard boiled egg white at 7 months old and he was ok.

However when I fed again at 9 months old, this time hard boiled egg white and egg yolk, he had an allergy reaction. Almost immediately, his mouth area started to have rashes, which spread to the whole face and whole body.

I kept feeding him with water hopefully to flush the system while applying some mild steroid cream on the rashes. It was a Sunday and the nearby PD clinics were not opened. I monitored him closely while tying him with my baby carrier to prevent him from scratching himself. Thankfully the rashes subsided after 2 hours and he was back to his usual cheerful self.

My poor baby 😦 What unfortunate thing to happen on his 9th month.

During the routine polyclinic checkup, the nurse referred us to KK Hospital as she said baby might not be able to take the 1 year MMR vaccination as the vaccine is made from egg proteins.

We did some allergy prick test at KKH and he was found to be allergic to cow’s milk and egg. It is indeed very weird as he had formula milk derived from cow’s milk before! Anyway, KKH said that it is ok to take MMR as they are not made from egg’s proteins and even the doctor at KKH was puzzled why polyclinics always refer babies with egg allergy to them for the MMR despite telling them it is ok.

Prick test. Thank god he has no shell fish nor nuts allergy.

Sorry that I digress so much from the egg muffin. To cut the story short, 80% of babies outgrow egg allergy and if babies can tolerate baked eggs, they have higher chance to outgrow egg allergy. So as a kiasi and kiasu mum, I followed the nurse’s instructions and faithfully feed him baked egg products.

This is the baked egg muffin recipe I used, modified from the one given by KKH.

Ingredients:

80g self-raising flour
20g unsalted butter (if baby is allergic to milk, replace with Nuttelex)
80g banana or apple puree (apple sauce)
2 large eggs (about 65g each)
Muffin cups (60x44mm) or muffin baking tin

Steps:

Preheat oven to 180degrees C for 5 min
Combine apple sauce, butter and eggs in a mixing bowl
Fold in the flour (I used thermomix and combined step 2 and 3 into one step. Speed 5 for 10 seconds)
Divide the batter equally between 6 muffin cases and bake for 25 to 30 min. Bake immediately. Once ready, a metal skewer shoud come out clean when inserted into the muffin.
Leave to cool and keep in an airtight container. Can be stored for 3 months in freezer and 5 days in fridge.

To DIY apple sauce/ apple puree,

peel apple skin off and cut apple into chunks
steam apple for 10 min. Retain steaming water.
blend apple with steaming water and add more water if needed to achieve desired consistency.

Important Note!

Before the introduction of baked egg products,

ensure that the child is well
not on oral antihistamine for 1 week
choose a day where you have the time to observe the child for several hours in case of allergic attack
examine child for pre-existing rashes
do not introduce other new foods while introducing baked egg products.

The first time I fed him with baked egg muffin, I gave one small pinch and waited about 15 min before giving more spoons of muffins to ensure that he is not having allergic reaction. Once cleared, continue with baked egg products 3 times a week to maintain their tolerance to baked egg.

This muffin is also a very good baby led weaning recipe as baby A can self-feed pretty well with this!