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Did you find yourself feeling overwhelmed after you had your first baby with all the advice coming from different quarters…all of them struggling for supremacy? Let me help you along with some quick tips on how to diaper your baby. You can thank me later 😀

1. Get the right diaper that fits your baby snugly around both the waist and around the legs to prevent leakage, but not be so tight that it leaves marks on the skin and the materials should not rub or irritate the baby’s skin. Avoid the really perfumed brands of diapers as they are very likely to cause irritations.
2. We are all aware that we should wash our hands thoroughly after changing a diaper but, you should wash up beforehand too. You should try to keep your hands clean anytime you’ll be handling a baby, especially a newborn. Keep a hand sanitizer around the nappy changing area and in the diaper changing bag. Just give your hands a quick cleaning before the change. Always remember to wipe baby from front to back and of course, wash-up when you are done!
3. Newborn poop is called meconium and it is black, sticky and hard to remove. After each diaper change, just slather some petroleum jelly on baby’s bottom. This keeps baby’s buttocks nice and clean from meconium. The next time baby poops, the poop will slide right off!
4. If baby’s bottom is irritated, try rinsing it off with a slightly warm spray of water from the sink or shower instead of using baby wipes which can actually irritate their little butts even further. Always have a good supply of a diaper ointment on hand as it will work wonders and makes baby feel better every time! If your baby doesn’t like to have the ointment applied to their skin, or fusses when you put it on, try putting some right onto the diaper in a strategic location so it will connect with the irritated area once you close the diaper.
5. Never leave your baby unattended on a changing table or any elevated surface where you are changing them, even if you are using the safety straps. Keep them safe and secure and let them know that their diaper changes are normal. Never tell a baby they are stinky or yucky. Having a negative attitude toward diaper changing can actually cause a baby to feel shame about their bodies and can hinder potty training, and I’m sure you like all parents, want your child potty-trained as soon as possible

Being a new mum can be daunting. But hey, you’ve got the most important ingredient needed to help your baby….love! I’ll help out with the rest!

How was your week? Stressful or relaxed? We all deal with stress. Some cope better than others. Those who don’t cope so well, come down with stress-related ailments like hypertension. We don’t want you to be that person J Let’s give you some fun ways to handle your stress

• Blow bubbles: You can do this alone or with someone. Observe the colours and shapes of the bubbles and how very beautiful they are
• Remember the advert where a boss is dancing in his office and his staff join in? Be that guy. Dance. Turn on the music in your living room or bedroom and just dance. Beyond the feel good effect, this releases happy brain chemicals, endorphins
• Buy a book of jokes and indulge in it when it looks like the sky is about to fall.
• Watch your favourite comedy and just let your laughter roar from somewhere deep inside.
• Don’t take yourself too seriously. Laugh and laugh often too. This lowers blood pressure, opens up creativity and stimulates the production of endorphins…the happy brain chemicals.
• Complex carbs help increase the level of the feel-good hormone, serotonin and because they are digested slowly, they make you feel that good for longer. Oranges, spinach, nuts like almonds, fatty fish etc are also helpful

So, this weekend and next week, don’t let stress get the better of you. Stay right on top!

Have a great weekend 😀

Q: Doc please help! My nose itches me a lot, plus sneezing and constant running nose. It’s more than 10 yrs. My eyes also itch me. Thanks

A: Hey, thanks for writing in 🙂
The question you really have is, ‘what is my problem?’ A cold? Allergy? What? The post here tells you exactly what! https://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/is-it-a-cold-or-allergies

For a related post, please click on this link: https://chatwithdrketch.com/2016/07/14/daily-health-tipspersistent-cold/

Q: Hello Doc, please I need some clarification on this. I used to menstruate five days initially when I was very young. Then, I got married it changed to three days. Recently for the past three months it has been just two days. I’m just 43 years now. Could there be a problem? Do I need to see a doctor or is it a sign of menopause? Thanks

A: What is normal in terms of menstrual cycles varies from person to person with menstrual flow lasting between 2 to 8 days and the cycle lasting anything from 21 to 35 days. A reduction in flow (scanty period) is called hypomenrrhea (pronounced hai-po-men-oria) and a reduction in the number of days of flow to less than 3 days is called oligomenorrhea (oli-go-men-oria). Women with oligomenorrhea may go up to 35 days without a period.

Now at the onset of puberty, the flow and cycle can vary from one cycle to the other; the same goes for the other extreme of life (old age) when women head towards menopause. So, can it be menopause? First, a definition….menopause is a period defined by at least 12 months of cessation of menstrual period. It occurs as a natural process of aging which can start as early as late 30s as the ovaries start making less amounts of hormones with an average age of about 51 years. Menopause can also be induced by chemotherapy or radiotherapy (treatment for cancers), surgical removal of the ovaries etc. This is called premature menopause. This is also likely to run in families. So, it could be menopause…but your doctor is in the best position to confirm that.

What else could have caused your flow to reduce? They include pregnancy (the supposed periods may be an implantation bleed), crash dieting (when you want to lose all the weight you added in 5 years in one week :D), intense physical activity, Polycystic Ovary Disease (PCOD), imbalance of hormones, Diabetes or thyroid problems and use of contraceptives. Previous instrumentation like Dilatation and Curettage (D and C) can result in a condition called Asherman’s syndrome which manifests as reduction in menstrual flow. In the same way that stress can delay a menstrual period, it can also cause a reduction in flow.

Oligomenorrhea is not necessarily a serious problem, but it could be indicative of an underlying disease. You must work with your gynaecologist in order to manage this. If the cause is PCOD, focus will be on the treatment; if due to intense exercise, reducing intensity will be helpful; if due to crash dieting, focus on eating a proper balanced diet will help etc. Your gynaecologist will carry out a detailed examination and investigation to arrive at the cause and advice on treatment.

For posts on related topics, please click on this link: https://chatwithdrketch.com/2016/08/15/daily-health-tips-ovarian-cysts-and-fertility/

Have a great evening, great people 😀

Q: Please doc my daughter of about 7 years had blood spotting on her pants. When we got to the hospital discovered she was not abused as I thought, the doc said it was due to hormonal imbalance and prescribed conjugated estrogen and it stopped. Please can there be future risk or is there any diet can place her on?

A: Hello! Thanks for writing in.

I can imagine your horror when you observed this! You did the right thing by getting her to a doctor to confirm if she’s been abused. Thank goodness that is not the case!

Another cause of bleeding in a child as young as this is also trauma. If your child had a straddle injury by falling astride on a bike or fence etc, this could present as vaginal bleeding.

Other causes include:

• Anal fissure which may be mistaken for vaginal bleeding
• Vaginal itching can lead to bruising and irritation and ultimately, bleeding
• Precocious puberty. For more on this condition, please click on this link https://chatwithdrketch.com/2014/12/05/just-for-the-health-of-it-with-dr-ketch/
• Pre-pubertal menarche in which a child starts having menstrual periods before puberty but other signs of puberty are not present
• Female babies in their 2^nd and 3^rd weeks of life may bleed as they respond to the absence of the estrogen they were used to in the uterus
• Female genital mutilation. For more on this condition, please click on this link: https://chatwithdrketch.com/2016/03/05/daily-health-tips-female-circumcision/
• A tumour of blood vessels

Is there a future risk of this? Well, it would depend on the cause. Sometimes, the cause is unknown and incident does not occur. I suggest that you see your child’s doctor if you are still concerned.

All the best!

Have a great evening y’all 😀

Still on blood pressure…

High blood pressure used to be defined as blood pressure reading of 140/90mmHg or more. Not anymore!
The new guidelines by the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association state that only blood pressure readings below 120/80mmHg can now be considered normal blood pressure.
A systolic blood pressure reading between 120 and 129mmHg is considered elevated blood pressure.
Stage 1 high blood pressure is between 130 to 139mmHg systolic blood pressure reading and between 80 to 89mmHg diastolic blood pressure reading.
Grade 2 high blood pressure is any reading above 140/90mmHg

Do you understand what systolic and diastolic blood pressures mean? Here are a few facts to guide you:

• Blood Pressure is the pressure with which blood pushes against your vessels as it passes through your body. A normal blood pressure allows blood to flow and deliver oxygen and food to different parts of the body.

• We measure blood pressure with two numbers (ie, 124/84 mmHg). The first number is called the systolic blood pressure and the second is called the diastolic blood pressure. These two numbers are written as ‘systolic/diastolic’ followed by the unit of measurement.

• Systolic blood pressure is your highest blood pressure measurement and is recorded when your heart contracts.

• Diastolic blood pressure is your lowest blood pressure measurement and is recorded when your heart relaxes and fills with blood

If by this new classification you have now become hypertensive, then you need to read the post below! Even if nothing has changed for you, trust me, this is a compelling read!

https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/new-high-blood-pressure-guidelines-2017111712756

How much salt do you consume? Are you one of those who bring out the salt shaker even before they taste the food Ever heard of the salty six foods that can add to your risk of a higher blood pressure? Well, you should read this!

https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/6-simple-things-that-can-help-lower-your-blood-pressure-2018030213290

Have a great evening y’all 😀

https://www.instagram.com/p/BgLjV7TFBJL/

Q: Please Doc, can you talk on tuberculosis and can it go on forever, if treated?

Tuberculosis (Tb) is a bacterial infection that mainly affects lungs. The infection could be active in which case the person is sick and can transmit the infection to another person or the infection could be inactive, in which case the infection is present in the body but does not cause infection neither can it be transmitted to another person. However, this latter case needs to be treated as it can become active.

The issue of Tb has come more to the front burner with the advent of HIV/AIDS which causes a depression of the immune system such that the Tb infection can hold sway. Other conditions that depress the immune system include cancer treatment, some cancers, malnutrition, Diabetes Mellitus, extremes of age (very young or very old) etc

Symptoms of Tb include fever, cough that lasts for 3 weeks or more, coughing up blood, night sweats, weight loss etc
Treatment of Tb involves the use of a combination of drugs to prevent resistance. These drugs must be taken for the full course to prevent resistance. Common drugs used include Rifampicin, Isoniazid, Pyrazinamide and Ethambutol. These drugs need to be taken for a long period of time, as adviced by your doctor…usually about 6 months, minimum because the bacteria die quite slowly. Don’t be tempted to stop taking your medication when you start to feel better. This may lead to drug resistance. However, a permanent cure can be achieved on completion of treatment.

In countries like Nigeria, the vaccine BCG is the cornerstone of prevention and this is given to children at birth. Unfortunately, the poor economic conditions in most places in Africa makes this disease spread rapidly if one person gets it as overcrowding due to poor/inadequate housing helps the bacteria spread. Teaching people to cover their coughs and stay in well-ventilated places also help.

A related question on the BCG vaccine for tuberculosis is posted below…

Q: Morn Doc, please help me clear out something. A new born baby that was given a first time injection (BCG).Is it a must that it must bring out pus. She is 3 weeks now.

A: The full meaning of BCG is Bacille Calmette-Guerin, named after scientists, Drs Calmette and Guerin who developed the vaccines. It was used for the first time in human beings in 1921. This is a freeze-dried live but weakened strain of Mycobacterium Bovis (very similar to the bacteria that cause tuberculosis), a bacterium found in cattle which can cause tuberculosis in man. This vaccine is part of the compulsory immunization schedule in countries with a high incidence of tuberculosis. It provides protection over a range of 10-20 years and so is not particularly useful in adults…sorry 😀

This vaccine usually causes a local reaction in most, but not all people. This local reaction gives rise to the ‘infamous’ scar 😀 but does not really act as a marker for protection against tuberculosis. So, if you don’t have a BCG scar, it does not mean that you did not respond to the vaccine and there’s certainly no need for you to take another dose of the vaccine. Sometimes, after the vaccine is administered, there is formation of an abscess. This could be due to wrong administration or it could occur as a common complication of this vaccine. It would usually heal on its own over a few weeks.

Have a great day, y’all 😀

Q: Hey Doc, I have chest pain since 2 days back and if it becomes severe, my breathing becomes abnormal (difficult breathing). I went to the hospital and was given painkillers. There’s no cough so what could be the problem?

A: Difficulty in breathing could be short term or long term.

Sudden onset of shortness of breath could be due to:

• Lung problems
  • Asthma
  • Pneumonia
  • Upper airway obstruction
  • Collapsed lung
• Heart problems
  • Heart attack
  • Heart failure
  • Low blood pressure
  • Sudden blood loss
  • A panic attack
  • Severe allergic reaction

Chronic (long-term) shortness of breath or difficulty in breathing could be due to:

• Poorly controlled asthma
• Obesity
• Heart failure
• Anaemia
• Collection of fluid around the lungs

Given the association of this difficulty in breathing with chest pain, I suggest you see your doctor as soon as possible to rule out the causes mentioned above and arrive at a specific diagnosis.

All the best!

Have a great weekend, everyone 😀