chatwithketch

Ever heard of the baby bottle tooth decay?

The baby bottle tooth decay is a condition that occurs when babies’ teeth are exposed to prolonged contact with sugary liquids or substances. In children, this would occur by allowing children to go to sleep while feeding at the breast on a bottle or giving them pacifiers that have been coated with honey or other sugary substances. During sleep, saliva production reduces; thus these sugary substances which lead to the production of acids stay on the teeth for prolonged periods leading to erosion of the enamel and subsequent tooth decay.

How can you prevent this?

• Mothers are advised to practice exclusive breastfeeding but if for any reason bottles have to be used for any period, this should be carefully monitored. Ensure that baby never falls asleep with a bottle containing milk (be it expressed breast milk or formula), fruit juice (fresh or packaged) or any other sweetened fluids. This also goes for children who are breast fed. Please don’t let them fall asleep on the breast. This ensures that the baby’s teeth is not in contact with sugary fluids for prolonged periods of time. This prevents tooth decay.

• Clean baby’s mouth and gums at least once a day, gently massaging the gingivial tissues and gum. This can be done using a piece of moistened cotton gauze wrapped around a finger. This helps to clean baby’s mouth, establish the development of healthy teeth and also aid teething.

• As soon as the first tooth erupts, plaque removal should commence. Ensure that babies’ teeth are brushed at least twice a day. Before the child can spit out, please use a non-fluoride containing tooth paste. We don’t want the child swallowing fluoride and coming down with some ailments. However, as soon as the child can spit, please introduce fluorinated toothpaste.

• Wean the baby from the bottle as soon as possible and use a cup for liquids. During the weaning period, dilute the bottle feeds as much as possible to the point where only water is taken with the bottle.

• If your baby uses a pacifier, please use for only short periods of time and be sure not to coat with honey or any other sugary substance to ensure that his teeth is not in prolonged contact with substances that will lead to tooth decay.

I trust y’all are having a great weekend!

Q: How can I get rid of stretch marks?

A: Stretch marks occur when the skin is over-stretched like during pregnancy, during the growth spurt of the teenage years and during rapid weight gain or loss. So the skin, sort of, loses its elasticity, over stretches, leading to the breaking the of interconnected fibres of the middle layer of skin, dermis. When this happens, the blood vessels show through, with the characteristic red or purple colour stretch marks have initially. As the blood vessels contract, the pale fat underneath the skin shows through causing the stretch marks to assume their usual pale colour.

Stretch marks can also occur in people who have a family history, people with underlying health conditions like Cushing’s syndrome ~(where the body produces too much of the hormone, Cortisol) and sometimes after prolonged use/abuse of steroid creams (some of these are used to treat eczema).

Common areas for stretch marks to occur are the breasts, tummy, buttocks, upper arms, shoulders and thighs.

Before the appearance of stretch marks, the affected area becomes thin and you may develop an itch there. The stretch marks when they first appear are slightly raised but eventually, flatten out. As they flatten, the colour becomes less pronounced until they leave pale silvery or whitish streaks, depending on skin colour.

As described above, the ‘damage’ to the skin is done from the inside and not the outside. This makes it difficult to really take care of it from the outside. Having said that, creams that contain shea butter, cocoa butter and Vitamin E are thought to be useful in causing the marks to fade.

Other creams that contain olive oil, castor oil and fruit acids may also be helpful. There are some other advanced treatments like glycolic acid peels, laser therapy etc, (that you must NOT attempt on your own) that are helpful with old and new marks. Discuss these options with your dermatologist.

I hope that this helps.

Have a great day 😀

Q: Hello, Dr. Ketch Please help me prescribe what I can do or take to tackle erectile dysfunction. Sometimes, I don’t want to feel that I have it because I don’t have the urge for sex. Please help me. Thank you

A: Erectile dysfunction (ED) occurs when a man is no longer able to get or maintain an erection sufficiently enough to have sexual intercourse. It may be really dramatic in some men, such that where they used to want intercourse very frequently; they find that there is reduced sexual desire.

Oftentimes, this may be due to just stress and better stress coping mechanisms help. However, because this is a sensitive topic, many men do not seek medical help such that this causes significant strain in their relationships. Other causes include depressions, relationship challenges, high blood pressure, high cholesterol level, high blood sugar, obesity, some medications, tobacco use, substance abuse, alcoholism etc

Your doctor will probably order some tests to confirm possible cause(s) and then decide on a course of action. Now I know that quite a number of men are quick to go and buy Viagra and some even overdose on it thinking the more they take the better the performance 😀 Please don’t do that! More seriously, these drugs are not for everyone and so if you have Diabetes Mellitus, heart disease, if you have had a stroke etc, please be sure to mention these to your doctor…and indeed you should not self-prescribe any of these (or indeed any other) drugs for yourself.

Treatment depends on cause. If this is emotional, psychological or due to stress etc, some degree of counselling may help. Other treatment options include oral medications like Sildenafil (Viagra), penis pumps, implants, injections etc. Please speak with your doctor to find out what options are available to you.

Remember that your partner may not understand what you’re going through and probably think that you no longer desire her. Be sure to re-assure her and let her be a part of your therapy. More importantly, try to be open about what is going on to your doctor so he can work with you to find the ideal solution.

Good night people 😀

Everyone wants to know how to have the perfect, glowing and shining skin. How do you get this? By washing your face? By using egg wash on your face?

Well, the first thing to do is eat right. Want more tips? Please click on the link below: https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/daily-skin-care-in-3-simple-steps

Have a good evening y’all 😀

Q: Good afternoon ma’am. Thanks for the good works being rendered by you for masses. May God continue blessing you & your family &may your efforts be crowned gigantically. Ma’am, I want a lasting solution to the nerve pain problem I am having. I can’t walk a long distance. I can’t do exercise, I can’t do strenuous work. If I do, I’ll be having nerve pain all over my body in which analgesic drugs can’t work unless, I take carbamazepine or gabapentin. I’m not a diabetic patient. Please, which medication can I take for the lasting solution and for the avoidance of the problem? Ma’am, I’ll be expecting your reply to my inbox. I am very keen to hear from you soon. Thanks & God bless you ma’am

A: Thanks for writing in. The pain in your right leg/body needs further evaluation.

There are quite a number of causes of pain in the leg. Pain in one leg may be due to an injury, a fall or hitting the leg against an object. This pain may be felt immediately after the incident that caused it and subside after a few days, with the proper care. It can also linger for some time, if perhaps there was a break in the bone, which was not properly taken care of and affected some nerves.
Other causes include arthritis, leg swelling from different causes like infection, vein abnormalities, diseases like heart problems, diabetes, and liver problems. In long standing hypertension, or diabetes that is not properly managed, there could be nerve problems, often described as a cramp, feeling of lack of blood, or a feeling like pins pricking the feet. The pain could also result from a muscle cramp, which typically occurs at night and may last a few seconds to minutes. There is also condition known as familial recurrent knee dislocation, in which there is repeated dislocation of the knee, followed by a fall, due to lack of stability. It runs in families and can be very painful too. There are also some cancers that can give similar symptoms.

I would advice that you reduce stress on your legs as much as possible, i.e. avoid standing for too long. You could also start some mild exercises focusing on the legs. These may help to strengthen any lax ligaments and improve blood flow, thereby helping any nerve disease, if that’s responsible.

Good diet, rich in proteins and vitamins are also important. You may occasionally take a mild pain relief to reduce the pain (but do not make it a habit). If the pain worsens or continues despite pain tablets, please see your doctor.

In conclusion, I strongly recommend you see a doctor who will take a proper history and examine you thoroughly, and proffer a line of management for your symptoms.

Hope this helps

Q: Hello ma good after I’m a mother of 3 and my last child is a year 6months and after I stopped weaning him my period was normal but last month July I stopped seeing my period and I have done pregnancy test and its negative. Please ma’am what could be the problem with ma I’m desperate ma’am

A: Hello and Congratulations on your new baby! Return of menses following delivery is varied between individuals. Some women would see theirs a few weeks after, some others after a few months or even a year, while in others there is no return of menses before another pregnancy begins.

Different women also report different changes with their menstrual periods after childbirth. Some report longer periods. Others report shorter periods; some others report less pain and others observe absolutely no change at all 😀

However, the pattern of your menstrual cycle prior to your previous pregnancy (if it was regular or irregular) also plays a role. The duration of your labor and the presence of complications like bleeding after delivery could all play a part in the return of your period. Exclusive breastfeeding and presence of underlying infection also could delay the return of menses. Don’t stress out about this for now…. except if you are really looking forward to another pregnancy soon. If this is the case I would advise you see your doctor for a proper evaluation. Otherwise enjoy your period of no bleeds 😀

Good night y’all 😀

Antibiotic resistance is increasingly becoming a problem. People use antibiotics whether needed or not. They take these medications for few days and stop before completing the dose…because they feel better. If you are one of those parents or not sure if you are, you should read this article and take the quiz.

http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/parents-how-smart-are-you-about-antibiotics-2016111510678

Good night y’all 😀

August 1 to 7 every year is World Breastfeeding week. This year, the theme is ‘sustaining breastfeeding together’. Last year, the breastfeeding week was dedicated to linking the Sustainable Development Goals to breastfeeding. These goals can only be achieved by partnership at multiple levels.

Below is the post I made last year that shows the link between the SDGs and breastfeeding. Before you read, take a moment to ask yourself how you can be more supportive of breastfeeding and breastfeeding mothers J

Here is a list of Sustainable Development Goals and their links to breastfeeding:

1. No Poverty– Breastfeeding is very affordable. Mothers do not need to buy bottles, formulae or make any extra plans. It is readily available and can be given on demand.
2. Zero Hunger– Mothers are encouraged to breastfeed their babies for 2 years but exclusively for 6 months. The breast milk provides every nutrient baby requires for the first 6 months and effectively prevents hunger.
3. Good Health and Well-being– Breast milk provides a great source of nutrition for baby but is also a source of bonding for baby and mother, promoting overall wellbeing.
4. Quality Education– Proper breastfeeding coupled with the right complementary feeds when baby is weaned helps prepare baby’s brain for learning thus increasing the opportunities for quality education.
5. Gender Equality– Breast feeding is the right of every child, male or female, and the woman is in control of how her child is fed.
6. Clean Water and Sanitation– Breastfeeding is all baby needs for the first 6 months and does not ordinarily require access to clean water or sanitation as bottles etc are not needed.
7. Affordable and Clean Energy– Due to the fact that no cooking, heating, boiling and/or ‘preparation’ is needed for breastfeeding, it reduces the need for water, cooking fuel (gas, kerosene) etc and thus conserves energy.
8. Decent Work and Economic Growth– When women are supported by their employers to breastfeed, they are more loyal and productive and ultimately, the business grows more.
9. Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure– Employers can make the effort to support breastfeeding mothers through paid vacations after having a baby, having workplace crèches or having flexible ‘nursing mothers’ working time when they return to work.

• Reduced Inequalities– Breast milk is very nutritious and can help reduce inequalities between different social groups, especially in the poor and vulnerable.
• Sustainable Cities and Communities– There is a need to make public spaces safe for breastfeeding mothers and their babies and a special need for their interest to be protected when there are humanitarian crises eg war
• Responsible Consumption and Production– This is a natural, healthy and sustainable means of providing nutrition for babies.
• Climate Action– Breastfeeding safeguards children’s source of nutrition when there are natural disasters related to climate change.
• Life Below Water– Industrial formula production leads to the production of wastes that could pollute water bodies and endanger marine life. Breastfeeding on the other hand, produces less waste.
• Life on Land– Breastfeeding promotes and restores sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystemsas opposed to formula feeding which puts pressure on natural resources contributing to carbon emissions and climate change.
• Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions– There is need for more laws to protect the rights of mothers to breastfeed their babies.
• Partnerships for the Goals– This is a focus on partnerships to promote the cause of breastfeeding, globally.

So, there’s a whole lot of work to be done to ensure that breastfeeding becomes the ‘in’ thing!

For more resources on breastfeeding, please click on the following links:

https://chatwithdrketch.com/2013/08/17/do-cool-mums-breastfeed/

https://chatwithdrketch.com/2016/07/24/daily-health-tipscan-a-working-mother-practice-exclusive-breastfeeding/

https://chatwithdrketch.com/2016/05/16/daily-health-tips-safe-methods-of-contraception-while-breastfeeding/

https://chatwithdrketch.com/2016/04/18/daily-health-tips-breastfeeding-challenges-2/

https://chatwithdrketch.com/2016/01/11/daily-health-tips-can-i-take-alcohol-while-breastfeeding/

https://chatwithdrketch.com/2015/07/27/daily-health-tips-all-about-breastfeeding/

https://chatwithdrketch.com/2015/07/13/daily-health-tips-can-i-mix-exclusive-breastfeeding-with-formula-feeding/

I hope this helps all you breastfeeding ladies and intending mothers 😀 and your partners, employers and the whole wide world!

Have a fab weekend, y’all 😀

Should every man get a prostate screen? At what age is this really relevant? Does this test add any value to life? The post below addresses all that!

https://www.health.harvard.edu/mens-health/does-prostate-cancer-screening-matter