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We all want the perfect smile…that flash of white healthy looking teeth that tugs at someone’s heart and melts someone else’s own. We want these for ourselves and our children. But sometimes, the damage to those perfect smiles is done long before they become adults. Here are 5 tips to aid the development of healthy teeth in infants.

• Do not use baby pacifiers for prolonged periods. They are useful in providing some comfort for babies but prolonged use can interfere with development of the mouth and the teeth.

• Start cleaning your child’s tooth early. As soon as the first tooth is observed in the baby’s mouth, that’s the time to start the cleaning. Don’t wait until he has a mouthful of teeth. Cleaning involves using a wet napkin, wash cloth (reserved only for this) or gauze to wipe the baby’s mouth, teeth and gum. This should also be done at least once a day and should be combined with gentle massaging of the gum and gingivial tissues.

• Guard against baby bottle tooth decay. 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 ensures that the baby’s teeth is not in contact with sugary fluids for prolonged periods of time. This prevents tooth decay.

• The baby’s first dental visit should be scheduled between 6 and 12 months of life. This starts and maintains the baby on the right path. Before this first visit, try to simulate a dentist’s visit at home to make the baby more comfortable with the idea when it eventually happens.

• How many of you have tasted more often than necessary baby’s cough syrup just because it tastes nice? Well, know ye that some cough syrups contain substances like citric acids and some sugars that attack tooth enamel and lead to tooth decay. If given at bedtime, the problem is worsened as saliva which would naturally wash away these substances from the surface of the teeth is produced in low quantities increasing the risk of tooth decay.

So, let’s give a babies a great start with fabulous smiles to die for 😀

Problems with the prostate gland can be very worrying for a man. Imagine feeling the urge to urinate, feeling it very frequently and urgently that you end up urinating all over yourself if you don’t get to a bathroom fast enough! On top of that, you get to the bathroom and suddenly, you cannot seem to get it out! Does this describe you or perhaps you already know you have an enlarged prostate? Here are some tips to help you deal with that! http://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/4-tips-for-coping-with-an-enlarged-prostate

Q: Hello Doctor Thanks so much information that you keep on feeding us daily on health issues. I however have a question, I it normal for one to have her menstrual periods twice a months if so why? Thanks again

A: A ‘regular’ menstrual cycle is supposedly one in which the cycle (the length of time from the 1st day of a menstrual period to the first day of the next menstrual period) is about 28 days but there is nothing abnormal about cycles that fall outside of this range. It could range from about 24 days to 34 days with ovulation happening at mid cycle. Indeed, in some women each period appears to have a different cycle. For young girls who have just started menstruating, skipped or irregular periods may occur. So, if you have a 24-day cycle, technically, you could see your period twice in a month.

There are also people with irregular periods. What do people refer to as irregular periods? Well, if the time between each period changes, or the length of days of the period changes or indeed when the quantity of blood lost during each period changes, the period is termed irregular. What can cause these changes? They include:

• Changes in hormone levels, as is common in the puberty period or menopausal period.
  • Stress
  • Excessive weight loss or excessive weight gain
  • Fibroids
  • Problems with the thyroid (hyperthyroidism)
  • Polycystic Ovary Disease (PCOD)
  • Scarring from previous surgery in the uterus
  • Pregnancy cannot be overlooked as a cause of irregular bleeding and has to be checked out.
  • Breast feeding mothers may also experience irregular periods as the hormones released may delay return of menstruation. Remember, however, that this is not an effective means of contraception.

So, it’s always a good idea to keep a record of your periods: length of cycles, number of days the period lasts, presence of pain etc. If you keep a chart of this over time, you would be able to know what is normal for you.

Treatment of irregular periods depends on cause: fibroids, PCOD, hyperthyroidism all have to be treated. If irregularity is due to stress, learning coping mechanisms or relaxation techniques may help. Reduce weight or go easy on your exercise routine, if weight issues are a problem.

However, be sure to see your doctor if your period is consistently below 21 days or more than 35 days, if you menstruate for longer than one week, bleed in between periods or experience severe cramps.

For related topics, please click on https://chatwithdrketch.com/2014/06/27/daily-health-tips-why-do-i-have-scanty-periods/

https://chatwithdrketch.com/2014/05/29/daily-health-tips-are-there-other-treatment-methods-for-fibroids-other-than-surgery/

Good evening everyone 😀

Q: I have an 18 month-old baby. She has grown a ringworm on the leg and it it grows every day. Which antiseptic can I use for it to heal? Thank you in advance

A: Hi dear, ringworm is a fungal infection. The rule of the game when treating fungal infections is patience because treatment can go on for months!  Apart from treatment, you have to be sure to keep your baby’s private things private. The rules for ringworm are essentially same in adults and children.

Ringworms are small, round, ring shaped rashes/patches on the skin…but are absolutely not worms 😀 They usually happen when people have minor injuries on skin, scalp or nails and when people sweat a lot. Keeping personal things personal can prevent this: don’t share towels, clothing, undies, head coverings (caps, hats etc). Keep your skin nice, clean and dry. This process can be helped by taking a bath regularly 😀 and toweling off. Be sure to shampoo after a haircut and dress for the weather. With our hot sun, those fungi have no hiding place! Let them bring it on 😀

You know those sores between toes that happen especially if you are fond of walking around barefoot in wet areas, wear tight shoes and synthetic socks (that don’t allow your feet to breath) and if you don’t clean properly between your toes after a bath? That’s called athlete’s foot. So, to prevent it, avoid the above. Wipe between toes et al after a bath, wear socks made from fabrics that ‘breath’ like cotton, take a break from tight footwear and try not to share your shoes. Buy shoes that suit our weather too. For instance, while a pair of boots may make sense in winter, it may not be such a great idea in these hot climes (Africa) where the weather is hot and our feet need to breath 😀 If you can get away with it, wear sandals.

Have you ever seen anyone closing their eyes and intensely scratching their crotch area? Well, they could have jock itch! This again happens when people sweat excessively…the groin area is not spared. Prevention involves not sharing towels and under-garments, keeping them clean and washed, wearing clean socks and keeping it cool down there by wearing under garments made with cotton, which are not tight fitting 😀 A bath after a hectic exercise or sport session will also not go amiss.

Treatment of these fungal infections will involve the use of anti-fungal creams and where the infection is significant, oral anti-fungal medications are added. Antibiotics may also be indicated where there are bacterial infections…as can occur from the scratching of jock itch.

So, there you have it. In this instance, an ounce of hygiene is certainly worth a pound of cure!

Enjoy your evening.

Q: What is the best of treatment will advice someone who has severe pain in the Gum probably a hole in the tooth?

A: Tooth aches are mainly due to tooth decay which may give rise to a hole (cavity) in the tooth as is being experienced by the person who asked the question above.

How does a tooth get to the point of a cavity? There are bacteria that live naturally in the mouth. When we eat foods rich in sugar and starch, the bacteria act on these foods and produce acids. These acids can eat away at the enamel covering of teeth. If these foods are eaten often, serious damage can be done to the teeth leading to the formation of cavities and subsequent decay as the acid eats its way through the enamel and may even get to the nerve ending! Imagine the quantum of pain, this person will experience!

What to do? You need to see your dentist asap. In the meantime, gargle with warm water and take some analgesics. Remember not to go over the recommended dosage. Use dental floss to remove food debris in between teeth.

To prevent this, be sure to remember and follow the rule of twos: brush your teeth twice a day, brush your teeth for at least 2 minutes (brushing up and down in circular motions) and see your dentist at least twice a year. Use fluoride-containing toothpaste. How do you find this? Walk into any shop or supermarket and read the ingredients on the pack. If it states that it has fluoride in it, you’re on the right path Limit your intake of sugary substances…make them occasional treats and if you do take them, please rinse out your mouth or better still, brush your teeth. Be sure to brush your teeth last thing before you go to bed. If you eat afterwards and take in sugary stuff, the acid produced really has time to eat away at your teeth while you’re sleeping as a result of the fact that less saliva is produced.

I hope y’all had a great day 😀

https://www.instagram.com/p/BYU6XWwlPAH/

If you don’t know what panty liners are, just imagine a very flat sanitary towel worn on the panties to absorb vaginal secretions.

So, is there anything wrong with wearing them every day? Well, these liners have a nylon back so that they can collect the vaginal secretions and leave the panties dry and fresh. However, for this same reason, they do not allow the ‘vagina’ to breathe and so, create a warm moist environment for fungi to thrive. It has been suggested that women who wear panty liners regularly are more prone to infections (fungal and bacterial) than others. Theoretically, it makes sense but the evidence base for it is not very robust/significant.

So, here’s the thing…if you must wear panty liners daily, be sure to change them frequently. Every four hours would be a good measure. Otherwise, just be sure to follow the golden rules of vaginal hygiene.

For more on maintaining proper vaginal hygiene, please click on the following links:

https://chatwithdrketch.com/2014/12/08/daily-health-tips-is-vaginal-odour-normal/

https://chatwithdrketch.com/2014/09/30/daily-health-tips-what-is-douching/

https://chatwithdrketch.com/2014/06/26/daily-health-tips-why-do-i-have-recurrent-candidiasis/

Have a good night, people 😀

Q: Good day Doctor. Please I want to ask the kind of solid food to be given to a 6 months old baby. Regards Doctor

A: For a long time, the standard teaching had been to go for rice cereal as the first add-on meal because it is bland and babies tolerate this well. Other studies question this wisdom now and suggest that foods like meats with lots of essential nutrients like iron may be a good place to start. What should you do? You can boil beef/chicken very soft and blend it up for baby. If baby tolerates this, then by the next week, you could try adding some rice cereal. Try not to introduce more than one food per week so that you have time to study how your baby adapts to it and of course, look out for/isolate food allergy. And, to start off, only one meal of the complementary feed should be given daily. The rest should be the usual…breast milk 😀 This will, of course, as baby tolerates.

Generally, foods to start off weaning should be just slightly thicker than milk and so, if it retains its shape on a spoon, it may be too thick.

From 9 months, baby can be allowed to start experimenting with regular family meals…minus the spices, of course 😀
From one year of age, you can add the cereals mentioned in the question and it’s also okay to introduce cow milk at this time. Full cream cow milk is advocated at this time for proper brain development. Thereafter, please switch to skimmed/1%/2% milk as full cream milk has a lot of saturated fat which may contribute to poor heart health. Grains, green leafy vegetables, cow milk, honey, whole eggs can generally be introduced after the baby turns 1 year old.

Generally, other weaning foods that can be introduced include:
Boiled egg yolk (egg whites contain substances that baby may react to), sweet potatoes, fish, chicken, beef, fruits like banana, avocados, boiled beans (with skin removed if possible etc
Simple recipes include, blend some chicken or beef with the stock or mash a banana and add to baby’s cereal.

Our local cereals can also be used and fortified with some breast milk or formula.

As baby tolerates these meals, you can get a little more adventurous.

Boiled carrots mashed with some coconut oil or a little yoghurt with mashed banana may not go amiss too.

An example of a recipe I make for my children is boil potatoes in a pot and place a stainless plate on top of the pot. Add your egg yolk and a drop Olive oil and when the yolk is cooked and potatoes soft, mash all together and feed baby.

Now I know we are all very busy, but weaning is no easy task and so we must commit to trying as much as to prepare these meals ourselves. Packaged meals usually contain additives that may trigger problems/allergies etc in the baby. Hygiene is also critical!

I hope y’all had a great day?

Good night 😀