chatwithketch

Ever wondered whether your baby is too small for her age? Teething too soon or too late? What to do when your baby is teething? How to encourage your babies to read as they grow?

Just For The Health Of It With Dr Ketch explores this and other issues around parenting. You can get a copy via the shop now link on our facebook page. Or you can get it through:

1) Laterna Books online shop with nationwide delivery. Just click on this link: https://www.laternabooks.com/laterna_product_details.php?v=15450&c=44

2) Another option for those in Lagos is Laterna Bookshop on 13, Oko-Awo Close, Off Adetokunbo Ademola Street,. Victoria Island.

3) If you’re outside the country, please visit Amazon through this link http://www.amazon.com/Just-Health-Ketch-Pregnancy-Parenting/dp/9789398026/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1426246647&sr=1-1&keywords=just+for+the+health+of+it+with+dr+ketch+olalere+nkechi

4) For those in Abuja and environs, please call 07030739403 or pick it up at No 5 Bricks Market, Dawaki 11 Market, Dawaki extension.

5) For those in Awka, please call 08189944090.

Remember that this book is a great gift for anyone who wishes to live and eat healthy, lose weight, get ready for pregnancy and parenting. Buy copies for bridal showers, baby showers, Christmas gifts etc. It’s a gift that keeps on giving 😀

Recent news reports say that there is no evidence that flossing promotes oral health, yet lack of evidence doesn’t automatically mean lack of benefit.

Source: Tossing flossing?

The world looks very different at 3 a.m. when you’re lying in bed staring at the ceiling or the clock. “How will I make it through tomorrow without any sleep?” you worry. If you regularly can’t get to sleep — or stay asleep — and it’s affecting you during the day, then you may have insomnia.

Click here for more: http://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/better-sleep-naturally

Many pregnant women turn to zero-calorie artificially sweetened beverages to help avoid weight gain. However, these beverages may actually cause weight gain—and even alter your digestion and sense of taste. Recent research suggests that pregnant women who drink diet beverages to avoid weight gain may end up with heavier babies. So, if you’re pregnant, you may want to rethink that zero-calorie soda. After all, the old adage about “eating for two” is a reminder to eat and drink in ways that keep both you and your baby healthy.

Source: Why pregnant women should avoid artificially sweetened beverages

A recent study shows that drinking more plain water can help you avoid excess calories and control your weight.

Source: The big benefits of plain water

Q: I have been trying to get pregnant for years now ma’am. We spent all we had. Just last month, I went (……. ) so where they said my womb is by the side. The woman said she is going to move it to the right place. Ma’am, please is it possible?

A: Thanks for writing in dear. Your question was not very clear and I had to piece it together.

I have had someone write in before and ask me whether it’s okay to go for womb setting. I would say, do not allow anyone who is not a medical practitioner lay hands on your tummy/uterus to set or reposition it. More harm than good may be done.

Now, if your womb is tilted, there is a medical solution to it.

Normally, a uterus tilts forwards at the cervix towards the stomach. In some women, however, the uterus tilts backwards inside the pelvis towards the spine. This is called a retroverted or tilted uterus. Many women with this condition are born with it but some women may develop it after birth as a result of:

• Pregnancy: During pregnancy, the ligaments holding the uterus in place become weak and so after pregnancy, some women now find their uteri tilted.

• Prior surgery, infections and disease conditions like endometriosis may lead to a tilted uterus. In these cases, conception may be difficult but not impossible. Patients here may benefit from seeing a fertility doctor.

For more on endometriosis and pelvic inflammatory disease, please click on these links:

Daily Health Tips: Can PID Block My Fallopian Tubes?

Daily Health Tips: What’s An Ovarian Cyst?

• Menopause: Estrogen deficiency in menopause also leads to weakened ligaments such that the uterus now becomes tilted.

A retroverted uterus is usually an incidental finding as most women experience no symptoms. The women with symptoms usually complain of pain during menstruation and pain during sexual intercourse. Other symptoms include lower back pain, incontinence, difficulty with passing stool or urine.

Treatment for this include:

Kegel exercises: The exercise mimics the movements we make when we want to stop the flow of urine. Try holding this for about 10 seconds and then doing about 10 repetitions per set. Try about 4 to 6 sets per day and increase this as you feel ready.

Knee to chest exercise: Lie flat on your back and place both feet on the floor with both knees bent. With your left foot still flat on the floor, bring your right knee to your chest. Hold this position for about 15 to 30 seconds and then return your leg to the floor. Do about 10 reps of this exercise on each leg 3 times a day. This can help return a tilted uterus to a forward position.

Vaginal pessaries (plastic devices) which help to hold the uterus in position.

Surgery can also help to shorten (tighten) the weakened ligaments and thus return the uterus to its rightful position.

I hope this helps you. Please seek out a good gynaecologist and let him/her help you.

Have a good night, everyone 😀

Q: Good morning Doctor, My name us Doris. I have a 16 months old son and a 6 weeks old baby girl. My son has this skin problem that started like fungi infection on the face then gradually, it’s all over his body . I later took him to a dermatologist who said its eczema. My daughter also has it as I have seen some skin rash and discoloration on her face. I have used all sort of creams and ointments prescribed by the hospital but still no improvement. Now I have been advised to use the Yoruba, ‘Agbo’ to cure it. Please what do you advise?

A: I have seen people who swear by Agbo and claim not to have been to the hospital for ‘gazillion’ 😀 years as a result of the fact that they take this. This cuts across different social strata as I have met people in different strata of the society that use it. So, is it effective? This herb is thought to be effective against malaria, typhoid, sexually transmitted infections and now eczema etc.

Now, I am always personally worried when one drug cures a multitude of things…it’s sorta worrisome. However, some scientists have done some work and noted that the original Agbo herbs have some anti-oxidant activity and so it could very well be curative of some illnesses.

But, the alcohol and other additives that are packed into it makes one even more skeptical about its usefulness in treatments except the aim is to knock out the person taking it 😀

Again, there are no specific dosages for these herbs and they are generally hawked in very unhygienic conditions. Some of the components could also pose health threats to children and adults alike if it is not known whether they are allergic to these components.

All in all, a lot of work needs to be done on Agbo, if it is to be accepted as a useful treatment for any ailment. This will help confirm exact components, dosage and possible drug interactions.

So, in the meantime, leave well alone…seriously 😀

Now as to the skin problem, eczema is usually found to run in families with a history of allergies.

Preventive/control measures include using mild soap to take a bath, followed by a mild moisturizer.

Also do not use water that is too hot for a bath as this dries out your skin and makes the itching from eczema worse.

Use warm water if you must and then dab your skin leaving some moisture. Lock in this moisture with a moisturizer.

Stress is also a trigger for this and so reducing your stress levels and exercising may be helping in more ways than one.

Anti-histamines (helpful with itching) and over the counter steroid creams are also useful.

For severe cases, please see your doctor for a prescription of more potent steroids, immunosuppressant drugs, ultra violet light therapy etc.

If the situation is not improving with the prescribed medications, please see the skin doctor (dermatologist) again for other treatment options as noted above or perhaps, get a second opinion.

All the best!

Have a good night everyone 😀

Q: What also do I need to improve sleeping very well at night since I have a baby that sucks all night and day?

A: For those new mummies with children, this may be more wishful thinking as our bundles of joy have minds of their own😀. We just wish sometimes that we could explain nicely to them that we….well, just need to sleep now; regardless of how much they want to chat or cry (!) especially in the middle of the night! Well, here are some helpful tips that ensure a good night’s rest for mum and new baby
•    During nighttime feedings, keep lights low.  Night lights stop you and baby from coming fully awake and so you can go back to sleep after the feed…effortlessly.
•    Commit to sleep and make it a priority in your life.  The advice frequently given to new mothers to get some sleep when the baby is asleep, may appear clichéd and ‘an old wives’ tale, but is useful.  Give yourself permission to let some things go and don’t feel the pressure to catch up on all your emails, text messages, house shores when he’s asleep.
•    Good sleep starts before you’re actually trying to fall sleep.  Ensure you start winding down your day early enough so you can get to sleep early at night. Ensure you’re not getting too wound up during the day and inhibiting your ability to sleep at night
•    Be intentional about sleep.  As a new mother, you’ve got so many things pulling at you: night time feeds, your other children, if you’ve got them, their homework, your husband etc. So ensure that your sleep equipment – pillows, mattress pad/topper and mattress – provide the right support and comfort. Get a good pillow and comfortable mattress…it’s a worthwhile expense
•    Be open to alternative remedies.  Create a personal spa at home: use aromatic oils at bath time and in your room. Lavendar has been found to be very helpful by some.

I hope this helps you and other new mums!

Have a good night, y’all 😀

Q: Evening Dr Ketch. I hope you’re good. I.am only 18. I have been having abdominal pains and I was told that I have ovarian cyst. I am on medication but they said if it doesn’t work then I’ll have to undergo an operation. I am scared because they told me I have less chances of conceiving. Could this be true?? (I’ve never had an abortion before). Please help!

A: Thanks for writing in, dear.

Ovaries are small bean-shaped organs on either side of your womb. Every month, your ovaries develop sacs called follicles from where eggs are released monthly and female sex hormones produced. After the egg is released every month, the sac disintegrates. But sometimes, the egg is not released and the sac remains or the egg is released and the sac does not disintegrate. This follicle becomes the fluid-filled cyst sac. Usually this is not a problem as it could form during every menstrual cycle and usually resolves on its own. These cysts are called the functional cysts. However, these cysts could get very big and in some instances become twisted or they could rupture causing problems. This latter type is called pathological cyst.

Examples of pathological cysts occur in Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome and endometriosis. In the former, small cysts appear all over the surface of the ovary and is also associated with irregular menstruation and high hormonal levels. In endometriosis, the tissues of the uterus (womb) are found outside of the uterus. These two pathological cysts are associated with fertility problems. Functional cysts are hardly associated with fertility issues except they become extremely large.

Treatment depends on your particular situation. You could get away with no surgery and no pills, if your doctor orders serial scans to continually observe the size of the cysts and sees a reduction in size. Otherwise, the other treatment options are the use of birth control pills to prevent the development of more cysts in future menstrual cycles and surgery as the final option.

Have a chat with your doctor and share your worries about these treatment procedures. He/she will guide you through this.

All the best!

Have a great night, everyone 😀

A new study makes alcohol seem even more controversial, suggesting that there is sufficient evidence to say that alcohol causes several types of cancer.

Source: Perspective on alcohol use and cancer risk