Dear Doctor,
My 4-year-old son grinds his teeth in his sleep. What causes such action? How can I stop it? I am worried that his teeth will be damaged through such persistent heavy grinding every night, as I'm a victim of heavy grinding, with almost flat incisors, some which have already split in half.
Dear Tricia,
You are not alone - many parents are worried about their kids grinding their teeth. We do not know why it happens but generally it does not cause any long term damage as he would still be having his milk teeth. If this persists, you might like to bring him to your dentist for a dental checkup. Mouth guards are often very difficult to use in children but might be useful once he is older and if there are any signs of damage to his permanent teeth.
Dear Doctor,
My 7-month-old baby doesn't like to drink milk in the daytime so we mix it with her solid food (cereal or porridge). However, she still chokes and vomits out the food even though it has been mashed. Is this due to a problem with her digestion? She is considered small in size compared to her siblings, which worries me because my second baby recently passed away from brain cancer (medullablastoma).
Dear Agustina,
Babies starting on a weaning solid diet may often choke and vomit especially if they are not used to the texture or taste of the food they are eating. Other possible reasons include food allergies or irritants, or swallowing dysfunction. Warning signs to look out for include poor weight gain, rejecting food completely, or persistent vomiting. Do bring her down to your doctor for a full examination if she has any of these warning signs.
Dear Doctor,
My baby girl, who is 6 months old now, has had redness and swelling at her umbilical area since birth. The spot also has a bad odour to it. I have tried using alcohol swabs to dry the area three times a day, and applying antibiotic powder prescribed by a private paediatrician but to no avail. The doctor could not advise further and only suggested that I continue to apply the swabs and powder. What can I do to relieve her condition?
Dear Lili,
Persistent umbilical infection needs to be treated with either antibiotic powder, antibiotic creams or oral antibiotics. As she has not responded to antibiotic powder therapy, ask your doctor to do a swab culture to try to identify the germ that is causing the infection. Once isolated, your doctor can tailor her antibiotic treatment according to the germ isolated. If it persists despite correct antibiotic therapy, your doctor will look for other rarer causes that may make her prone to persistent umbilical stump infection.
Dear Doctor,
My son, Lovell, is 3.5 years old. He has had bronchitis since he was 1 and has recently been diagnosed with mild asthma. He was previously prescribed with long-term medication, Singulair, Zaditen, Ventolin and Zyrtec for a period of 3 to 6 months to strengthen his lungs. I have read about the adverse side effects of Singulair such as depression, moodiness, suicidal thoughts, and violence. Please advise if it is still wise to continue consumption. Are there other alternative medication, such as cordyceps, that could help build up my son's health?
Dear Shwu Pyng,
Asthma is a medical condition where, due to an allergic reaction, a lot of mucous is formed in the lungs leading to severe congestion. During severe attacks, it causes wheezing and breathlessness. In children who are asthmatic, it is important to control their symptoms and prevent asthmatic attacks. This is mainly done by identifying potential allergic triggers and avoiding them, and the use of medications.
Asthmatic medication can generally be divided into two groups. The first group is the "reliever medication" and is used during an asthmatic attack when the child is breathless and wheezing. Ventolin is the most commonly used medication in this group. It works by opening the air passage and allows the child to cough up the mucous and breathe better. Ventolin can be given either as an oral syrup, an intravenous injection, through a nebulizer or using a puffer.
The second group of asthmatic medication is the "preventer medication" which is usually taken over a longer period of time to "prevent" these asthmatic attacks. It is generally used in children who have frequent attacks, persistent background coughing, or very life-threatening asthmatic attacks. Steroid puffers and Singulair fall into this group of medication. They work by reducing the inflammation and thus the mucous production in asthmatic children. Zaditen (ketotifen) is an antihistamine and also falls under this group of medication.
Zyrtec is an anti-histamine which generally has no preventive properties against asthma. It is mainly used to prevent allergic rhinitis (sensitive nose) which is often present in children who are asthmatic.
All medication has potential side effects. Before being sold, all medication must undergo safety trials to determine these potential side effects, and to determine how frequently these side effects may occur. This information is widely available, in the drug packaging, or online at the relevant drug's website. In the case of Singulair you can find more information at http://www.singulair.com/montelukast_sodium/singulair/consumer/index.jsp.
In Lovell's case, you will need to discuss with your paediatrician how severe his asthma is, based on the frequency and severity of his attacks. If significant, you will need to discuss with your doctor what would be the best way to control his symptoms. This often includes avoidance of potentially allergic triggers and the use of either "reliever" medication during asthmatic attacks, or a combination of "reliever" and "preventive" medication. Do discuss with your doctor the potential side-effects of the different "preventive" medications and use only those which you are comfortable in using for your child.
There are no conclusive studies to validate or refute the use of other natural medication like vitamins or herbs to boost your son's health. They are generally harmless as long as your son is not allergic to them.
Dear Doctor,
My son Joel is three and a half years old. I recently found a strand of white hair on his head and discovered a lot of split hairs. Children of his age should not have any white hairs. His height and weight was found to be acceptable during his last medical check up. Please advise me; should I be worried?
Dear Joanne,
There are many possible reasons as to why Joel has white hair. Some of these reasons include a lack of certain vitamins and minerals like iron or zinc. If there is a cluster of white hairs, or if it is persistent, do visit your paediatrician or a dermatologist for a full assessment.
Dear Doctor,
My girl always rubs her eyes, especially at night when about to sleep. During her 4 yrs old health assessment, the doctor told me that she is short-sighted in her right eye (about 50-100 deg). Does rubbing her eyes affect her eyesight? My girl has has dark circles below the eyes – she sleeps about 8 hours at night and 2 hours in the afternoon. Do her sleeping patterns contribute to the dark circles? If not, what causes it?
Dear Sin Ling,
Rubbing her eyes will not affect her eyesight. This habit is very common amongst children, especially at night before they fall asleep. It is important however to recognize alarming signs which may suggest an underlying eye disease that can cause both eye irritation as well as poor eyesight. These signs include persistent rubbing of eyes, visual loss, red eyes and excessive tearing. If she has any of these signs, it is important to bring her to see an eye doctor for formal assessment. Wan Jin will also benefit from a visit to the optician to assess her vision and determine if there is a need for glasses. Unfortunately, myopia (being short sighted) is very common our local population affecting up to 25% of 7 year old children. For more information regarding myopia in Singapore, do visit the Singapore National Eye Centre (SNEC) website at http://www.snec.com.sg/eye/myopia.asp.
Nobody knows what causes the dark circles under our eyes. There are many theories on its possible etiology. These include disturbed sleeping patterns, lack of sleep, genetic predisposition, stress and allergic conditions. Try to address these possible issues first. As a first step, try getting her to sleep earlier – ideally children should average at least 10 hours of sleep at night. Ensure a comfortable quiet environment so that her sleep is not interrupted. At the same time, treat any allergic conditions such as sensitive nose or eczema. Some children may have persistent dark rings despite all measures taken. If she is thriving well, then do not be overly anxious.
Pedialyte; Oral Electrolyte Maintenance Solution. For children 1 year and above
Pedialyte; Oral Electrolyte Maintenance Solution. For children 1 year and above
Pedialyte; Oral Electrolyte Maintenance Solution. For children 1 year and above
Soy protein follow-on formula with AA and DHA. For special feeding needs of children after 6 months