Minister of Health Officiates New Child Health, Safety, and Well-being Programme

WORDS LIM TECK CHOON

On September 15 2022, our Minister of Health YB Tuan Khairy Jamaluddin officiated the launch of Healthy Little Bloomers programme and the roll-out of its maiden campaign Junior Germ Busters. 

The Healthy Little Bloomers programme aims to promote child health, safety and well-being through a network more than 30,000 early childhood care and education centres nationwide, potentially benefiting more than 800,000 children.

This is an initiative led by the Malaysian Paediatric Association (MPA) in collaboration with 10 prominent early childhood care and education organisations from both private and government sectors. These organisations are Jabatan Kemajuan Masyarakat (KEMAS), ECCE Council, Malaysian Association of Professional Early Childhood Educators (MAPECE), Persatuan Tadika Malaysia (PTM), Jabatan Kebajikan Masyarakat (JKM), Persatuan Pengasuh Berdaftar Malaysia (PPBM), National Association of Special Education, Malaysia (PPKK), Majlis Kebajikan Kanak-Kanak Malaysia (MKKM), Persatuan Tadika Sabah (PTS) and Association of Kindergarten Operators Sarawak (AKO).

In his speech during the launch, YB Tuan Khairy highlighted the following:
  • Young children, especially those under the age of 5, are vulnerable to health and safety threats, such as infectious diseases, injuries, abuse and neglect
  • Children who are overweight or obese are 5 times more likely to become overweight and obese adults
  • Child abuse survivors are at higher risk of becoming abusers or getting involved in abusive relationship during adulthood
  • Unmet emotional and mental health needs during childhood will lead to difficulties and problems during adolescence and adulthood
PROGRAMME IN STEP & LINE WITH MALAYSIAN GOVERNMENT DEVELOPMENT GOALS

YB Tuan Khairy is pleased with the launch of Healthy Little Bloomers because, as he puts it: “Children are the nation’s future. Therefore, addressing their health, safety and well-being needs holistically is one of the government’s key priorities. It has been part of the Malaysian government development goals since the 1960s and outlined in our latest Child Health 2021-2023 national framework”.

He applauds the campaign as an initiative that brings together MPA and partner organisations for bringing together medical professionals and early childhood care and education experts in a systematic and potentially long-term collaboration to help bring to fruition the goals of the government.

This is a vital programme as many young children spend most of their waking hours in kindergartens and children centres every week, abd studies have shown that health promotion intervention in kindergarten and childcare centres can be effective, especially if parental engagement is involved.

THE PROGRAMME IN MORE DETAIL

Professor Datuk Dr Zulkifli Ismail, Chairman of Healthy Little Bloomers, shares that the programme is meant to be cover all key domains and aspects of child health, safety and well-being in a holistic manner.

He further elaborates that the programme will take an annual thematic approach.

WHAT THE HEALTHY LITTLE BLOOMERS PROGRAMME OFFERS
  • Training for early childhood care and education operators and personnel
  • Fun, exciting, and interactive lessons for children; the programme is inclusive and will cater to children from various population segments, including those that are underprivileged and with special needs
  • Information and educational materials for parents and primary caregivers; available in Bahasa Malaysia and English
  • Roadshows to cater to less advantaged children, featuring activities that will consider the needs of those with hearing or vision impairments.

Visit healthylittlebloomers.my to get more information as well as free educational materials.

Must-Know Facts about Respiratory Syncytial Virus

WORDS DR LEE ONN LOY

FEATURED EXPERT
DR LEE ONN LOY
Paediatrician
Mahkota Medical Centre
WHAT IS RESPIRATORY SYNCYTIAL VIRUS? 

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV for short) is a common respiratory virus that usually causes mild flu-like symptoms, except in infants and elderly people.

There are two sub types of RSV, RSV-A and RSV-B, which co-circulate during the same season with alternating predominance.

However, we do not test for sub types in Malaysia, mainly because we do not have seasonal weather and there is no difference in disease severity between the two sub types.

WHO ARE MOST AT RISK WHEN IT COMES TO GETTING INFECTED?

Children are more prone to be infected due to their immature immune systems and first exposure to the virus.

They are often exposed to and infected with RSV outside the home such as in daycare centres or school.

WHO ARE MOST AT RISK OF DEVELOPING SEVERE COMPLICATIONS?

People who are at higher risk of severe RSV disease are:

  • Prematurely born infants
  • Children with congenital heart disease or chronic lung disease such as asthma
  • Children with compromised or weakened immune systems either due to medical conditions or medical treatments
  • Adults with compromised immune systems
  • Elderly people with existing health problems or co-morbidities
HOW DO I KNOW IF I MAY HAVE CAUGHT RSV?

Symptoms of RSV are just like those of normal flu, such as:

  • Fever
  • Cough
  • Decreased appetite
  • Lethargy
  • Wheezing and difficulty in breathing

Consult a doctor if you or a family member show these symptoms.

HOW IS RSV TREATED?

There is no ‘one size fits all’ treatment for RSV.

We usually treat it with paracetamol and antihistamines.

If a child catches the virus, the doctor will monitor the child to ensure that they are eating and drinking well.

When there is no improvements seen, and when one becomes lethargic and develops wheezing and breathlessness, they should be admitted for fluid infusion, regular nebuliser therapy, and oxygen when necessary.

WHAT CAN PARENTS DO TO PROTECT THEIR CHILDREN FROM RSV?

Firstly, we should know how RSV can spread. Common ways of transmission are:

  • When an infected person coughs or sneezes, and the virus droplets find their way into your eyes, nose, or mouth
  • When you touch a surface that has the virus on it like doorknobs, and then touch your face before washing your hands
  • When you have direct contact with an infected person, such as kissing the face of a child with RSV

There are a few things parents can do to protect their children against RSV such as:

  • Keeping them away from close contact with sick people
  • Teach them and encourage them to wash their hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds
  • Teach them to avoid touching their face with unwashed hands
  • Don’t send your unwell kid to school or centres, and limit the time children spend in child care centres during outbreaks if possible
CAN ONE DEVELOP RSV, FLU, AND COVID-19 ALL AT THE SAME TIME?

Yes, but this is not common. Should it happen, though, the complications are going to be very severe with a high risk of death!

Hence, people should go for influenza vaccinations yearly, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Immunise2Protect Campaign Urges Parents to Protect Their Children against Chickenpox

WORDS LIM TECK CHOON

While Malaysians these days are fully aware of the importance of COVID-19 vaccination, the Immunise2Protect campaign urges parents not to overlook other important childhood vaccinations for their children, particularly the chickenpox vaccine.

Immunise2Protect is organized by Immunise4Life, an expert-driven community education initiative to promote immunisation against vaccine-preventable diseases and to address issues surrounding vaccination hesitancy and refusal. This initiative is a collaborative effort of the Ministry of Health Malaysia, the Malaysian Paediatric Association (MPA) and the Malaysian Society of Infectious Diseases & Chemotherapy (MSIDC).

WHY VACCINATE OUR CHILDREN AGAINST CHICKENPOX?

Contrary to the still popular perception that chickenpox is a harmless bother, it can lead to dangerous complications that require hospitalisation or may even result in death.

Even the act of scratching the itchy lesions can lead to secondary bacterial infections of the skin and soft tissue.

Children with eczema or dermatitis may develop severe skin symptoms when they contract chickenpox.

Additionally, chickenpox may also cause infection of the lungs (varicella pneumonia), inflammation of the brain (encephalitis, cerebellar ataxia) and infection of the liver (hepatitis).

Another cause of concern is that once a child has caught chickenpox, the Varicella-zoster virus that causes the infection will continue to stay in an inactivated state in their spinal cord.

Later in life, as the child’s immune system weakens with age or stress, this virus can be reactivated to cause a very painful infection called shingles.

BENEFITS OF THE VACCINATION

The chickenpox vaccination helps prevent chickenpox.

Some people that are vaccinated against chickenpox may still get the disease. When that happens, the symptoms are usually milder with fewer or no blisters (they may have just red spots) and mild or no fever.

The chickenpox vaccination also helps protect from the serious complications that require hospitalisation.

A Free App for Women, Especially Marginalized Women

WORDS LIM TECK CHOON

The University of Nottingham Malaysia (UNM) and Hanai Jiwa Ibu Sdn Bhd have developed an app, called Jiwa Ibu, to provide localised and tailored information on mental, women’s, maternal, and children’s health.

This app, developed in collaboration of the two entities with St George’s University of London, Universiti Malaya and Universiti Malaysia Sabah, serves to reduce the great disparity in access to healthcare between those residing in urban and rural communities. This is because rural communities have limited access to quality medical centres and professionals, and residents of those communities have to travel further in search of quality healthcare.

AN APP FOR MARGINALISED WOMEN

“For years, we’ve wanted to shift our focus to the rural and marginalised communities of Malaysia. Since the idea began, our team of eight dedicated women have run focus groups involving doctors, nurses, midwives, community nurses and everyday women, to better learn what the ideal women and maternal healthcare pathway should look like,” explains Hanai Jiwa Ibu Founder and CEO, Shamala Hinrichsen. “We don’t expect to solve the world’s problems, of course, but one tiny step forward is better than no steps at all.”

UNM and Hanai Jiwa Ibu recently inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to allow for the copyrighting and trademarking of the app, ahead of plans to work alongside Selangkah, Selangor’s healthcare app, to embed part of Jiwa Ibu into the system.

“The Jiwa Ibu app is expected to benefit 15 million women across Malaysia. During its initial alpha-test, the app was downloaded by 3,000 women, with 75% returning to the app within the span of one month from downloading,” shares Associate Professor Dr Joanne Lim Bee Yin of the UNM School of Media Languages and Cultures. “Based on the surveys and interviews that we carried out, 95% of respondents also shared that they wanted the app.

MANY FUNCTIONS FOR EMPOWERMENT & HEALTH SELF-MANAGEMENT

Jiwa Ibu will include a directory for doctors and healthcare centres within the vicinity of the user and other important resources, such as those for violence against women cases.

Users can also store and track their own health records and seek medical assistance through the app.

In an effort to be more accessible, the app will be made available in Bahasa Melayu, English, and other native languages.

Click here to download the app (link opens in a new tab) in the Google Playstore. The app is free.

Please Take This Short Survey about COVID-19 Vaccination and Your Child

WORDS ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR DR ERWIN KHOO JIAYUAN

The survey is now closed. All parties involved would like to express their gratitude to everyone that participated in the study.
FEATURED EXPERT
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR DR ERWIN J KHOO
Consultant Paediatrician & Head of Paediatrics Department
International Medical University (IMU)
IT CAN BE CHALLENGING FOR A PARENT TO DETERMINE FACTS FROM FICTION WHEN IT COMES TO NEWS ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Netizens who are vaccine hesitant have an alarming footprint on social media. In a vicious cycle, their hesitance is likely to be fueled by health (mis)information obtained from a variety of sources, including news media such as the Internet and social media platforms.

As access to technology has improved, social media has attained global penetration. In contrast to traditional media, social media allow individuals to rapidly create and share content globally without editorial oversight. Users may self-select content streams, contributing to ideological isolation. As such, there are considerable public health concerns.

These worries may be magnified in the face of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. As the development and subsequent deployment of more vaccines are expected to play a critical role in downstream emerging pandemic control efforts, social media will remain a powerful tool. Most concerning is how (mis)information and (un)substantiated reports on its platforms will threaten to erode public confidence even well before the release of any scientific evidence.

It is not readily evident why social media is so disproportionately successful in promoting vaccine hesitancy as opposed to uptake. Social media users may represent a skewed population sample with baseline misperceptions regarding the benefits and side effects of vaccination whilst simultaneously lacking familiarity with the consequences of vaccine-preventable disease. Moreover, when evaluating the risks and benefits of vaccination in general, the risks may be overestimated and may seem more immediate, and tangible as compared to the more abstract potential benefits of disease prevention.

IF YOU ARE A PARENT WITH A CHILD UNDER 18, PLEASE SPEND 15 MINUTES TO HELP US BETTER UNDERSTAND THE SITUATION

SOcial MEdia on HesitAncy in Vaccine E-survey or in short, SOMEHAVE, is a multinational collaborative study between International Medical University (IMU), the Singapore’s National University Health System (NUHS), National University of Malaysia (UKM) and Universiti Malaya (UM)

The study uses unidentified e-survey for parents with the aim of seeking the impact of social media on vaccine hesitancy.

For the English survey form, please click here (link opens in a new tab).

For the Bahasa Malaysia version, please click here (link also opens in a new tab).

[IRB Ref No: IMU R 279/2021, UKM PPI/111/8/JEP-2021-824, NHG DSRB (Singapore) Ref: 2021/00900]

Are You Worried That Your Child May Have Scoliosis?

WORDS DR WONG CHUNG CHEK

FEATURED EXPERT
DR WONG CHUNG CHEK
Consultant Orthopaedic & Spine Surgeon
ALTY Orthopaedic Hospital

Scoliosis is a common, sometimes hereditary spinal medical condition, in which a person’s spine curves to the side, typically in the shape of an “S” or “C.”

A stable and mild case of scoliosis does not cause significant lifestyle issues, but severe cases with prominent curves can be harmful to a person’s health.

THE TRUTH ABOUT SCOLIOSIS

People often believe, erroneously, that carrying heavy bags, having poor body posture, participating in sports, or sleeping on one side will cause the spine to bend, but that isn’t quite the case.

The reality is that over 80% of all scoliosis cases have no known cause. Such cases are known as idiopathic scoliosis.

According to studies, scoliosis affects 2-3% of the Malaysian population, or between 600,000 and 900,000 persons . It’s most often detected during adolescence, but it is also known to affect adults and the elderly at a lower rate.

Scoliosis usually progresses very rapidly during the growth spurts and only slows down or stops once the child reaches bone maturity. Signs of scoliosis become more noticeable as a child grows in age or as the curve progresses, but that doesn’t mean that scoliosis is impossible to notice early.

Because the signs are not always visible in mild cases, parents should examine their children on a regular basis.

The earlier scoliosis is detected, the better the odds of preventing scoliosis from causing serious issues down the line.

HOW TO DO HOME-CHECKS FOR SCOLIOSIS IN YOUR KIDS
As scoliosis usually starts just before the child shoots up in height, parents should begin looking for symptoms at that time. Look out for:

  1. Look for an imbalance in the height or position of shoulders, shoulder blades, or hip — for example, one shoulder appears to be consistently dropping below the other.
  2. Also look for a misalignment of the head with the rest of the body.
  3. An uneven waistline or hips, as well as whether one shoulder blade protrudes more than the other.

If you see any signs of scoliosis, regardless of how minor they are, you should schedule an appointment to see a specialist to do further observation and to also check on the severity as some hospitals may not be able to do a comprehensive check.
WHEN SHOULD YOU CONSULT A DOCTOR?

If you are still unsure, it is best to consult a doctor as soon as you can. Sometimes mild symptoms may not be easily spotted, and doctors can help perform more tests and X-ray scans.

An orthopaedist who specialises in pediatric conditions will be able to recommend more tests, examinations, and preventive measures upon further consultation.

If the curve identified is less than 20° degrees, the curve will be observed to ensure that it does not worsen. This is especially important for children who are still developing, although well-grown children may not require more X-rays. Such cases may require more testing like MRI which can be used in addition to the X-rays for more detail.

New imaging modality like the EOS is able to provide better images of the spine with a quarter of the radiation dose.