WORDS LIM TECK CHOON
CAN UTERINE FIBROIDS & OVARIAN CYSTS AFFECT ONE’S CHANCES OF HAVING A BABY? DR FARAH EXPLAINS |
DR FARAH’S ADVICE
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WORDS LIM TECK CHOON
CAN UTERINE FIBROIDS & OVARIAN CYSTS AFFECT ONE’S CHANCES OF HAVING A BABY? DR FARAH EXPLAINS |
DR FARAH’S ADVICE
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WORDS PROFESSOR DR MUHAMMAD YAZID JALALUDIN
PROFESSOR DR MUHAMMAD YAZID JALALUDIN Senior Consultant Paediatrician and Paediatric Endocrinologist UM Specialist Centre |
Most babies seem small when they first come into the world, but for some, they truly are smaller when compared to their fellow babies-in-arms.
This condition is known medically as small for gestational age (SGA for short).
Gestational age, by the way, is the length of time a baby spends growing in their mother’s womb.
Small for gestational age babies that weigh below 2,500 g at birth are additionally considered to have low birth weight.
After a mother has given birth in a hospital or clinic, nurses will clean the newborn and giving them a quick check for any abnormalities. The nurses will also measure the length and head circumference of the baby as well as weigh.
These measurements inform healthcare professionals whether or not a baby is small for their gestational age.
POSSIBLE CAUSES OF SMALL FOR GESTATIONAL AGEPregnant women should go for their antenatal check-ups to monitor for and manage any problems that might result in a small for gestational age baby |
The mother’s health during pregnancy
The mother’s ageThe risk of having a small for gestational age baby is significantly higher for women aged 30 and above that have never given birth before, as well as all women aged 40 and above, compared to women in their 20s. The mother’s heightWomen that are short are at risk because their smaller wombs and shorter birth canals influence the growth of their foetus. Family historyInterestingly, research has shown that the risk of having a small for gestational age baby can be influenced as far back as two generations. If the pregnant woman and/or her own mother were small for gestational age babies, the foetus has a higher chance of being born small for gestational age. Issues with the placenta during pregnancy
Chromosomal or genetic abnormalitiesThese abnormalities include those that give rise to Down syndrome and congenital abnormalities such as structural defects of the heart, kidneys, lungs, or intestines. Other possible causesCatching an infection while in the womb or being part of a multiple pregnancy (twins, triplets, etc) can also negatively affect a foetus’s growth. |
Generally speaking, small for gestational age babies should be able to catch up in their growth within the first six months to two years of their life with good nutrition.
In fact, 85% of these babies achieve normal height and weight for their age and gender by two years of age.
Some children require a longer time and there is still some leeway until the age of five to allow them to catch up in growth to their peers.
However, by five years of age, 8-10% of small for gestational age babies would still be smaller than normal, and this is the time that parents and doctors need to start discussing treatments for the child.
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.
“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.
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.