Good information vital for your baby
Dear Dr. Donya,
I would like to ask you whether infants experience growth spurts at certain ages, I read they do. My baby is now three weeks old and she has been sucking more and she has been much more agitated than usual. Is this normal? For instance yesterday, she just wouldn't sleep, could it be the growth spurts or more likely something I ate? Are there foods I should avoid that could make her fussy?
Thank you again.
Best regards,
Pauline
Answer:
Dear Pauline,
Thank you for keeping in touch.
Yes, there is a growth spurt at three, six and 12 weeks. At this time the baby will need more milk so they will suck more often. You may feel like she is restless and your milk is not enough. But the truth is she knows how much she wants and the more she sucks the more she gets.
About being fussy, it may be that during the normal growth and development of a child they begin to articulate different cries such as low somber for wanting a hug, or a high pitched cry for pain. Mother will tune in to the differences. And again this is all part of normal neurological development. There is also the possibility that the food you eat could be a factor. Spicy foods and greasy foods should be avoided as well as caffeine and alcohol.
Good Luck
Dr. Donya
Dear Dr. Donya,
I have read with interest your weekly article in The Jakarta Post in the Kids Health Corner. It is refreshing to read such good advise being given out via the newspaper. Keep up the good work!
I noticed in one of the articles, a mother wrote to ask about her young baby. In your reply you suggested, amongst other things, that she aught to mix with other mothers.
I am a British nurse (with four children) and I run a weekly New Mother Support Group from my house in South Jakarta. It is open to all new mothers, but sadly, as my Indonesian is not as good as it should be, we have to limit it to mothers who can speak English. We have a truly international mix of mothers, including Indonesian, English, German, Dutch and Japanese, who, once they come on a regular basis, make good friends with each other. If they have any questions regarding sleeping, breast- feeding, weaning and others, I and three other colleagues (all British nurses) on hand to help out. We usually suggest that women who have babies up to one year old can join.
The baby group is run on a voluntary basis, so there are no joining fees or charges.
Should you feel that any of your readers are in need of such a group to join, please feel free to give them my e-mail address, jayson@vision.net.id.
I hope this is of use to you.
Best wishes,
Barbara Jayson
Answer:
Dear Barbara,
Your information is useful and I will forward it to the Post so more new mothers will be aware of the opportunity.
Best regards,
Dr. Donya
Between 1998-2000 on Sumba island (in West Nusa Tenggara), there were several cases of infants suffering from cramps after getting DPT-Hib vaccines. There were 60 infant deaths in that period. All were reported having similar symptoms. In several other cases two-year-old children weigh only around five kilograms, yet this area does not suffer from famine.
It is said that the DPT-Hib vaccines used on Sumba was banned in France, the country of origin, but somehow could be used in Indonesia.
My question is:
1. Is DPT vaccine the same as DPT-Hib vaccine?
2. Which one is the most important vaccine for infants?
3. Can vaccination cause underweight children?
4. Is it true that DPT-Hib is banned in France? and DPT too?
5. Do you agree that infants today receive too many vaccines?
I thank you very much for your valuable time.
Regards,
Hilarion
Answer:
Dear Hilarion,
Sixty infant deaths in two years on an island with the population of Sumba is extremely high. Was the exact cause of death ever determined? Regarding the vaccines DPT and DPT-HIB, they are different and I have not heard of any bans on either vaccine in Asia. DPT-HIB is a product of France and is currently being widely used throughout Asia.
DPT consists of three parts (Diphtheria, Pertussis and Tetanus). Of the three, Pertussis is the element that has shown side effects on the neurological systems such as convulsion, prolonged screaming, high fever and shock like condition. However, the incidence mostly happens in children who already have some form of neurological disorder or a family history of neurological disease.
The adverse effects rate is 1 in 1750. There is a new pertussis vaccine called acellular pertussis (aP) which is supposed to have less side effects but it needs to be followed up because it has not been in use long enough to be proven either way.
HIB (Hemophilus Influenza Type B) has been known to cause respiratory tract infections and meningitis in children under two years old. I am both a mother and a doctor, and as a doctor I have seen children with vaccine preventable diseases. I have given my child all these vaccinations, including DPT-HIB, because in my opinion prevention is better than treatment. As for the low weight of five kilograms in two-year-old children there must be something more serious than side effects from vaccine. In closing, there is nothing better than good information, before giving any child a vaccine. Make sure a family medical history has been done and that there have not been previous neurological problems present. Always consult with your doctor about your concerns.
Dr. Donya