OCTOBER , 2018 | The HEALTH

Consultant Paediatrician Dr Ali Azman Minhaj described ME / CFS as a syndrome that affects school going children as well as adolescents .

“ Hallmark symptom are profound fatigue , post-exertional malaise , body , myofascial and / or joint pain , cognitive difficulties , disturbed sleep , headaches and sore throat , irritability , poor concentration and unable to finish schoolwork .”

“ When at home , they may display a poor appetite and not wanting to play around with friends . Parents would usually dismiss it as laziness or stubbornness but before we come to that conclusion , we must establish whether there are other underlying illness that is treatable .”

“ If test results are normal , then parents may want to consider these conditions especially when it drags on for weeks and months .”

However , there is no definite treatment for these condition .

“ Parents need to be very sympathetic to the child as he or she may not be doing it on purpose .”

He encouraged good food and frequent feeding in small amounts for energy , supplements such as multi-vitamins as this helps generate energy from food and Coenzyme Q10 for adolescents .

TRADITIONALLY fermented soy products such as tempeh and soy sauce , or fried egg , soy sauce accompanied with a decent portion of rice have become a staple food among many children today . While popular belief states soy sauce healthy , yummy and fat-free with high-antioxidant content , commercial soy sauce that takes lesser than three days for production can be potentially harmful to your child ’ s health .

Indra Balaratnam Nutrition consultant dietitian Indra Balaratnam explained that dark soy sauce or regularly known as ‘ black kicap ’ is actually just caramelised fermented soya beans with added salt and sugar that ’ s been made into a condiment . So , it ’ s not a food group .”

“ Nutritionally it is very poor , it is actually just meant to be used as a flavour enhancer – the way salt or any other seasoning or sugar is used . You don ’ t want to make that as part of just the main meal .” Picky eating and young toddlers “ At the end of the day , the child needs a wide variety of food for a healthy balanced nutrition . So , anytime , a child falls into a nutritional rut where there ’ s

eating of only one specific food regiment day in-day out – then maybe it is time to re-evaluate .”

Picky eating often surfaces around one year — when many children begin to feed themselves . They tend to choose what and how much to eat , giving them some degree of control over their lives . So some days they may eat a lot of everything . Other days they may not seem to eat much at all .

In addition , while children usually grow a lot and quickly in their first year , growth slows down in the second year . Toddlers are also learning lots of new skills , like talking , walking , running , climbing , and more .

During a time of great change , children often seek “ sameness ” as much as possible , including sticking to the same small group of foods .

“ It is the adults around them who need to nurture and encourage them to learn to like a variety of foods . So ultimately , if the adults are the ones who allow these kind of habits to fester and to continue , then it ’ s the adults fault for not making the child a good eater .”

SG . THEASIANPARENT . COM

the fever would not exceed 38 or 38.5 degree celcius for a span of three days .”

He also said that most of the cases do not have to be admitted to the hospital .

“ The child could be treated at home by giving paracetamol on a regular basis every four to six hours for one or two days . The idea is to relieve the pain . It would also be advisable for parents to keep the child under quarantine and give them a lot of fluid . The virus doesn ’ t stay

long in the body approximately four to five days , so best to allow it to heal by itself . Most of them are not life threatening , only when you are poor in nutrition to start with . For the rashes , parents don ’ t have to do anything because the rashes are never painful . If it is sore , there is something else going on .”

He also emphasised that it would be best for schools to close if there are cases reported .

July 17 —

Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah revealed in a statement

July 18 —

PARACETAMOL is one of the most commonly used ‘ over-thecounter ’ medicines for minor illnesses suffered by children .

The main uses of paracetamol are for relief of pain and for reducing fever . However , it is not always used in the correct dosage , which may make it less effective or dangerous .

Too much paracetamol can cause liver problems , so don ’ t give your child more than the recommended dose .

a branded sugary drink but a homemade cordial – it will be there .”

“ There are still a lot of schools where road side vendors are allowed to be outside the school gates — although in the ministry level , guidelines have been set where no vendor is allowed within a certain radius of a school .”

“ Like any child , all these tempting foods in front of them — anything that is remotely healthy , won ’ t really stand a chance to beep out because children tend to go based on what they have learnt and brings them pleasure .”

“ It takes a whole village to raise a child . So , it ’ s not just from the authorities but also the parents , stake holders and the people who want to make sure this happens .”

“ Research shows that children who are well , eat well , physically active , who do pay attention to what they consume , their lifestyle – go a longer way in terms of their health as they grow up to become adults ,” she said .

THE MALAYSIAN TIMES

What is the correct dose ? The dose depends on your child ’ s weight and the strength of paracetamol . Always measure doses exactly and ask your pharmacist or nurse for an oral syringe .

Ministry of Health ( MOH ), National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency in ‘ Package Insert Template for Paracetamol ’, August 2011 stated that it is more accurate to use the body weight of the child to calculate the correct dose in paediatrics .

Calculation is based on recommended dose of 10 to 15 mg / kg / dose orally every four to six hours .

Rectal doses , which may be given to children every four to six hours if necessary , up to four times daily are :

• Infants under three months - as instructed by physician

• Three months to a year : 60 to 125 mg

• One to five years : 125 to 250 mg

• Six to 12 years : 250 to 500 mg