Photo: Eurweb

Many pregnant women have taken up different endeavours to avoid the unwanted weight gain during the nine months; they have taken to exercise, pregnancy yoga, walking, swimming, name it. However, some are not of this view and go ahead to eat for two, having the leeway given by a pregnancy. Whichever category a woman finds herself they need to take caution because research has shown that obesity during pregnancy does not only affect the mother and her ability to get back to her pre-baby body.

Results from a study published in PLOS ONE (Public Library of Science) provide ample evidence that a newborn’s vitamin D level relates to the mother’s weight during pregnancy. Higher body mass index (BMI) in mothers is associated with lower vitamin D levels in their babies. This is a concern, since low vitamin D at birth may be associated with reduced bone mineral density in the long term, as well as increased risk of allergic disease and obesity.

The researches noted that:

“Our study suggests that overweight or obesity in pregnancy is linked to lower vitamin D levels in both the mother and the newborn,” said Jami Josefson, MD, endocrinologist at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and assistant professor at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. “More research is needed, however, before we can make broad recommendations about the need for greater supplementation of vitamin D for overweight pregnant women.”

This research gives more weight to the pregnancy exercise and fitness campaign. Obesity in pregnancy has become increasingly common and in addition to lower vitamin D levels, it has been associated with heavier infants who then are at a higher risk for childhood obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Keeping fit through pregnancy will be a plus for the mother through the labour process and help her bounce back after pregnancy but it will also help the baby be healthy. Do it for you; do it for baby.

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MY NAME is Hajati Hadija Nalugya, a mother of Agnes Nanyonjo, a child living with spina bifida.   Nanyonjo was born with spina bifida in 2003 and later developed hydrocephalus. Like any mother, I prepared to have a healthy baby at MulagoHospital. After delivery and regaining my consciousness, I asked for the baby. But no one was ready to tell me what had happened to my baby. The baby was hidden from me for over two days.

The nurses at Mulago hospital later told me that the baby had a wound on the back. I asked whether the baby was injured during delivery. The nurses eventually told me that the baby had a natural wound from God.

I kept wondering what wound could that be but my attendants and nurses could not tell what it was not until another doctor called Ddumba from Mulago Hospital came and explained to me what it was. She explained to me and referred me to CURE children’s hospital in Eastern Uganda.

Now just imagine the pain I went through because this was my first time to see such a baby and with less information about my child’s condition. Everybody feared my baby including nurses.

Spina bifida and hydrocephalus are not new cases in Uganda, but not much has been done to make the people aware of the conditions, how the patients can be handled, where they can be treated, or even how it can be prevented.

When you produce such a child, stigma is all around you, people come to stare at the funny baby: some think you’re bewitched; some medical personnel fear to touch; relatives disown you. If you’re not lucky enough, the husband runs away and you remain all alone with your baby in dilemma.

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The post Mother of a child with spina bifida tells her experience first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

Spina bifida is a birth defect that occurs when the bones of the spine (vertebrae) do not form properly around part of the baby’s spinal cord. It can be like a sac of water at any point on the back of the baby or an open sore.

Having adequate levels of folic acid before and during pregnancy is the most crucial preventative measure of spina bifida. There are three recommended ways to increase folic acid uptake in women of child bearing age.

Intake of one folic acid tablet daily for women in reproductive age is highly recommended.  While daily supplements are a simple method of decreasing the likelihood of an infant contracting spinal bifida supplements are still not readily available to the entire female population of child-bearing age or are only taken after the first trimester, when the spine has already formed. Health workers and policy makers have a role to advocate for the use of folic acid tablets in women of child bearing age and not only after the first antenatal visit.

Folic acid is found in local foods in Uganda, and women in child bearing age are encouraged to eat foods rich in folic acid such as greens, liver, ground nuts, fresh maize, and fresh mangoes to prevent spina bifida in their unborn infants.

Folic acid can be added to food through fortification of staple foods more especially maize flour, wheat flour and corn flour.

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BABY WALKERS: Many parents in Uganda, Africa, America, Asia, Latin America, and Europe use baby walkers in order to help their babies to walk fast.

However the latest research raises concerns about the walker. According to a United States of America (USA) based study; locomoto milestones and baby walkers cross section study, established that the use of baby walkers delays the child’s ability to walk independently by a few weeks.

The research reveals that walkers tend to have an abnormal gait at first, though it resolves with time. In addition, the walker increases the risk of injuries. The researchers so they advise parents and guardians to shun the use of baby walkers.

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The baby identified as Buyinza Kwekiriza was rescued from areas of Buvuma Island after a tip from area police.

According to police the baby was kidnapped by a woman only identified as Sarah who for long had promised her husband a child.

The DPC of Katwe police station Richard Ochang says Sarah who is now in police cells told her husband that she had given birth to a baby boy. However, the husband got suspicious because the baby looked too old to be a new born.

He says Sarah is to be charged with child theft and trafficking.

The baby has now been handed back to the biological parents Gloria Wamaholo and Samson Buyinza who could not hold back tears.

The post Kidnapped baby rescued in Katwe first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

Medical experts around the globe encourage taking folic acid before and during pregnancy.

Delivering in hospitals or health units to reduce risk of infection and keeping the baby in a clean and incompact environment is also another prevention of hydrocephalus.

Sources of folic acid are beans and peas, greens such as broccoli, spinach, okra dooddo and citrus fruits.

One can also take folic acid supplements under instructions from a doctor. Common practices of putting herbs and cow dung on the umbilical cord are discouraged in the prevention of hydrocephalus.

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The post Prevention of hydrocephalus first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

Medical experts around the globe encourage taking folic acid before and during pregnancy.

Delivering in hospitals or health units to reduce risk of infection and keeping the baby in a clean and incompact environment is also another prevention of hydrocephalus.

Sources of folic acid are beans and peas, greens such as broccoli, spinach, okra dooddo and citrus fruits.

One can also take folic acid supplements under instructions from a doctor. Common practices of putting herbs and cow dung on the umbilical cord are discouraged in the prevention of hydrocephalus.

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The post Prevention of hydrocephalus first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

A new frontier in the fight against HIV/AIDS in millions of new born children in Uganda has been launched in Kampala on Tuesday. The new frontier (read plan) has been code named ‘Option B+’ plan.

Under option B+ plan, pregnant women living with HIV/AIDS will receive treatment early enough in order to prolong their lives and also help them to prevent transmitting the virus to newborn babies.

Health experts in Uganda and World Health Organisation WHO) believe that option B+ plan will reduce on the number of newborn babies who get infected through their mothers during pregnancy, delivery and or breastfeeding.

According to documentation at Uganda AIDS commission in Kampala, about 25,000 babies get infected with HIV/Aids annually through mother-to-child transmission. The women under option B+ will be given treatment at 14 weeks of pregnancy to six weeks after the baby has been delivered.

Doctors told us that under option B+ plan, after the baby is born, the baby will be given the syrup for another six weeks.

The post Uganda applies new drugs on HIV positive mothers first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

In fact, the production of excessive saliva can be healthy. Saliva cleans the baby’s gums and washes away foods and bacteria that might leave the mouth dirty.

The enzymes in saliva also help to break down the carbohydrates in foods, operating as a head start in the digestive process.

In addition, drooling plays the role of natural intestinal lubricant because babies usually suffer from gastro oesophageal reflux (a condition in which the acidified liquid content of the stomach affects the oesophagus).

Therefore this saliva lubricates the lining of the esophagus and helps to neutralize the acidity. Saliva also contains a healthy substance that could epidural growth factor, which helps the intestinal lining mature. Later when your baby has developed all the teeth, drooling stops.

However babies with developmental delay show a limited swallowing mechanism, causing excess saliva in the mouth. See a pediatrician for a developmental assessment of the baby’s overall muscle coordination.

The post Causes of drooling in babies first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

Keep your baby’s skin moisturised with Vaseline and avoid excessive use of cosmetics as they contain irritants and may have steroid components.

When your baby reacts to any cosmetics, stop using them, pay attention to cleanliness particularly around the nappy area and face and don’t keep the baby in diapers for long.

Allow the skin to breath by dressing your baby in smooth natural fabrics, like cotton. Avoid wool and other scratchy materials which can irritate very sensitive skin, switch to mild, fragrance-free soaps and jellies or those made for sensitive skin.

Use mild fragrance-free degeratants for washing clothes and bedding. Avoid fabric softeners, and keep your baby’s nail short to avoid scratching. During temperature flare-up apply cool compresses to the area several times a day.

Walakira Nyanzi

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