“ …A little child, born yesterday, a thing on mother’s milk and kisses fed…” Hymn to Mercury (one of the Homeric Hymns written in the 6th century), translated from Greek by Percy Bysshe Shelley. Babies have been breastfed since the beginning of time. It is interesting to read about the history of infant feeding and … Continue reading Mother knows breast – benefits of breastfeeding for baby (Part 2)
Category: Pediatrics
Pediatric topics through the eyes of a mother
Benefits of Breastfeeding
There are a few brand new babies in our friend-circle, and looking at them, I cannot believe how far my little boy and I have come on our breastfeeding journey in just 5months! I have already forgotten the difficulties of those first few days, and he is now breastfeeding like a pro! “If we wear … Continue reading Benefits of Breastfeeding
COVID-19 in children
COVID-19, Corona-virus, SARS COV-2... these terms have been shouted from the rooftops the last few months. Our lives have all changed and there are many new things popping up on our worry-lists. One of the items on my list was the health of my children. As a pediatrician I decided to investigate the facts on … Continue reading COVID-19 in children
Immunisation basics
“Intellectuals solve problems, geniuses prevent them.”Albert Einstein Adiné just had her 10 week vaccinations, and I thought I would share some practical tips surrounding immunisations with you. I know this is a highly debated topic, but I want to share some of the basic facts to give you a foundation to build your understanding on, … Continue reading Immunisation basics
BCG vaccine reactions
As I was bathing our almost-10week old daughter one evening I saw a raised red spot on her upper right arm. It was about 1cm across and looked like an angry pimple. Is this an insect bite? An infection? No, I quickly realised, this is a very common reaction to the BCG vaccination our daughter … Continue reading BCG vaccine reactions
The Management of Colic
Now that you understand as much as we know about colic (see previous post), let us look at what you can actually do about it once your baby starts screaming at the top of his/her lungs and does not want to settle: Firstly take a deep breath! Baby will not calm down if you are … Continue reading The Management of Colic
What is Colic?
When speaking to Moms (new and old), conversations always seem to be about sleep, poos... and crying. Our next-door neighbour just turned 90, and she tells me about her first baby that had severe colic every time we visit. What is colic? What is normal crying in a baby? Is it dangerous in the long … Continue reading What is Colic?
Vaccinations in Pregnancy
This week we finally did our very special maternity shoot, but another very important to-do in my pregnancy was to get a pertussis vaccination and I am glad that I can now tick both off my list. I had to ask my gyne about it and the pharmacy had no clue why I wanted this … Continue reading Vaccinations in Pregnancy
Middle Ear Infections
Before I started specialising I worked in a family medicine practice and saw mostly children. When the complaints were “fever, crying, runny nose, lack of appetite” I was almost relieved when I saw a red eardrum because I had something to blame for the symptoms that I could treat! But is it always necessary to … Continue reading Middle Ear Infections
Ear pain in children
When babies and toddlers fiddle and pull on their ears we often wonder if they have ear pain. As a doctor-mom I have the advantage of having access to an otoscope and can take a peek to ensure there are no problems. Babies can fiddle with their ears as part of discovering their body-parts, as … Continue reading Ear pain in children
Pediatrics and Playdough 