No Maps, No GPS: Navigating Grief as Parents of a Child with a Terminal Illness

The devastating diagnosis of a child’s life-threatening or life-limiting condition plunges parents into an emotional journey. “This complex, non-linear process often involves overlapping and recurring stages of grief,” says Ang…

Baby Coming Soon? Here’s How to Get Ready for D-Day (Delivery Day)

Your EDD (estimated delivery date) is drawing near, and you’re probably eagerly anticipating the arrival of your bundle of joy. If you are a new mum-to-be, knowing what you will…

$2.4 Million to Give Our Baby a Chance Against Spinal Muscular Atrophy

“To say that the journey was a rollercoaster ride is probably an understatement,” says Lavin Chong, a marketing manager in a fintech company. She and her husband, Andy Wang, both…

5 times NurseFirst helped Families ease their urgent Medical Concerns — at No Cost!

“I would like to share my personal feedback regarding the NurseFirst service. I called in last evening when my child encountered an incident in school. I would like to express…

How is Heat affecting your Pregnancy? Is it Dangerous?

It’s official: temperatures are rising, and with them, health threats and general discomfort all around for us. If you are pregnant though, hotter weather can be even more harmful as…

A Parent’s Guide to Pneumococcal Disease & Vaccinations for Infants & Children

Every year in Singapore, approximately 10 in 100,000 infants and children under the age of five become very sick from severe pneumococcal disease. They require intensive treatment in the hospital…

Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA): A Parent’s Role in Early Detection & Care

Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects the motor nerve cells in the spinal cord and impacts the muscles used for activities such as breathing, eating, crawling,…

Breast Cancer gave Aisha Jiffry a New Lease of Life. Now she’s Helping other Women cope with theirs

Five years ago, Aisha Jiffry, 44, was going through the motions in a job that left her tired, uninspired, and with little time to pursue her own passions. Blessed with…

Migraines Q&A: Why It’s (Mostly) a Women’s Curse

Yes, men do get them too. But did you know that women are twice as likely as men to suffer from migraines? Furthermore, we experience them more frequently, for longer…

Cervical Cancer Q&A: 20 Questions Every Woman Should Ask

In Singapore, cervical cancer is the 10th most common cancer in women. That translates to over 200 new cases surfacing each year. In 2022, the National Population Health Survey reported…

Bedwetting and Night Terrors: are these Sleep Disorders Disrupting your Child’s Nights? 

Your child has slept through the night, but there is a large wet patch on the bed. Your child wakes with a piercing scream in the middle of the night,…

Snoring? Insomnia? Daytime Fatigue? Your Child could have Sleep Disorders

Does your child sleep well? Children need sleep. But even more importantly, they need to sleep well. Sleep is crucial for their overall health and development, and plays a pivotal…

Does your Child have a Medical Emergency? Bring them to the Paediatric Urgent Care Centre at Parkway East Hospital

After a long day at work, you are looking forward to spending some quality time bonding with your family over dinner. But you arrive home only to find that your…

TCM Superfoods for Children & Families – Can They Really Boost Our Immunity?

Immunity is important all year round, especially with COVID-19 variants skulking around and Singapore’s inevitably hot weather. For parents, keeping their children and families healthy is always a top priority….

Water Purifiers are the Kitchen Tool that Every Family needs

Gone are the days when the kitchen tap was the only outlet for drinking water at home. Now, with water purifiers, it’s easy to have clean, temperature-specific water at the…

Gaucher Disease: Rare, but Dangerous, especially for Infants and Children

Children often complain of fatigue, shortness of breath, and abdominal pain. But these complaints could indicate something more dire — like Gaucher (pronounced go-SHAY) disease — if they are accompanied…

5 Ways to Protect your Child from Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)

Imagine a world where the bacteria and bugs that make us sick no longer respond to medicines, making infections harder to treat, and increasing the risk of disease spread, severe…

Born Deaf, My Child is Now Breaking Barriers in Music

It may sound strange, but science has proven that deaf people can appreciate music too. They do so by sensing vibrations in the part of the brain that processes hearing….

Does your Lifestyle affect your Miscarriage Risk? These 9 Facts will help Clear the Air

The birth of a new baby is a joyous occasion. However, for every mum-to-be who carries a precious pregnancy to term, there may be another who has a miscarriage. Such…

Are Probiotics Good for Babies, Children, Pregnant & Breastfeeding Mums?

Probiotics is such a buzzword these days. But how much does the average person really know about these so-called good bacteria? For example, is it safe to munch on those…

Hearing Loss in Babies & Children – The Silent Epidemic

Hearing loss is not just a problem for the elderly. In Singapore, about 1 in 1,000 babies born each year has profound hearing loss, and 5 in 1,000 have some…

What To Eat and Avoid When You’re Heaty, According to TCM

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is common in our everyday lives as Singaporeans. Turn a corner in any neighbourhood and you will likely encounter a TCM medical hall or two. During…

Dare to Feel: When My Daughter Has a 15-cm Tumour

Bel is an easy-going, athletic 13-year-old who avoids conflicts with a smile. Of my five children, she would be the one to question why I was so curt with a…

10 Prenatal Pilates Classes in Singapore for Pregnancy Fitness and Conditioning

Pilates has become a popular workout in Singapore, with the addition of at least four new Pilates studios and classes in Singapore over the past year. Whether done on the…

10 Best Air Purifiers to Keep your Family & your Home safe from the Haze

Get your air purifiers ready: haze may be coming our way soon. This is due to a high likelihood of El Nino conditions which will bring hotter and drier weather…

Physiotherapy for Women’s Health Issues in Singapore

When we think of physiotherapy, the first thing that often comes to mind is recovery from injury. But beyond physical injury, there are a host of issues that physiotherapy can…

How to be an Eco-Conscious Parent in Singapore: Tiffany Wee, naturopath and nutritionist

The recent World Environment Day (5 June) was a reminder to #BeatPlasticPollution and help release the chokehold of plastic on our planet. But apart from foregoing plastic, there are many…

Unexpected Blessing: Mum of Teens Naturally Pregnant at 45!

When her dad was diagnosed with cancer, it was a rude wake-up call for entrepreneur Andrea Chow. Late nights attending social events, smoking and drinking — it was time to…

Update on Male Fertility in Singapore

Still think it’s taboo for a ‘real man’ to talk about reproduction? Heads up, we’re in 2023 now and male infertility — defined as the inability for a male to…

10 Ways to Use Your CPF & MediSave for Your Family’s Healthcare Needs

Are you part of the ‘sandwich’ generation? This refers to working adults who support their ageing parents while raising a family. The burden can be quite heavy, especially when it…

Mums tell us how Soothing this is for their Kids’ Eczema-prone Skin (review)

As mums, we love cuddling with our little ones, and marvelling at the baby-smooth, velvety feel of their skin. But sometimes their skin gets dry, inflamed, red, and bumpy. Even…

Breast Cancer and Pregnancy

Breast cancer during pregnancy is known as gestational breast cancer, or pregnancy-associated breast cancer (PABC). It refers to breast cancers that occur whilst pregnant, in the first year postpartum, or…

Top 12 Foods to Eat for the Best Nutrition during Pregnancy

The common adage during pregnancy is that you can, and should “eat for two”. That, we now know, is a misconception. Pregnancy nutrition does not mean eating more. A pregnant…

New Device to Help Mums Spot the Onset of Asthma Attacks in Children

Did you know that wheezing is one of the main signs of impending asthma attacks in children? The problem is that parents often find it challenging to recognise wheezing. This…

Pregnancy Aches and Pains

If you are pregnant, and feeling aches and pains around certain parts of your body, take heart. You are not alone, and there is a remedy for the pain. Almost…

Why Childhood Vaccinations Matter – and is there a Dengue Vaccine?

The COVID-19 pandemic has shone a giant spotlight on vaccines, but not all parents are quite convinced. And while we’ve been distracted by COVID-19 for over two years, the Aedes…

5 Winning Ways to Bring Back Shine, Volume, and Health to your Hair

Working mothers juggle a multitude of balls, from career to household, family (extended as well), friends, and more. Though our time is limited, our to-do list seems to be never-ending….

Say Goodbye to Pain, and Hello to Wellness for everyone in the Family

If your past two years were spent working from home, you’ve probably experienced some aches and pains – the result of too much time spent at the table hunched over…

She Suffered a Stroke while Pregnant at Seven Months

Like any other young mum, motherhood means love, family, and happiness for 34-year-old financial services advisor, Joy Chia. She met her husband-to-be in 2002, and they tied the knot in…

This Mum is Learning to Live her Best Life with a Stoma – after battling Colon Cancer twice

Azizah Azman skips rope, plays badminton, and has even started inline skating – all while living with a stoma. (This, by the way, is an opening on the abdomen that…

Over 1 in 2 Singaporean Toddlers have Constipation — Does Yours?

Earlier this year, the Friso #ReallyKnowPoop Constipation Survey polled 1,000 Singaporean parents to better understand the constipation woes of their toddlers aged 12 to 26 months. 18 per cent say…

9 Best Air Purifier options for Better Air in every Singaporean Home (2023)

Even before those reports (in May 2021) about the COVID-19 virus being airborne, air purifiers had already been seeing a steady uptick in sales. In addition earlier studies show that…

ible Airvida: the smallest, sleekest, wearable Air Purifier that Removes 99.7% of Coronavirus

As COVID-19 swept the globe over the past two years, we began to become more aware of airborne threats that could affect our lives, as well as the lives of…

Paediatricians and Paediatric Clinics in Singapore that Parents Trust

The most important thing to every parent is the health and well-being of their child. When your little one falls ill, you want a doctor who not only hastens their…

After almost 10 years of painful intercourse, this mum-of-two learnt she had PeVD

Three to four months after giving birth to her first child, Mary* (*not her real name) and her husband had sex. To her shock, the advertising specialist felt “a burning…

Is Sex Painful, especially after giving Birth? You could have PeVD

Sex is bliss, but not when every slip, stroke, and slide brings pain rather than pleasure. And while you can achieve satisfaction by other means, why limit intimacy when you…

How to Prevent 3 Common Illnesses that Children often get in School

Children pick up a lot from school, from academics to social behaviours. On top of these, they also pick up some things that can keep them out of school —…

Survivor of Multiple Life-threatening Conditions Now Dedicated Homeschool Dad

The concept of work-life balance takes on a whole new slant when it comes to 41-year-old Aaron Tay. Work: he is currently working as a Financial Services Manager at Vineyard…

6 Best Air Purifier options to Clear the Air in every Singaporean Home (2021)

Even before those reports (in May 2021) about the COVID-19 virus being airborne, air purifiers had already been seeing a steady uptick in sales. Add to this earlier studies showing…

Top 10 Immune System-boosting Foods for your Child

While you and the grandparents are probably vaccinated against COVID-19, your children may not be. Apart from taking the usual measures to stay safe, such as masking up, and staying…

Keep COVID-19 at Bay with 7 Essential Personal and Household Items

Even as Singapore is reacquainting ourselves with pre-circuit breaker living, it’s important to keep in mind that we aren’t out of the woods yet. But by continuing to practise safe…

The Power of Probiotics for Kids (+ a Giveaway)

Since the start of this year, and throughout the circuit breaker in Singapore, nine-year-old Aly has been in the pink of health. Her mother, artist and Lula J Jewelry founder,…

Does your Child have Good Poop?

You know you’re a parent when you find yourself taking photos of your child’s poop, and having no qualms about talking to other parents about your child’s faecal matter. Don’t…

When your Child has a Headache

When my child first said his head hurt, I didn’t think he had a headache. I figured the active kid had bumped his noggin on something, and that the pain…

4 Ways to Help your Kids Manage Childhood Myopia

Did you know that Singapore has one of the highest rates of childhood myopia among seven to nine-year-olds in the world (source)? At age five, almost a fifth of children…

Being a Mask-eteer for his Daughter — Keenon Lee of 1929 Mask

As COVID-19 cases in Singapore began to increase, the government put out a call to expand the country’s mask supply. One dad heard, and responded. Together with his family, Keenon…

5 Fabulous Fermented Foods for a Healthy Gut and Better Immunity

So COVID-19 case numbers are coming down, and our children are going back to school in a couple of weeks. But that’s no reason to let your guard down. In…

Exercise during Pregnancy: What you need to know

Exercise has multiple benefits for everyone, especially when you are pregnant. So no matter how tempting, unless there are valid reasons to do so, pregnancy is not an excuse to…

What do Chefs and Foodie Parents put in their Child’s Lunchbox?

The school bag is packed, the uniform is ready. Now what to put in the lunchbox? You may even be thinking of packing two — one lunchbox for recess, and…

4 Easy Recipes to Boost your Immune System

Your immune system keeps you healthy by preventing viruses, bacteria, and disease from invading your body, and there are various ways to help it do its job well. Apart from…

I Did Not Know Studying at the Dining Table is Actually Hurting My Kids!

When people talk about investments, one would not usually associate it with a study table and chair set. But let me explain… Before I was given such a set to…

Gestational Diabetes 101 – Are You at Risk?

In Singapore, gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) occurs in about one in four to five pregnancies. This is according to a study published in May 2018 by the Agency for Care…

Trendy Superfoods – How Super Are They for You and the Kids?

Admit it, you’ve been tempted to buy into one – or more – of those uber-healthy trendy superfoods, if you haven’t already done so. After all, the nutritional benefits sound…

How to Nourish Your Body at Every Stage of Motherhood

Mothers have an amazing ability to think on their feet while running around all day. They make sure everyone in the family is cared for, often at the expense of…

Did You Know You Can Get FREE Health Coverage for Your Newborn?

What if, God forbid, your baby is born with a birth defect and requires intensive care, can you afford the hospital bills that come with it? Read on to discover…

Feng Shui-ing Your Kids’ Bedrooms: Forget the Myths and Follow these Tips

Designing a child’s bedroom can be tricky business, but putting the right Feng Shui touches on Junior’s room may actually set the stage for healthy growth and harmonious living. [banner][/banner]…

Do Your Kids Really Need Supplements? 11 of Your Questions Answered By a Pharmacist.

Majority of Singaporean parents today seem to be feeding their children at least one dietary supplement. You have probably bought some cute gummy bear-shaped multivitamins for your little one, haven’t…

Bonding for Brilliance – Ways to Connect with Your Child through Sensory Play

Tips on enhancing the bond between mother and child through sensory play. As a new mum, your first year of parenthood is as thrilling as it is challenging. Today’s mums…

Fussy Baby? Learn How to Identify The Signs of A Delicate Tummy.

Learn how to identify the signs of a delicate tummy and turn a grumpy tummy into a happy tummy that aids your baby’s learning and development. Beyond six months of…

Control Your Child’s Food Allergy with This Life-Changing Treatment

Children with persistent food allergies to dairy products, eggs and tree nuts will now be able to eat such foods without adverse reactions once they complete the Food Oral Immunotherapy…

Baby’s Crying and Vomiting Non-stop. Could it be Intussusception?

A baby boy cried every ten minutes for six hours and vomited at least five times during that time. When he was finally admitted to hospital, an initial examination revealed…

Migraine In Kids – When that Headache is more than just an ache

Your kids can give you headches, but did you know that children can get them too? In fact, children can even get migraines. Migraine is “very common in children”, Dr…

Helping Children with Special Needs through Dance/Movement Therapy

For children, especially those with special needs, movement is important. This is not simply a matter of health; a foundation of movement and activity in the early years paves the…

10 Time Management Tips for New Mums

Remember those idyllic days of people-watching at cafes and late-night partying? All that will change when your first child arrives. What you initially imagine to be a picturesque, Instagrammable first year…

Should You Exercise During Your Pregnancy?

It seems that when a woman gets pregnant, the general public opinion is that she should cut back on her exercise. Perhaps this is due to the perception that pregnant…

5 Pregnancy Must-Do’s for Mums-to-be in Singapore

Pregnancy can seem overwhelming at times. On top of having endless pregnancy guides and parenting books to browse through, the long list of do’s and don’ts can leave you feeling lost….

Swelling (Edema) in Pregnant Women

Edema (water retention) is a condition you are likely to experience when you are pregnant. You’ll discover that physical expansion is not limited to the middle of the body. In…

Dealing with Pregnancy Weight Gain

Pregnancy is that one (or more) span of time in a woman’s life during which she is naturally expected to pack on some kilos without hosting any qualms about it….

The A to Z of Eczema in Children

Eczema is a chronic disorder of the skin that is more common in young children. According to a study done in 2002 (the most recent one here), the prevalence of…

Pregnancy & Your Joints

Pregnancy marks the start of an incredible journey for every woman. It also signals the impending arrival of an amazing metamorphosis of the female body. Some facets of this transformation…

All About Premature Babies

Approximately six to seven per cent of all singleton pregnancies in Singapore deliver prematurely, or about one in 15 babies, says Dr Mark Loh, Paediatrician and Neonatologist at Mount Elizabeth…

Fitness for Kids: It’s Never Too Early!

The mention of fitness might trigger mental images of sweaty men and women gruelling themselves at the gym, all in the pursuit of a svelte figure and good health. But,…

What You Need to Know About Vaccinations

In late February this year, the World Health Organization (WHO) in Europe called for measles vaccination campaigns to be stepped up across the region after recording 22,000 cases of the…

8 Common Baby & Child Skin Problems

The skin of newborns may be flaky and dry because it has yet to mature. A young child’s skin is delicate and therefore vulnerable to becoming dry too. Lessening exposure…

She’s Back to Her Fann-tastic Figure!

World renowned slimming experts Marie France Bodyline unveiled their new celebrity spokesperson, Singaporean actress Fann Wong, to the media on 7 January 2015 at 72-13, Mohd Sultan Road. The event,…

When Your Child Has An Ear Infection

If your child has been pulling at his ears or complaining of pain in his ears, do not ignore him. He could be having an ear infection. Left untreated, this…

Diastasis Recti: Not Just A Baby Belly

That post-baby tummy fat you’ve been carrying around might just be a condition called diastasis recti. Don’t worry, this condition is usually harmless. It is a well-known fact that some…

Using Epidural for Normal Delivery

As a first-time mother, I spent 16 hours in labor. Going in and out of a pain I had never experienced before, I remember being told to curl up on…

Loving your Post-Pregnancy Body

You may be surprised by how your body looks and feels after you give birth. If you worried about your size when you were younger, your uneasiness about your body…

Circumcision: To Cut Or Not To Cut?

Not counting those who do it for religious reasons, circumcision is fairly common in Singapore. According to the Ministry of Health website, there were 1,870 circumcision procedures performed in hospitals…

(Cord Blood) Banking For Good Health

Pregnant? Congratulations! Having a baby sets you on a steep learning curve, upon which you’re likely to come across the concept of cord blood banking. With advanced medical knowledge in…

3 (+1) Must-do Exercises for Easy Labour & Delivery

Little C is born. Our horsey boy came into the world on 3 July 2014. And boy did he make a quick galloping entrance. My total labour pushing time was…

Feed your Child the Right Way

Is your child an extremely fussy eater? Or one who takes two hours to finish a meal? He or she may have a feeding disorder. International pediatric nutrition expert Dr…

Nutrition during Pregnancy – A Personal Guide

Your nutritional health before and during pregnancy can affect your baby’s future health. Dr Abdul Aziz Bin Mohd Ali Sujak from Aziz Clinic For Women Pte Ltd tells us why…

The Secret to Looking Better than the Pre-pregnancy You!

Don’t we all live in a world where we are constantly fed with visuals of perfectly airbrushed, slim, and toned bodies? Not to mention images of those lucky genetically-privileged celebrity…

Smile, Baby, Smile: Reconstructive Surgery for Children

No parent wants their child to have to go under the knife but sometimes, doing so is necessary and might even benefit the young one. Plastic surgery is one such…

Does Your Child Need Supplements?

Walk into any pharmacy and you’ll be greeted by rows of colourful bottles promising to make your children taller, healthier, and brainier, and give them good vision and excellent digestion…

Need To Know: Postpartum Haemorrhage

Two-thirds of with postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) have no risk factors for this birth complication which happens in about five per cent of births worldwide. Dr Kelly Loi from the Health…

Spring-clean Your Kids’ Medicine Cabinet

Lim Zong Neng, Anson, a pharmacist at Watson’s Tampines Mall, tells us what the essential medications that you should always have in the medicine cabinet for children are. Children tend…

Getting Pregnant after 35

Carrying a child when you’re over the age of 35 brings with it some additional risks to both yourself and your baby. But it’s not at all an impossible task….

What to Expect: Vaginal Birth After Caesarean (VBAC)

Vaginal Birth After Caesarean or VBAC is the term used to describe the process when a woman gives birth vaginally after having had a previous caesarean delivery. It includes birth…

Post-Pregnancy: Your Body & Health

After giving birth, your body looks and feels like it belongs to a stranger. You’re oozing fluids from too many places, your abdomen looks as if baby hasn’t exited the…

Medical FAQs For Travel With Kids

Travelling with children can be a daunting prospect – there are vaccinations to think about and the worry of how to respond in a medical emergency in a foreign country….

Managing Myopia in Kids

The bad news: myopia is hereditary. “Genetics has a definite role,” said Dr Gerard Nah, an eye surgeon with W Eye Clinic and the founder of the Vision Performance Centre…

Pregnancy Tests & Scans

Throughout your pregnancy, you will have to go through a series of blood tests, ultrasounds and the like. This is all done to ensure the health of both mother and…

Happy Tummy. Happy Baby. Find out more…

As a parent you want only the best for your child. So, you weigh every choice you make carefully. You research, you speak to your friends and you consult doctors….

Travelling with Allergies (& Dietary Requirements)

No, we’re not just talking fussy eating here. If you or anyone in your family has Crohne’s disease, is celiac or has an allergy to nuts, for example, watching what…

Road to a Successful C-Section

Wong Lina, 37, who manages a travel agency, is the mother of three children aged 12, 10 and 5. She delivered all her babies through C-section. For the first one,…

5 Great New Activities to get Kids Moving

When the Standard Chartered Marathon takes place on Sunday, you’ll see, in addition to the sculpted calves pounding the pavement, several sets of chubby legs that belong to the newly-walking….

5 Ways to Manage Childhood Myopia

Myopia – or short-sightedness – is so commonplace here in Singapore that most of us parents hardly spend sleepless nights over it. After all, we have better things to worry…

Water Birth: A Gentler Birth

Birth in water, known as water birth, is one of the gentlest ways for a baby to be born. This ancient practice, which has been revived by birthing mothers today,…

All About Teething

Teething is one of the many milestones in a baby’s first year and like colic, it makes parents feel helpless and wish we could be the one suffering instead of…

For a Shorter and Easier Labour, Exercise during Pregnancy

In the past, it was believed that pregnant women had to abstain from physical activity. However, it is now known that exercise, correctly done, is important and beneficial to the…

Pregnant? Watch out for UTI Woes

A month ago, I experienced some bleeding while urinating. You can imagine my anxiety and fear as I was 15 weeks pregnant then. I thought I was going to have…

Morning Sickness Be Gone!

According to the American Pregnancy Association, about 70 to 80 per cent of pregnant women experience some form of morning sickness. Symptoms include nausea and vomiting, but don’t be fooled…

Haze: Coping with Kids

What are you doing to deal with the haze? Six mums share their coping strategies… [banner][/banner] BRING OUT THE AIR PURIFIER “We turn on the air conditioner all day. We…

Bringing your Toddler to the Dentist

Just the thought of visiting a dentist is enough to send shivers up my spine. Memories of the drill in my tooth and the painful injections in the gums will…

Midwifery in Singapore: The EMMa Care Programme

The term ‘midwife’ means ‘with woman’. Traditionally, mothers depended on specially-skilled wise women to care for them in pregnancy, labour, birth, and postnatally. Present-day midwifery is a reflection of how…

Pregnancy Sex: To Do It Or Not To Do It?

Sex during pregnancy and after giving birth can be as enjoyable as before, as long as you’re paying close attention to your body One of the things that many women…

First Aid for Families

You’re pregnant, you’ve bought the necessary baby items and spent a load on infant paraphernalia. You’ve read up on how to breastfeed, how to burp the baby, how to distinguish…

Coughing in Children: Home Remedies

Children are prone to suffer from sore throats and coughs. There are no known statistics on how often they get this illness. Says Dr Penny Lo, a general practitioner, “It…

Making Sense of Formula Milk

It is encouraging to see that more new parents in Singapore are realising the importance of breastfeeding. According to a report in The Straits Times last August, hospitals say that…

Open House for Parents of Sick Kids at NUH

The first ‘home-away-from-home’ for families with sick children opens in Singapore. A new Ronald McDonald House (RMH) was opened last month at the National University Hospital (NUH). The is a…

Feeding Baby Well, if Mummy has Allergies

Is my Baby at Risk of Allergies? “I am in my last trimester of pregnancy and have had multiple allergies since young. How, as a mother, can I play a…

Coping with Pregnancy Emotions

For a woman, pregnancy is a time of change. Physically, your body is changing to accommodate your baby’s needs. Emotionally, you are beginning to realise that you are now responsible…

Teach Your Child Proper Handwashing Techniques

The UN General Assembly has designated 15 October as Global Handwashing Day and it’s a reminder to the general public (especially children and their parents) that proper hand hygiene is…

Common Newborn Conditions

New mothers are consistently on the alert when it comes to their babies. We worry about the smallest things – from whether baby is breathing properly to whether baby’s poop…

Newborn Tests That Your Baby Will Go Through

Immediately after he is born, your baby will undergo several tests and examinations. But you may be engrossed in meeting your baby for the first time (and perhaps too fatigued…

Jumping On The Organic Baby Bandwagon

The trend towards eating organic foods and using organic products is constantly on the rise, with more and more people choosing an organic lifestyle for personal health and eco-conscious reasons….

Childhood Immunisations

Proponents say that vaccinations are safe and that the benefits of vaccinations far outweigh the small risks associated with vaccines. Opponents argue that children’s immune systems can deal with most…

Bringing on Labour the Natural Way

Your due date is long past, you are tired of feeling pregnant and most of all, you can’t wait to meet the little bundle that has been incubating inside you…

Your Pre-Conception Checklist

You have been cyber-stalking at your friends’ babies on Facebook; you have even been gawking at your colleague’s baby bump. When you find yourself secretly browsing those floral rompers at…

All You Need To Know About HFMD (Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease)

Hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) is a common and contagious viral infection that can affect children as well as adults. It hit epidemic levels in Singapore in early 2012,…

Premature babies: Causes, health issues, and care

Having featured the stories of Dewi and Joycelyn, two mothers whose babies were born prematurely, we now examine the causes of premature labour and some health issues which pre-term babies…

True Story: Baby Premature, Mum In A Coma

For two days after she had delivered her baby prematurely, Joycelyn lay in a coma. Her husband shuttled between the Intensive Care Unit and the neonatal ICU, burdened with the…

Singapore’s Dust Mite Fight: Save Your Money, Sun Your Pillows

My son’s food allergies had taken front seat in our family for the past year. So I took comfort in the fact that my daughter, a.k.a. ‘The Bug’, was allergy-free….

Singapore’s Dust Mite Fight: Save Your Money, Sun Your Pillows

My son’s food allergies had taken front seat in our family for the past year, and I took comfort in the fact that my daughter, a.k.a. ‘The Bug’, was allergy-free….

True story: “I had pre-eclampsia with two pregnancies”

Because she had pre-eclampsia for her first pregnancy, when she was pregnant with her second child, Dewi Singgih had to visit her gynaecologist every five days. But 32 weeks into…

Doula: Give Birth Comfortably with a Friend

It was one in the morning. Something happened while she was dreaming. She was all wet. But it was still two weeks before her baby’s due date. Was this the…

Be Active! Get Your Child Off the Couch!

The time which our children spend running around and playing at the playground has given way to watching television, playing video and computer games. However, it is not too late…

Confinement: The Process of Reconditioning Yourself After Pregnancy

The first 30 to forty days after you give birth is called confinement, the period where new mothers are ‘confined’ to a certain regimen comprised of nutritious diet, to-do’s and…

The Pregnancy Journey: Developments and Discomforts

Whether you are trying for a baby, or have just gotten a positive result from your pregnancy test (congrats!), it is good to know what you are in for when…

Puff And Play: Being Active With Asthma

Many people have this dated, 1970-s era image of ‘asthma kids’: you know, the sallow, weedy kid with Coke-bottle specs who sat on the sidelines during gym class. Scratch that…

Choosing an Allergy Test : The Lowdown

While there are many allergy tests to choose from, you should really only consider three. These are the Skin Prick Test (SPT), the IgE blood test, and the oral food…

Help, my Baby is Sick

Dealing with a sick baby can be very stressful, especially for first-time parents. Babies can’t talk. They cannot tell you if they are feeling dizzy, queasy, or wheezy. But you…

Peanut Allergy in Singaporean Children

Many Singaporeans think peanut allergy is an ‘angmo’ affliction; strictly a Caucasian condition. Research done by Chiang Wen Chin, an allergy specialist at the KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH),…

Food Allergies in Children in Singapore: Why Auntie’s Advice Won’t Do

There are plenty of myths about food allergies in Singapore. First, that not many people have them. Myth #2: Allergies are not a big deal — just a rash around…

6 Easy Do-at-Home Exercises to Beat the Postnatal Bulge

Supermodels pop a Bub and are back on the catwalk in a couple of weeks, looking fabulous. You grunt, puff, holler and gasp a baby out, and still look like…

Sunscreen. Sunblock. Sunsafe.

“If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it,” wrote The Chicago Tribune columnist Mary Schmich. Her mock graduation speech column was turned into…

Hospital Maternity Packages in Singapore

Our birth rate may not be growing but services for mums and children are booming. If you are currently expecting a baby, you can enjoy facilities and services – such as…

Pre-Baby Blues & Anxiety during Pregnancy: When to be worried

Pregnancy is often featured with a back-lit glow, as a celebration of fecundity, and the expectation of cuddly joy coming your way. What’s we do not see is the anxiety…

Baby Blues: What to do when Perinatal Depression Strikes

Perinatal depression, which refers to depression occurring during pregnancy or the first year postnatally, affects up to 15 per cent of women in Singapore. Dr Cornelia Chee, Consultant & Director…