Today’s Motherhood

Giveaway Week 8 (12th December to 18th December 2011):
(by SmartKids Asia, the World’s LARGEST Educational Kids’ Fair)

This Week’s FREE GIVEAWAY – Your Baby Can Swim - Baby Swimming Pool Set + Swim Trainer Worth $100!

To Celebrate SmartKids Asia, the World’s LARGEST Educational Kids’ Fair coming to Singapore, they are having 30 Weeks of FREE GIVEAWAYS to their Facebook Fans!

Simply be a fan and tag the GiveAway photo here, and you could be one of the lucky winners!

Dear Readers,

We are pleased to inform you that we have a new look for our online parenting magazine The New Age Parents. The Dec 11 / Jan 12 is currently out now and available for viewing.

Below are the highlights of this issue:

• Mummy, There Are Monsters Under My Bed. Understanding Nightmares and Night Terrors
• Sex and Pregnancy : Your Questions Answered
• Writing The Right Way
• All You Need To Know About Constipation in Kids
• Investing In Your Family: 7 Simple Ideas
• Chinese Zodiac For 2012
• and many more.

To read our Free Parenting Magazine, go to The New Age Parents.

To get our latest updates, remember to join our mailing list today :)

Date: 17 Dec 2011 (Sat)
Time: 10am ~ 5pm
Venue: 583 Orchard Road #05-01 Forum The Shopping Mall

Intechess Asia - 6258 0100
Little Newton - 6733 6818

Sponsored by
Little Newton Group
Intechess Asia, ASEAN Chess Academy

• Trophies for top five players in each group
• Places limited to first sixty registrations

Onsite Grand Masters & International Masters!

Register Now!

December brings the smell of freshly baked cookies and honey glazed ham, and of course, every child’s favourite, the smell of presents!

Look no further and check out The New Age Parents 12 Days of Christmas Gift Ideas List 2011

Day 1: What Can Babies Do? An Elmo Fabric Book from Joli Petite @ $25.90

Day 2: Bath Letters and Numbers from Infantino @ $16.90

Day 3: I Made it Myself Junior Tee (Seedling) from Not In The Malls @ $39.95

Day 4: Zoobies Jafaru, the Giraffe Blanket Baby from Mama Online Store @ $39.50

Day 5: 3-D Owl Back Pack from AweSomeKids @ $45.00

Day 6: Blue Stainless Steel Baby Bottle from Little Green Sprouts @ $34.00

Day 7: Farm Animals Peg Puzzle from Bebe Avenue @ $9.90

Day 8: Excuse Me: A Little Book Of Manners from The Genius Kids @ $9.30

Day 9: Twilight Boards Shorts from Lil Stitch @ $40.00

Day 10: Kanten Clay 4 Colour Set from Bebe Avenue @ $22.00

Day 11: You Can Do Anything (Personalized CD) from Music and I @ $25.00

Day 12: Fuchsia Dress from Little Kidz Couture @ $46.40

This article was first published in The New Age Parents Online Magazine Dec 11 / Jan 12 issue Page 12

The detection of a heart murmur invariably arouses great anxiety. This diagnosis is actually extremely common. In fact, many kids are found to have a heart murmur at some point during their lives. Most murmurs are not a cause for concern and do not affect the child’s health at all. However, sometimes, it is a sign of an underlying heart problem.

What is a heart murmur?

The normal heart has 4 chambers connected to each other by 4 valves that control how blood enters each chamber. The valves open and shut making the sound “lub-dub””that is recognized as a heart beat. A heart murmur describes an extra sound (“whooshing”, “swishing” or musical) that a doctor detects through a stethoscope. These can be discovered during regular check-ups or when the kids are sick.

An “innocent” (benign, functional, flow or physiological) murmur is caused by blood flowing through a normal heart. It does not cause a health threat as it does not result from heart disease.

A “non-innocent” (non-functional, organic or pathological) murmur indicates something abnormal in the heart or a major artery.

Causes of Innocent Murmurs

1. Fever – The increase in body temperature and activity makes the heart pump more blood to meet the body’s higher energy needs.
2. Venous hum – is heard as a soft humming sound from normal blood flow in the large neck vessels.
3. A thin chest wall and a straight back – simply because the heart is closer to the chest wall.
4. Still’s murmur – is heard most frequently in active healthy young children between 3 to 7 years of age and represents the sound of blood being pumped into the great artery.
5. Anaemia – When the concentration of red blood cells is low, the blood will flow faster, giving rise to a murmur.
6. Hyperthyroidism – is a condition where there is too much thyroid hormone in the body, resulting in a higher metabolic rate.

Common Causes of Non-innocent Murmurs

A hole in the heart is a communication in the wall (septum) that separates the right and left sides of the heart. If it is in between the upper heart chambers, it is called an atrial septal defect (ASD), and a ventricular septal defect (VSD) if it is in between the lower chambers. These account for more than half of abnormal murmurs in children. As the pressure in the heart chambers is not the same, the blood will flow from the high to the low-pressure chamber, producing the murmur.

Valve defects include:

1. A narrowed heart valve (valve stenosis) resulting in faster flow to squeeze blood through, thus producing a murmur.
2. A leaking heart valve (valve insufficiency or regurgitation) that does not close properly, giving rise to a blowing sound.

Symptoms & Signs Associated with Cardiac Effects

Most congenital heart defects are not severe and will not have any symptoms or signs. Pay special attention to the following warning signs:

1. Your newborn turns blue, tires with feedings, breathes fast, sweats excessively or is not gaining weight
2. Your toddler is not growing, having frequent lung infections or tires and gets short of breath with moderate activity.
3. Your school-aged child or teenager complains of dizziness, fainting, easily tires or has shortness of breath during exercise.

Tests For Cardiac Effects

Your child will be referred to a paediatric cardiologist who may carry out the following –

1. Electrocardiogram (ECG) – to measure the electrical activity of the heart.
2. Chest X-ray – to see if the heart looks bigger than normal.
3. Echocardiogram – (heart ultrasound) uses sound waves to make a picture of the heart as blood is pumped through the chambers and valves.
4. Cardiac catheterization and angiography – is a procedure performed under sedation or anaesthesia, in which a thin flexible tube (catheter) is passed through an artery or vein in the upper thigh (groin) or in the arm to reach the heart. This allows measurement of pressures inside the heart and blood vessels. Angiography helps the doctor to see the flow of blood through the heart and blood vessels using a dye injection and X-rays.

Treatment of Heart Defects

Majority of heart defects do not need medications. Most kids need not be restricted in their activities. Medicines may be prescribed to help the heart function, prevent blood clots or remove extra fluid from the body. In some cases, surgery is necessary to fix the problem. The heart specialist or surgeon can patch a hole in the heart, fix a valve, rebuild a blood vessel, or stretch a blood vessel that is too narrow.

Dr Chan Kit Yee

Paediatrician, Special Interest in Cardiology

Dr Chan graduated from the National University of Singapore with a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery degree in 1981 and obtained her Masters of Medicine (Paediatrics), Singapore, in 1986. She was a Consultant Paediatrician and Senior Lecturer with the Department of Paediatrics, National University Hospital, until 1993 when she joined SBCC Baby & Child Clinic and has been the resident paediatrician and paediatric cardiologist in its Mount Alvernia Centre for the past 7 years.

Practice Address:
SBCC Baby & Child Clinic (Mount Alvernia)
820 Thomson Road
Mount Alvernia Medical Centre A
#01-01/02 Mount Alvernia Hospital
Singapore 574623
Tel: 6354 1922
Fax: 6354 2755

This article was first published in Today’s Motherhood Online Magazine Oct/Nov 11 issue Page 28

Guardian Health And Beauty has 2000 pieces of face mask to be given away to fans of The New Age Parents!

All you have to do is fill in your details here!

First 2000 people will receive a face mask free! All face masks will be snail mailed to recipients.

Hurry while stocks last!

Note: If you encounter problem submitting, do check if you are on secure browsing in Facebook. To do so, please go to “Account” on top left hand corner then go to “Security”. Go to “Secure Browsing” and click on the checkbox to enable secure browsing.

Peek-A-Boo is throwing a ‘Fancy Hats Christmas Party!’ this 26th December 2011, between 11am and 1pm. There will be special appearance by Miss Santarina, Instant Sure Win Lucky Dip, Most Creative Fancy Hats Competition and lots more.

• $18 per child inclusive of free play and access to all booths!
• Plus Sure Win Christmas Lucky Dip for Every Child!
• Stand a chance to win attractive prizes in our Peek-A-Boo Fancy Hats Competition!
• Simply put on a creative headgear on the day of the party to qualify!

Call us at 64408355 to register and start shopping for a fancy hat today! For more information, email us at michelle@peekaboo.com.sg

Premium Baby Products Warehouse Sale

Up to 80% discount on 16-17 Dec 2011 (10am - 8pm) at 514 Chai Chee Lane #06-06 Bedok Ind. Est Singapore 469029

Tel: 64455778
Website: www.babystudio.com.sg
Email: kenfoo@taime.com.sg

View Larger Map

Diagnostics Test + 2 Trial Lessons (40 mins each). All for only S$28 nett instead of S$45

Check out the following Great Deals Singapore

Highlights

38% Off E.nopi Math Program Bundle

• Master Maths with Korea’s top educational service provider, with material developed in USA
• Conveniently located at 7 locations
• For children aged 4-14

To get this deal, visit Great Parenting Deals

The Fine Print

• e-Voucher valid till: 31 February 2012
• Must redeem by 31st December 2011
• The schedule of the trial lessons is subject to the operations of the centre
• Original e-voucher must be presented upon redemption for verification purposes
• Valid for one redemption per student
• Not valid with other promotions or discounts
• Not valid for existing students
• Non-refundable, non-exchangeable but transferable
• No replacement or extension is given to expired e-vouchers

To get this deal, visit Great Deals Singapore

Nurture Seeds is having Christmas Sale

Up to 50% Off from 1 Dec to 20 Dec 2011

Free Gift Wrap * + Free Delivery*

* Free gift wrap and delivery only pertains to spending above $50. T&C applies