THE STAR, TUESDAY 30 MAY 2017
EXPECTING MOTHERS
Fight the
symptoms
Babies are susceptible to sickness and sensitive to stimuli as their immune and nervous systems are still developing.
CHILDREN are susceptible to
symptoms such as phlegm, heat,
shock and wind. This is because
after spending nine months as a
foetus in the warm and safe
environment of their mothers
womb, newborns need to adjust to
the harsh elements of the external
world.
These four major pathogenic
factors can cause discomfort to
babies. Phlegm obstructs the
respiratory tract while a baby
with trapped wind will feel
bloated. The child may also
experience high body
temperatures and be easily
frightened or feel insecure.
Babies tend to produce phlegm
when they feed on milk formula.
Compared with breast milk, milk
powder is relatively dry and sticky
and the nutrients in a formula are
not as easily absorbed.
As their digestive system is not
fully developed, they tend to
produce phlegm in the throat,
which causes them to wheeze and
cough.
Newborn babies commonly
have phlegm in the respiratory
tract due to infection. If the phlegm
is not discharged or treated in a
timely manner, the accumulated
phlegm in the respiratory tract can
lead to bacterial growth.
According to Eu Yan Sang
Traditional Chinese Medicines
physician Tiang Sack Sing, babies
have a pure yang body that is
higher in temperature than adults
bodies. This is crucial as babies
need plenty of energy to grow and
develop.
Cold hands and feet usually
signify a weak immune system. As
young childrens thermoregulation
system is not fully developed, they
cannot sufficiently adapt to abrupt
changes in environmental
temperatures. This makes them
susceptible to sickness and cold.
Tiang adds that the developing
nervous system of a newborn is
still getting used to new stimuli.
Sudden or loud noises can easily
overstimulate and frighten babies.
This is seen when they wake up
in the middle of the night in tears.
For this reason, parents wrap
newborn babies in blankets to
soothe them. Being stimulated is
part of the process of getting used
to the environment outside the
womb. Such instances will lessen
as they grow up.
Abdominal discomfort is caused
by indigestion and trapped air in
the intestines, which is a result of
inhaling too much air from crying
for long periods, sucking on empty
bottles or suckling on milk too fast.
Parents can recognise signs of
abdominal discomfort in their
child from observing the babys
stool, noticing if the volume is
small and sticky, has a sour smell
and has bubbles.
Traditional Chinese remedies
can help babies decrease flatulence
and the effects of indigestion
caused by abdominal distension.
Traditional remedies
The elderly have many
traditional remedies to treat
ailments related to phlegm, heat,
shock and wind.
However, these remedies are
gradually being forgotten and
many young people are not
familiar with them. Modern
mothers may ask: Is Chinese
medicine good, safe and effective?
Tiang says that traditional
Chinese medicines such as the Eu
Yan Sang Bo Ying Compound still
play an important role in the
treatment of illnesses and
maintenance of health.
With the right dosage,
traditional remedies can help
babies sleep well, reduce fever as
well as ease discomfort and
restlessness.
Traditional Chinese medicines
can ease infants vomiting and
coughing as well as reduce the
bronchial secretion of sputum.
As children grow and their
organs become more developed,
ailments related to the four
symptoms will decrease in
frequency.
Understanding heavy
metals
Many people panic when they
hear about products containing
heavy metals that exceed
permissible levels.
Although heavy metals such as
manganese, copper and zinc are
required in trace amounts by the
human body, most others such as
lead, arsenic, mercury and
cadmium are not. Excessive levels
of heavy metals are harmful to
living organisms.
Heavy metals are natural
resources that exist in the soil, air
and water. When the soil or
groundwater is contaminated by
heavy metals, fruits and vegetables
that are cultivated in the area run
the risk of containing excessive
heavy metals.
The ingredients of many
proprietary Chinese medicines
consist of mainly plants, animal
sources and a small amount of
minerals. Therefore, heavy metals
found in proprietary Chinese
medicines may come from
contaminated raw materials or
contamination during the
manufacturing process.
In Malaysia, the Health Ministry
strictly controls heavy metal
content in food and medicine to
ensure the safety of consumers.
The presence of heavy metals
such as lead, mercury, arsenic and
cadmium in traditional drugs must
be less than 10ppm (parts per
million), 0.5ppm, 5ppm and
0.3ppm, respectively. Only drugs
that pass the regulation can be sold
in the market.
The damaging effects of heavy
metals are not seen in one day.
Most heavy metals accumulate in
the human body over the long
term, eventually endangering the
central nervous system, blood and
various organs.
There are two ways to reduce
the levels of heavy metals in food
and medicinal products. The first
is through food processing.
However, food processing strips
away important nutrients and
often adds chemical substances
such as preservatives and
stabilisers into the products.
The second way is to start from
the source. This can be done by
cultivating medicinal plants that
comply with good agricultural
models and strictly controlling the
use of pesticides and fertilisers to
avoid contamination of heavy
metals.
When all parties involved take
careful steps to prevent excessive
heavy metals in traditional Chinese
medicines, consumers are given
greater protection.
This article is brought to you by
Eu Yan Sang.
n For more information, call
1800 888 213 or visit
www.euyansang.com.my.
Comfort with style
WINNER of the inaugural UK
Lingerie Awards in the maternity
brand category, Cake Lingerie is
Cake Lingeries
committed to delivering quality, maternity and
nursing lingerie are
luxury and fit innovation for
pregnant and breastfeeding
women.
Cake Lingeries maternity and globally recognised
nursing lingerie are globally
recognised and recommended by
and recommended by
lactation consultants, midwives lactation consultants,
and industry professionals
worldwide. midwives
It designs lingerie for every stage
of your journey with a wide size
and industry
range from 30A to 42H (UK). professionals
All garments are engineered
with an eye for fit, support and worldwide.
profile. The Cake Lingerie nursing
bras are designed by mothers for
mothers to ensure you look as good
as you feel. Cotton Candy bras are available in
Several product categories have black and blush colours, with sizes
been created to suit a womans ranging from S to XL and A cup
every need during the size to larger cups such as F cup.
development stages of pregnancy The Rock Candy Luxury
and beyond: Seamless Maternity/Nursing Bra is
l Seamless transition bras silky soft and built for comfort. Its
l Flexible-wire bras (spacer/ double-layered side sling,
lace) thoughtfully placed strength panels
l Sleep bras and carefully considered structure
l Contour bras are designed to maximise lift and
l Nursing sports bras support without restriction.
l Nursing sleepwear Colours available for Rock Candy
l Postpartum briefs are black, nude and coral, with
l Maternity briefs sizes ranging from S to XL that can
support A cup size to larger cups
The lingerie can be purchased such as F cup.
online. Some of the styles, such as The benefit of these two types of
contour and spacer bras, are only
available at exhibitions.
bras is that they accommodate
womens body changes during
In Malaysia, Cake Lingeries pregnancy and nursing. They grow
bestsellers are the Cotton Candy together with pregnant mothers
and Rock Candy seamless bras, and are ultra-soft.
which are a hit at baby exhibitions. Baby Blessing Maternity is the
The Cotton Candy Maternity/ exclusive distributor of this
Nursing Bra is a double-layered Australian brand in Malaysia.
sleep and yoga bra that is
supportive without restriction. n For more information, visit
Its T-back design and closely www.babyblessing.com.my.
constructed straps provide a snug
fit and ensure the straps stay on
while sleeping or undertaking
light activities.
Knitted from a dense yarn to
provide comfort, you will not
want to take this bra off. The
Cake Lingerie's range of
maternity and nursing bras
offers mothers stylish
comfort.
2 Expecting Mothers
Collecting moments together
BACK by popular demand, Kao Malaysia
launched the second phase of its Welcome
To My Modern Parenthood campaign on
May 25 with the expanded The Secret to My
Modern Parenthood parenting guidebook
and enhanced homecare solutions, including
Merries, Magiclean and Attack.
Kao is powering up this years campaign
by going nationwide including Sabah
and Sarawak with close to 100 roadshows
and three major events at shopping malls in
the Klang Valley, Penang and Johor Baru.
The campaign kick-started in Klang Valley
last week at 1 Utama Shopping Centre,
featuring fun and educational activities,
attractive prizes, guidebook giveaways and
special offers for the showcased products.
Today, modern families face many
challenges in attaining balance at work and
home. Kao, Japans Home Care Expert
understands these everyday challenges and
wants to be a lifetime partner to modern
families, says Fujiwara Masaki, president of
Kao Malaysia.
We intend to keep providing the
know-how to help parents take care of their
home and family in a fun, quick, easy and
manageable way so they have more time
to collect happy moments together.
True happiness is made of these and this
is the anchor sentiment of this years
campaign.
Since more dads are playing an active
role in looking after the home and raising
the family, the parenthood campaign is
designed to give both parents an insight into
smart and efficient homecare management.
This was done through hands-on
demonstrations and participation in the
activities. Various workstations were set up
to outline a modern house showcasing Kaos
products in action.
Phase two of the campaign is aimed at
giving consumers an opportunity to interact
Kao Malaysia's marketing vice-president Tan Poh Ling (third from left), president Fujiwara
Masaki (fourth from left) and sales vice-president Ngo Wei Foo (fifth from left) with Kao's brand
team.
with our products and learn how to properly above six months old. It also prevents
use them. irritation due to its quick absorbency.
We hope they will agree that parenthood As a result, babies and toddlers are dry
can be a little easier with Kao, Japans Home and happy despite longer usage and parents
Care Expert, says Tan Poh Ling, marketing enjoy the convenience it brings.
vice-president, Kao Malaysia. Attacks anti-bacterial formulation from
For the modern parents, in the end, it is Japan keeps clothes smelling fresh longer as
about being able to spend more time with it offers sweat and odour prevention all day
their baby, keeping her smiling, and smiling long.
in return. Being able to collect these happy Magiclean, on the other hand, is the
moments together is what happiness is made modern way of home cleaning, giving
of. individuals and families peace of mind by
On display was Merries Pants Good Skin, keeping homes dust-free.
the premium range of disposable diapers No matter how career-minded we
that prevents leakage while offering become, one truth never changes we want
exceptional softness on the skin for babies to give the best care to our children and
family. However, this fundamental need to
protect and nurture has been complicated
by the overwhelming amount of information
available, says Tan.
According to a survey conducted by
Kao Malaysia after the campaign last
THE STAR, TUESDAY 30 MAY 2017
Since more dads are
playing an active
role in looking after the
home and raising the
family, the parenthood
campaign is designed to
give both parents an insight
into smart and efficient
homecare management.
year, parents wanted to see more concise
and reliable information included in The
Secret to My Modern Parenthood guidebook
87% wanted information on babies
emergency needs, 55% on healthy eating,
49% on family bonding and 53% on home
safety dos and donts.
The content is based on research from
Kao Japan Lifestyle Research Centre and
developed in collaboration with Positive
Parenting Malaysia, she adds.
As such, the improved guidebook has 18
chapters, including three enhanced chapters
from volume one and six new chapters on
caring for a child into toddlerhood plus tips
from experts, doctors and key opinion
leaders.
This year, 40,000 copies will be distributed
through non-governmental organisations,
hospitals and other childcare partners.
Besides Positive Parenting, the Welcome to
My Modern Parenthood campaign is
supported by Sharp as the home appliances
sponsor.
The three brands hold the same vision
close to heart bringing happiness to
families and helping them bond.
n For more information or to download the
book, visit www.kao.com/my/my-modern-
parenthood.
THE STAR, TUESDAY 30 MAY 2017 3
4 THE STAR, TUESDAY 30 MAY 2017