Super Food for your Children / Makanan Super untuk Anak

Hi moms have you give your children super foods?

Bean and Legumes

There are so many beans to try and so many recipes to put them in. High in fiber - it promotes good blood sugar by releasing glucose slowly, stabilizing mood and energy.

Eggs

Eggs are one of the rare things in life that can be done over and over in many different ways and take on different tastes and textures. Totally versatile. Not only that, but it's filled with protein and a huge concentration of choline - a nutrient vital for brain development in young children.

Oily Fish

Packed with Omega-3. Some types of fatty acids are not made by the body and must be obtained from foods. Fats are a major component of the brain and a large proportion of the brain is composed of fatty acids which play an important role in brain cell function.
This healthy fat helps brain development and sets your child up for a healthy heart.
Research suggests that a diet rich in fatty acids could improve the performance of children with dyslexia, dyspraxia and attention deficit disorder.

Berries
Packed with loads of antioxidants, these little berries ward off cancer and other diseases

Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are a versatile root that can be paired with a lot of meals. Loaded with beta carotene, vitamin E, vitamin B6, potassium and iron, they pack a huge punch

Natural Nut Butter

Most kids (without allergies) love peanut butter and it's a staple in so many houses. Most store brands have hydrogenated oils so it's a better option to look for natural nut butters. Look for a variety (almond, cashew, walnut, soy) with one or two ingredients - nuts and maybe salt

Avocados

Avocados are a great source of the 'good fats' called monounsaturated fat, which are mostly found in fish and nuts. The good fat aids in development of proper growth.

Broccoli

Packed with plenty of vitamins, calcium and minerals - this green goodness wards off cell damage and helps your kids eyesight and more.

Yogurt

Yogurt is a kid-friendly snack and choosing a natural fruit yogurt blend is a great super-food. Every serving contains huge vitamins and minerals including calcium, protein, vitamin B, zinc and phosphorus.

Seaweed

Seaweed is said to be one of the most dense in nutrient foods on the planet. Sounds perfect for the growing bodies and brains of children. Packed with loads of Amino acids, vitamins and minerals it's the super of super-foods

Umbilical Cord Blood / Darah Tali Pusat

What is Cord Blood?

After a baby is born and the umbilical cord is cut, some blood remains in the blood vessels of the placenta and the portion of the umbilical cord that remains attached to it. After birth, the baby no longer needs this extra blood. This blood is called placental blood or umbilical cord blood: "cord blood" for short.

Cord blood contains all the normal elements of blood - red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets and plasma. But it is also rich in hematopoietic (blood-forming) stem cells, similar to those found in bone marrow. This is why cord blood can be used for transplantation as an alternative to bone marrow.

Cord blood is being used increasingly on an experimental basis as a source of stem cells, as an alternative to bone marrow. Most cord blood transplants have been performed in patients with blood and immune system diseases. Cord Blood transplants have also been performed for patients with genetic or metabolic diseases.  More than 80 different diseases have been treated to date with unrelated cord blood transplants.

List of diseases that can be treated with cord blood :

Leukemias

Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemi

Acute Myelogenous Leukemia

Acute Biphenotypic Leukemia

Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemi

Chronic Myelogenous Leukemi

Chronic Myelomonocytic Leukemia

Juvenile Chronic Myelogenous Leukemi

Juvenile Mono-myelocytic Leukemi

Leukemia, Unspecifie 

Lymphomas

Non-Hodgkin's Lymphom

Hodgkin's Diseas

Epstein-Barr Virus / Lymphoproliferative Disease

Autoimmune Lymphoproliferative diseas

Lymphoma, unspecified 

Myelodysplasias

Myelodysplastic Syndrome

Myelofibrosis 

Bone Marrow Failure Syndromes

Amegakaryocytic Thrombocytopenia

Diamond-Blackfan Anemia

Dyskeratosis Congenita

Fanconi's Anemia

Parxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria

Reticular Dysgenesis

Severe Aplastic Anemia, Unspecified

Shwachman-Diamond Syndrome

Sideroblastic Anemia 

Hemoglobinopathies

Sickle Cell Disease

Thalassemia

Immune Deficiencies

Common Variable Immune Deficiency

Congenital Immune Deficiency

DiGeorge syndrome

Griscelli Syndrome

Lymphocyte Adhesion Disease

Nezelof Syndrome

Omenn Syndrome

Severe Combined Immune Deficiency (SCID)

Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome

X-linked Hyper-IgM Syndrome 

X-linked Immune Dysregulation Polyendocrine Enteropathy

Histiocytosis

Familial Erythrophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis

Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis

Hemophagocytic Syndrome

Histiocytosis

Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis (Histiocytosis-X)

X-Linked Lymphoproliferative Disease 

Metabolic/Storage Diseases

MPS, not specified

Hurler Disease (MPS type IH)

Hurler-Scheie Disease (MPS type IS)

Hunter's Syndrome (MPS type II)

Sanfilippo Disease (MPS type III)

Morquio Syndrome (MPS type IV)

Maroteaux-Lamy Syndrome (MPS type VI)

Adrenoleukodystrophy

Alpha-mannosidosis

Amyloidosis

Aspartylglucosaminuria

Austin's Disease (Multiple Sulfatase Deficiency)

Fucosidosis

Gangliosidosis

Gaucher's Disease

I-cell Disease (Inclusion Cell Disease)

Infantile Ceroid Lipofucoscinosis

Krabbe Disease

Lesch-Nyhan Syndrome

Metachromatic Leukodystrophy

Neiman-Pick Disease

Osteopetrosis

Sandhoff Disease

Sialidosis

Tay Sach Disease

Wolman Disease 

Neutrophil Disorders

Chediak-Higashi Syndrome

Chronic Granulomatous Disease (CGD)

Congenital Neutropenia

Kostmann Syndrome 

Platelet Disorders

Congenital Thrombocytopenia

Glanzmann's Thrombasthenia

Other Malignancies

Breast Cancer

Multiple Myeloma (Plasma Cell Disorder)

Neuroblastoma

Scientists are investigating the possibility that stem cells in cord blood may be able to replace cells of other tissues such as nerve or heart cells. Whether cord blood can be used to treat other kinds of diseases will be learned from this research.

Birth is a one-time opportunity to help society by donating your baby's cord blood.
Cord blood contains stem cells that can save lives. Patients requiring a stem cell transplant can receive stem cells from one of three sources: bone marrow, circulating blood, or cord blood. The first two exist in all healthy adults, but cord blood can only be harvested and stored at birth. It is much easier to match transplant patients with cord blood than with the two sources of adult donors. This is important for patients who come from minority or mixed race backgrounds. Hence, diverse cord blood donations to public banks can save many lives right now.

  Birth is also a one-time opportunity to store your baby's cord blood for your own family.
Transplant patients recover better when they receive stem cells from a related donor, instead of an unrelated donor. If a first degree relative of your baby needs a stem cell transplant, the baby's cord blood stem cells could be a suitable match. Plus, there are now emerging therapies in which children use their own cord blood stem cells to help the body repair itself. In the future, children whose parents saved their cord blood will have better access to those treatments.

There is virtually no reason not to save your child's cord blood.
Some people are concerned that the clamping of the umbilical cord should be delayed so that the baby can receive the blood in the cord. Studies have shown that babies whose cord clamping was delayed by two minutes have slightly less anemia up to six months after birth. However, there is no benefit to waiting more than two minutes to clamp the cord and collect the cord blood.
  
How donor-patient matching is determined

• - We all get half of our genetic material from each parent.
     Only a few genes, those that determine HLA type, are important to match a patient with a donor.
• - The genes that are important for matching tend to be inherited as a group (called a haplotype).
     As a result, two children of the same parents have a 25% chance of being a perfect match to each other.
• - Genetic variations are also grouped by race.
     Hence, a patient has a better chance of finding a donor among his or her own racial group.   

So parents, if you're going to have a baby, will u considering to donor your baby's cord blood? You can find a cord blood bank in your country.

If Your Baby Gets Cold, Read this..

One of the saddest things for a new parent is watching their baby suffer through his first cold. Your baby will be uncomfortable, snuffling, and probably will have trouble feeding. It's hard to watch, but there's a lot you can do to alleviate the discomfort. And you can be assured that it's called the common cold for a reason, and it's usually not serious. Experts estimate that your baby will get between eight and 10 colds in his first two years alone. That's a lot of tissues and long nights.

What causes colds?

Colds are upper respiratory tract infections caused by one of many different viruses. They're most commonly spread when someone with a cold sneezes or coughs and unleashes a cold virus into the air to be inhaled by someone else. They can also commonly be transmitted through hand-to-hand contact, so always wash your hands after blowing your nose. Babies tend to get a lot of colds because they're born with immune systems which function at about 60% of capacity. 

How do colds affect babies? 

Few things are more frustrating than a baby with a cold. A sick baby will probably have a fever (up to 38 degrees C), cough, reddened eyes, a sore throat, and runny nose. Your child may also be irritable and lose his appetite. Babies under six months old can't breathe through their noses when they're all stuffed up, so they have trouble breathing and eating. Children aren't usually developmentally ready to blow their own noses until about the age of four, so you'll have to help younger children clear the mucus.

If your baby has been sleeping through the night, you'll be reminded of those first few weeks of life. He'll probably wake up several times during the night due to his discomfort and difficulty breathing. Expect to be up with your baby, comforting him and wiping his nose

 How long do colds generally last?

Symptoms generally abate after three to 10 days, though in very young babies they may last up to two weeks. Most babies who have some exposure to older children will experience six to 10 colds during their first year; it may seem as if his nose is runny all winter long.

Can I help prevent my child from getting colds?

Breastfeeding is one of the best ways to protect your baby's health, since as long as he's breastfeeding, he's getting your antibodies and your natural immunities. This isn't a foolproof way to protect your baby's health, but when breastfed babies do become ill, their cold symptoms are generally mild.

You can also try to protect your child by keeping him away from those who are ill and by asking all sick family members to wash their hands thoroughly before handling your baby or his things.

If you or your partner smoke, give it up, and refrain from taking your baby to areas where someone has been smoking. Children who live with cigarette smokers have more colds and their colds last longer than their peers who aren't exposed to smoke. 

When should I consult the doctor? 

Do so at the first sign of illness if your child is less than three months old. In an older baby, call your doctor if a cold persists for more than five days; if your child's temperature climbs above 39 degrees C; or if he has an earache, breathing problems, wheezing, a persistent cough, or a persistent, thick, green mucus running from his nose.

How do I treat a cold? 

There's little you can do except ride it out, and help your child get plenty of rest and liquids (increase the amount of vitamin C-rich fruit juices). If he's feverish, you can give him paracetamol suspension under a doctor's direction.

Cough and cold medicines are not recommended for any child younger than 6 years old. Cough and cold medicines that contain antihistimines, antitussives, expectorants, mucolytics or decongestents have not been proven to help children. They may actually cause harm and side effects including allergic reactions, increased heart rate, convulsions, nausea and constipation.

Nonetheless, there are some remedies to ease his discomfort:

• If your baby is congested, elevate the head of the mattress with a towel or two. Sleeping at an incline may help relieve your baby's postnasal drip. (Do not use pillows to prop your baby up -- they can pose a suffocation hazard -- or pillows under the mattress.)
• Because babies are too young to blow their noses, the best way to help them breathe more easily is to wipe their noses. You can also apply petroleum jelly to the outside of your baby's nostrils to reduce irritation. If your child is having trouble breastfeeding with a stuffy nose, you may like to ask your GP to prescribe saline drops to apply to each nostril 15 minutes before a feed. Some parents then use a suction bulb to clear the nose of salt water and mucus.
• Try a cool mist vapouriser to moisten the air. Or take your baby into the bathroom with you, turn on the hot water or shower, close the door, and sit in the steamy room for about 15 minutes. Remember to change your baby into dry clothes after the steam bath.
• If your child has a stuffy nose without any other symptoms, check his nostrils for foreign objects. You never know: even little ones are capable of putting things up there.

Colds are a fact of life. Once you've survived your baby's first one, you'll know what to expect with the next.

Good resource from : www.babycenter.com

From my own experience when my 2 years old child gets cold, i usually put balsam on her chest and back and rub her. Because we live in Tropic country, we usually have air conditoner in our house, so i set the temperature room at 26 degrees celcius. Always give her a warm water to drink. When the nose are blocked and can't breath, i put 2 drops of 'breathy' (NaCl) each. At sleeping time, i burn a bottle of aromatherapy 'lampe berger' using eucalyptus and menthol essence and also pour a few drops of eucalyptus and 'olbas for children oil' on a tissue and put it near my child. If necessary, i give her a cold medicine too, but don't give her an antibiotic medicine. I also make a warm juice that contains rich of vitamin C.
I also give her a bowl of chinese traditional herb that is cooked with chicken to help endurance.
Usually in 3-4 days, my child already healed.