Last weekend, I went home to receive a lovely surprise. My sister insisted that I should visit her and I did, not knowing why she was so excited. I can be receptive of surprises from time to time, but mostly the ones I do not anticipate. Unfortunately for me, I saw the surprise from a mile away; thanks to my sister.…

He walks into the house every school day with his smart phone in hand; frantically typing on its keypad, barely looking where he is going, then quickly ascends the stairs of their family house, to the computer room. Once in the room, Jack, 8, locks himself inside and disappears into the cyber world of games and chats for hours. The IT…

My father used to play with my brother and me in the yard. Mother would come out and say, ‘You are tearing up the grass.’ ‘We’re not raising grass,’ dad would reply. ‘We’re raising boys.’ Harmon Killebrew, former American baseball star, now a philanthropist Most mothers want their baby’s father involved in their child’s life right from conception. They…

As busy as life has become, children have not been left behind in the rat race. Nowadays, it is no secret to find children awake as early as 4 a.m, to begin their day that usually ends around 6 p.m due to traffic jams. One wonders where this generation is heading to if children will not be left to just…

Causes and prevention Hay fever, also medically known as Allergic Rhinitis (AR) is an allergic inflammation of the nasal ways. Like all allergic reactions, it is caused by allergens, a foreign invader that enters the body by inhalation, swallowing or through skin. In Hay fever, the allergens are airborne substances that enter the airways (mouth, nose, throat and lungs) through breathing…

We had just been introduced to each other and were now having tea. ‘Ah, so you are a doctor! I have a concern that has been disturbing my mind.’ I sat up and listened. This is a common line and quite frankly, as a doctor, I enjoy it, even in a social setting. It reminds me of my role in…

Nutrition plays a vital role in the growth and development of a baby. But can too much of a good thing be cumbersome for a parent? There are moments when parents will tell you that their child is feeding all the time. Often breastfeeding moms may feel their milk is not sufficient causing a bit of distress. The World Health…

When you take your bundle of joy home from the hospital, it is inevitable you will not do everything right. Paediatricians were asked about the five most common mistakes parents make with their newborns. Here were their responses: Letting a newborn sleep through the night. ‘One of the things that make me cringe is when parents say to me, ‘The first night…

Any mother, especially the first-timers, will tell you that being separated from their child is one of the hardest things they have had to face. She sits in the boardroom barely listening to the presentations being made. She knows that back home, her baby is just getting up to feed. Her anxiety builds; all she wants is to call the…