Livia Ionce, 44, Gives Birth To 18th Child

Livia Ionce, 44, second left, holds her newborn daughter, Abigail Ionce, who was born Tuesday, as she and her husband, Alexandru, 51, pose for a photograph with 13 of their 18 children at their home in Abbotsford, Canada on Saturday July 26, 2008. Their oldest child is 23-years-old. The couple immigrated to Canada from Romania in 1990.


ABBOTSFORD, British Columbia - A Romanian immigrant has given birth to her 18th child in British Columbia, making her the province's most prolific mother in 20 years.
Proud dad Alexandru Ionce said Saturday that his 44-year-old wife, Livia, gave birth on Tuesday. Their daughter Abigail weighed in at seven pounds, 12 ounces.
"We never planned how many children to have. We just let God guide our lives, you know, because we strongly believe life comes from God and that's the reason we did not stop the life," said Alexandru Ionce.
The couple immigrated to Canada from Romania in 1990 and now live in Abbotsford, British Columbia. Their 17 other children range in age from 20 months to 23 years old.
Ionce said he did not know if the couple would have more children. The family now has 10 girls and eight boys.
"We would have liked a boy to be even," he said. "We thank God all of them are healthy and happy."
Ionce said the family has received calls from Germany, Romania and England, as well as from media outlets across Canada

Twins born to mixed-race couple have different skin tones

Twin baby boys Ryan (L) and Leo Gerth rest in a Berlin hospital July 18, 2008. The twin boys, who have radically differing skin colours, were born on July 11 by Caesarean section to German mixed race couple Stephan and Florence Gerth.

PAPI'S BIRTHDAY!!

Yesterday, 2 Sep 2008, is my Dad's Birthday!!!
I've decided to bake a cake for him. And with the help of my 2 little nieces, Rachel and Regine...
Here's our creation, nice? :P Heehee....

Recipe

Ingredients:
4 Eggs, 5oz castor sugar & 6oz of plain flour

1) First crack your eggs into a large bowl, whisk them for a few seconds just lightly. Add your caster sugar only and whisk until your mixture thickens and turns almost white in colour.

2) Add in the sift flour and mix them well.

3) Pour your sponge cake mixture into a greased and floured round tin. Place in a pre-heated oven at 180C for approx 20-30 minutes (depending on your oven).

----------------------------------------------------
My sisters, brother and I share to buy him a nice shirt and matching tie from Raoul..I find it very nice too! And my mum also cook yummy dinner for him, esp his favourite DIY Yong Dao Foo...!! *slurp!*

Panfu, the virtual world for kids!

Panfu is a friendly, virtual world, in which kids can play online games, have fun & learn spanish easily & make new friends!

Check out this new fun website with your kids together and have fun!

http://www.panfu.com/

Billy's Vanilla Cupcakes!!

My niece's , Rachel, has just finished her exams last week. So I've planned to make some cupcakes together with her and my sis, Angela yesterday. Not too bad for our first attempt!

Here's our masterpiece:

I've search through the sites for a nice receipe. And I found this. It's easy and nice to eat.

Billy's Vanilla, Vanilla Cupcakes
Makes about 30 cupcakes
1 3/4 cups cake flour, not self-rising
1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes
4 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 325°. Line cupcake pans with paper liners; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt; mix on low speed until combined. Add butter, mixing until just coated with flour.

2. In a large glass measuring cup, whisk together eggs, milk, and vanilla. With mixer on medium speed, add wet ingredients in 3 parts, scraping down sides of bowl before each addition; beat until ingredients are incorporated but do not overbeat.

3. Divide batter evenly among liners, filling about two-thirds full. Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 17 to 20 minutes.

4. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat process with remaining batter. Once cupcakes have cooled, use a small offset spatula to frost tops of each cupcake. Decorate with sprinkles, if desired. Serve at room temperature.


Billy's Vanilla Buttercream
Colored sprinkles, for decorating (optional)
Makes enough for 30 cupcakes1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
6 to 8 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter until smooth and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes. With mixer on low speed, add 6 cups sugar, milk, and vanilla; mix until light and fluffy. If necessary, gradually add remaining 2 cups sugar to reach desired consistency.

Chocolate may reduce pregnancy complication risk

A box of chocolates. A daily snack of quality dark chocolate is healthy for pregnant women and protects them from possible high blood pressure problems, a medical study said Monday.

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Indulging in chocolate during pregnancy could help ward off a serious complication known as preeclampsia, new research suggests.

Chocolate, especially dark chocolate, is rich in a chemical called theobromine, which stimulates the heart, relaxes smooth muscle and dilates blood vessels, and has been used to treat chest pain, high blood pressure, and hardening of the arteries, Dr. Elizabeth W. Triche of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut and colleagues write.


Preeclampsia, in which blood pressure spikes during pregnancy while excess protein is released into the urine, has many features in common with heart disease, the researchers add.
To investigate whether chocolate's possible cardiovascular benefits also might help prevent preeclampsia, the researchers looked at 2,291 women who delivered a single infant, and asked them about how much chocolate they consumed in their first and third trimesters. The researchers also tested levels of theobromine in infants' umbilical cord blood.


Women who consumed the most chocolate and those whose infants had the highest concentration of theobromine in their cord blood were the least likely to develop preeclampsia. Women in the highest quarter for cord blood theobromine were 69 percent less likely to develop the complication than those in the lowest quarter.


Women who ate five or more servings of chocolate each week in their third trimester of pregnancy were 40 percent less likely to develop preeclampsia than those who ate chocolate less than once a week.


A similar, but weaker, relationship between chocolate consumption and preeclampsia risk was seen in the first trimester, with women eating five or more servings of chocolate each week at 19 percent lower risk than those who ate chocolate less than once a week.


Theobromine could improve circulation within the placenta while blocking oxidative stress, or it could also be a stand-in for other beneficial chemicals found in chocolate, Triche and her team note in the May issue of Epidemiology.


"Our results raise the possibility that chocolate consumption by pregnant women may reduce the occurrence of preeclampsia," they write. "Because of the importance of preeclampsia as a major complication of pregnancy, replication of these results in other large prospective studies with a detailed assessment of chocolate consumption is warranted."

Small school buses may need to install safety belt system

SINGAPORE: Road safety has taken centrestage in the past few days, especially on the issue of safety belts for young children.

Over the past three years, the Traffic Police had issued an average of 4,000 summonses a year for seat—belt offences.

Out of these summonses, about 30 were issued per year for child—restraint related offences.
8—year—old Russell Koh was killed when he was flung out of a school bus last Thursday. His family members said his death could have been prevented if there was a safety belt system on the bus.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) said it is in consultations with the motor industry on an affordable and effective safety belt and anchoring system for small school buses.
Industry players said such additional features would mean buses would have to take in fewer children, which could lead to an increase in bus fees by some 50 percent.
One of them said: "I don’t think it is practical to make every young kid wear the safety belt because of their size, and there are kids of different sizes, so it’s quite difficult for any manufacturer to install such seats."

"It has a lot to do with education. The kids have to know that for their own safety, they have to put on a safety belt," another said.
LTA is expected to come up with recommendations on this issue later this year.
Besides safety belts, there are also concerns about general safety on the roads. Some said the "kiasu" attitude of some Singaporean drivers, coupled with the stress of always rushing around, affects road safety.

Traffic Police statistics have shown that while the number of fatalities is down for the first quarter of this year compared to the same period last year, the numbers for other types of injuries are up.

Mother's diet can help determine sex of child: study

PARIS (AFP) - - Oysters may excite the libido, but there is nothing like a hearty breakfast laced with sugar to boost a woman's chances of conceiving a son, according to a study released Wednesday.

Likewise, a low-energy diet that skimps on calories, minerals and nutrients is more likely to yield a female of the human species, says the study, published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, Britain's de facto academy of sciences.

Fiona Mathews of the University of Exeter in Britain and colleagues wanted to find out if a woman's diet has an impact on the sex of her offspring.

So they asked 740 first-time mothers who did not know if their unborn foetuses were male or female to provide detailed records of eating habits before and after they became pregnant. The women were split into three groups according to the number calories they consumed per day around the time of conception.

Fifty-six percent of the women in the group with the highest energy intake had sons, compared to 45 percent in the least-well fed cohort.

Beside racking up a higher calorie count, the group who produced more males were also more likely to have eaten a wider range of nutrients, including potassium, calcium and vitamins C, E and B12.

The odds of an XY, or male outcome to a pregnancy also went up sharply "for women who consumed at least one bowl of breakfast cereal daily compared with those who ate less than or equal to one bowl of week," the study reported.

These surprising findings are consistent with a very gradual shift in favor of girls over the last four decades in the sex ratio of newborns, according to the researchers.
Previous research has shown -- despite the rising epidemic in obesity -- a reduction in the average energy uptake in advanced economies. The number of adults who skip breakfast has also increased substantially.

"This research may help to explain why in developed countries, where many young women choose low calorie diets, the proportion of boys is falling," Mathews said.
The study's findings, she added, could point to a "natural mechanism" for gender selection.
The link between a rich diet and male children may have an evolutionary explanation.
For most species, the number of offspring a male can father exceeds the number a female can give birth to. But only if conditions are favorable -- poor quality male specimens may fail to breed at all, whereas females reproduce more consistently.

"If a mother has plentiful resources, then it can make sense to invest in producing a son because he is likely to produce more grandchildren than would a daughter," thus contributing to the survival of the species, explains Mathews.
"However, in leaner times having a daughter is a safer bet."

While the mechanism is not yet understood, it is known from in vitro fertilisation research that higher levels of glucose, or sugar, encourage the growth and development of male embryos while inhibiting female embryos.

Barney's Let's Imagine Live!

Barney's Let's Imagine Live!

DATE: 5-8 Jun 2008 Thur & Fri, 3.30pm & 7.30pmSat & Sun, 11.30, 3.30pm & 7pm

DURATION:
Approx 1 hr 25 minsINTERVALApprox 20 mins


VENUE:
Suntec Int'l Convention & Exhibition Hall


TICKET PRICE (Exclude Booking Fee)Standard - S$68, S$48, S$38, S$28



Barney! BJ! And Baby Bop are back! It’s Barney’s 20th Anniversary and they are having a Party!Following two successful Asian tours, Barney is back this time with a world premier, live-action stage show featuring BJ, Baby Bop and making his stage debut, Barney’s cousin Riff! With a production with full multimedia imagery, 12 live actors and giant, colourful inflatable props and many favourite Barney songs, the stage is set for a rocking good time for the kids! With the help of the Magic Ideas Factory, our cast of twelve will learn about team work, healthy eating and exercise as they join together and plan the perfect party. Riff discovers an entire marching band in the machine. Baby Bop sings and dances to her favourite songs. BJ gets to fly in his airplane. In fact, the Ideas Factory contains lots of surprises that burst at exactly the right moments! Educational and entertaining, Barney is 65 minutes of super-duper fun!

Defeat AUTISM Conference(12-13 July 2008)

Many of you may have watched Larry King on CNN interviewing parents and doctors on Autism early this month to commemorate International Autism Day.
There was a letter in the Straits Times commenting that there was little coverage on Autism Day in the media. What say you?

This is a great opportunity for those interested to attend the following conference, the first of its kind in Singapore.

DEFEAT AUTISM
A Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM)
Approach to Addressing Autism
Your Child Can Now Be On The Road To Recovery
This 2-day intensive conference will cover Complimentary and Alternative Therapies
that can assist in your child's recovery of Autism. Listen to what the experts in the field of CAM have to say about the most up to date research and development on how the following CAM modalities can contribute to those challenged with Autism, their development and recovery.
The conference will address:
* Food and Nutrition (including supplements)
* Homeopathy
* Bioresonancy Energy Medicine
* Neurofeedback
* Osteopathy
* Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)
* Herbs and Essential Oils
* Craniosacral Therapy
* Ayurveda
* Hypnotherapy
* Kineosology
* Psychology

Presenters will be :
1. Dr Sundardas - Functional Medicine
2. Dr Joseph Guan - Neurofeedback
3. Dr Kenneth Kwek - Neurofeedback
4. John Yeo ( Nutrition & Supplements )
5. Dr Ishak Ismail ( Nutrition - President of M'sia CAM and Consultant to M'sian Government on CAM)
6. Marcio Ribeiro - Body Talk
7. June Webb - Auditory Integrative Therapy
8. Zoran ( Visual Therapy )
9. Linda Crawford - Bioresonance Therapy-/ Energy Medicine (Homeopath & Bioresonance
Practitioner from U.K
10. David Dixon - Parent talk
11. Dermot McGrath - Hypnotherapy
12. Mr Sanjay - Occupational Therapist
13. Dr Choo Lad Sim - TCM Practitioner, President of Acupuncture Association of Singapore
and more who have not confirmed yet ....

There will be many booths displaying products. Be sure to visit the Total Wellness Home booth and discover how people with autistic challenges can improve their health with the support of magnetic technology, far infrared technology, PiMag water technology all incorporated simply in a Wellness Home. We'll have a short DVD presentation from a couple from USA who shares their autistic child's improvement using these natural technologies.

Dates: Saturday 12 July & Sunday 13 July 2008
Time: 10.00am - 5.30pm (both days)
Venue: The Grassroots Club,
190 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 8,
Singapore 568046
Next to Yio Chu Kang MRT Station

Fees: S$280 per person for two days.
S$240 per person for one day
Group Discount (minimum 4 persons) @ S$240.00 for 2 days
@ $200 for one day
* Earlybird discount: $240 (for two days). S$200 (for one day).
* Applies for bookings and full payment by 30 April '08.

Fees include all conference materials, two tea breaks and buffet lunch per day.
Organized by Complimentary Therapy

Complete the registration form in the attachment. If you can't access it, give me a call at 67332544 / 67332728 / 67376900

If you would like to get a copy of Complementary Therapy, May & June issue @ S$5.90 give me a call.
It should be out the first week of May.

I look forward to seeing you at the Defeat Autism Conference on 12 & 13 July 2008.


Warmest wishes
Jacqueline Seow


Omegapoint Seminars
Bringing You the Best Life Enrichment Programs and Opportunities (since 1982)
Ph: (65) 67332544 / 67376900 / 67332728
VBox 881654
Singapore 919191--

How Jim Carrey and Jenny McCarthy's Son Recovered From Autism

In this CNN op-ed piece, actors Jim Carrey and Jenny McCarthy reflect on their son’s recovery from autism in light of the recent federal court decision which conceded that vaccines could have contributed to another child’s autistic condition.
Carrey and McCarthy’s son, Evan, has been healed thanks to breakthroughs that may not be scientifically proven, but have definitely helped, such as a gluten-free, casein-free diet, vitamin supplementation, detox of metals, and anti-fungals for the yeast overgrowths that plagued his intestines. Once his neurological function was recovered through these medical treatments, speech therapy and applied behavior analysis helped him learn the skills he could not learn while he was frozen in autism.
When Evan was re-evaluated after these treatments, state workers were amazed by his improvement. But although Evan is now 5, not a single member of the CDC, the American Academy of Pediatrics, or any other health authority has asked to evaluate and understand how Evan recovered from autism. Instead, they simply posit that he was misdiagnosed and never had autism to begin with.
Carrey and McCarthy believe that autism is an environmental illness, and that while vaccines are not the only environmental trigger, they do play a major role. Even if the CDC is not convinced of a link between vaccines and autism, changing the vaccine schedule should be seriously considered as a precautionary measure.

Diagnosis: Autism

The government now reports that autism occurs in about one of every 150 American children. Behavioral scientists are trying to identify the early symptoms so that a diagnosis can be made as early as possible. Researchers at the Mind Institute at the University of California at Davis believe that if they can catch it early, they can change the way a child's brain develops.

What is Autism?

Autism causes kids to experience the world differently from the way most other kids do. It's hard for kids with autism to talk with other people and express themselves using words. Kids who have autism usually keep to themselves and many can't communicate without special help.
They also may react to what's going on around them in unusual ways. Normal sounds may really bother someone with autism — so much so that the person covers his or her ears. Being touched, even in a gentle way, may feel uncomfortable.
Kids with autism often can't make connections that other kids make easily. For example, when someone smiles, you know the smiling person is happy or being friendly. But a kid with autism may have trouble connecting that smile with the person's happy feelings.
A kid who has autism also has trouble linking words to their meanings. Imagine trying to understand what your mom is saying if you didn't know what her words really mean. It is doubly frustrating then if a kid can't come up with the right words to express his or her own thoughts.
Autism causes kids to act in unusual ways. They might flap their hands, say certain words over and over, have temper tantrums, or play only with one particular toy. Most kids with autism don't like changes in routines. They like to stay on a schedule that is always the same. They also may insist that their toys or other objects be arranged a certain way and get upset if these items are moved or disturbed.
If someone has autism, his or her brain has trouble with an important job: making sense of the world. Every day, your brain interprets the sights, sounds, smells, and other sensations that you experience. If your brain couldn't help you understand these things, you would have trouble functioning, talking, going to school, and doing other everyday stuff. Kids can be mildly affected by autism, so that they only have a little trouble in life, or they can be very affected, so that they need a lot of help.

Here's a video by Psychologist Sally Rogers of the Mind Institute defines autism:
http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=3906861&cl=7532368&ch=4227541&src=news

Detecting Autism Test I
http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=3906861&cl=7532287&ch=4227541&src=news

Detecting Autism Test II
http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=3906861&cl=7532416&ch=4227541&src=news

US alleges baby-selling in Vietnam

Five-month-old baby girls, are held by workers at an orphanage in Bac Ninh province, near Hanoi,Vietnam, Wednesday, April 23, 2008. Vietnam has failed to police its adoption system, allowing corruption, fraud, and baby-selling to flourish, according to a new report from the U.S. Embassy

HANOI, Vietnam - Vietnam has failed to police its adoption system, allowing corruption, fraud and baby-selling to flourish, the U.S. Embassy says in a new report obtained by The Associated Press.
The nine-page document describes brokers scouring villages for babies, hospitals selling infants whose mothers cannot pay their bills, and a grandmother giving away her grandchild — without telling the child's mother.
"I'm shocked and deeply troubled by the worst of the worst cases," said Jonathan Aloisi, deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi.
Vietnam's top adoption official called the concerns "groundless." Bribery of orphanage officials may occur, but serious offenses such as baby-selling or kidnapping are not a problem, said Vu Duc Long, director of the Department of International Adoptions.
The dispute comes amid a boom in adoptions from Vietnam. Americans — including actress Angelina Jolie — adopted more than 1,200 Vietnamese children over the 18 months ending March 31. In 2007, adoptions surged more than 400 percent from a year earlier, with 828 Vietnamese children adopted by American families.
While China remains the most popular overseas country for adoptions, a growing number of Americans are looking to Vietnam, which has fewer restrictions. The wait for adoption approval has also gotten longer in China after authorities there tightened rules.
U.S. adoption agencies active in Vietnam said that despite some cases of wrongdoing, most adoptions in the country are ethical.
"Our experience has been a good one," said Susan Cox, vice president of public policy with Holt International Children's Services, based in Eugene, Ore., which has operated in Vietnam since the 1970s. "We are concerned about any unethical practices, but I would not agree that these cases are indicative of adoptions in Vietnam."
Another adoption agency, Families Thru International Adoption, of Evansville, Ind., said that corruption exists everywhere and it is up to the adoption agencies to screen who they work with in Vietnam and other countries.
"There's always somebody that is trying to do something under the table, and when there are children involved, the results are even more horrific," said program director Salome Lamarche. "As an agency, we have a responsibility to be very careful who we work with in a country and to only work with organizations that work in a morally responsible manner."
She said her group has recently stopped taking applications for families who want Vietnamese children — but not because of concerns about corruption.
"We stopped because our waiting list is getting long and we thought it wasn't ethical to accept applications from families when we didn't know if we could match them with children," Lamarche said.
The U.S. suspended all adoptions from Vietnam in 2003 over concerns about corruption. Adoptions resumed in 2006 under a bilateral agreement intended to ensure they were above board.
That agreement expires Sept. 1, and many adoption agency officials believe the Vietnam program will be suspended again, at least temporarily.
"I can't see any possible way that this agreement is going to continue," said Tad Kincaid of Orphans Overseas in Portland, Ore. "There's certainly going to be a lapse."
The U.S. Embassy report is based on a review of hundreds of adoptions since they resumed in Vietnam in 2006.
Already, the U.S. Embassy concerns have left scores of Vietnamese adoptions in limbo, as American families wait for U.S. permission to bring the babies home.
Victoria Krebs of Chapel Hill, N.C., said that she and her husband have been waiting more than four months to find out if U.S. visas will be approved for the two girls they plan to adopt. They have pictures of the children and feel like they are already part of the family.
"They don't reply to my e-mails," Krebs said of U.S. immigration officials. "I don't have any specific information about my case."
A suspension in Vietnamese adoptions would not only put families on hold, but also threaten humanitarian work in Vietnam that is largely funded by American adoption agencies, such as foster care and programs that help keep families together, Cox said.
That occurred when the U.S. suspended Vietnamese adoptions in 2003, Cox said. "Since there were no adoptions, the groups didn't have the means to stay and help," she said.
Many people involved in Vietnamese adoptions strictly adhere to adoption laws, U.S. officials say.
But others have been flooding the system with cash to get babies for American parents, who pay up to $25,000 for an adoption.
With 42 U.S. adoption agencies licensed in Vietnam, the competition for babies is intense.
Some agencies have been paying orphanage directors $10,000 per referral, the report says, and some have taken orphanage directors on shopping sprees and junkets to the United States in return for a steady flow of babies.
"Adoption service providers have reported that cash and in-kind donations have been diverted by orphanage officials and used to finance personal property, private cars, jewelry, and in one case, a commercial real estate development," the report says.
Aloisi gave the AP a list of 10 particularly egregious cases, including the grandmother who gave away her grandchild.
The mother, working in another province for several weeks, had left the baby with her mother-in-law. She returned to discover the baby had been given up for adoption. Eventually, she got the baby back after U.S. officials uncovered the ruse during investigations as part of the U.S, visa approval process.
In another case, a baby was allegedly taken by hospital officials and turned over for adoption because the mother couldn't afford to pay her $750 hospital bill.
Hospital officials had inflated the bill, claiming the child had serious health problems. U.S. Embassy officials say they discovered the child was healthy. Again, the child was returned to its birth mother.
The report also says some orphanages have pressured birth mothers to give up their babies in return for about $450 — nearly a year's salary for many.
The problems have prompted U.S. officials to seek revisions before renewing the adoption agreement, including DNA tests for birth mothers and permission to conduct surprise investigations in provinces arranging U.S. adoptions.
Both of those conditions are unacceptable, said Long, the Vietnamese official.
Vietnamese law requires that Vietnamese officials approve and participate in any investigations, he said. And requiring DNA tests is impractical in a country where adoption is considered a private matter.
"The American side is trying to make it seem like this agreement is ending because of violations by the Vietnamese side," Long said. "It's not fair for them to blame us."
U.S. Embassy officials began raising questions last year, after their routine investigations turned up widespread inconsistencies in adoption paperwork.
They also noticed a suspicious surge in the number of babies listed as abandoned on adoption papers. That makes it impossible to confirm the infants were genuine orphans, or that their parents had knowingly put them up for adoption, as required by U.S. law.
In adoptions before 2003, 20 percent were abandoned babies. Since they resumed under tighter rules, that has risen to 85 percent, the embassy report says.
U.S. officials believe paperwork problems and reports of abandoned infants have risen in part because corrupt adoption workers are trying to cover up baby-selling.
They say their efforts to investigate have been blocked in six provinces, holding up adoptions for about 70 American families who have been matched with babies.

HFMD cases

HFMD cases up 12% last week

SINGAPORE : The number of children who came down with Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD) jumped 12% last week ending April 12 to hit 1,000 cases, up from 892 cases in the previous week

This brings the total number of HFMD cases reported to the Ministry of Health (MOH) from January to 6,315.

13 kids or 1.3% of the infected children had to be hospitalised last week, mainly because they were not eating well.

MOH said there is a higher circulation of the Enterovirus 71 (EV71). So far, 16% of the samples tested positive for EV71 virus this year.

The ministry added that HFMD is endemic in Singapore and there will be seasonal outbreaks. The continued rise in reported cases is expected as part of the epidemic uptrend.

MOH said increased public awareness is another reason why more cases are reported now.

HFMD tends to be a self—limiting childhood disease. To minimise the risk of HFMD, the ministry said it is crucial for children to adopt good hygiene practices.

Parents should consult a doctor early if their child has a fever, mouth ulcers and rashes on the palms, soles or buttocks. Children with HFMD should also stay at home until all the blisters have dried up.

During this period, contact with other children should be avoided until the child recovers. The child should not be brought to any public or crowded places.

At home, proper hygiene should also be practised so as to prevent other family members from getting infected.

Some cool videos to share

I've found some cool songs and videos, so thought of sharing it here.
Hope your kids will like it! Enjoy!!

Alvin and the chipmunks - Get Munk'd


High School Musical 2 - Everyday


High School Musical - Start of Something New

Baby Comics

Enjoy this baby comic!! Heeheee....Just for laugh! :)

Can You Be Too Clean?

If you're feeling guilty about leaving your baby in germ-ridden daycare, letting the dog slobber all over her, and not keeping your house spotlessly clean all the time, you can stop worrying. Though your little one may have a few more colds now than her less hygiene-compromised peers, she may be less likely to suffer chronic problems with asthma and allergies later, according to the latest research.

In this century, there has been a huge increase in the numbers of children with asthma and allergies worldwide, particularly in developed countries. In the United States, asthma is now the most common chronic disease of childhood, affecting nearly 5 million children and adolescents. Reports show a 75 percent increase in asthma prevalence from 1980 to 1994, with an astounding 160 percent rise in children under the age of four, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In 1989, an epidemiologist writing in the British Medical Journal suggested that the rise in allergies may be due to declining family sizes and higher standards of cleanliness that provide young children with less exposure to germs. This, in turn, is thought to give their still-developing immune systems less practice fighting off intruders. The result, as the theory goes, is that the under-challenged immune system wants to be used, so it's primed to see harmless substances like dust and pollen as dangerous invaders, leading to allergies and asthma.

Recent studies show that there may be some truth to this idea, which has come to be known in medical circles as the "hygiene hypothesis." In 1997 a study of almost 12,000 families in England and Scotland found that the more children a family had, the less the incidence of asthma. A May 2000 study in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine reported that among almost 1,200 teenagers in Canada, those who grew up on farms were 40 percent less likely to have asthma than their urban and suburban counterparts.

And in a more comprehensive study in the August 24, 2000 New England Journal of Medicine, scientists at the University of Arizona followed a group of 1,035 children from infancy until they were as old as 13. They found that among babies under six months, those who had older siblings or were in daycare were more likely to have asthma symptoms such as wheezing. But after the age of six, these same children were 40 percent less likely to be suffering from asthma.

"What do siblings, animals, and daycare have in common?" asks Dr. Thomas M. Ball, assistant professor of Clinical Pediatrics at the University of Arizona and one of the authors of the study. It sounds inelegant, but the answer is probably contact with trace amounts of feces. Ball speculates that what actually causes that decrease in asthma later isn't actually the number of infections a baby has, but rather the amount of contact she has with endotoxins, which are substances that are given off by bacteria when they die. Feces are loaded with them.

But the important thing to note from Ball's study is that the window of opportunity for affecting the developing immune system seems to occur during the first year of life. Research has shown that a baby's immune system begins preparing for microbial onslaught even before birth, with the placenta acting as a filter that lets through small amounts of innocuous allergens and microbes. Babies, it seems, are born ready to have their immune systems challenged. So don't stress too much about the various bugs your baby may be encountering at daycare or from the family pet. They may be the best thing for her in the long run.

2007 December Holidays Fav Performance

Here's some photos captured during the performance of some children's favoutite character in Singapore 2007.
Enjoy!!

WINX CLUB, Barbie Island Princess...etc