11-12_BT_Nov-Dec 2021

Life & Style
Feature
Dr Livia Chow Huey Ling
Consultant Paediatrician & Neonatologist,
Pantai Hospital Ayer Keroh
family members such as grandparents,
uncle, aunty, cousins and even friends
and schoolmates. This way, children
feel less lonely and it also helps to
reduce anxiety and stress.
Filtering news from TV
or internet
There is a constant flow of news
regarding Covid 19 situation from the
television and also from the internet.
Children might misinterpret the news
and this causes an increase in fear
and anxiety. Parents should talk to the
children often and explain the facts
of the current situation and answer
whatever questions that they might
have appropriate to their age. For
example, for younger children, parents
don’t need to go into the details of
the disease whereas for an adolescent,
parents can be a bit more open.
Improve ventilation
at home
Bringing fresh air into the house
prevents virus particles accumulating
inside the house. Opening doors and
windows can improve the ventilation
in the house. If it’s unsafe to do so
you can use air filters or switch on the
exhaust fans. It is recommended to
change the air filter every 3 months
or according to the manufacturer’s
recommendation.
Clean regularly
Cleaning the house with a household
cleaner or detergent can help to reduce
germs on surfaces. Cleaning alone is
adequate to remove most of the virus
particles from the surface. We need to
focus more on places or things where
there is a high frequency of touching
such as door knobs, switches, remote
controls, toys etc.
Continue healthcare
follow up and routine
vaccinations
It is strongly recommended that
children continue to follow their routine
healthcare follow up and vaccination
schedule during the pandemic.
During the follow-up, the doctors and
parents can assess the growth and
development of their children and
can discuss any health issues that are
worrying. Vaccination is important to
prevent vaccine preventable diseases
such as measles and whooping cough.
They are contagious and can be severe
in babies and younger children.
Emotional changes
in children
With the outbreak of Covid 19
affecting globally, many countries
including Malaysia have implemented
34 BabyTalk | November/December 2021