MANILA, Philippines - Makati City on Monday opened the third Department of Health-approved human milk bank in the country.
Located at the Bangkal Health Center at E. Rodriguez Avenue in Barangay Bangkal, the milk bank was opened by Makati City Mayor Jejomar Erwin Binay. It is the first human milk bank to be operated by a local government unit.
“We are proud to make history once more with the opening of our human milk bank, which is the first such facility to be established and operated by a local government unit in the country,” Binay said.
Binay said the project was particularly significant to him because his youngest daughter Maria Kennely, survived premature birth largely through adequate nourishment from a steady supply of breast milk obtained from milk banks. His wife Kennely Ann died shortly after giving birth to their fourth child.
“This human milk bank has been put up so that motherless infants in our city and neighboring cities will not be deprived of their rightful share of God’s wonderful gift to every newborn, to every child,” Binay said.
Binay said the Makati milk bank was opened with the support of the DOH, the World Health Organization, and the Philippine Children’s Medical Center (PCMC), a DOH-accredited training institution for the management and operation of milk banks.
“Makati and its people are truly grateful to our partners in putting up this facility, which brings up our community-based breastfeeding advocacy to a more noble level because mothers will have the chance to save lives by donating their breast milk to the milk bank,” Binay said.
Studies show that regular breastfeeding stimulates the mammary glands of lactating mothers and enables them to produce an abundant supply of breast milk that could cover their baby’s needs and still leave much for the milk bank.
Dr. Estela Barrios, officer-in-charge of the Makati Health Department, said the milk bank is fully equipped with imported equipment, including a human milk pasteurizer made in England, a large bio-refrigerator, two large freezers, and an electric dishwasher with sterilizer.
She said the operations of the facility will be handled by six personnel comprised by a doctor, a nurse, two midwives and two medical technologists who all underwent proper training under PCMC, particularly on lactation management and laboratory procedures.
PCMC is a DOH-accredited training institution on the management and operation of human milk banks, and is one of only two health facilities in the country housing a DOH-approved human milk bank. The other is Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital.
Barrios said the Makati Human Milk Bank would be operated according to the WHO manual of operations for human milk banks.
source: philstar.com
Showing posts with label Mothers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mothers. Show all posts
Monday, March 4, 2013
Saturday, October 13, 2012
Improving medical care for diabetic moms
MANILA, Philippines - Diabetes in pregnancy or gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is characterized by high blood glucose levels during pregnancy. Continued high levels of blood sugar during pregnancy raise the mother’s risk of preeclampsia, which is the second leading cause of maternal deaths. GDM also increases the mother’s risk for pre-term birth, caesarian-section delivery as well as the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus even after pregnancy.
The baby is at risk at the same time. GDM pushes up the weight of the infant to about nine pounds or more, giving the baby much difficulty in passing through the birth canal and potentially causing nerve damage to the shoulders. The baby is also very likely to become obese later on in life, which consequently increases his/her vulnerability to diabetes.
According to research by the Kaiser Permanent Center for Health Research, Filipinas are at high risk for GDM. In the study covering different ethnic groups in the US, Filipinos, along with Koreans, had the highest incidence of the condition among nearly 17,000 women aged 13 to 39 who were surveyed.
A 2010 study at the UST Hospital confirmed global statistics when it found 7.5 percent prevalence of GDM among mothers. Risk factors include higher body mass index, family history of diabetes, and use of hormonal contraceptives.
Very much aware of the incidence of diabetes in expecting mothers, the Philippine Society of Endocrinology and Metabolism (PSEM), an organization of local endocrinologists, is putting up the country’s first large-scale database for GDM. The initiative is supported by global healthcare company MSD to improve medical care for diabetic pregnant mothers.
The GDM database kick-starts a bigger collaborative project of PSEM and MSD called Registry of Diabetes, Endocrine & Metabolic Diseases or REDEEM.
The initial GDM database is expected to generate reports that endocrinologists can use to best manage patients suffering from diabetes during their pregnancy. Eventually, the registry will be expanded to include other endocrine diseases.
“It (REDEEM) will help us gather data to identify people who have GDM and how to best manage them to prevent complications,” says Dr. Sjoberg Kho, PSEM president.
Dr. Kho said current GDM data used by doctors are either based on international guidelines or on small local data. With the GDM registry, the large-scale data to be generated will be more relevant because it will be Filipino data.
“Filipinos eat differently, our activities and genes are different. So it’s always good to have our own data,” Kho explains.
Dr. Beaver Tamesis, business unit director of MSD, is glad to have partnered with PSEM on this initiative since the 50-year-old organization is capable of regularly collecting and analyzing data on major diseases that are not prioritized in Western countries. Five hospitals are initially taking part in the project, namely Makati Medical Center, UP-PGH, St. Luke’s Hospital, UST Hospital, and The Medical City. PSEM treasurer Dr. Nemencio Nicodemus Jr. says the registry will eventually be rolled out to all PSEM members nationwide.
MSD considers improving the health of mothers a priority. Recently, the company has launched MSD for Mothers, which seeks to improve maternal health and ensure that no woman has to die of complications of childbirth and pregnancy such as that brought about by GDM.
source: philstar.com
The baby is at risk at the same time. GDM pushes up the weight of the infant to about nine pounds or more, giving the baby much difficulty in passing through the birth canal and potentially causing nerve damage to the shoulders. The baby is also very likely to become obese later on in life, which consequently increases his/her vulnerability to diabetes.
According to research by the Kaiser Permanent Center for Health Research, Filipinas are at high risk for GDM. In the study covering different ethnic groups in the US, Filipinos, along with Koreans, had the highest incidence of the condition among nearly 17,000 women aged 13 to 39 who were surveyed.
A 2010 study at the UST Hospital confirmed global statistics when it found 7.5 percent prevalence of GDM among mothers. Risk factors include higher body mass index, family history of diabetes, and use of hormonal contraceptives.
Very much aware of the incidence of diabetes in expecting mothers, the Philippine Society of Endocrinology and Metabolism (PSEM), an organization of local endocrinologists, is putting up the country’s first large-scale database for GDM. The initiative is supported by global healthcare company MSD to improve medical care for diabetic pregnant mothers.
The GDM database kick-starts a bigger collaborative project of PSEM and MSD called Registry of Diabetes, Endocrine & Metabolic Diseases or REDEEM.
The initial GDM database is expected to generate reports that endocrinologists can use to best manage patients suffering from diabetes during their pregnancy. Eventually, the registry will be expanded to include other endocrine diseases.
“It (REDEEM) will help us gather data to identify people who have GDM and how to best manage them to prevent complications,” says Dr. Sjoberg Kho, PSEM president.
Dr. Kho said current GDM data used by doctors are either based on international guidelines or on small local data. With the GDM registry, the large-scale data to be generated will be more relevant because it will be Filipino data.
“Filipinos eat differently, our activities and genes are different. So it’s always good to have our own data,” Kho explains.
Dr. Beaver Tamesis, business unit director of MSD, is glad to have partnered with PSEM on this initiative since the 50-year-old organization is capable of regularly collecting and analyzing data on major diseases that are not prioritized in Western countries. Five hospitals are initially taking part in the project, namely Makati Medical Center, UP-PGH, St. Luke’s Hospital, UST Hospital, and The Medical City. PSEM treasurer Dr. Nemencio Nicodemus Jr. says the registry will eventually be rolled out to all PSEM members nationwide.
MSD considers improving the health of mothers a priority. Recently, the company has launched MSD for Mothers, which seeks to improve maternal health and ensure that no woman has to die of complications of childbirth and pregnancy such as that brought about by GDM.
source: philstar.com
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Hilary Duff Sports a Bikini While Holding Baby Luca
Motherhood does a body good – at least in the case of Hilary Duff.
Post-pregnancy yoga and Pilates workouts are working for the former Disney star, 24, who said in April that those exercises make her "feel more clear-headed and positive."
Flaunting her fit figure in a black, low-rise bikini, Duff is photographed in Mexico carrying 3-month-old son Luca Cruz, while adjusting her sunglasses and showing off some serious abs.
As a woman in the public eye, she acknowledges, "There is a little bit of pressure" to lose baby weight. "But most of it comes from me."
source: people.com
Sunday, May 13, 2012
MOTHER’S DAY IN THE PHILIPPINES
MOTHER’S Day is celebrated today, May 13, 2012, to pay tribute to mothers and their contributions to Philippine society, particularly the bearing and raising of children. A mother is a child’s first teacher, and it is in the home that the shaping of a child’s character begins. She is a source of strength, inspiration, happiness and stability for her family.
The Philippines, as in the United States of America (USA), celebrates Mother’s Day on the 2nd Sunday of May, as a complementary holiday to Father’s Day, which is on the 3rd Sunday in June. Mother’s Day was started by Anna Jarvis of Grafton, West Virginia, U.S.A., who sought to fulfill her own mother’s dream of a day to honor and celebrate mothers. She started out this on journey in 1908 and was successful when President Woodrow Wilson made it an official holiday in 1914.
Mother’s Day is special for most Filipinos, marking it with gifts such as flowers, chocolates, candies, jewelry, clothing, and cards. Families organize a treat or outing, while schools help pupils prepare a handmade card or small gift for their mothers.
Worldwide, Mother’s Day is celebrated on different dates, with varied traditions and cultures. In Great Britain and Ireland, it is called "Mothering Sunday," taking place on the 4th Sunday of Lent. New Zealand, Australia, and Canada celebrate it on the 2nd Sunday of May. Spain’s Dia de la Madre is observed on May 6. In Bolivia, Mother’s Day is on May 27. In Antwerp, Belgium, it is on August 15. Norway holds it on the 2nd Sunday of February. In Sweden, the last Sunday of May is Mother’s Day.
No matter what day or manner nations and individuals celebrate Mother’s Day, the most important thing is: Honor and love your mother. She works hard and sacrifices a lot for her family. Let us hug and kiss her on this special day to show our thanks and appreciation. HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY TO ALL!source: mb.com.ph
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