Myopia & What Helps

Nearsightedness is a common concern for children in Singapore.  It does not help when the parents are also blind bats.  Because nearsightedness can be hereditary.

We are all myopic.  So it was not surprising when E needed spectacles too.  We have been going to the eye doctor, a professional, since E had strabismus.  Although he no longer needed those eye patches, his myopia increase is something that has to be controlled.

At Primary 1, he was prescribed with his first pair of spectacles.  After 6 months, we were back at his Paediatric Ophthalmologist for review and alarmingly, his myopia increased pretty rapidly.

What's done cannot be undone.  It is definitely there to stay.  There is no cure to myopia.  The only way is to prevent it from further increasing.

Myopia arises when the eyeballs are longer than normal, which changes the angle at which light enters the eye and therefore the ability to focus on distant objects.  Thus, light rays from distant objects focus in front of the retina instead of on the retina. 

We all blame the reading, the gadgets and screen time.  We all know about limiting our time for using handheld devices and TV.  We all know about looking out to far distance.  But it all does not stop there.

We should take a break after 20 minutes of looking into handheld devices.  Which I am now making them be accountable for it themselves.  They set a timer on the iPad or timer and stop when it rings.

We learnt from the doctor that sunlight is good for the eyes too.  Reading up myself, I learn that we should all spend at least 20 minutes daily out in the sun, without sunglasses or tinted glasses.  Morning sun will be the best if UV is a concern (the bad harmful impact.  Sigh.)  For now, I tell the boys to get out to the field to walk or play after eating during recess to get their daily dose of the sunlight.

The boys are reminded that their eyes belong to them and we can only nag at them this much, threaten them that much.  They have a long way to go and should always love themselves.



Disclosure: I am not a doctor or a medical professional.  What is stated is my personal experiences and what I have learnt as a parent.

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Of Myopia and Spectacles

Do I have perfect eyesight?  No, I do not.  I started wearing spectacles at a ripe young age of 10.  Being myopic at 10 during my time was considered early.  Wearing spectacles at 10 years old for my boys' generation is almost a norm.

A first world problem, I call it.  Because of the increased exposure to electronic devices, it is pretty inevitable.  Spending lesser time outdoors (regardless of how much we try to, there is only so much we can do due to the fact that they go to school, we go to work) does not help.  Having myopic parents contribute to that fact too - myopia is genetic.

So what can we do?!  Control the progression of myopia, of course!  As much as we can. 

I mean, apart from having good reading habits such as not lying down to read and not reading in the dark, having a good pair of spectacles is important.

Do you think this is the right way to read?  Of course not!

A pair of eyeglass frame and lenses is not just to help with the vision, it is something that is to be worn for long hours.  So comfort and long hours wearability should be taken into concern.

Now, D is a primary school boy.  One who runs and plays with classmates, one who is probably not  as gentle with his spectacles as any adult.  A pair of eyeglass frame has to be durable!  At least something that will not break before his next eye checkup.

This pair of eyeglass frame from Nanyang Optical fits my bill!  Being slightly "flexible" means that I do not need to deal with breakages that occur so often.  How many times have we heard of people complaining that the hinges or side arm coming apart?

Anyway, a visit to Nanyang Optical always start with an eye assessment.  Something that is common at every optical shop to ascertain the degree of myopia, what surprises me was the colour vision test.  That is something not every shop does and I think it is a good move.

Nanyang Optical inhouse brand "Eyelet" is what D is wearing now.  He says it is comfortable and what you should also know about is the lenses that they recommend.

Like I mentioned earlier, a pair of spectacles should be one that it is not only of comfortable eyeglass frame.  The lenses should be good too.  How do we ascertain what is good then?  To me, it should be able to help with the slowing down of myopia progression.  And that is what MyoVision by Zeiss is all about.

We have all heard about Zeiss.  A renowned manufacturer of optical systems, MyoVision addresses myopia progression.  This comparison below may be able to help you understand it better but for me, what I now know is that, D has refrained from glancing through the sides of the lens because the MyoVision lenses "forced" him to look at things through the centre of the lenses.  I remember how he used to glance sideways to look at things. But he is not able to do so now because of how MyoVision lenses are designed - there is a lower focusing degree towards its peripherals.  As such, D has no choice but to turn his head and look straight at wherever and whatever he wants to see.  With that, I am hoping his myopia will be somehow controlled and progresses slower.

And ohhhh, Nanyang Optical not only sells optical products.  They educate the young ones on myopia prevention tips.  Love it because sometimes no matter how we parents nag, the effects are not as great compared to what these professionals say.

Myopia is irreversible.  All I hope for is not going to the optician regularly because of the increase in myopia.  Thus, I believe a good pair of eyeglass frame and lenses for children is indeed required.

Disclosure: We were sponsored a pair of Eyelet spectacles for the purpose of this review.  All photos and opinions are true to my own unless otherwise stated.

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Influenza - An Adult's Version

Influenza is not unknown to most of us.  We know them by H1N1, H5N1 etc.  Lately, there seems to be new mutations going around.

Influenza is not the common cold or runny nose.  Also known as the flu, which many often mix it with common cold, it is a illness definitely more severe.  Why I say so?  Because I have been through it.

It all happened when E was down with fever.  Initially diagnosed as the start of a common cold by the GP, it got worse and he was hospitalised.  I remembered when we were at the hospital, the paediatrician commented that I sounded bad too and might have caught the same bacteria / virus as E.    But, the mummy in me had to set right my priorities which was caring for the little boy.  What I did was simply buying off the shelf Danzen from the pharmacy to help with the anti-inflammation and anti-swelling of the painful-but-still-bearable throat.  

Of course, I have to thank Serene for bringing some of the Young Living essential oils as I used quite a bit of Copaiba for my throat.  I think that helped me with keeping whatever I caught at bay temporarily.

E had blood tests and an x-ray done and the diagnosis was influenza and mycoplasma which caused the roller-coaster fever and croup.  Double whammy.  He managed to ride out the influenza without antiviral medication but had antibiotics for the mycoplasma.

When he was discharged after 4 days, we were all so happy.  Little do we know that it was the start of me falling sick.

I was so tired the next day, we thought it could be just fatigue.  But we knew it was not when a high fever was spotted.  For one week, I was literally "floating", drifting in and out of sleep.  The medicine made me even sicker as in I felt a weird film of stuff covering my mouth and lost all appetite.  The amount of medicine to take for easing the symptoms made me nauseous.  Can you imagine I actually bought gummy bears and ate them after each medicine?!

In any case, I declared contracting influenza worse than natural child birth.  I was down and out for almost a week.

Antiviral medicine would help in easing the symptoms and promoting recovery if they are taken within the first two days.  I did not take any as I was pass that crucial two days and had to ride it out. 

Well, I survived.  But not without lots of sleep, warm water, medicine.  The boys were out and about doing their own things and the hubs did almost everything he could without bothering me.

Influenza is on the rise according to the news lately and is characterised by the sudden onset of the following symptoms:

- Fever
- Headache
- Chills
- Cough
- Sore throat
- Muscle aches
- General fatigue

More details can be found at the Ministry of Health website.

For people who are at a higher risk of developing complications of influenza, please consult your doctor if you suspect if you are having influenza.  There are tests that can be done quite quickly, such as the nose swab test, for diagnosis.

All in all, it takes definitely more than 2 days for recovery.  So, work is out and so is looking after the children.  Have standby help is what I will advise.

Though we all wish we will never fall ill, we really never know.  I guess, just be prepared to deal with it, come what may.

Oh, the good and the bad of it is that I took a pretty long time to regain my appetite.  Mentally yearning for a lot of food but when those were placed in front of me, I could only stomach a few mouths.


Disclosure: I am not a doctor or a medical professional.  What is stated is my personal experiences.

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Two Hospital Admissions - 'Horrible Mum' or 'You Did All You Could!'

Warning: words only, no graphics.

As I sit in a room in one of the most expensive district in Singapore, I wonder.  I wonder what I have done or have not done that made it the second stay in 6 months.  No, I am not having that nice, cocktail-in-hand kind of staycation.  I am in Mount Elizabeth Hospital.

I wish it was just a dream but it wasn't.  The hard sofa bed, disruptive sleep is all real.  E was admitted for a second time for fever and cough (layman terms).  Everyone has their fair share of fever and cough every year so what does it warrant an admission?  Not when his fever was for 6 days and a cough that sounded chesty or barking.  And I do not demand the admission.  It was at the doctor's advice.

Don't judge as to why and how I allowed just a simple fever and cough to develop into something more serious.  It wasn't within my control.  If I could, I would probably make sure they are never sick, but sometimes life loves giving us lemons (pun intended).

Okay.  Back to that simple fever and cough.  Both episodes that caused admission were similar.  Fever that didn't seem to go away for a few days.  The first day or two when we went to a GP, it was diagnosed as a start of a common cold.  Paracetamol and some cough medicine and that's it.  Then we have well intended friends who suggested that it might be viral fever, that will break in a few days.  Granted, it could really be.  The only 'wah lau eh' moment for viral fever for a FTWM like me means - cannot go school; I cannot go work because who knows when viral fevers break.

But when a worsening cough develops after a couple of days of fever, I know deep down it's not that simple.  Mummy's instinct probably.  I struggled within myself  as to whether to send him to the A&E (on a weekend) or our regular PD because on one hand, I was afraid to be judged by people or doctors who think that well, it's nothing serious, why am I fussing over it.  On the other, I fear for a decreased oxygen level as he was coughing every other minute.  #Parentingwoes

But I guess I made the right decision because on both ocassions, he was hospitalised for at least 3D2N. Now then came another guilt.  What have I done to cause this?  Was it something I ate during pregnancy?  Was it what I have been feeding over the years?  As much as I try to juggle between work and family (and I thought I was doing okay), such 'events' simply dropped me to the lowest point from wherever I was.  Back to ground zero.  And it does not help when people comment on what you should have done or what you should not have done, even though there are no scientific or medical basis to them.  Who can totally relate?

I only know from both stays that fever has to be controlled before they allow discharge.  Drinking water is one of the most important thing one can do.  Always listen - there are various types of coughs: chesty, croup, barking - whatever you call it.  But if it sounds weird, or uncommon to the usual cough, always wise to check it out.  Because coughs can be due to various reasons - it can be viral or bacterial and most times, only a blood test can determine.  And if it's a bacteria and it is not treated, the body system will continue to fight the bacteria, thus the fever.  Once the right diagnosis is given and correct medication is administered, the fever will go down.

Totally random post because I guess we all know that we would have wanted nothing but the best for our children.  For now, it's back to picking up the pieces and climbing up that 'Best Mum' ladder again.  But then again, I know my sons never doubted me being their best Mum.  That's what matters most. 


Disclosure: I am not a doctor or a medical professional.  What is stated are my personal experiences.

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Food Labels... Do You Ever Read Them?

Many years ago...

Holding a packet of food in my hand at the supermarket and scrutinising it, B asked, "What are you looking at?"

"Labels!"  I replied.  He looked at me, bewildered.

Fast forward to today, both of us look at food labels.  And here we are, trying to teach the boys, especially the older one to do it too.

Yes, I am a control freak with certain stuff, in some sense.

I love reading food labels.  Standing along the aisle of supermarkets while shopping (now you know why I adore supermarkets and can spend lots of time there), I read the food labels of food that I am intending to buy.  Sometimes I am convinced to buy them.  Sometimes I put them back.

In Singapore, we actually have a pretty transparent system on food labelling.  I have no idea about other countries but I suppose most developed countries will probably have a similar system (don't quote me for that though!).

The labelling guidelines is governed by the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) and so much information can be found here.

If you do not know, all pre-packed food products for sale in Singapore must be labelled according to the general labelling requirements of the Singapore Food Regulations.  Based on my few years of limited knowledge and research, here's what I know in layman terms:

Food for sale in Singapore must be labelled with basic information such as name of food, ingredients, net content and source.  I guess we all know about the source information as I know many who check on where the food item is made in or manufactured in.

Two things that I often look at but many do not know are as follows:

1. The ingredients and additives used in all food products must be listed in descending order of the proportions by weight in which they are present.

2.  If nutrition claims or permitted health claims are made for pre-packed foods, nutrition labelling is required.  Information declared in the panel must include the energy, protein, fat and carbohydrate contents of the food.  Nutrients must be declared too.

Taking the following as an example, we all can know then what are the main ingredients.

I get very concerned with food labels because I am interested to know what goes into the food that I am buying and what I am eating or feeding my family.  Many times, we realise that the first ingredient in a pre-packed food is sugar.  And we know how much harm too much sugar can cause.

Apart from looking at the ingredient list, we particularly look at the "sugars" content shown in the nutrition information.  Probably it is difficult to visualise the amount of sugars in grams but when it is converted to the number of teaspoons, it is easily understood.  Let me tell you that for the amount of sugars in grams you see stated, divide it by 4.  That's the number of teaspoons of sugar.  And yes, I can see that jaw dropped.

Now, I am not a dietician or a nutritionist.  Not any expert, really.  Just an individual who takes an interest into such.  But when I see a drink marketed as a healthy drink as follows, I get kind of upset.  Sugar as the number 1 ingredient.  Wow.  

My boys and I take sweets and chocolates too and I am not trying to present ourselves as "only eating the healthy stuff" family, but at least, again, I know what I am feeding the family.  And really, it is through being aware that we try to make little changes to our lifestyle, hopefully for the better.

Disclosure: Again, I am not a doctor, nutritionist, dietician or any professional related to  this field.  What is stated are my personal opinions.  I agree to disagree.  :)

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{Media Invite} AIR+ Smart Masks and Why You Should Own Them

Remember the time when buildings not too far away are blurry?

Remember the days when we woke up and exclaimed, "Something's burning!"

Those days were not too long ago.  In fact, it was just last September and it lasted a month or so.

I fear of those days.  I wake up everyday, hoping that the weather is good, the air is fresh and taking deep breaths are not luxuries.

But, the truth is...  life isn't always a bed of roses.

Singapore periodically gets affected by severe smoke haze due to forest fires in the region.  Especially during the dry season.  Typically in the months of June to August.  With the ever-changing weather and whatever-you-call phenomenons, I seriously wonder if every other month is going to be a dry season now and in the near future.

I cannot stop the forest fires.  Neither can I change how the weather is going to be.  As much as I would like to simply fly off to another country when the haze hits, it is impossible.  The best I can do is to reduce the family's risk of exposure to air pollutants during the haze period.

My best bet last September.  It was so difficult to get my hands on these masks that are suitable for children as everyone rushed to get them when the haze hit us.  So this year, I am not taking any chances.  Slightly kiasu but yes, I have 2 boxes (i think) of each size sitting in my cupboard now.

Ahead of the possible haze period, we were invited to a informal sharing with the people behind the AIR+ Smart Mask at MINT Museum of Toys.

What's a better way to educate children?  Get them involved and let them understand the basics of it.  Now the boys know that once the haze is here, they need to put on their masks.  

I cannot emphasise enough about the use of the correct mask during the haze period.  I cannot remember how many people I have spoken to regarding the wrong use of surgical masks during the haze period.  In summary, a surgical mask is used to protect against micro-organisms, body fluids and large particles in the air.  Because it is designed only to cover the mouth and the nose loosely, one do not get the seal that is required to protect against airborne pollutants such as haze and that ridiculously harmful PM2.5 particles.

If you do not believe me, take a surgical mask, wear it and you will feel the gaps at the sides.

At the clinic, having a fever, sometime back.  Surgical mask provided by the clinic.

No one-size mask fits everyone.  There are also no masks available in the market that suit children.  Asians have a smaller face frame and that is why AIR+ Smart Masks are fit tested and trialed in Singapore, coming up with 3 different sizes to protect even children as young as 7 years old.

D trying out the 3D profiling used by the people behind AIR+ Smart Mask.  Through the profiles of hundreds of people, they came up with the 3 different sizes that are supposed to be able to fit most Asians comfortably.

About the AIR+ Smart Mask

The AIR+ Smart Mask is tested in accordance to the EN 149:2001+A1:2009 (European) and the N95 NIOSH-approved (American) standards.  Under both test standards, the Smart Mask achieved at least 95% filtration efficiency against non-oil based particles, including PM2.5.

This means every AIR+ Smart Mask, regardless of size, is a N95 mask.

In addition, there is the AIR+ Micro Ventilator that enhances breathability by expelling the moisture and carbon dioxide build-up within the mask rapidly as one exhales.  This reduces the heat and increased carbon dioxide levels for a cooler comfort.

Time for some fun now at MINT Museum of Toys:

MINT (Moment of Imagination and Nostalgia) Museum of Toys houses a world-class collection of vintage toys and collectable items in an international award-winning contemporary building on Seah Street.

Since its inauguration in 2007, the museum is house to over 8,000 exhibits out of its collection of 50,000 items.  Across 6 levels, one will find items from over 40 countries, ranging in dates from the 1840s to 1980s.  Wow wow wow.

Let us take a look at some of the toys you can find there.  All of them are older than us.  :P

The boys were so intrigued with Mickey Mouse.  One of their favourite characters never really seen before.  And how we adults were brought back to childhood days of toys of yesteryear.  Nostalgic.  

Disclosure:  We were invited to the AIR+ Smart Mask workshop.  No monetary compensation was received.  Terms and product information about the product were provided by them.  All photographs and opinions are true to my own.

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Stuffed Toys, Plush Toys, Does Your Child Has One? We Have One to Giveaway!

Someone once mentioned that the first toy you introduce to a child, he or she will have a liking for it forever.  True?  False?

Both boys have stuffed toys, also know as a plush toys, since young.  And yes, they do like stuffed toys.  But they are of course, selective.  We have nothing against stuffed toys (although I know some people go eeeeeeks for boys having stuffed toys).  In fact, we have beds full of stuffed toys!

Simply because I have read before that stuffed toys can help with the process of curing depression.  With such effects, I think they definitely have positive effects on other issues like fears, excessive crying, nightmares, trauma etc.  I believe that stuffed toys help young children cope with distress by bringing them comfort and companionship.  Do you believe in this?  Does your child has a favourite plush toy?

We were very lucky to have won a giveaway that allowed us to choose the toys we want and having watched Inside Out previously, the boys chose the Inside Out plushes.

October is approaching and it's a happy month because we have two birthdays in the house!  The boys decided to spread some Joy.  As such, we have an Inside Out plush to give-away!  Do you know who?!

To enter:

1. Like ilovedefamily on Facebook.

2. Leave a comment on the corresponding Facebook post and indicate which plush from Inside Out that we are giving away and tag 3 friends.  Sharing the post will be much appreciated!

3. Bonus!!!  Follow me on Instagram and regram the corresponding image for an extra chance!  :)

Giveaway ends 16 October 2015, 8pm.

Please note:

- Winner will be chosen at random

- Item is not exchangeable for cash  It is brand new, sealed as shown.

- The giveaway is open to Singapore residents only.

- This giveaway is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook.

- Winner will be announced on blog, Facebook and notified by email.  Please respond within 48 hours, failing which, a new winner will be chosen.  

- Item is to be self-collected.  Location of collection will be stated in the email.

- We reserve the right to amend the terms and conditions of the giveaway without prior notice.

Good Luck! 

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