The week of 14^th to the 19^th May marks National Baby Massage Week, promoting the benefits of baby massage to new parents.

Historically baby massage has been a parenting tradition in many cultures, such as in India and Africa, and has been gaining popularity in the UK since the late 1990s.

What is Baby Massage?

•  Baby massage is when a parent or primary carer lovingly strokes or holds their baby.

 •  Using a high quality non-fragranced vegetable oil, soothing holds and rhythmic strokes are given on each area of the baby’s body.

 •  A sequence is followed which has been developed over many years.

 •  The massage offers a wonderful experience and a special time to communicate both verbally and non-verbally with babies, to increase bonding, relaxation, relief and stimulation.

 What are the Benefits of Baby Massage?

 •  Interaction:
          -  Between child and parent
          -  Promotion of bonding and undivided attention and quality time with parents.

 •  Relaxation:
          -  Demonstrated by improved sleep patterns
          -  Lower levels of stress hormones and lower levels of anti stress hormones

 •  Relief – massage may help with:
          -  Gas and colic
          -  Constipation and elimination
          -  GI cramps and teething discomfort
          -  Desensitization

•  Stimulation:
         -  Of the circulatory and digestive symptoms
         -  Of mind/body awareness

 What will you learn during Baby Massage?

•   A routine of massage strokes
•   Colic routine
•   Gentle movements
•   Touch relaxation
•   The best time to massage your baby
•   Which massage oils to use
•   Positioning
•   Adapting the strokes

Baby Massage Classes are available at The Portland Hospital, all of the Infant Massage Instructors are trained by the International Association of Infant Massage (IAIM), which is a worldwide association that offers training of a very high standard. Attending baby massage groups at the Portland is a wonderful way to meet other parents and share experiences.  Many new friendships have been forged through parents and their babies attending the classes.

If you would like to book a Baby Massage Class please contact The Portland Hospital Physiotherapy department on 020 7390 6553.

Almost every child under 3 years of age will pick up several infections in the course of a year, especially in the winter months and particularly if there is a sibling at home who attends school, a playgroup, a nursery or a child-minder.  Most of these infections cause a runny nose, a sore throat and a cough.

Most of these infections are viral in origin and have a limited course of a few days.  The body’s response to these infections is to raise the body temperature and so there is often an associated fever present, which generally lasts for about 3 days.

A child is considered to have a fever if his or her temperature is 39°C or higher.

In the first instance, parents and carers should:
-  Offer regular fluids (if breastfeeding, continue this as normal).
-  Check the child regularly, including during the night (two to three times).
-  Dress the child appropriately for their surroundings, with the aim of preventing overheating or shivering.
-  Avoid using tepid sponging (using cool water) to cool the child.
-  Keep the child away from nursery or school while the fever persists, and notify the nursery or school of the illness.

It may be helpful to take the child’s temperature. If the temperature is greater than 39°C and the child appears to be distressed or unwell then consider using paracetamol or ibuprofen. Do not alternate or combine paracetamol with ibuprofen at this stage.

Do not routinely use paracetamol or ibuprofen with the sole aim of:
-  Reducing the body temperature of a child with fever who is otherwise well.
-  Preventing febrile convulsions.

Ibuprofen should not be used for:
-  Children with a history of hypersensitivity to ibuprofen or other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
-  Children in whom attacks of asthma are known to have been precipitated by an NSAID.

If the temperature remains greater than 39°C despite using paracetamol or ibuprofen then switch one for the other (e.g. if you have been giving paracetamol, stop and switch to ibuprofen).

If it remains greater than 39°C despite switching paracetamol and ibuprofen, consider alternating paracetamol and ibuprofen. Add in a dose of the second drug after two hours. Paracetamol is normally given every 6 hours and ibuprofen every 8 hours. Take care not to exceed the maximum stated dose of each drug in a 24-hour period.

It may be useful to keep a note of the times the medicines have been given to help parents or carers remember when the last drug given and at what time.

Parents and carers should seek medical help if:
 -  The child is getting dehydrated (signs include dry mouth, sunken fontanelle, absence of tears, sunken eyes, and poor overall appearance).
-  The child has a fit.
-  The child develops a non-blanching rash.
-  The fever lasts longer than 5 days.
-  The child is getting more unwell.
-  They are distressed or concerned that they are unable to look after the child.

Fever itself is not serious unless it is associated with the child being unusually lethargic, vomiting excessively or has a spotty rash which doesn’t disappear with applied pressure (the glass test).  In these circumstances your child would need to be seen urgently. In addition, if your child is less than 3 months old and has a fever >38°C or if 3-6 months with a fever >39°C, you should have him/her seen by a doctor.

Many parents are concerned that if they don’t control the fever, their child may have a febrile convulsion (temperature fit).  There is considerable evidence that lowering the temperature in a febrile child does not prevent seizures occurring and most that do occur, do so at the very onset of the infection. It seems that other circumstances need to be present, e.g. a strong family history, in order for a fit to occur.

You will need to seek help if, in addition to the fever, runny nose and cough, there is a non-blanching rash,  your child is unusually lethargic, is vomiting excessively, is not taking any fluids or passing urine, is breathing very fast or the fever is remaining >39°C for over 24 hours.  If your child seems to have painful ears, is crying inconsolably, has continuous moaning, grunting or difficult breathing, or has a croupy cough, you should also seek help.

Otherwise keep fluid intake up, giving small amounts frequently, don’t worry about your child not eating, ignore moderate fever and expect improvement in a few days, though a cough can remain for some time longer.

If, at any stage, you are concerned, do not hesitate to seek medical help. The Portland Hospital offer a Children’s Doc Around the Clock service which is an urgent medical appointment service for babies and children up to the age of 16 and is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.  Call 020 7390 8022 to book an appointment if required.

Paracetamol Dosage: New recommendations

For paracetamol infant suspension (120 mg/5 mL):

For paracetamol six plus suspension (250 mg/5 mL):

Ibuprofen Doses:

It certainly was a winner of a party which saw a huge array of Olympians dressed up in their favourite sporty gear and every child received a winner’s medal in their party bag!

There was lots to do at the party with a bouncy castle, scalextric game, Olympic games and competitions, craft stalls, rugby and football shootout and face painters.

After all the fun and games Portly just about had enough breath left to blow out his birthday candles with a little help from his best friend Rabbit! The best dressed Olympians prize went to a set of brothers dressed up as competitive tennis players!

Imagethirst were once again on hand to provide free family photography sessions and massages/reflexology treatments were offered by the Portland’s complementary therapists.  The party is a great networking opportunity with former patients and Portland babies as well as keeping parents up-to-date with the services offered at the hospital.

Here are some snapshots from the party….

Many children suffer from constipation from time to time. There are a variety of reasons for this but there is hardly ever a medical cause.

Constipation occurs most commonly in children aged 2 to 4 when they are being potty trained. It also occurs relatively commonly in babies. About one third of children between 4 and 7 can be constipated at any one time. As a rule the constipation only lasts for a short period.

The causes of constipation are either dietary factors or behavioural factors. Dietary concerns are in children who do not have sufficient water or do not eat an adequate amount of high fibre food, thus stools become harder and drier and more difficult to pass. If a baby or toddler drinks too much milk, they feel full and are less likely to take solid food. Behavioural issues account for a large number of children starting to ‘hold back’ when they are begin potty trained. Putting off going to the toilet, increases the likelihood of the child becoming constipated. Changes in the daily routine can also upset the bowel pattern.

The signs and symptoms parents need to watch out for constipation are as follows:

• Going less frequently than usual (that is less than three bowel movements a week)
• Passing small dry, hard stools
• Pain and straining when passing a stool
• Avoiding the toilet
• Sore bottom
• Bleeding from the back passage
• Tummy ache
• Loss of appetite
• Feeling sick
• Irritability
• Dribbling of urine
• Overflow diarrhoea (when a large stool gets stuck and blocks the child’s bowel, liquid stools from above the blockage can flow around the stool and leak into the underwear. This is a sign of severe constipation.)

In order to prevent or manage your child’s constipation, the following approaches could be tried:

Eating more fibre

A poor intake of dietary fibre is an important cause of constipation. As fibre cannot be digested by the body it passes straight through the digestive system increasing the bulk of the stools and making them softer by helping to retain water. It is important to include high fibre foods with each meal and snack: Breakfast – cereals such as Weetabix, Oatibix, Sultana Bran, Bran Flakes, Shreddies and porridge oats and use wholemeal bread. Lunch and Dinner – wholemeal pasta, brown rice, vegetables, fruit, pulses such as beans, chickpeas and lentils. Snack time – high fibre biscuits, oatcakes, fig rolls, cereal and muesli bars as well as fruit.

Increase your child’s fluid intake to approximately 2 pints/1 litre daily

This should be mainly water but fruit juice is also helpful.

Toilet management

Do not allow your child to wait too long before doing a poo. It is best to set aside a time each day, preferably after a meal, for the child to sit on a toilet. Give your child enough time on the toilet so that they don’t feel rushed. It is also helpful to a child to have lots of active play during the day.

Where the above measures are insufficient, medication is needed. A variety of laxatives will help to clear the build-up of poo. The most helpful of the medications is Movicol; other popular medicines include Senokot and Lactulose.

Each child’s medical needs differ so it is vital that you seek advice from your doctor regarding the best method to relieve your child’s constipation.

Dr Gary Katz, Consultant Paediatrician at The Portland Hospital can be contacted on 07889 522501.

Portly will be celebrating his birthday with all his friends on Sunday 29th April 2012 at Kensington Town Hall.

Portly’s Olympics party promises to be a winner of a party packed full of fun and Portly will be giving birthday prizes to the best dressed Olympians.

The party will include a bouncy castle, scalextric game, Olympic games and competitions, craft stalls, rugby and football shootout, face painters, Imagethirst photography and a disco dance-off with Portly and Rabbit. A healthy picnic lunch is provided for the children, birthday cake and of course a party bag to take home.

Over 200 parents and children from the Portly Panda Club have already registered to attend the event.  It’s set to be the children’s party of the year!

The party starts at 12.30pm until at 3.30pm on Sunday 29^th April 2012. If your child/children are a Portly Panda Club member(s) and you would like to attend the party, please contact Matt Humphrey in Marketing on 020 7390 6074 for an invitation and ticket prices.

The Mohau Centre is a hospice for children infected with HIV/AIDS and a refuge that helps orphans to be fostered or adopted.

The problem of HIV/AIDS has reached pandemic proportions in South Africa

In their own words here they tell their story:

‘My name is Isabella and I am 9-years-old. My brother, Antonio, and I love to help the children inSouth Africaand collect money for them. It all started when my doctor, Dr. Ian Hay, began a children’s charity called The Mohau Centre inSouth Africa. When I was 2-years-old I started donating some of my toys to them. Then when I was 5-years-old we thought of doing a big Christmas party in honour of them and we have been doing it ever since. Now the parties have gotten so big we have around 70 children that come!  It is so much fun! 

We also collect money for South Africa in a lot of other ways. For example, instead of getting birthday presents my brother and I ask for a small donation for the children inSouth Africa. I also donate the money that I get from the tooth fairy.  As well as this we bake and sell cookies at Christmas time.  One year we sold 70 dozen cookies!

It is good to learn how to help people in need when you are young because when you grow up you will have a very warm heart. Whenever I help someone it always makes me feel happy and hopefully everyone else does too. If everyone tries to help someone everyday then everyone will be happy, both the person who received the help and the person who gave the help. If one person helps someone then that person will help someone else and so on and so on and so on.’

For further information on The Mohau Centre please visit http://mohau.za.org/ or watch this inspiring video clip on the background and history of The Moha Centre:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBY6o0MEttQ&feature=related

Data from participants will be used by Great Ormond Street Hospital, University College Hospital and Eastman Dental Hospital and Institute to provide better treatment and surgery for patients with disfigurements and congenital conditions.

Mr Owase Jeelani, a consultant paediatric neurosurgeon at Great Ormond Street Hospital and The Portland Hospital, is currently supporting the exhibition at the Science Museum. He is well known for his successful separation of the conjoined twins Rital and Ritag Gaboura, and has also developed a technique for saving the lives of babies born with skulls that have fused and will not grow to accommodate the expanding brain.

The ‘Me in 3D’ project is set up as a collaborative enterprise which involves the following investigators Mr David Dunaway, Professor Nigel Hunt, Professor Sue Cunningham, Mr Allan Ponniah and Mr Cliff Ruff.

Specialists know a lot about the bones structure in a face but little is known about what actually makes a face the shape it is and about the skin and muscles. By collecting 3D face photographs from all around the world there will be a greater understanding of complex faces, and having greater knowledge to plan and perform the best facial surgery in the future. For instance, the data could be used to devise better treatments for children with conditions such as Apert, Pfeiffer, or Crouzon syndromes, which result in deformation of the skull.

Also just for fun visitors have the option of reproducing their 3D faces in zebra and crocodile skin!

The Me in 3D stand runs at the Science Museum until 10 April 2012. For further information or download consent forms to take part then please visit the Me in 3D website.

Mr Owase Jeelani can be contacted at The Portland Hospital on 0207 390 8020.

 47% of the year’s deliveries were via vaginal delivery and 53% of deliveries were through elective or emergency caesarean.

The Midwifery Led team also had a very successful year with an 89% normal delivery (standard vaginal delivery) rate with their ladies who are all second time or subsequent mothers. 

Darren Burr, Interim CEO, at The Portland Hospital commented ‘These impressive statistics demonstrate that the Portland is the leading hospital for private maternity care and with the completion of our obstetric renovation programme it makes the hospital an even more comfortable place to stay. I would also like to thank the staff behind these figures and for their continuous care for our patients’.

With Consultant Led Delivery and Midwife Led Delivery Options, as well as a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit; we are able to offer a bespoke service to mothers-to-be.  If you are interested in coming to visit the maternity unit or require further information then please call our Maternity Services Advisor on 020 7390 6068 or click here to book a tour.

Jamie, a City HR worker, attacks the prospect of parenthood by reading every self-help guide he can, but nothing he finds inside the pages of a book quite prepares him for his new life. Mini cab driver Viktor is resolved to put a history of womanising behind him and become the perfect family man, while multi-millionaire trader Greg sees his girlfriend’s pregnancy as a second chance to be the dad he wants to be.

The one thing that is true for all these men is that the experience is nothing like they expected.  And it leaves them all softer, gentler and much much more tired!

The documentary ‘A Dad is Born: A Wonderland Film’ is going to be broadcast next week – on Thursday 16th February at 9pm on BBC2 which features The Portland Hospital.

The week of the 22^nd to 28^th January 2012 is Cervical Cancer Prevention Week. This is a European wide initiative lead by European Cervical Cancer Association (ECCA). The Week provides an opportunity to focus on all aspects of cervical cancer including information about symptoms and causes of the disease and ways to prevent it.

Every day in the UK 3 women will die from cervical cancer with another 8 being diagnosed and facing an uncertain future. Cervical cancer is a preventable disease. Despite this in the UK in 2011, 20% of women did not take up their invitation for cervical screening, with only about half of women aged 20-24 attending. Raising awareness of cervical cancer prevention is more necessary than ever.

The Department of Health recommends that women between the ages of 25-64 years have routine cervical smears every three to five years as part of the NHS Screening Programme (Department of Health Cervical Screening Programme Guidelines 2006).

This week The Portland Hospital will be supporting this initiative by hosting ‘road show’ style events throughout the hospital.

On Monday a session was held in the staff canteen allowing staff to discuss all aspects of cervical cancer prevention and how the Nurse Led Clinic at The Portland Hospital can be utilised by staff from our facility. Anna Barbour, which works in the Portland’s Gynaecology Outpatients department, was available to discuss this service to staff members. The hospital pharmacists were also on hand to discuss the Human PapIllomavirus (HPV) and vaccination against this virus.

On Thursday and Friday this week the team will be visiting the gynaecology outpatient areas to allow our patients the opportunity to discuss cervical cancer prevention and also to inform patients of the self-referral process to the Nurse Led Clinic.

During the course of the week a fundraising collection has been in progress and all monies raised will go toward Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust, which is UK’s only charity dedicated to those affected by cervical abnormalities or cervical cancer.

Anna Barbour, Gynaecology Outpatients Sister commented ‘Cervical screening is very important as early detection is vital. Cervical cancer is one of the few cancers that is preventable as pre-cancerous changes can be detected on smear tests before they have a chance to develop into cancer.

The screening test involves the doctor or nurse taking a small sample of cells from the cervix. This is carried out by inserting an instrument called a speculum inside the vagina and sampling the cells with a small soft brush. These cells are placed in a liquid based solution and sent to the laboratory for testing. This is called liquid based cytology.

As a healthcare professional in women’s health I greatly value the great work of Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust in increasing awareness of cervical cancer and the need for regular cervical screening.’

If you have concerns or would like to arrange a cervical smear test please contact The Portland Hospital Nurse Led Clinic on 020 7390 6205.