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During this world-wide pandemic, a lot of questions were still left unanswered. When will this end? Can someone invent a vaccine for this? What will happen to us after all of this is over? Can we still go back to normal? Undeniably, for mothers, they all hoped for the best for their children and they are not excluded from those people asking for answers to their questions. Luckily for them, the World Health Organization (WHO) answered the frequently asked questions of breastfeeding mothers.
- Can COVID-19 be passed through breastfeeding?
To date, the virus has not been detected in the breastmilk of any mother with confirmed/suspected COVID-19. Therefore, it appears unlikely that the virus would be transmitted through breastfeeding.
In fact, Dr. Rebecca Powell, assistant professor of medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, is actively gathering breast milk to study its antibodies which she hoped that the antibody levels are high and have protective function so that it could be purified and used in treatments in severe cases of COVID-19.
- If a mother is confirmed/suspected to have COVID-19, should she still continue breastfeeding?
Read more: Breastfeeding amidst the pandemic: A guide for mothers and health workers
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Pregnancy and childbirth are both considered very crucial in a woman’s life. Apart from the joy and hope it brings, it is also inevitable to have fear and anxiety since it is also associated with risks to health and survival of both the mother and the baby she bears. These risks must be discontinued and should be provided with prompt interventions to secure a safe motherhood. In order to ensure that every mother will have access to healthcare facilities and receive quality care during their pregnancy, annually, 2nd week of May is celebrated as Safe Motherhood Week.
To achieve the overall maternal care, mothers should not only deliver their baby in the healthcare facilities but should also be given appropriate maternal nutrition. The ability of a mother to provide nutrients for her baby is a critical factor for fetal health. Failure to meet the nutritional requirements of the mother may not only bring risks to her health but could also lead to fetal malnutrition that may affect the child’s development in the future. This is why, mothers together with their partners must be fully committed when planning to have a baby.
Read more: Ensuring maternal and infant nutrition during the first 1,000 days of life
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Yearly, the fourth week of April is declared as Head and Neck Consciousness Week by virtue of Presidential Proclamation 1676. This observance is spearheaded by the Philippine Society of Otolaryngology and the Department of Health (DOH) which aims to increase public awareness on the prevention, early diagnosis and treatment on the cancer of head and neck region. Based from the recent data of Philippine Cancer Society and DOH, there are about 12,510 new cases in the Philippines wherein head and neck cancer ranked as number 3 next to lung and breast cancer.
Head and neck cancer includes cancer of the ear and temporal bone, nose, mouth, oropharynx, thyroid and larynx. Since these structures are close to one another, cancer cells may spread to its nearby areas infecting the other organs. According to studies, alcohol and tobacco use are the two main risk factors for head and neck cancer. DOH says that eighty-five percent of head and neck cancer are connected with tobacco use and even secondhand smoke can increase the risk of acquiring this disease. Aside from smoking and drinking, other risk factors associated with this disease are prolonged sun exposure, viral infections, poor oral hygiene and poor diet intake.
Read more: Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle to Prevent Head and Neck Cancer!
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Did you know that every woman, regardless of age, race and lifestyle may be at risk of cervical cancer? But despite of this risk, cervical cancer is one of the most preventable and successfully treatable type of cancer if detected and diagnosed early and managed effectively. In order to promote better knowledge, prevention, possible treatments, diagnosis of this disease the month of May has been declared as Cervical Cancer Awareness Month by virtue of Proclamation No. 368.
Inspite of being a curable disease, according to the Department of Health (DOH) Cervical Cancer is the second leading type of cancer among women, with an estimated 7,277 morbidity cases and 3,807 deaths every year. Cervix is part of the female reproductive system located at the lower part of the womb. When there is a presence of uncontrolled growth of irregular cells in the lining of the cervix, this may lead to cervical cancer. This disease is caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV), a virus transmitted through sexual activities. Common symptoms of a cervical cancer patient are irregular, between periods vaginal bleeding; back, leg or pelvic pain; fatigue, weight loss, unpleasant vaginal discharge, loss of appetite and a single swollen leg. More severe symptoms may arise during advanced stages of this disease.
Read more: How women can reduce their risk of developing Cervical Cancer
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With the various disease outbreak happening now in the country, immunization remains the most effective protection of the body against diseases especially for children. To continue the advocacy of promoting the use of vaccines for the body’s immunity, the 4th week of April is observed as the World Immunization Week with the theme “#VaccinesWorkForAll” by the World Health Organization (WHO). The campaign aims to create awareness on how vaccines, the people who develop, deliver and receive vaccines are considered heroes by their continued efforts in working to protect the health of the people all over the globe.
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Hypertension is a serious medical condition that has contributed to the high mortality rate worldwide. This disease leads to heart attack, stroke, cardiovascularcomplication and sometimes would lead to death. In order to prevent and control this health condition, the month of May is declared as Hypertension Awareness Month that aims to increase the awareness of the people on the prevention and control of hypertension and to encourage the public to counter this through avoiding its risk factors.
Hypertension or high blood pressure (HBP) takes place when the person’s blood exerts high force against the wall of the blood vessels. Blood pressure is regulated by the amount of blood your heart pumps and the amount of resistance to blood flow in the arteries. The more blood your heart pumps and the narrower the arteries, the higher the blood pressure. According to the Philippine Heart Association, the ideal or normal blood pressure for people with lower risk of heart diseases fall under 120 over 80. There are common hereditary and physical risk factors for HBP that are hard to prevent. These factors include the age, family history, race, gender and existing health conditions such as Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD). While these factors are harder to avoid, there are also modifiable risk factors that you can change to help you manage HBP. Below are the list of modifiable risk factors and how you can prevent them:
