A ‘hapee’ brushing experience for kids

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Seeing your kids flash their bright smiles can be the most priceless sight in the world – a precious “picture perfect” moment that any parent would love to capture and relive. When both corners of their mouths start to turn up, those infectious curves on their faces make you smile, too, especially when you are confident that their teeth are strong and healthy.

Say bye-bye to tooth decay the fun way with Hapee Kiddie Toothpaste 

Convincing your kids to brush their teeth is not as easy as it appears to be. In fact, for some mothers, it is a daily morning struggle that can be very tedious as a chore.

“Even if I ask my four-year-old in a nice way or pretend to get angry at her, it just doesn’t work,” shares Emily Bunagan of Pasig, who admitted that she already tried all strategies she knows just to persuade her daughter to brush her teeth, but still to no avail.

It is the duty of parents to instil to their kids the habit and importance of brushing one’s teeth at an early age. But mothers, did you know that you don’t have to do it alone? More often than not, the success of convincing children to brush their teeth relies on a very crucial first decision – the choice of toothpaste.

With Hapee Kiddie Toothpaste, brushing is now more than just a required hygienic practice. Hapee Kiddie Toothpaste takes brushing into a whole new (and not to mention exciting) level – a total fun and play experience for kids! Mothers don’t have to stress over morning battles with their kids, as the kids themselves will now be looking forward to brushing time as fun time.

Given the right kind of toothpaste, all you need to do is to complement it with the right dose of creativity and patience in order to make your kids appreciate that proper oral care can be very enjoyable, too. With Hapee Kiddie Toothpaste’s seven unique flavors, children will never see brushing in the same boring way again!

Keep in mind that your child’s set of teeth is very different from that of an adult’s. A set of baby teeth is more fragile and sensitive, thus requiring more delicate care. As soon as your child begins teething, it is important also to start brushing his or her teeth to prevent cavities caused by acid attacks, which may arise from drinking milk and eating sweet food, among others. Hapee Kiddie Toothpaste contains just the right amount of fluoride for children.

With these things said, here are more tips for your kids’ “hapee” brushing experience:

· GIVE HIM A CHOICE. Allow him or her to choose his or her own toothbrush, and toothpaste flavor. A colourful toothbrush, an attractive packaging and a fruity flavor for toothpaste like Hapee Kiddie Toothpaste will add excitement to every brushing time. 

· SING ALONG. Did you know that it takes at least two (2) minutes to get your child’s teeth clean enough? Don’t forget that while brushing up and down, left and right, start humming a simple children’s music or nursery rhyme for 2 minutes to make sure that your child is brushing his or her teeth properly long enough.

· TAKE IT SLOW. As expected, your child won’t be as good as you when it comes to brushing. Don’t stress over when he misses some spot. The more important thing at this stage is to make brushing a fun habit with Hapee Kiddie Toothpaste and its cute cartoon characters. With practice, he’ll improve sooner.

· BE ENCOURAGING. Praise your kid whenever he brushes his teeth well. Say words of encouragement like “Hapee Brushing” or “Cavity monsters are gone!” You can also entice him with the yummy flavors of Hapee Kiddie Toothpaste.

· ACCOMPANY YOUR CHILD. To show your kid that brushing is indeed necessary, be a good role model and join him while brushing. 

· FIND AN ALLY. Of course, Hapee Kiddie Toothpaste is the perfect ally but you must visit the dentist regularly. Ask your dentist to acknowledge your kid’s brushing habit. 

By the time that your kids have fully absorbed brushing as part of their daily routine, gradually train them to brush their teeth alone. But you still have to keep track of their brushing habits once in a while. You can make it even more fun by rewarding them everytime they accomplished their day-to-day brushing regimen.

Life is so much easier with the right toothpaste! With Hapee Kiddie Toothpaste, all it takes is the right pinch of patience and creativity so your kids won’t see brushing again as a dull after-meal ritual. With the right brushing tools like Hapee Kiddie Toothpaste, your children will say hello to a “Hapee-ier” smile and say goodbye to cavities. The next thing you know, they’ll even remind you to brush your teeth on time!

Who says brushing can’t be fun? He must not have tried Happie Kiddie Toothpaste yet!

For more fun and exciting dental tips, visit www.facebook.com/HapeeKiddie.

Vitamin D deficiency due to limited sun exposure is linked to chronic diseases

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With widespread health warnings about the dangers of too much sun exposure, opting to stay indoors to avoid harsh ultraviolet rays might sound like a good idea. But what most people don’t know is that avoiding sun exposure can lead to Vitamin D deficiency and increase their risk of developing chronic illnesses such as cardiovascular diseases and certain types of cancer.

For the longest time, Vitamin D was associated directly with bone health, but recently, it has received a lot of attention from the medical community and the media regarding its overall health impact. Studies show that people with chronic disease have low levels of Vitamin D.

Unilab introduces new Vitamin D supplement: More than half of Filipinos are shown to suffer from vitamin D deficiency, cases of which have been steadily on the rise in the country. In efforts to promote awareness of vitamin D deficiency among Filipinos and provide a solution to the silent epidemic, UNILAB takes the lead by launching a new vitamin D supplement, Forti-D. Present at the launch were (from L to R) Dr. Rudy Pagcatipunan, Unilab Consumer (ULCH) Health Medical Director; Katherine B. Martinez, ULCH Category Head; Dr. Marilou Renales, Philippine College of Occupational Medicine Board Director; Dr. Alejandro Diaz, Diplomate and Fellow of the Philippine Neurological Association; and Mr. Alexander S. Panlilio, ULCH Division Head

And considering the Philippines is a tropical country, most would likely believe they’re getting enough Vitamin D due to the mainly sunny weather. Surprisingly and alarmingly, it was revealed that Vitamin D deficiency is becoming prevalent among Filipinos, with 7 out of 10 working adults identified to be suffering from such deficiency. This is based on an ongoing study commissioned by Unilab in partnership with Hi-Precision Diagnostics among 5,000 working adults, 18 yo and above, who live in Metro Manila and other urban areas in the Philippines.

Various researches traced the high prevalence of Vitamin D deficiency to increasingly indoor lifestyles, with most cooped up in the confines of their offices during daylight. Other factors identified were practices such as using an umbrella and slathering on sunscreen at midday, which is actually the best time of the day to get the ideal amount of Vitamin D. These are the common practices that people inadvertently do that lead to a deficiency of the Sun vitamin. Nonetheless, factors such as skin color, age, clothing choices, cloud cover, and pollution also come into play in Vitamin D production in the skin.

It remains, that most of the Vitamin D production in the body relies heavily on the skin’s exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet rays, since including a Vitamin D rich food into one’s diet could only do so much as only 10 to 15% of the required daily Vitamin D dosage can be obtained from it.

It is highly advised for everyone to meet the required daily dose of Vitamin D to ensure strong and healthy bones and proper functioning of the body’s organs, to help reduce the risk of developing chronic diseases.

Yellow Cab’s Challenge Camsur and Challenge Philippines Announce USD $299 Bundle Price

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Athletes and triathletes all over the world have the chance to experience races of a lifetime.

The Challenge Philippines Family of races has announced more hot news with their Early Bird Two-Challenge Bundle Price.

For USD $299, athletes get to experience two world-class triathlons for the right price. From a TOUGH old school course, Challenge Philippines in Subic Bay and Bataan, that will put every triathlete’s grit to the test, to a brand new FAST course, Challenge Camsur, that encourages participants to compete with themselves to set their new personal bests, 2015 is going to be an exciting year of new Challenges.

Registration for Yellow Cab’s Challenge Camsur. The Early Bird Two-Challenge Bundle Price lasts until October 14, 2014 only.

Be part of the Challenge Family and book now!

http://challengephilippines.com.ph/

PH the first country to introduce IPV in routine immunization; Every newborn in the Philippines will now receive the Inactivated Polio Vaccine

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In celebration of World Polio Day, the Department of Health launch the inactivated injectable polio vaccine (IPV) to keep the Philippines polio-free, during the event yesterday (October 6, 2014) held at the Paranaque City Hall, San Antonio Valley1, Paranaque City.

Deaprtment of Health Secretary Enrique Ona

“The introduction of inactivated polio vaccines will allow us to improve the protection of Filipino children against polio and maintain our polio-free status in the country,” Health Secretary Enrique T. Ona declared.

Here's another decisive step towards global polio eradication by 2018 – The Department of Health welcomed the official celebration of the introduction of the inactivated injectable polio vaccine (IPV) in the Philippines immunization schedule.

The Philippines is the first developing country in Eastern Asia to introduce IPV in routine immunization, following the universal recommendation issued by WHO earlier in 2014. It is also the biggest developing country in the world to introduce IPV and is expected to be watched closely by many countries which have already announced their intention to introduce IPV.

Yesterday, October 6, 2014, several children were vaccinated with Inactivated Injectable Polio vaccine (IPV), Imovax® Polio, at a celebration of the introduction held at the Paranaque City Hall, chaired by Janette Garin, Under Secretary of Health.

The introduction of IPV is a part of the DOH expanded program on immunization for children.

They are the first of more than two million Filipino children who will now be vaccinated every year, 14 weeks after birth. One injection of IPV will be given to every child along with one injection of a pediatric pentavalent combination preventing diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, Haemophilus influenzae type b and hepatitis B, and one dose of oral polio vaccine (OPV).

The universal introduction of IPV, a vaccine that has been used in the majority of the developed world for years, is a necessary step toward achieving a polio-free world by 2018.

Filipinos are part of trade, commerce, innovation and the labor market around the world so the country plays an extremely important part in global efforts to end polio forever. 

The Philippines has an emotional attachment to zero polio that stretches back to the start of mass polio epidemics in the world in the late nineteenth century: the first prime minister of the Philippines and a hero of the country’s anti-colonial struggles, Apolinario Mabini was a polio survivor who lived with lifelong disabilities caused by the disease.

The last polio case in the country was recorded in 1993. With the sustained effort of the Department of Health on the polio eradication initiative, in October 2000 the Western Pacific Region of the World Health Organization and all its member countries have been certified polio-free. For a region to be certified as polio-free, there should be no reported cases of indigenous polio 3 years preceding the certification.

Dr Janette Garin, Under Secretary of Health

The Philippines decided to buy IPV with its own national health budget, according to Dr Garin. “As a medical doctor, I am delighted that we are among the first developing countries to invest in the polio vaccine that children already get in Europe and North America. Our children deserve to be protected fully against the disease that killed and crippled so many Filipinos even during the time I was growing up”, she said.

“I am also proud that Filipinos have inspired and led many of the global civil society efforts against childhood diseases including polio. Imagining and calling for a better world is part of our national genius. Polio eradication can be our generation’s legacy to all future generations” she added.

“The DOH recognizes immunization as a key element in reducing the burden of childhood mortality and morbidity and the inclusion of the IPV boosts our children’s health and immunization programs,” the health chief said.

Countries and partners move forward to the end of polio

The universal introduction of IPV is part of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) Endgame Strategic Plan. The Plan was endorsed by 194 countries in 2013 and offers a comprehensive roadmap that includes ending polio transmission, improving routine immunization rates and creating a lasting blueprint for addressing other significant global health challenges.

“Sanofi Pasteur has been a public health partner of Filipino health authorities for years," said Olivier Charmeil, President and CEO of Sanofi Pasteur. 

"It is our mission to build a nation where no one suffers or dies from a vaccine preventable disease. We are very proud to help the country remain polio-free. Today, the Philippines move is an inspiration to many countries that are likely to introduce IPV in the coming months. Today we are getting a little closer to the day when polio will be just a memory and its horrors will be consigned to history.”

This sentiment is echoed by Sanofi Pasteur Philippines Country Manager, Ching Santos, as she states, “Sanofi Pasteur Philippines is one with the Department of Health in ending polio. Our company has provided all doses of both OPV and IPV to support the Philippines program against polio. We are proud to contribute to the protection of the men, women and children of our country and will continue to provide quality and innovative products for disease prevention. Along with our partners in the immunization committee, we will carry this out with passion knowing that we make a difference in the lives of Filipinos.”

Why kids need regular eye checkups

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Ideal Vison commemorate World Sight Day, recommending people to take your kids to a visit to the eye doctor this October 9.

“As World Sight Day is on October 9, this is the perfect time to take yourself or your children for an eye exam. Children need regular visits because it helps them perform better in their day-to-day activities.” -- Dr. Joy Go, AVP for Ideal Vision

"Sitting too close to the TV will damage your vision"

Children are naturally curious about the world. And their eyesight plays a critical role in how they learn new things around them.

In fact, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), visual impairment among children is a major obstacle in the learning process in school.

“Healthy eyesight is something that shouldn’t be taken for granted,” says Dr. Joy Go, AVP for Ideal Vision. “Children that suffer from visual impairment are prevented from benefiting from their lessons in school.”

Ideal Vision Center is a pioneer in total quality vision care that services Filipinos from all age groups.

Early prevention

Dr. Joy Go stresses that it is important for parents to schedule their children for regular eye checkups to prevent them from acquiring eye problems.

“The greatest risk that children might acquire is blindness, which is caused by cataract, retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), and vitamin deficiency,” Dr. Go describes. “Sadly, because some children do not have access to proper eye care, around 1.4 million children live in darkness.”

Treatments for eye problems include proper eyeglasses, contact lenses, and refractive surgery. However, Dr. Go recommends the use of eyeglasses “which is the most preferable and most convenient for children.”

For its part, IVC helps provide the eye care needs of children and adults—whether they are seeking products for health or purely aesthetics.

“Of course maintaining the health of your vision doesn’t end with regular checkups,” says Dr. Go. “You also have to consider eating healthy food that helps nurture the eyes, and keep them from being overly exposed to radiation.”

“With this year’s celebration of World Sight Day, we hope Filipinos would become aware of the health needs of their eyes,” concludes Dr. Go.

Visit one of our centers to get your free eye exam, because early detection can save your vision.