Pediatric Services

The Well Baby Clinic is established as part of the bigger picture to center pediatric service in HKAH-TW around a “Medical Home” concept. The WBC will provide continuing support for couples who have their babies delivered in HKAH-TW so as to broaden a young family’s capacity for better functioning. By providing basic and optional vaccines to infants in regular intervals and make use of each visit as chance to provide preventive health services such as growth monitoring, developmental surveillance, dietary advice and positive parenting skills.

When a child is suspected to have a growth or developmental problem, the long waiting time to be evaluated by pediatric specialist or subspecialist can be most stressing for young parents.

Scope of Service

• Starting with new families giving birth in the Maternity Unit in HKAH-TW, the Well Baby Clinic service provides a comprehensive range of health promotion and disease prevention services for children from birth to 2-years-old.
• The core components of this program are parenting, immunization, growth monitoring as well as preventive health and developmental surveillance.
• This service is delivered by a dedicated team of medical & nursing professionals and supporting staff.
• This service is aimed at promoting good parenting skills, providing preventive and holistic health and for the well-being of our next generation, so as to achieving the mission of HKAH-TW to cultivate a healthy community.

Infant receives nutrients either by breast feeding or bottle feeding with infant formula or both. We will help and support mothers with their preferred mode of feeding.

Breastfeeding is more than supported. The practice is actively promoted by the Hong Kong Adventist Hospital - Tsuen Wan , in accordance with current-best medical practice.

While mothers are encouraged to breast feed their infants, both breast and formula feeding are taught and supervised throughout the infant's stay.

Anticipatory guidance and general care of the infant are given to parent lectures before the birth. Maternity and Neonatal Ward staff are always readily at hand to assist.  

Breast Feeding (BF) Facility

The BF Room is equipped with comfortable arm-chairs, nursing pillows and foot rests for breast feeding mothers.

A variety of breast pumps (electric and manual) are available to stimulate milk supply. Other breast feeding products and accessories such as nipple shield, cup feeder, syringe feeder and Haberman feeder are available for mothers and babies with nursing difficulties.

Breast Feeding Counseling Clinic operates every Friday except public holidays. The aim is to support nursing mothers and to provide information and solution to breast feeding problems. The clinic is conducted by an International Board of Certified Lactation Consultants.

Breast Feeding

Human milk is the best source of nutrient for the infant. It is more than a simple collection of nutrients. It not only constitutes living substances of great biological complexity but it also provides a unique protection against diseases and stimulates the baby's own immune system. Therefore our hospital has established an on-going program to promote, support and protect breast feeding mothers.

Promote breast feeding during antenatal period

• Expectant mothers and families are informed of the benefits and management of breast feeding thus dispelling breast feeding myths.

Support breast feeding during hospitalization

• Staff will help mothers to initiate breast feeding soon after delivery.
• Staff will show mothers how to breast feed and to maintain lactation even if they are separated from their infants.

Protect breast feeding after being discharged from the hospital

• The Breast Feeding Counseling Clinic will follow up and support nursing mothers. This is to provide accurate information and provide solutions for breast feeding problems.

• An infant's speech development is closely related to hearing ability. Early detection of hearing impairment provides the benefits of accurate diagnosis and early treatment. This can be mostly corrected with an appropriate hearing aid.
• Numerous problems may cause hearing impairment. Deafness may be classified as either congenital or acquired.
• The consequences of hearing impairment depend on the stage of speech and language development.
• 'Pre-speech hearing loss' occurs before speech and language is developed, and the causes may be congenital or acquired.
• 'Post-speech hearing loss' is the loss of hearing suffered after speech and language development.
• OAE measures an acoustic response produced by the inner ear, and diagnoses the site and extent of any deafness present.
• OAE is a non-invasive test, and can be used for a patient of any age, including newborn infants.
• It is important that the baby is quiet or sleeping during the OAE test.
• The Hearing Screening Test for Infants (OAE) is now available in our department, for inquiries or bookings for OAE, please contact our department at (852) 2276 7788.

HKAH–TW also takes care of the dietetic needs of the newborn to the growing baby. Some illness may not be related to lack of nutrition but may be due to modern urban living and over-nutrition. Our team will advise and help you manage your child's needs.

Common problems that occur in small children in Hong Kong are as follows:

• Anaemia
• Constipation
• Eating Disorders
• Obesity and High Cholesterol
• Picky Eating Habits and Inappropriate Snacks

We can give you expert advise necessary for your child, for more information call us at (852) 2276 7338.

Anaemia

Anaemia is common in children and reflects low levels of iron in the blood. Low levels of iron may be due to chronic blood loss from causes such as, recurrent nosebleeds, bleeding from the intestinal tract, or a heavy menstrual flow in adolescent girls.

Low levels of iron may also result from insufficient iron in the child's daily food intake. The chief sources of dietary iron include, leafy green vegetables, wholegrain products, eggs, and red meat.

Constipation

Constipation can be a problem for all age groups, infants, children, and adults. Once the food residues are retained in the bowel for a longer period than normal, the continued absorption of fluid causes the stool to become firmer and more difficult to evacuate. A healthy diet with significant fiber and adequate fluid intake is essential for normal bowel activity.

Although it is ideal to obtain adequate fiber from the diet, it may be necessary to prescribe medication containing soluble fiber.

Eating Disorders

Eating disorders are often due to underlying emotional or psychological problems.

In and effort to relieve stress or discomfort, many of these patients indulge in either overeating, or refusal to eat.

Eating disorders in childhood may continue into adulthood. Therefore it is essential that treatment includes both psychological counseling, as well as dietary measures. It is important for these patients to obtain good nutrition in order to maintain their general health, and it is also vital that they receive help to build their self-esteem, and to improve their problem solving skills.

Obesity and High Cholesterol

An increasing number of children suffer from obesity and obesity-related health problems. The Department of Health has reported an increase of 11.8% in childhood obesity, boys more often effected than girls.

The Chinese University research center reports that around 33% of obese children experience difficulty in breathing while sleeping, whereas only some 5% of children with normal weight have the same problem.

Childhood obesity leads to chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer. This is a matter of great public health concern.

Obesity also effects a child's confidence and self esteem.

Lack of exercise and a diet high in fats, salt, and sugar, leads to high cholesterol levels. Excess lipids are deposited in the walls of blood vessels, and the resultant narrowing eventually causes heart disease and stroke.

Proper weight management in obese children aims to produce a gradual loss of weight, while at the same time, ensuring an intake of all the nutrients necessary for healthy growth and development. Once the child's weight is within the normal range according to age, height, and body type ratio, it is essential that a weight maintenance program is followed.

Picky Eating Habits and Inappropriate Snacks

Children often choose a diet high in calories and fat, but such diets are deficient in fiber, potassium, calcium, antioxidants and vitamins. Such poor eating habits may lead to hypertension, high cholesterol, heart disease, and cancer in later years.

Healthy snacks are necessary if the pre-school child's nutritional needs are to be met. Sound eating habits ensure normal growth, maturation of motor skills, and development of intellectual independence.

Imagination, curiosity, and a desire to explore the environment, all peak during the pre-school years. Food likes and dislikes become prominent, and food acquires a greater social significance.

Early evidence of increasing independence in Pre-school children is seen in their determination to choose their own food.

It is important to provide sound guidelines early, not only to ensure adequate nutrition, but in order to establish proper eating habits that will last a lifetime.

HKAH–TW is involved in the rehabilitative needs of the newborn to the growing child. Our department has the necessary equipment to help treat children with common ailments.

Our rehabilitation services include:

Physiotherapy services for children who have the following conditions:

• Bone fracture

• Club foot

• Keloid scar control

• Neck and back pain

• Nerve injury

• Sport injury

• Torticollis (wry neck, sternomastoid tumour)

• Common lower limb problems in children

            - Knock knees

            - Flat feet

            - Bow-leggedness

            - Tip-toe

    

Prosthetics and orthotics services for children include:

• Artificial limbs

• Back support

• Foot health assessment

• Upper and lower limbs orthotics

    

Occupational therapy services for children include:

• Assessment of learning difficulties

• Pressure garment for keloid scar and swelling control

Both immunizations are available at Hong Kong Adventist Hospital – Tsuen Wan. For more information, please discuss with your doctor.