Dr. Carla Marie Asis - Pediatric Rheumatologist

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Dr. Carla Marie Asis - Pediatric Rheumatologist

Well-child & adolescent preventive care, common childhood illnesses, arthritis & autoimmune diseases

I am a board certified pediatrician and pediatric rheumatologist. I specialize in well-child and adolescent preventive care, general childhood illnesses, childhood arthritis, and autoimmune and autoinflammatory diseases.

10/09/2025

Bringing Filipino voice to global work. Honored to contribute in shaping evidence-based care for children with idiopathic arthritis across Asia. 🙏🏼

24/08/2025

New Clinic Details as of August 25, 2025
Note new contact number for Asian Hospital and Medical Center 👩🏻‍⚕️ You may contact +639159128703 in case any of the other numbers cannot be reached.

13/01/2025

Updated clinic schedule 🤓

24/02/2024

𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐬/𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭/𝐬?

Early childhood (birth to 8 years) is definitely not the best time. Children of this age are simply not socially and emotionally ready to handle social media yet. Beyond this age group, though, is a gray area where you should consider your child’s sensitivity to criticism, ability to read social cues (such as understanding tones like sarcasm, reading between the lines, and knowledge on social discrimination), and impulse control (see my previous post for a better understanding). Based on these, you’d understand that readiness for social media after early childhood goes beyond just age. A young teenager can be more responsible about what she posts than a woman in her 50’s! And if we want our kids to be a responsible citizen of the world of social media, we can’t just let them figure it out on their own. We have to be there for them.

Leaving some tips here on how you can prepare your children for their own social media account/s and how you can guide them through it ☺️🫶🏼

23/02/2024

𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐰𝐞 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐩𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬? 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞?

The basic purpose of phones remain - to connect people. And in the case of you and your child, to stay connected as her world gets bigger. There comes a time when a phone totally makes sense! Let me help you in your endeavor to be more discerning before handing your child his own phone. Here are some good questions to consider:

📱 How well does your child take care of their personal belongings, especially expensive things?
A phone is not only expensive in terms of price, but in terms of what it may contain as well (private information, foremost). Your child needs to learn “responsibility” for important items.

📱How well does your child handle money?
Apps, games, scams - giving your child a phone exposes her to “spending” opportunities, and so it is important that she knows the value of money.

📱How sensitive is your child to criticism?
Giving your child a phone opens her to the world of social media where a lot of people feel that they are entitled to share their opinions (no holds barred), and where your child is at risk to be a casualty. Your child needs to know how to handle negative comments.

📱Does your child usually say or do things that they will regret?
As much as other people can share whatever they want, your child can feel like doing the same. Personal data, private matters like family issues, emotional outbursts - these are just some of the things that we hope our children will not post about.

📱How well does your child respond to screen time limits?
Full-grown adults can find themselves struggling keeping their screen time at a healthy level, how much more kids who cry over dessert limits AND who need more time being physically active (at least an hour daily, compared to 30 mins daily for adults).

If you think your child isn’t ready yet in these aspects, consider holding off on the phone first. In the meantime, check my stories for tips on how you can prepare your child for her first phone and avoid some hazards that they don’t mention on the box or manual 😉

14/02/2024

Did you know that the basic foundation and the critical aspects of a person’s brain architecture are established WELL BEFORE a child enters school?

𝐃𝐎𝐍’𝐓 𝐏𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐂. 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐬 𝐚𝐜𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐜𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥.

Science tells us that the healthy development of a child’s brain depends on the quality and reliability of his/her RELATIONSHIPS with the important people in his/her life. During early childhood, NURTURING AND STABLE RELATIONSHIPS with caring adults take precedence over academic work.

“Young children experience their world as an environment of relationships, and these relationships affect 𝘷𝘪𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘥𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘱𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 – intellectual, social, emotional, physical, behavioral, and moral. The quality and stability of a child’s human relationships in the early years lay the foundation for a wide range of later 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 – self-confidence and sound mental health, motivation to learn, achievement in school and later in life, the ability to control aggressive impulses and resolve conflicts in non-violent ways, knowing the difference between right and wrong, having the capacity to develop and sustain casual friendships and intimate relationships, and ultimately to be a successful parent oneself.”

𝐍𝐨𝐰 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰…

It’s NOT the most popular toddler milk
NOT the most expensive vitamins
NOT the highest rated educational toy
NOT the most recommended YouTube channel for babies and toddlers
NOT even a combination of these!

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝’𝐬 𝐨𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐥 𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐡𝐢𝐬/𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐲 𝐚 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐘❤️𝐔.

…
REFERENCE: Center on the Developing Child, Harvard University

12/02/2024

Out of 4 sick kids that came to my clinic today, 3 of them came for vomiting and/or diarrhea that were so bad, they consulted within 12 hours from the start of the said symptoms.

𝐈𝐬 𝐚 𝐛𝐮𝐠 𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐤𝐢𝐝𝐬’ 𝐆𝐈 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝?

If your child catches a stomach bug in the next couple of days (hopefully NOT!), leaving some tips here on what you could do at home. If you notice the following in your child, please have them seen by your pedia ASAP:

⚠️Vomiting forcefully in a baby 3 months or younger
⚠️Vomiting for more than 24 hours
⚠️Vomit that looks green or has blood (red, brown, or black)
⚠️Fever
⚠️Severe tummy ache, even if it comes and goes
⚠️Bloody p**p, whether red or black and smells fishy
⚠️Low energy and doesn’t respond to you
⚠️Your child won’t eat or drink anything
⚠️Your child is not acting like himself/herself

Also watch for signs of dehydration
🌵Dry mouth
🌵No tears when crying
🌵Not peeing in 4 to 6 hours for babies and young children, and 6 to 8 hours for older children

Keep your child from catching a stomach bug or passing it on through frequent and PROPER handwashing. If your child is sick, keep him/her out of school until they have recovered.

Do you have questions about vomiting, diarrhea, or tummy aches in a child? Leave them on the comments 👩🏻‍⚕️

09/02/2024

𝐃𝐢𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐧𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐨𝐧 (𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐲 𝐮𝐧𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐝) 𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞? 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞’𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐲.

Just as the human body produces melatonin (the sleep hormone) that signals sleepiness, it also produces ghrelin (the hunger hormone) that signals hunger. Ghrelin serves many other roles in the body and there are other signals that trigger hunger (like simply seeing food!), but for now, let’s focus on how ghrelin makes a child hungry and how we can influence its release and thereby trigger appetite for a healthy meal.

Ghrelin is released in the body when the stomach is empty. It enters the bloodstream & travels to the brain to make a person feel hungry. After eating, ghrelin levels go down as food reaches the intestine (which is probably the reason why it takes about 15-20 minutes before a child is expected to feel full; it takes about this amount of time for the food to reach the intestine from the stomach). The level by which ghrelin decreases also appears to be nutrient-specific, with carbohydrates bringing its levels down more than proteins and fats. Given this basic knowledge, it makes sense how frequent snacking (thereby a stomach that is probably never empty), and having sweetened drinks or dessert before a meal makes a child lose appetite for full meals.

In addition to the empty stomach as a trigger for ghrelin production, a study published in 2006 (PMID 16179409) has shown that a fixed feeding schedule can stimulate ghrelin release such that ghrelin levels increase “on schedule” just prior to each meal among rats. This supports how scheduling meals can improve appetite instead of having meals at random hours.

I hope this post convinces you that there are smarter ways to help your child achieve a healthy weight than an expensive but unproven appetite stimulant. Establishing a healthy eating/snacking schedule for your child is absolutely FREE OF CHARGE.

For more professional science-based tips, feel FREE to FOLLOW 😉

08/02/2024

𝐈𝐟 𝐦𝐲 𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐝𝐥𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭, 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐞/𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦?

The short answer is 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙗𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙮 𝙣𝙤𝙩. The 2 most common causes of shortness among toddlers are actually variants of “normal shortness”. These are:

1️⃣ Familial short stature - This is the more genetic one where 1 or both parents are short. These children have a normal growth velocity but still end up short as adults.

2️⃣ Delayed growth - This is where both parents are average in height but where parents had late-onset puberty. Although children under this category have slow growth during the first few years until puberty, they eventually catch-up and end with a normal adult height.

If your toddler falls into either of these two categories, you don’t have to worry! But if your child is growing slower than the following rates, it would be best to consult with your trusted pediatrician:

📈 Age 2 to 4 years old - height velocity of less than 5.5cm/year
📈 Age 4 to 6 years old - height velocity of less than 5cm/year
📈 Age 6 to puberty - height velocity of less than 4cm/year for boys and less than 4.5cm/year for girls

The farther down these cutoff points, the more likely a child has a medical problem causing the shortness, like malnutrition, medical conditions that affect major organs in the body, growth hormone deficiency, or abnormal genes.

⚠️ Remember that these are general guidelines that apply to most but not to all kids. The best way to know whether your child is growing normally or not is to visit your trusted pediatrician.

Do you have any questions about Child Growth? Leave them on the comments ☺️

07/02/2024

𝐃𝐢𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝’𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐚 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐰𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐚 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐭 𝐚 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞?

This means that your child’s growth pattern (weight taken in serial measurements) in the past year is more important than his single weight measurement right now, wherever that falls on the growth chart.

Here are some general guidelines on how a normally growing child gains weight from birth to teenage years. Remember that these are general guidelines that apply to most but not to all kids. The best way to know whether your child is growing normally or not is to visit your trusted pediatrician.

When should you worry about your child’s weight and see a doctor? Do breastfed babies gain weight faster? Does being on the heavy side reflect a normal growth pattern for kids? Answers to these and more on my stories!

I will be posting about Child Growth and Development this week! Do you have any questions about Child Growth? Let me know on the comments below ⬇️

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