Growing Up Kidz

27/01/2026

𝑨 𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝑵𝒐 𝑷𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝑬𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝑾𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝑯𝒂𝒗𝒆

𝗠𝗼𝗺 (voice trembling, eyes tired):
“Dr… can I ask you something?”

𝗗𝗼𝗰 (looking up, immediately concerned):
“Of course. What happened? You look exhausted and worried.”

𝗠𝗼𝗺 (tears welling up):
“Alexis is in the ICU now…”
(She breaks down crying.)

𝗗𝗼𝗰 (shocked):
“Huh?! I just saw her three days ago. She was still active, smiling… just a bit of runny nose and cough. Since when did she get worse?”

𝗠𝗼𝗺 (trying to compose herself):
“Yesterday, doctor…
We were watching her closely, like you taught us.
The night before, she started coughing non-stop. Hardly slept.
Then towards dawn, we noticed her chest pulling in when she was breathing… the chest wall indrawing you showed us.”

𝗗𝗼𝗰 (nods gently):
“You did the right thing noticing that.”

𝗠𝗼𝗺:
“We rushed her to the emergency department.
They brought her straight to the red zone.
Later the doctor told us she was struggling to breathe and needed to be transferred to ICU for close monitoring…”

(She pauses, voice cracks.)

“And this afternoon… the ICU specialist told us Alexis now needs a machine to help her breathe… mechanical ventilation.”

(Silence. The weight of the words hangs in the room.)

𝗗𝗼𝗰 (softly):
“I’m so sorry you’re going through this.
RSV can sometimes turn severe very suddenly in young babies, even when it starts like a simple cold.
You did everything right — you noticed the warning signs early and sought help immediately.

🔴𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗔𝗹𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘀? – 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗥𝗦𝗩

RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) is a very common virus.
Most children get it before age 2.

For many babies, it causes mild cold-like symptoms.
But in young infants, especially those under 6 months, RSV can suddenly progress to:
• Severe bronchiolitis
• Pneumonia
• Breathing failure requiring ICU care and ventilation

This rapid deterioration is what makes RSV especially dangerous — it can look mild at first.

🔴𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗖𝗮𝗻 𝗥𝗦𝗩 𝗕𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱?

🤰 1. 𝑴𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝑹𝑺𝑽 𝑽𝒂𝒄𝒄𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 ( Abrysvo )
• Given during pregnancy
• Allows protective antibodies to pass from mother to baby
• Helps protect newborns in the first months of life

👶 2. 𝑰𝒏𝒇𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝑹𝑺𝑽 𝑴𝒐𝒏𝒐𝒄𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝑨𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒃𝒐𝒅𝒚 (Nirservimab)
• A long-acting antibody, not a traditional vaccine
• Given as a single injection
• Provides immediate protection throughout the RSV season
• Shown to significantly reduce:
• Severe RSV disease
• Hospitalisation
• ICU admission

🔴𝗔 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀

RSV is common — but severe RSV is unpredictable.
Prevention can mean the difference between:

🛏️ Home recovery
vs
🏥 ICU admission

If protection is available, it’s a conversation worth having early — before RSV makes that decision for you.

21/01/2026

“𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲?” — 𝟐 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐤 𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐄𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐌𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐚

It was a hot Monday afternoon outside my consultation room when mother of Lucas (Mdm Kristy) and Muhammad (Mdm Aisyah), both parents of 5-year-olds, sat on the cozy cushion in the waiting area scrolling through their phones. Their faces were animated with concern and curiosity.

“Did you see this?” Kristy tapped her screen.
“Kids can start Year One at 6 from 2027?!” she asked, voice laced with disbelief.

“Yes,” Aisyah replied. “But it’s optional… you can still send them at 7 if you think they’re not ready.”

“But how do we know if our kids are ready?” Kristy tilted her head, eyes worried.

It was a question many Malaysian parents were asking — especially those who had already sent their children to preschool or kindergarten hoping to prepare them well for primary school readiness.

𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑺𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒐𝒍 𝑹𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝑹𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝑴𝒆𝒂𝒏𝒔? Kristy looked thoughtful. “It’s not just about age though, right?”

Exactly. Experts define school readiness not by birthdays but by a child’s development in four main areas:

𝟭. 𝗣𝗵𝘆𝘀𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀
✅Can the child handle the school environment?
✅Motor skills (e.g., holding a pencil, moving safely)
✅Stamina for a structured day
✅Basic self-care (toileting, eating independently)
If a child can manage these, they are better equipped physically to cope with school routines.

𝟮. 𝗖𝗼𝗴𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀
This is about thinking and learning:
✅Understanding instructions
✅Basic early literacy and numeracy
✅Memory and attention span
✅Willingness to explore and solve problems
Children who’ve attended preschool or kindergarten often have an advantage here — though readiness varies widely from child to child.

𝟯. 𝗘𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀
Here’s where many parents worry:
✅Can the child separate from caregivers without distress?
✅Can they manage frustration?
✅Are they curious and confident enough to try new tasks?
✅If a child still clings to parents or becomes easily overwhelmed, forcing early entry may backfire.

𝟰. 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀
✅School means others.
✅Children need to be able to:
✅Play and cooperate with peers
✅Take turns
✅Follow simple group rules
✅Communicate needs and feelings
These skills often develop naturally in play-based preschool environments.

Conversation continues....

“You know,” Aisyah said, “some kids go to kindergarten and can already read or count, others are just starting.”

Kristy nodded, recalling their friend’s child already reading short books at five while her own daughter still struggled with simple tasks.

“I guess it’s good they aren’t forcing it,” she said. “But we need better ways to know if our kid is ready.”

Here is the 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁 for your reference.

31/12/2025

No matter what, taking care of our patients also means taking good care of our staff. After all, happy staff make for better care! 😊 So we’ve decided to let our team enjoy a well-deserved day off TOMORROW (1/1/2926) to recharge, rest, and come back with even more energy.

Don’t worry—we’ll be back refreshed and ready to continue giving our patients the best care possible, because a little break goes a long way for everyone.

Happy New Year 2026 to all our patients and parents! 🎉 We truly hope 2026 will be a better, healthier, and happier year for every family.

May all be well and happy.

29/12/2025

Tomorrow, 30th December 2025, our clinic will be closing early at 1:00 PM to allow for some minor renovation works (don’t worry—nothing dramatic, just a little makeover).

😊 We also know that finding a paediatrician on New Year’s Eve can feel like a treasure hunt, with many clinics closing early.
That’s why we’ve planned ahead—because we care about you and your child.

❤️ Rest assured, on 31st December, we’ll be open full day until 8:00 PM as usual, so parents won’t be left feeling helpless while everyone else counts down to the new year. Your child’s health always comes first—even during festive season! 🎉

23/12/2025

🎄 𝑪𝒉𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒎𝒂𝒔 𝑪𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝑵𝒐𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒆 (𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒂 𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒉 𝒐𝒇 𝒋𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒐𝒖𝒔𝒚 😆) 🎄

In conjunction with the Christmas celebration, our clinic will be closed for 2 days on 24th & 25th December ( Wed & Thurs) 🎅✨
We’ll be back bright and early on 26th December ( Friday ), ready to work hard all the way till year end 💪👶

While many families are busy packing bags, boarding planes, and enjoying overseas holidays (yes… we’re a little jealous 😜✈️), our team is more than happy to stay put and continue serving our community with full heart and energy ❤️

Because caring for your little ones is still our favourite “holiday plan”.

Wishing everyone a warm, joyful, and laughter-filled Christmas! 🎁🎄

18/12/2025

Our clinic team is already in the festive mood, ready to serve you with warmth, smiles, and a joyful Christmas spirit 🎄✨

From cheerful decorations to happy faces, we’re spreading holiday cheer while continuing to care for your little ones with the same dedication and love.

Come feel the Christmas joy with us—because good health is the best gift of all. 🎅🎁

14/12/2025

𝑾𝒆 𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 🤍

Behind every smile and balloon is a dedicated team committed to caring for your children and supporting your family.

From creating joyful moments to providing thoughtful, evidence-based care, we are here to walk alongside you in every step of your child’s growing journey.

Thank you for trusting Growing UP Kids Clinic—your children’s smiles are the reason we do what we do. 🎈👶✨

14/12/2025

𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒌 𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝑪𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒃𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑪𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒏’𝒔 𝑫𝒂𝒚 𝑾𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑼𝒔
💛

A heartfelt thank you to all the families who joined us for our Children’s Day celebration. It truly meant so much to see the clinic filled with laughter, smiles, and happy little faces. The kids were absolutely delighted with the creative balloon creations by our talented balloon artist 🎈…… and we loved seeing even the adults joining in the fun, playing along and capturing joyful moments with photos.

The cupcakes were a big hit too 🧁! We were happy to share this experience with parents, especially showing that for picky eaters who usually prefer drinking milk, nutrition can also come in fun and tasty forms. Cupcakes specially made using high-calorie milk proved that eating well can be enjoyable for children.

Thank you once again for being part of this meaningful celebration and for trusting us to be part of your child’s growing journey.

11/12/2025

Come & Join us

11/12/2025

11/12/2025

𝑪𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒃𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑾𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅 𝑪𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒏’𝒔 𝑫𝒂𝒚 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒖𝒔

✨ Come and join us!! ✨

We’ll be celebrating World Children’s Day with fun and smiles at 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐔𝐏 𝐊𝐢𝐝𝐬 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐜, featuring 𝒃𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒘𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 in the morning for our little ones to enjoy 🎈, along with 𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒊𝒂𝒍 𝒄𝒖𝒑𝒄𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒔 made with ASCENDA from Wyeth.

It’s not only a joyful day for the children but it is also dedicated to helping parents discover creative ways to support picky eaters and make nutrition both fun and delicious.

We can’t wait to see you here in our clinic TODAY!