Health Check The Straits Times

Excessive screen time can lead to speech delays, autism-like symptoms in children.
Synopsis: Every first Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times helps you make sense of health matters that affect you.
My 18-month-old loves viewing videos on my phone; why is he not talking?
Screen time can help children develop social, creative, communication and other skills, but very young children, especially those below 18 months of age, are not ready for it. They should not be getting any screen time, unless it is for video chatting. 
Find out how excessive screen time can affect them, and how too much time spent on digital devices can lead to a myriad of issues in children above 18 months of age. For instance, children here are getting myopia from a younger age, from spending too much time indoors on near work and too little time outdoors in the daylight. 
In this episode, ST senior health correspondent Joyce Teo speaks with her two guest experts - Dr Yvonne Ling, an eye surgeon specialising in adult squints and paediatric ophthalmology, from the Singapore National Eye Centre and Dr Christelle Tan, a consultant at the Department of Child Development at KK Womens’ and Children’s Hospital (KKH) to find out more. Dr Ling also sees young patients with various eye issues, including myopia, at KKH.
Highlights (click/tap above):
2:06 Why is myopia something to watch out for? 
5:18 What is the best sport that children can do to stave off myopia?
8:17 Why is my 18-month-old baby not talking?
10:07 Case of 3-year-boy who spent hours on video games
11:50 Should I be worried about the autism-like symptoms in my child? 
26:16 What parents can do to protect their children from the effects of too much screen time? 
32:24 How to prepare for a myopia check? What parents can do to protect their children from the effects of too much screen time? 
Produced by: Joyce Teo (joyceteo@sph.com.sg) and Eden Soh
Edited by: Eden Soh
Follow Health Check Podcast here every month and rate us:
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Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg
Read Joyce Teo's stories: https://str.sg/JbxN
---
Discover more ST podcast channels:
All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7 
The Usual Place: https://str.sg/wEr7u
COE Watch: https://str.sg/iTtE
Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7
Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN
Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf
Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m
Hard Tackle: https://str.sg/JWRE
#PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad
Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX
---
ST Podcast website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
ST Podcasts YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa
---
Special edition series:
True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i44T
The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2
Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn
Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB
Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa
---
Get The Straits Times' app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:
The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB
Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX
#healthcheck
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Vape users inhale not just harmful chemicals, but toxic metals into their lungs.
Synopsis: Every first Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times helps you make sense of health matters that affect you.
E-cigarettes or vapes can contain less chemicals than cigarettes, but did you know that the former can expose users to toxic metals? 
Is vaping safer than smoking and just how harmful is vaping? Find out these and more in the latest Health Check episode with ST senior health correspondent Joyce Teo, as she dives into the topic with two experts from Tan Tock Seng Hospital.
They are Adj Asst/Prof Clive Tan, Public Health Specialist and Senior Consultant, Department of Preventive & Population Medicine and Adj Asso/Prof Puah Ser Hon, Head and Senior Consultant from the Department of Respiratory & Critical Care Medicine.
With vaping on the rise here, despite it being illegal, they also talk about the help available to a vape user who wants to quit the habit, and what can be done about the vaping problem here.
In Singapore, simply purchasing, using or owning an electronic vapouriser or vape, can attract fines of up to $2,000 per offence.
Yet, vaping is on the rise here. The purchase, use or possession of vapes jumped 58 per cent to about 7,900 cases in 2023, from about 5,000 cases in 2022, according to data from the Ministry of Health.
Highlights (click/tap above):
3:33 Are vapes safer than cigarettes?
8:17 Inhaling chemicals and toxic metals
20:35 Considering an amnesty for vape users
27:42 You can get the help that you need to quit vaping
Produced by: Joyce Teo (joyceteo@sph.com.sg), Ernest Luis, and Eden Soh
Edited by: Eden Soh
Follow Health Check Podcast here every month and rate us:
Channel: https://str.sg/JWaN
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWRX
Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaQ
SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/
Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg
Read Joyce Teo's stories: https://str.sg/JbxN
---
Discover more ST podcast channels:
All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7 
The Usual Place: https://str.sg/wEr7u
COE Watch: https://str.sg/iTtE
Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7
Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN
Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf
Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m
Hard Tackle: https://str.sg/JWRE
#PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad
Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX
---
ST Podcast website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
ST Podcasts YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa
---
Special edition series:
True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i44T
The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2
Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn
Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB
Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa
---
Get The Straits Times' app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:
The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB
Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX
#healthcheck
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

IMH trial to study efficacy of personalised transcranial magnetic stimulation for depression.
Synopsis: Every first Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times helps you make sense of health matters that affect you.
Researchers from the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) and the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine at the National University of Singapore are studying a new personalised treatment for resistant depression. 
It is the personalised version of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), a non-invasive treatment that uses magnetic fields to stimulate and reset the specific part of the brain that regulates mood. 
A clinical trial that aims to study its efficacy is currently being conducted at IMH. It pairs TMS with the algorithm of each patient’s functional magnetic resonance imaging to identify a precise spot on the head where magnetic stimulation can be applied to achieve better outcomes.
In this Health Check podcast episode, ST senior health correspondent Joyce Teo speaks to two experts involved in the trial. Dr Tor Phern Chern is a Senior Consultant at the Mood & Anxiety department and Head of Neurostimulation Service, at IMH and Associate Professor Thomas Yeo is from the Centre for Sleep and Cognition at the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine.
Highlights (click/tap above):
1:28 How does TMS work? 
8:47 Using a tape measure to ascertain the target area 
10:34 What is depression?
23:29 Using Professor Yeo's algorithm to find an individual treatment target
25:52 What is the trial about? 
29:27 Envisioning a future of TMS treatments
Produced by: Joyce Teo (joyceteo@sph.com.sg), Ernest Luis, and Eden Soh
Edited by: Eden Soh
Follow Health Check Podcast here every month and rate us:
Channel: https://str.sg/JWaN
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWRX
Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaQ
SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/
Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg
Read Joyce Teo's stories: https://str.sg/JbxN
---
Discover more ST podcast channels:
The Usual Place: https://str.sg/5nfm
COE Watch: https://str.sg/iTtE
In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt
Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7
Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN
Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf
Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m
ST Sports Talk: https://str.sg/JWRE
#PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad
Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX
Discover ST Podcasts: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
---
Special edition series:
True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i44T
The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2
Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn
Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB
Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa
---
Follow our shows then, if you like short, practical podcasts!
#healthcheck
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Get started on moderate intensity physical activity to stay healthy.
Synopsis: Every first and third Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times helps you make sense of health matters that affect you.
Singapore wants to be a healthier nation, and everyone needs to play their part by leading healthier lifestyles. This would only benefit the individual, but not everyone exercises regularly.
And, if you have watched the popular Netflix documentary series Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones, which are spots where people tend to live to around 100, you will know that the world’s longest-lived people do not exercise. They don’t go running in the stadium, nor do they go for a workout in the gym.
So, just how much of it is necessary when it comes to doing it for health, weight management or weight loss? What’s the minimum amount of exercise that you can do to obtain any health benefits? 
In this Health Check podcast episode, ST senior health correspondent Joyce Teo speaks to Clinical Assistant Professor Ivy Lim, a Senior Consultant and the Chief of the Department of Sport and Exercise Medicine at Changi General Hospital to find out more.
Highlights (click/tap above):
2:01 Do we really need to exercise?
4:35 Pairing exercise and diet will lead to greater weight loss than solely relying on diet
8:09 Is it okay to focus on resistance training and not cardiovascular exercise like running? 
9:52 Can you get rid of your belly fat by doing a lot of sit-ups? 
12:04 Will brisk walking and stair climbing cause you to have knee problems?
15:53 Sprint training snacks at CGH: Doing less but at a higher intensity
Produced by: Joyce Teo (joyceteo@sph.com.sg), Ernest Luis, and Eden Soh
Edited by: Eden Soh
Follow Health Check Podcast here every month and rate us:
Channel: https://str.sg/JWaN
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWRX
Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaQ
SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/
Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg
Read Joyce Teo's stories: https://str.sg/JbxN
---
Discover more ST podcast channels:
The Usual Place: https://str.sg/5nfm
COE Watch: https://str.sg/iTtE
In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt
Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7
Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN
Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf
Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m
ST Sports Talk: https://str.sg/JWRE
#PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad
Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX
Discover ST Podcasts: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
---
Special edition series:
True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i44T
The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2
Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn
Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB
Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa
---
Follow our shows then, if you like short, practical podcasts!
#healthcheck
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wearable tech can help us monitor our heart.
Synopsis: Every first and third Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times helps you make sense of health matters that affect you.
Today, we can easily find heart rate monitors in wearable devices like smartwatches and fitness trackers. As Singapore shifts the centre of gravity in healthcare from acute hospitals to the community with its preventive care strategy Healthier SG, such wearable technology will likely become more popular as they enable us to take charge of our health. 
In this episode, ST senior health correspondent Joyce Teo speaks with Clin Assoc Prof Ching Chi Keong, a Senior Consultant at the National Heart Centre Singapore about how one can make use of these devices and just how accurate they are.
Highlights (click/tap above):
1:55 How do ECG readings taken with a smart watch compare with a traditional ECG done in a medical setting? How accurate are they? 
3:41 Interpreting ECG readings on your phone and what it means to have a sinus rhythm
11:09 When should you seek medical help? 
14:35 Which group of people should use wearable devices to monitor their heart rate?
Produced by: Joyce Teo (joyceteo@sph.com.sg), Ernest Luis, and Eden Soh
Edited by: Eden Soh
Follow Health Check Podcast here and rate us:
Channel: https://str.sg/JWaN
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWRX
Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaQ
SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/
Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg
Read Joyce Teo's stories: https://str.sg/JbxN
---
Discover more ST podcast channels:
In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt
Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7
Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN
Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf
Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m
ST Sports Talk: https://str.sg/JWRE
#PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad
Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX
Discover ST Podcasts: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
---
Special edition series:
True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i44T
The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2
Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn
Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB
Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa
---
Follow our shows then, if you like short, practical podcasts!
#healthcheck
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An ADHD diagnosis can help you make sense of your life.
Synopsis: Every first and third Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times helps you make sense of health matters that affect you.
The awareness of ADHD, or attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, a common neurodevelopmental condition is growing around the world and more people have been diagnosed with it. Yet, many do not know that they have it while others may not have a good understanding of the condition, in order to thrive with it. 
ADHD is characterised by inattention and hyperactive-impulsive behaviour. It can greatly affect one’s life, but it can also be turned into a superpower if it is managed correctly. 
In this Health Check podcast episode, ST senior health correspondent Joyce Teo speaks to Moonlake Lee, the founder of Unlocking ADHD, the first site in Singapore that aims to help individuals with ADHD and their families live life to the fullest, to find out more.
Highlights (click/tap above):
2:31 Moonlake’s journey as an ADHDer and how her diagnosis has helped her
6:12 On the growing awareness of ADHD in Singapore
21:25 How to tell if you have ADHD?
28:43 Deciding whether to put your child on ADHD medication
Helplines
MENTAL WELL-BEING•  Institute of Mental Health’s Mental Health Helpline: 6389-2222 (24 hours)•  Samaritans of Singapore: 1-767 (24 hours) / 9151-1767 (24 hours CareText via WhatsApp)•  Singapore Association for Mental Health: 1800-283-7019•  Silver Ribbon Singapore: 6386-1928•  Tinkle Friend: 1800-274-4788•  Chat, Centre of Excellence for Youth Mental Health: 6493-6500/1•  Women’s Helpline (Aware): 1800-777-5555 (weekdays, 10am to 6pm)
COUNSELLING•  TOUCHline (Counselling): 1800-377-2252•  TOUCH Care Line (for caregivers): 6804-6555•  Care Corner Counselling Centre: 6353-1180•  Counselling and Care Centre: 6536-6366
ONLINE RESOURCES•  moht.com.sg/mindline-sg•  eC2.sg•  tinklefriend.sg•  chat.mentalhealth.sg•  carey.carecorner.org.sg (for those aged 13 to 25)•  limitless.sg/talk (for those aged 12 to 25)
Produced by: Joyce Teo (joyceteo@sph.com.sg), Ernest Luis, and Eden Soh
Edited by: Eden Soh
Follow Health Check Podcast here and rate us:
Channel: https://str.sg/JWaN
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWRX
Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaQ
SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/
Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg
Read Joyce Teo's stories: https://str.sg/JbxN
---
Discover more ST podcast channels:
In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt
Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7
Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN
Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf
Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m
ST Sports Talk: https://str.sg/JWRE
#PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad
Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX
Discover ST Podcasts: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
---
Special edition series:
True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i44T
The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2
Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn
Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB
Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa
---
Follow our shows then, if you like short, practical podcasts!
#healthcheck
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.