Use a calendar to keep track of your menstrual cycle. Mark each of the days of your period with an X. Calculate the length of your cycle by counting the days from the first day of bleeding in one period to the first day of bleeding in the next period. In addition to noting the days of your period, it is helpful to make notes about the flow, any pain that is felt, and changes in mood or behavior.

The presence of menstrual irregularities can be a sign of other health problems such as Primary ovarian insufficiency (POI), Endometriosis, Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), Polyps, and Uterine fibroids. If left untreated, menstrual irregularities can lead to other conditions. These possible conditions vary depending on the type of menstrual irregularity and include endometrial hyperplasia (thickening of the endometrium), low bone density, and iron-deficient anemia. It is important for a woman with a menstrual irregularity to consult to a doctor to determine the cause of the irregularity and to receive appropriate treatment as necessary.

According to studies conducted by the World Health Organization, the hygiene of female sanitary products is especially important to a woman, as the pelvis, uterus, vagina of a women’s body are all inter-connected, thus it increases the chances of bacterial infection if sanitary napkins of low hygiene standards or unhygienic clothes were used during the menstruation period.

Menstruation flow and secretion are highly prone to growth of bacteria; therefore sanitary napkins should be changed on a regular basis. It is strongly advised that a new napkin is used every 3-4 hours during the menstruation period.

SMC is truly committed to manufacturing health products under stringent quality control standards and bringing better health, an unprecedented level of comfort for women at a value for money. Joya Sanitary Napkins are light, odorless, and can be used with assurance of no side effects.

> Not washing hands before and after a napkin change: Changing napkin by dirty hands can cause a considerable quantity of microbes to be brought onto its surface. 

> Storing napkins in humid conditions: Humidity is an ideal environment for reproduction of bacteria, which can easily get into napkins. For example: Bathroom.

> Disregarding expiry date: Date expired napkins can cause health hazards. 

> Not changing a napkin for a long period: After a longer period of use, bacteria increases promptly and may cause health hazards.

> After using the pad, wrap it with paper or tissue and throw it into the bin.

> Do not flush the pad in toilet pan or in commode.

Available varities of Joya Sanitary Napkin:

1. Joya Belt category: Joya 8s (Belt), Joya 5s (Belt), Joya 15s (Belt), Joya Shulov 5s (Belt);

2. Joya Wings category: Joya 8s (Wings), Joya 5s (Wings), Joya Ultra Comfort, Joya Heavy Flow, Joya All night

Smile baby diapers are made from ingredients that are thoroughly tested and proven to be safe. The ingredients we use are common in most diapers and are used safely by millions of babies around the world every day.

Unfortunately, diaper rash is quite common. More than half of babies between the ages of 4 months and 15 months develop diaper rash, and nearly all babies will get at least one diaper rash before they are potty trained. Changing the diaper promptly after it becomes wet or soiled is the best way to prevent diaper rash.

Because babies come in all different shapes and sizes, diapers fit babies differently. Our diaper system was designed to achieve the highest level of leak protection. We measure thousands of babies' legs, bottoms, and waists to try to get a good fit that helps contain leaks. Sometimes leaks happen because the leg cuff or waist is a bit folded. Running your finger around the waist band and cuffs sometimes helps to ensure a better fit. Another reason for leaks is if there isn't enough absorbent material for baby’s urine output. If your baby is close to the upper end of the weight range of the diaper you are currently using, you may want to try the next size up diaper as there is more absorbent material in the larger diapers.

Newborns: Newborn babies require changing often, especially if they are breastfed. Our recommendation is every 3-4 hours during the day. 

Older Babies: As babies get older, they gain in bladder control. They tend to wet less often, in higher volume. We recommend that you change your baby's diaper every 6-8 hours.

However, Smile baby diaper can give a complete protection for 12 hours which will give the baby a good night’s sleep.

The size diaper you need is determined by the weight of your baby

Small:  3-6 kg

Medium: 4-9 kg

Large: 8-14 kg

XL: 11-18 kg

Healthy baby skin has a natural pH balance, but dirt can increase the pH, which makes babies skin more vulnerable and can cause rash and irritation. "Smile Baby Wipe" has a perfectly balanced pH level and is enriched with aloe vera. Regularly cleaning the skin with Smile Baby Wipes can remove these irritants and help restore the skin's natural, healthy pH balance.

Rub the wipes gently from front to back, particularly when changing the diaper. Be careful so that the poo doesn't spread anywhere.

Any imbalance in the skin's pH level may cause rash and irritation in babies. "Smile Baby Wipe" has a perfectly balanced pH level and is enriched with aloe vera, which helps to restore babies' skin to its natural and healthy stage.

Zinc is classified as an essential mineral. It is essential to over 180 biologic functions. Many foods rich in trace minerals contain zinc, with the highest amounts in meat products. Lesser amounts are found in milk, spinach, nuts, oats, rice and beans.

Many experts say that zinc deficiency is widespread. People living in poverty with diets low in zinc, especially children below five years of age, need zinc the most. Deficiencies result in poor wound healing because of zinc's role in cellular repair. Zinc deficiency also leads to slower growth. Most importantly, children with low levels of zinc are at increased risk for infection, severe infections and death.

Zinc is prescribed to treat and prevent diarrhea for children < 5 years of age.

Yes, zinc and ORS can be given at the same time when a child has diarrhea. Zinc is given once a day. Give the zinc at a time of day that is easy for you to remember and repeat every day for 10-14 days. ORS needs to be given throughout the day only as long as your child has loose or watery stools, but zinc should be given for the entire 10 to 14 days.

During diarrhea ORS should be given first and followed by zinc. If it is the first time the child has received zinc, it is best to wait 30 minutes after the ORS is given.

Usually children with severe dehydration are given intravenous fluids first. After the intravenous fluid is no longer needed and the child is not vomiting, ORS and zinc should be started.

The zinc tablet is meant to be dissolved in water, breast milk, or ORS. Other fluids are not recommended.

No, you should continue to give plenty of ORS, as recommended, even though you are giving zinc. ORS will help to replace fluids lost during diarrhea. Zinc will speed up recovery but does not replace fluids.

The earlier that zinc is administered, the sooner the child will benefit. However, it can be started at any time during the illness.

Zinc treatment is recommended for the complete dosing regimen of 10 to 14 days because zinc not only decreases the number of days with diarrhea and the severity of diarrhea, it helps the child fight off new episodes of diarrhea and pneumonia for the next 3 months following a full treatment.

Studies have included 10 or 14 days of treatment. Both have been proven to be equally effective.

Yes, all episodes of diarrhea should be treated with zinc. Even if a child has recently completed a full course of zinc treatment, it is still safe to give a second course. Children with persistent, repeated episodes of diarrhea should be taken to a clinic or hospital.

It is clear that zinc is vital for a wide range of biological functions. In diarrhea we have come to know that zinc helps in the following ways:

- It boosts the immune system  - It helps in healing the intestinal lining  - It improves absorption of fluids

The zinc treatment is given according to age, not weight. Irrespective of the child's weight, the recommended dose of zinc for children 6 months to 5 years is 20 mg zinc once daily for 10 consecutive days. Children 2 to 6 months are prescribed 10 mg/day.

Yes, it can be chewed. Chewing is not the recommended mode of delivery, but is acceptable.

Give the zinc tablet the next day and continue for the full course of 10 days.

The current recommendation is to provide zinc treatment to all children < 5 years of age. However, diarrhea among newborns is rare and may be a sign of sepsis or severe disease so care should be sought.

Zinc can be given to anybody, but WHO/UNICEF recommendations are limited to children under five years of age.

No. Parents should be advised to only purchase zinc products that you know to be safe and of high quality.

Yes, children should continue to be fed. Allow the child to take as much as they want. If vomiting occurs, the smaller, more frequent feeds are recommended.

Yes, zinc can be given with other medications. However, if a child is receiving iron supplement, it is recommended this be stopped while on the zinc treatment because the iron will decrease the effect of zinc.

Yes, multivitamins without iron can be continued. If the multivitamin contains iron, it should be stopped until the 10-14 days of zinc is finished.

During the 10-day period of zinc treatment, the child should stop taking the iron supplements. If the child is being treated for severe anemia, he/she should be seen by a doctor (or nurse where no doctor is available) before deciding to continue or stop iron supplementation.

Zinc fortified foods contain low amounts of zinc in line with recommended daily requirements. Adding the zinc treatment is safe and highly recommended. There is no risk of overdosing.

Do not stop the zinc. The child should be taken to a local clinic or a community health worker for further assessment.

Zinc tablets are preferred over syrup for the following reasons:

- Easier distribution and storage 

- Lower cost 

- Easier for caretakers to administer properly as well as count the number of days given 

- Longer shelf-life

The ingredients in zinc tablet include zinc sulphate, glucose and flavoring.

At the dose being provided in the zinc tablet, there is a small increased chance of transient nausea or vomiting. If the child is vomiting, we recommend settling the child first before administering zinc.

You should keep the tablets away from all children in the home to prevent this from happening. If more than one tablet is taken, wait until the next day a resume to course of one tablet per day until the blister pack is finished

When a child is vomiting with diarrhea, wait for the child to settle before giving zinc. If the child vomits repeatedly withhold zinc for that day and start from the next day.

Multiple Micronutrient Supplements (MMS) is a nutritional supplement for use during pregnancy based on United Nations International Multiple Micronutrient Antenatal Preparation (UNIMMAP) formulation following WHO specification. It contains 15 micronutrients including iron and folic acid at dosages that approximate the recommended dietary allowances for pregnancy.

SMC's FullCare is a UNIMMAP Multiple Micronutrient Supplements (MMS) tablet required during pregnancy due to the increased nutritional need of a mother and the growing foetus, even if the mother has access to a sufficient diet. It aids healthy functioning of her body and helps to avoid her baby from being born with low birth weight, too soon and too small, as well as other long-term implications on the health of the child. Moreover, FullCare prevents anemia, a condition when the body does not produce enough red blood cells. It contains 15 of essential vitamins and minerals and is like an insurance against any potential deficiencies in your daily diet. It is the first-ever product in the Bangladeshi market that has been clinically proven to reduce low birth weight babies and prevent babies from being born too soon or too small.

Starting from conception, the first 1,000 days of your baby's life are critical from the point of view of nutrition. FullCare is required when your diet is not sufficient to provide you with the daily nutrient intake especially when you are pregnant. It aids healthy functioning of your body and helps to avoid your baby from being born with low birth weight, too soon and too small, as well as other long-term implications on the health of the child. Moreover, FullCare prevents anemia, a condition when your body does not make enough red blood cells.

The recommend dose of FullCare is 1 Tablet per day after a meal with same interval for a minimum of six months (180 days).

Yes, FullCare is absolutely safe to consume, as long as it is used as recommended.

The recommended period of intake is from when you discover your pregnancy, right up to the day of delivery OR as recommended by the physicians.

Possible side effects that have been reported are nausea, constipation or diarrhoea. These are not harmful and taking the supplement after a meal makes these go away. One should continue supplementation.

MMS is superior to IFA alone in supporting a positive pregnancy and a healthy infant. The MMS can improve birth outcomes significantly by reducing the risk of LBW (12%), being born small-for-gestational age (SGA) at 8%, and preterm births (4). Recent evidence shows that the provision of MMS for women starting early in pregnancy provides clear benefits for both women and their unborn and newborn infants, beyond IFA supplementation alone. The 2017 Lancet meta-analysis established that MMS significantly reduces the risk of following health outcomes:

• Reduces the risk of babies being born with a low birth weight
• Reduces the risk of small-for-gestational age births
• Reduces preterm birth
• Reduces the risk of neonatal mortality
• Has greater positive impact on birth outcomes of undernourished and anemic pregnant women

Yes, please continue Calcium supplementation as FullCare does not contain calcium. But please do not take both the tablets at the same time. We would recommend you to take FullCare after breakfast and Calcium after lunch or dinner.

No, in case of missing a day, you can continue supplementation as usual do not take more than 1 tablet a day.

Not a problem, you can start with the recommended dosage whenever you do. But to get the maximum benefits it is suggested to start just after confirmation of pregnancy.

Yes, you can continue the recommended dosage from the next day onwards. It would also help to keep a record of how many tablets you have already taken, using a calendar or notebook and also practicing to take the tablet regularly at the same time.

Yes, you can switch to FullCare completely and start the recommended dosage as specified. FullCare contains iron and folic acid, in addition to 13 other vitamins and minerals.

If you suffer from anemia and feel tired and have low energy, FullCare will improve these symptoms in the course of a few weeks.

Yes, however, it would be good to consult with your gynecologist/obstetrician before starting, if that makes you feel better.

Deworming refers to giving an anthelmintic drug to a human or animal to get rid of helminths parasites. Soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections caused by a group of parasites commonly known as intestinal worms, are among the most common infections in humans. To get protected against soil-transmitted helminthes infection, WHO recommended deworming, using biannual a single-dose albendazole (400 mg) as a public health intervention.

"Vermicid" is SMC branded Albendazole (400 mg) tablet that protects against Soil Transmitted Helminthes (STH) infection. Vermicid is a chewable tablet that contains Albendazole USP 400 mg per tablet. It is used in the treatment of intestinal nematode infections and in higher doses in the treatment of hydatid disease. Albendazole exhibits vermicidal, ovicidal, and larvicidal activities. The principal mode of action of Albendazole is its inhibitory effect on tubulin polymerization, which results in the loss of cytoplasmic microtubules.

Deworming helps children to have a Better Growth. It also reduces work capacity, productivity of adults and increases maternal and fetal morbidity. Because:

• Infestations are common even in homes with good hygiene, and symptoms may not be obvious.
• Children are most vulnerable, but anyone is susceptible to worm infestation. Adults are just as prone as kids to get infected by parasites.
• Worm eggs can be found everywhere from contaminated soil, food, water, utensils and surfaces, to human and animal faeces, toilet seats, door handles.
• The medication will kill any adult worms in the digestive system, but not the eggs, which is why you need to repeat the deworming every six months.

• Age 12 to 24 months: 200 mg. as a single dose (half of Vermicid tablet).
• Adults & children (over two years of children): 400 mg. (one Vermicid tablet) as a single dose.
• In cases of strongyloidiasis or taeniasis, 400 mg. (one Vermicid tablet) as a single dose should be given for three consecutive days. Giardiasis: 400 mg. (one Vermicid tablet) once daily for five days.
• In hydatid disease (Echinococcosis): In the treatment of echinococcosis, Albendazole (Vermicid) is given by mouth with meals in a dose of 400 mg. twice daily for 28 days for patients weighing over 60 kg. A dose of 15 mg/kg body weight daily in two divided doses (to a maximum total daily dose of 800 mg) is used for patients weighing less than 60 kg. For cystic echinococcosis the 28- days course may be repeated after 14 days without treatment to a total of three treatment cycles. For alveolar echinococcosis, cycles of 28 days of treatment followed by 14 days without treatment may need to continue for months or years. When three courses of therapy have been given in the pre or post surgical setting, optimal killing of cyst contents is achieved.

Albendazole is known to be teratogenic and embryo-toxic in some animals. Therefore it should not be administered during pregnancy or in women thought to be pregnant. It should not be administered in children under 1 year, children who are sick on treatment day and if a child has fever, difficulty breathing, vomiting, severe diarrhea.

Albendazole should only be used in the treatment of echinococcosis if there is constant medical supervision with regular monitoring of serumtransaminase concentrations and of leucocyte and platelet counts.

Side effects include epigastric pains, diarrhoea, headache, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, constipation, pruritis and dry mouth.

Electrolyte Drinks are beverages that contain water, carbohydrates and electrolyte minerals. The main purpose of Electrolyte Drinks is to help rehydrate.

There is no specific time for taking Electrolyte Drinks. Usually Electrolyte drinks are taken after work out or sport activity to rehydrate and maintain the balance of water in the body.

There is no such limit. How much Electrolyte Drink can be taken in a day depends on the activity level of a particular person, health condition and climate.

SMC Plus is the first ever Electrolyte Drink of Bangladesh. Currently, there are a few other competitors as well.

Electrolyte Drinks are not suitable for diabetic patients.