Sitti's Baby Diagnosed With Amoebiasis, Possibly Caused by Contaminated Bath Water

Yesterday, July 30, 2019, Sitti Navarro Ramirez shared on her Instagram Stories that her nine-month-0ld daughter, Issiah Dañelle, a.k.a. Lilibubs, was diagnosed with amoebiasis last Saturday. She had her baby checked when she noticed that she was pooping more often than usual, and after finding tinges of blood in her stool.

“Lilibubs was diagnosed with amoebiasis last Saturday evening. She had two stools with tinges of blood last Thursday (July 25), but we thought she just (tore) her anus,” the Philippine Bossa Nova Queen wrote. On the same day that she was diagnosed, Lilibubs pooped three times. “At her age, once a day na lang dapat,” Sitti said.

When her baby’s stool was examined, that’s when they found out. Her daughter’s pediatrician, Dr. Mark Herbert “Bistek” Rosario (who also happens to be fellow singer and mommy friend Princess Velasco’s husband) speculated that Lilibubs may have gotten the parasite from contaminated water.

“Mommies, please be extra vigilant of the water your babies intake,” Sitti wrote. She and Doc Bistek think Lilibubs accidentally swallowed contaminated water during a bath or while playing with water.

“The water interruptions in our area (in Parañaque) is probably to blame, too,” the singer added. “Kasi minsan nakikita namin yung tubig na lumalabas medyo kalawangin. Dati naman hindi,” Sitti said.

Amoebiasis, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is a disease caused by the parasite Entamoeba histolytica and is more common in tropical countries like the Philippines. Both kids and adults are vulnerable to the illness, as it is transferred through the fecal-oral route, either via direct contact or by eating or drinking contaminated food or water.

Only about 10 to 20 percent of people infected will become sick. Usually, the symptoms of amoebiasis are mild, including loose stools or diarrhea, stomach cramping, and nausea. Symptoms of a severe form of amoebiasis include bloody stools and fever. Albeit rarely, the parasite can also infect the liver and form a collection of pus, which then spreads to the other body organs, such as the lungs and the brain.

The only way to diagnose amoebiasis is by analyzing the patient’s stool samples and identifying the bacteria that causes the infection. Treatment involves antibiotics, and ensuring that the patient has enough fluids to prevent dehydration. There is no vaccine to prevent it.

Sitti shared that Lilibubs’ pediatrician prescribed an antibiotic to take every eight hours and erceflora, a medication to combat diarrhea, twice daily. “Poor baby,” Sitti wrote, as Lilibubs will be on medication for ten days. Thankfully, Lilibubs seems to be doing better now, except for still pooping more than once daily.

Sitti and her husband Joey were still able to bring their daughter to Bacolod for a visit. Now, they always make sure that the water Lilibubs uses for bathing has been boiled to kill the bacteria. When they get back home to Manila, Sitti plans to install a water filtration system “para sure na malinis lahat ng tubig that Lilibubs will come into contact with.”

Apart from being vigilant about food and water sources, careful food handling and preparation should be observed as well to prevent contamination. Proper hand-washing should also be done before and after preparing and eating meals.