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Choking Hazards for Infants and How to Prevent Infant Suffocation

Statistics from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that the leading cause of injury death for infants under 1 year old is suffocation, accounting for three-quarters of all infant injury deaths — thousands every year. Many of these senseless deaths could have been avoided by taking appropriate cautionary measures.

Below are objects in and outside the home, with which parents need to use precautions, to avoid choking hazards.

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Recent Guidelines Discourage C-Sections Due to Risks for Mother and Baby

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists published new guidelines that strongly discourage cesarean sections unless they are medically indicated, on grounds that they can lead to complications for the mother as well as the newborn. The report was published in the organization’s March, 2013 edition of its journal, Obstetrics & Gynecology, and appears online on ACOG’s website.

The group states that vaginal deliveries should be the norm, and that every attempt should be made to avoid early cesarean deliveries. The recommendations are an attempt to reduce the skyrocketing rate of cesarean sections, by limiting “maternal-request” C-sections and early deliveries for presumed big babies.

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Many Babies Are Fed Solid Foods Too Soon, CDC Study Finds

A study published in late March, 2013 in the American Academy of Pediatrics journal Pediatrics found that a majority of babies in the United States may be getting introduced to solid foods much too early, often leading to a variety of chronic illnesses.

Researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention surveyed 1,334 new moms nationwide; they found that almost 93 percent had introduced solid foods to their infants before the babies were six months old, 40 percent had introduced solids before four months, and 9 percent had done so before four weeks of age.

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How to Tell if Your Baby Has an Ear Infection (and What to Do to Prevent Ear Infections)

Other than well-baby visits, ear infections are the most common reason why parents take their infants to the pediatrician. Ear infections account for nearly half of all antibiotic prescriptions for young children. Ear infections are justifiably a source of great concern for parents. But there are things that can be done to prevent them, and to know if a visit to the doctor is truly warranted, or if your baby may be dealing with a lesser, harmless ailment. The ear structure is divided into three sections: outer ear, middle ear, and inner ear. Most infections in babies and young children occur in the Continue reading

The Dangers of Hidden Chemicals in Skincare and Grooming Products for Babies

Though things often appear not to improve fast enough, concerned citizens and scientists in the industrialized countries of our planet are gradually compelling governing bodies to take concrete steps to curb the toxic chemicals all around us, be they in our foods, the soil, the air, or the water. But interestingly, the area of cosmetics (defined as grooming, skincare and make-up products) — and the toxic chemicals in them — have remained, until recently, virtually a “no man’s land.” The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (an arm of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, GA) estimates that close to 900 of the chemicals used in cosmetics are toxic! Research by the Environmental Working Group, an alliance of scientists, engineers, policy experts and lawyers, with several offices nationwide, found that, with the exception of products made by small companies in the fast-growing natural products sector, nearly all personal care products contain Continue reading

What to do About an Overweight Baby

If you are worried that your baby has gained weight too fast and now weighs too much, it is most likely that you are worried over nothing. Infants can indeed become overweight if they are overfed, but this happens only rarely. Even most perfectly healthy infants go through many different phases in their first year of life, and those who are born large and thrive during their early months commonly accumulate a lot of fat, which can make them look rather round and pudgy. But looks can be deceiving. Whereas we usually think of adults with a lot of fat as unhealthy, a decent amount of extra fat on a baby can Continue reading

Yeast Overgrowth in Babies and Children

Candida Overgrowth in Babies and Children

Many of us might be unaware of the abundance of microorganisms that live inside a healthy human intestinal tract, on our skin, and in other organs such as the mouth, the olfactory canal, the genitourinary tract, and the eyes.. The intestinal tract contains the most flora, as these organisms are collectively called. They’re mostly bacteria, but they also include fungi, and simpler similar organisms.

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What is SPD?

A condition which causes women to experience recurring pelvic pain and mobility difficulties during their pregnancy is known as PGP (Pelvic Girdle Pain) and was formerly referred to as SPD (Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction). This is a fairly common pregnancy complication and the pain it causes can Continue reading

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