Care – Page 8 – Baby Care Journals

Delaying Measles Vaccine Until 15 Months May Offer Better Protection for Children

November 15, 2013 admin

Current medical practice in the United States is to give babies their first measles shot between 12 and 15 months, while in Canada, that measles shot is given at 12 months. But a new study out of Quebec shows that waiting until 15 months offers children better immunity against the measles later on.

In a recent large measles outbreak in Quebec, students who had gotten their first measles shot at 12 months were found to be about six times more likely to come down with the measles than those who had gotten their first vaccination later.

Breastfeeding Reduces Risk of Stomach Blockage in Babies

November 7, 2013November 22, 2013 admin

A new study found that babies who were bottle-fed were more than twice as likely to develop hypertrophic pyloric stenosis than babies who were breastfed. This condition involves a narrowing (stenosis) of the place where the bottom part of the stomach ends and the first part of the small intestine, the duodenum, begins. It is caused by an enlargement (hypertrophy) of the smooth muscle that surrounds this passageway, the pylorus (from the Greek pyloros or gatekeeper).

As the pylorus gets thicker, food has increasing difficulty emptying from the stomach into the small intestine. This results in babies experiencing what is referred to as “projectile vomiting,” where vomit comes out forcefully and often, sometimes at an arch.

Can a Pregnant Woman’s Oral Health Affect her Unborn Baby?

October 30, 2013November 22, 2013 admin

Good oral health is an important part of our general health. But researchers have found that an expectant mother’s oral health also has the potential to affect her unborn infant’s health. Bacteria from the mother’s mouth can get into the mother’s blood, from where it reaches the amniotic fluid that surrounds the baby, and the baby can then swallow the bacteria.

Studies have shown that these oral bacteria can increase the risk of a premature birth or a low-birth-weight baby, start contractions prematurely, or cause the baby to get an infection — either as a newborn, or while the infant is still inside the uterus.

Tips for Treating Your Baby’s Fever Naturally

October 9, 2013 admin

Knowing natural ways to treat a young baby’s fever may come in very handy, being that fevers are quite common in young children. Further, products with acetaminophen are not recommended for children under 2 years of age, and ibuprofen is not recommended for a baby younger than 6 months.

It’s important for parents to understand that a temperature or fever, in itself, isn’t necessarily bad. After all, a higher temperature is the body’s way of killing off bacteria or viruses that are causing an infection. When the body’s initial immune responses don’t manage to kill the invading microbes, or if the immune response has somehow been obstructed, the body sets its internal temperature higher, which kills off the germs.

Why It’s Best to Wait Until Your Due Date to Give Birth (Barring Medical Reasons to the Contrary)

October 1, 2013 admin

The wonders of modern science afford us conveniences that we humans never before had. But sometimes, things can get carried away. Take, for example “elective deliveries” — the term used when mothers-to-be pick the date when their babies will be born, as the actual due date draws near.

Studies indicate that the number of elective deliveries in the United States rose significantly between 1994 and the mid 2000’s. Many moms feel that they’re ready to birth their babies once they’ve gone past the 36th week of pregnancy. This may be partly due to the common error of thinking that four weeks equals a month, so that nine months, the proper time of gestation, should be at about 36 weeks. But that calculation overlooks the fact that a month is not 28 days long, but either 30 or 31 (unless it’s February) — which means that the proper gestation time is actually about 40 weeks.

Why Is Skin-to-Skin Contact with Your Newborn Important?

September 26, 2013 admin

newborn baby girl in pink knitted bear hat

If you give birth at a conventional maternity ward, chances are when the baby is born, you will be surrounded by various hospital personnel who will quickly pick up the newborn once the umbilical cord is cut, then transport her a few steps to the small table where she will be cleaned. The baby will then be quickly wrapped, or swaddled, in a small bed sheet or a baby blanket.

The idea with swaddling is that it gives babies comfort by somewhat recreating the “cocooned” feeling the baby had while she was still inside your body. Swaddling also binds baby’s extremities close to the body, so that she won’t startle herself awake when she jerks her little limbs while she sleeps.

New Study Finds that Breastfeeding Longer Helps Protect Moms Against Breast Cancer

September 16, 2013September 16, 2013 admin

A study published online in August, 2013 in the Journal of Clinical Nursing found that breastfeeding for six months or longer could delay diagnosis of breast cancer by about 10 years. But the protective benefits were cancelled out if mom was a smoker.

The study, conducted at the University of Granada in Spain, examined medical records of more than 500 women aged 19 to 91, who were diagnosed and treated for breast cancer between 2004 and 2009 at a university hospital in the province of Granada.

Non-smokers who did not have children or who breastfed for less than three months were diagnosed with breast cancer at an average age of 57; non-smokers who breastfed between 3 and 6 months were diagnosed at a similar age of 56. Non-smokers who breastfed longer than six months, on the other hand, were diagnosed at an average age of 68 — more than 10 years later. However, women who breastfed longer than six months but were smokers were diagnosed at an average age of 47, or 21 years earlier. These results held steady, even when family history of breast cancer was factored in.

13 Natural Remedies for Newborn Baby Constipation

September 10, 2013April 26, 2023 admin 1 Comment

We adults can get constipated now and then, if we don’t eat enough fiber in our diet or drink plenty of water and other healthy fluids. The natural solution to our constipation is simply to eat more natural, fiber-rich foods like vegetables, fruits and whole grains, and to drink more fluids.

But what can be done when a newborn gets constipated? Young babies can’t rely on different foods to move their bowels, if they’re not yet old enough to eat solids. Yet, newborns do sometimes suffer from constipation.

Advantages of “Rooming In” with Your Newborn

September 6, 2013September 16, 2013 admin

Many moms-to-be who are planning to give birth in a conventional maternity hospital may not be aware that they have the option to keep their newborns by their side from birth, until mother and baby leave the hospital together a couple of days later.

Giving birth is no small feat, and every detail should be planned beforehand as much as possible. One of the choices a mom should give thought to before the big day arrives, is whether she will want her baby “rooming in” with her. Rooming in is the term used to describe when a baby is not kept in the nursery, but on mom’s bed or beside her bed, for the customary two days before they go home together. A new mom can also opt to have a partial rooming in: keeping her baby beside her during the day and asking the nurses to care for the newborn in the nursery at night.