Care – Page 9 – Baby Care Journals

Baby Eczema: How to Prevent It and Safe, Effective Remedies

August 27, 2013September 16, 2013 admin

It breaks a parent’s heart to see their infant’s skin go from smooth and petal-soft, to developing patches of reddish or whitish dry, rough, itchy skin. And the constant itching is an affliction to both baby and parent. Yet, eczema, also called atopic dermatitis or simply dermatitis, is relatively common among babies. Ten to fifteen percent of all infants will develop this chronic autoimmune condition; some babies are as young as one or two months when symptoms start, but more often, the condition will develop in the first six months of life. Sixty-five percent of babies who will develop eczema show their first symptoms by the time they turn one year of age. Ninety percent of all children who will have eczema show symptoms within the first five years of life.

The propensity for eczema can be inherited from a close relative, or it can be indicative of allergies to certain foods, pet dander or potentially irritating substances like soaps and fragrances.

Exposure to Smog During Pregnancy Increases Risk of Rare Childhood Cancers

August 21, 2013 admin

People living in Los Angeles hear reports periodically about the health risks of smog exposure, which has been linked to lung cancer, asthma and other illnesses.

A 2013 study has connected smog exposure during pregnancy and during a child’s first year of life to several rare cancers.

What Are Good Exercises to Do Before Getting Pregnant?

August 19, 2013 admin

Not long after giving birth, many modern moms get busy getting their figures back through regular exercising; after all, new moms tend to have excess abdominal fat and stretched-out skin. Both of these improve or go away with regular exercising.

But what about before birth? Is there any benefit to pre-pregnancy exercising, in preparing the body for pregnancy and subsequent delivery?

Overweight Women Have Higher Chance of Giving Birth Prematurely, New Study Shows

August 16, 2013 admin

A study from Sweden indicates that overweight or obese women have a greater risk of giving birth prematurely in singleton births, and the risk increases in proportion to the amount of excess weight.

The study, published in the June, 2013 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, examined one and a half million deliveries in Sweden.

The Best Exercises to Do After Having a Baby and How Long Should You Wait?

July 23, 2013 admin

Giving birth means your body has just gone through a major physically traumatic event.

You want to wait at least two months or longer, before you start doing any abdomen-tightening exercises. However, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists advises that it’s okay to start with light, low-impact aerobic activity such as walking and stretching exercises, within days of giving birth, if you had a normal pregnancy and vaginal delivery. Start slowly, and as you feel more up to it, increase the length of your exercise routine or its frequency.

Low Pre-Natal Iodine Harms a Child’s Future Brain Development

June 21, 2013 admin

Mild to moderate iodine deficiency during pregnancy can result in a child developing a lower IQ and diminished reading ability and comprehension later.

The findings are from a study by the University of Surrey in England, and they were published online in late May, 2013 in the medical journal The Lancet.

Babies’ Cells Found in Mothers’ Brains!

June 17, 2013 admin

Scientists have known for years that during pregnancy, cells from the developing fetus can wind up in the mother’s bloodstream. But a newer study shows that fetal cells can also travel to specific organs, such as the heart, lungs, skin … and even the brain, where they can become integrated among the mother’s neuronal cells permanently.

This process is known as “microchimerism.” (The name comes from Greek mythology, in which Chimera was a creature that was part serpent, part lion and part goat.) Microchimeric cells were first noticed in humans when cells containing the male Y chromosome were found in the blood of mothers after a pregnancy (these foreign cells can live in the mother’s bloodstream for years after a pregnancy).

Picking Up and Carrying a Crying Baby Lowers Infant’s Heart Rate Immediately!

June 11, 2013June 11, 2013 admin

A study in Japan has shown that a crying baby’s heart rate drops very quickly if the infant is picked up and carried by a familiar caregiver. Just holding the baby won’t do; the infant has to be picked up and carried.

Lead researcher and neurobiologist Dr. Kumi Kuroda, of the Riken Brain Science Institute, theorized that this is the same response that we see in other mammals, including puppies, kittens and lion cubs, all of which relax and go limp when picked up and carried with their mothers’ mouths.

Infant Asthma

June 6, 2013 admin

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), asthma is the most common chronic condition affecting children in the United States. In 2009, an estimated 10.2 million U.S. children — almost 10 percent of Americans under 18 years of age — have been diagnosed with asthma.

And it is increasing at an alarming rate; up 75 percent from 1980. A rise in asthma cases among infants and toddlers accounts for a large part of the overall increase. One of the difficulties of diagnosing asthma in this group is that it is difficult to safely measure lung function at that age.

Choking Hazards for Infants and How to Prevent Infant Suffocation

May 2, 2013 admin

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.