As sweet a first milestone as baby’s first tooth may be, teething can be hard on both parents and baby. Some babies make it through teething with next to no symptoms, while others don’t have it quite so easy and experience all of the common signs of teething. Knowing what the signs and symptoms are and what to do about them can make teething easier on your baby and you.
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By Lisa Pecos
Blocked tear ducts are common in babies, with as many as a third of infants being born with a blocked tear duct or underdeveloped tear duct system. Fortunately, over 90 percent of cases clear up before the first birthday and most requite little treatment, if any.
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By Lisa Pecos
Skin issues are par for the course when a baby is in his or her first year of life. Our skin is a protective barrier meant to keep bacteria out and it gets better at doing this after the first year of life as the pigment increases and the skin gets thicker. Until your baby’s skin adjusts to the environment around it though, it’s more susceptible to irritation.
Knowing which skin issues are common in babies and how to treat them can help prepare you for what’s to come and spare you some of the anxiety and worry that’s natural when your baby’s delicate skin becomes red or flaky.
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By Jamell Andrews
When you find out you’re expecting, your priorities shift instantly and from that moment on, your love for your baby takes center stage. This is the time when many women begin thinking more about their health and the things that they can do to ensure that their baby is healthy as can be. For many expectant moms, this includes making the change to a healthier and even organic diet.
The Difference between Organic and Conventionally Farmed Foods
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By Lisa Pecos
Who doesn’t love a chubby baby? While round cheeks and soft rolls are often considered cute on a baby, too much weight can increase your baby’s risk of obesity by the time they become toddlers, according to a new study by the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia…
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It is astonishing how many things that women have been told by doctors for decades about giving birth and newborns, have turned out to be completely wrong. Here is a quick review of some of the biggies —
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Getting your toddler to perform toileting independently is a welcome milestone for any parent. Few of us want to be changing diapers much past the child’s second birthday. However, children vary greatly in their adoption of the potty routine which is influenced by a child’s innate ability, aptitude and maturity. However, there several tips and techniques you can use to hasten the blessed day when your toddler says: “Mommy, I did potty by myself”.
Babies come into the world helpless and completely dependent on others to protect them and care for them. That much, we all know. But it turns out that newborns come equipped with a number of instincts — reflexes that will help insure a baby’s survival from the start, even before the infant has had a chance to learn how to do anything. Doctors test reflexes as a way to assess how well infants’ nervous systems are developing.
Most newborn reflexes start fading by the second month, and they’ve generally disappeared by the fourth month. Doctors caution that if baby reflexes continue beyond the fourth to sixth month, parents should tell that to their pediatrician, as it could possibly indicate that there is a neurologic concern.
Newborns’ Characteristics that May Alarm Parents, but Are Normal
As new parents, you and your spouse are beside yourselves with joy over your new baby. Everything about your newborn seems magical and thrilling. But some characteristics that are perfectly normal in newborns may perhaps make you wonder if they’re something that’s peculiar to your baby, and if you need to do anything about it.
Let’s review a number of characteristics that are common among newborns, to help you decide whether your baby is in the normal range, or you should consult your pediatrician.
Swimming is the most popular summertime activity for children, according to the American Red Cross. But sadly, drowning is the leading cause of death for American children younger than 5. And according to emergency room doctors, children are more likely to drown in a backyard pool than in any other body of water.
A group might gather poolside for a party or other social event, but if no one is watching the children, it can result in tragic consequences. To avoid such needless danger, it is imperative that parents take necessary precautions whenever their children are in or near the water.
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