Uncategorized – Baby Care Journals

What is Gripe Water?

July 12, 2015March 30, 2017 Jesse Fulton

by Pat Bratianu, RN Ph.D. RH-AHG

Gripe Water is a liquid that is used to treat infants who are experiencing colic, gastrointestinal discomfort, reflux, teething, hiccups, indigestion, and other stomach irritants. It is commonly made with water, sugar, sodium bicarbonate, dill oil, and in the past was made with alcohol although most gripe waters have eliminated the use of this ingredient. Some Gripe Waters are made using all natural ingredients such as chamomile, fennel, caraway, peppermint, ginger, aloe, lemon balm, blackthorn and vegetable carbon so as to eliminate any unnatural ingredients that may harm their baby’s overall health.

History of Gripe Water

The first Gripe Water was formulated by William Woodward in 1851, and contained 3.6% alcohol, dill oil, sodium bicarbonate, sugar, and water. Woodward was born in Stamford in 1828, and later apprenticed under pharmacist John Halliday Thomas of Boston where he served seven years and learned everything from business to the practice of pharmacy. After his apprenticeship he moved to London, and in 1851 purchased a pharmacy in Nottingham.

Woodward was well known and respected for his creation of remedies and simple ailments, and had many early successes including gripe water. He gained inspiration for the gripe water formula from a recipe that a group of Nottingham doctors were using to treat Fen Fever also known as malaria. It was not until later that it was noted that Woodward’s gripe water formula was not just effective for the treatment of malaria, but also towards the treatment of gastrointestinal discomfort in infants.

The Added Dangers of Flying in Airplanes for Babies and Toddlers

September 30, 2014September 30, 2014 admin

Small two year old baby girl sleep in a bassinet on a airplane

You have a new baby, and maybe you’re eager to take him or her on a flight to meet the grandparents … or you want to take your infant on a faraway vacation with you.

New research shows it may be best to wait until your child is a little older, and if you do choose to take a small infant or toddler on a flight, it’s wise to buy the child his or her own seat ticket.

Until recently, safety considerations for young babies flying in airplanes had centered around what to do in the event of a crash; but now, researchers have begun paying more attention to in-flight medical emergencies, sleeping positions, injuries from in-flight turbulence and other dangers.

Postpartum Depression and Colic – How They’re Linked

June 12, 2014November 25, 2015 Jesse Fulton

“Baby Blues.” “Depressed.” “Sad.” These are all ways to describe postpartum depression, which can kick in about five days after a newborn’s delivery, and usually goes away after two weeks. For some mothers (and dads!), postpartum depression is much more serious and treatment is needed. A new mother with postpartum depression will often feel sad, guilty, worthless and take no interest in her new baby. These moms feel shamed for feeling this way, and are too embarrassed to seek help. As a result, postpartum depression can be overlooked.

A 2006 study done by Brown University shows that it is vital for mothers who have the baby blues get professional help. Why? The study says there can be a link between a mother’s depression and a colicky baby. The study, which is funded by the Centers for Disease Control and is run by the state of Rhode Island, consists of a survey titled “Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System.” The idea behind it is to help prevent infant mortality and ask about health and environmental factors in the baby’s household that may impact his, as well as the mother’s, health. The survey had already asked about depression, but in 2006 a new question was asked, “How inconsolable is your baby?” From these answers, it was determined that those mothers who were depressed also commented that their baby was very inconsolable, or, colicky.

Brisk Walking Can Help a Pregnant Woman Quit Smoking

December 20, 2013 admin

A study from Canada reports that a 20-minute brisk walk can help curb a pregnant woman’s nicotine cravings by 30 percent. Substance cravings may increase during pregnancy, due to a woman’s increasing and fluctuating hormones, so, exercise can be a useful tool for an expectant mom to decrease nicotine cravings.

Cigarette smoke has been established through many studies to contribute to bad pregnancy outcomes and long-term problems for the child. Risks of smoking during pregnancy include premature birth, low birth weight, stillbirth, some birth defects, respiratory problems in the child, and placental abruption, where the placenta detaches from the uterus, which can lead to fetal distress or fetal death.

Newborns & Food Allergies – What Are They & How Do Babies Get Them?

April 12, 2013November 24, 2015 Jesse Fulton

As a new mother, you’ve probably heard that “breast is best” and when it comes to preventing food allergies in your new baby, this is especially so. Though allergies have been on the rise with children (1 out of 5 will usually develop an allergy by the age of 20), it has been shown that those children who were breastfed are less likely to develop allergies.

Babies tend to develop and allergy to those foods which they try first. Since a breastfeed infant is receiving trace amounts of what the mother eats, the likelihood of that baby developing an allergic reaction to solid foods diminishes. However, every baby is different–for example, if a mother eats peanuts and then nurses, the baby could, in extreme cases, go into anaphylactic shock.

It’s important to keep in mind that having an allergic reaction to food and having an irritant due to the food are two separate things. An irritant will cause a temporary reaction, while an allergen (a substance which causes an allergic reaction) will be more severe and longer lasting. For instance, a child may be fussy due to gas which was a result of the mother eating broccoli. This would be considered an irritant, not an allergen. The most common irritants are chocolate, cruciferous vegetables, onions and bell peppers. However, foods that babies can have an allergic reaction to are cow’s milk, soy, wheat, corn, shellfish, citrus fruits, eggs and peanuts. Also be wary in trying foods that other family members are allergic to, as the likelihood that the baby will be allergic to it as well is increased.

When trying to see if a baby is sensitive to a certain food, a mother must keep in mind that fussiness caused by food is different from normal baby fussiness. If it’s a reaction to food, then the baby will be irritable directly after feedings. They may cry non-stop for long periods of time, sleep very little, or, when they do go to sleep, wake and seem very uncomfortable. Other allergy signs are:

It Takes Longer to Give Birth Nowadays than It Did 50 Years Ago!

April 3, 2013April 12, 2013 admin

Despite the startling technical advances that the field of medicine has made in the last few decades, women are taking longer to give birth now than they did 50 years ago.

Yeast Overgrowth in Babies and Children

November 20, 2012April 25, 2023 admin

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.

Keeping Your Toddler Safe Outdoors

August 29, 2012December 14, 2012 admin

Before your child becomes independently mobile, there is not much to do outside. To be sure, young babies benefit from exposure to the sensory experiences of the outside world, but they cannot yet interact with their surroundings. Toddlers, on the other hand, especially those who have mastered crawling or walking, are eager to explore the world, and they drink in the outdoors with an excitement that they may never experience again. So while your child is in this stage of exploration, it is a good idea to Read More

Weaning Baby From the Bottle

July 31, 2012December 14, 2012 admin 1 Comment

Most pediatricians recommend that babies be weaned from the bottle by the first birthday or soon thereafter. But for a host of reasons, many parents do not meet this milestone. Bottles are comforting to the baby, and they can be excellent sleep aids. They are also simple and convenient and produce minimal mess. For these reasons, it is not uncommon to see two- or three-year-olds who are still on the bottle. Although the reasons why parents and babies resist weaning from the bottle are all understandable, there are some very important points in favor of weaning by the first birthday, including Read More

Tips to Help Baby Sleep Through the Night

May 9, 2012December 19, 2012 admin

Every baby is different, so it’s only natural for some to have a more difficult time with nighttime sleep than others. Some babies take to it very well and at a very young age are able to sleep through the night with only the occasional wakeup. Others, however, require a lot of patience and guidance in order to get to point where they can sleep all night. But in every case, there are things parents can do to make things easier for the baby as well as for themselves. If your baby has trouble sleeping through the night and you are ready to move to the next stage, Read More