Archive for the ‘Infant’ Category

Going Natural for Treating Acid Reflux in Infants

Posted by babyhealthcare on September 20th, 2009

Acid Reflux in Infants: Natural Methods for Cure

There are several natural remedies for treating acid reflux in infants. This is certainly good news for parents who are hesitant to use any kind of medications. As a matter of fact, infants are delicate and medications can be too harsh for them. Natural treatments meanwhile, are safe and
gentle to use.

As with any other health-related concerns, taking precautions is a must. Following instructions properly is also a crucial step for treating acid reflux or any other ailments.

For natural treatment of acid reflux in infants, you will need a pillow or towel. For professional help, going to a reliable chiropractor is a must.

Instructions for Treatment:

First and foremost, elevate the infant’s head. You can do this by placing a rolled-up towel or pillow on the baby’s crib mattress. This prevents the stomach acid from getting into the baby’s esophagus, which can be very uncomfortable for the baby. This also causes vomiting.

Infants who are suffering from acid reflux should be in an upright position every time they are being fed. While breastfeeding, anchor your arm around the baby’s head in a more elevated position as compared to regular breastfeeding when an infant is usually fully lying down.

Maintain the upright position for about 20 minutes after each feeding. Sometimes, even after the infant has already burped.

Another natural trick is to mix a small amount of infant cereal to the milk formula. While breastfeeding, you can do this for pumped or stored milk – mix the cereal to the baby’s bottle.

The cereal mix thickens the milk or infant formula and thus avoid spit ups, which is a symptom of acid reflux in infants.

Consult your pediatrician before implementing this remedy. Some cases indicate that early consumption of cereals causes allergies among infants.

An infant’s acid reflux can be caused by misaligned vertebrae located between the infant’s shoulder blades. This misalignment sends a signal to the stomach that triggers the production of more acid.

A chiropractor can help realign these vertebrae back to its proper position. A visit to the chiropractor can alleviate the discomfort of your baby.

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Flying with an Infant

Posted by babyhealthcare on September 8th, 2009

How to Make the Ride Pleasant for Everyone

On the best of days traveling by plane is a pain in the rear end. Imagine trying to do this stressful occasion with a baby with you. Not only do you have to worry about how the infant will handle the sudden change in altitude and environment but you also have to deal with the looks from
unsympathetic passengers. While there is no guarantee that the flight with your baby will be tear free here are a couple of things to help try to make the trip more peaceful.

Pacifier–the bane of parents everywhere once your child starts getting teeth, many people forget that it starts out as a very helpful aid. It helps your baby learn how to self soothe in any situation plus it also helps pop their ears once you reach your cruising altitude. You don’t want to leave home without this on baby’s first (or second or third) plane trip because even if they don’t use it all the time on the ground, it could be a necessity for them once you are in the air.

Tylenol–there are very few cases where I suggest giving your child this pain medicine just for your convenience. Some of these occasions are teething, for shots (usually before hand to counteract any type of pain they may feel) and flying. It may help them become sleepy so they won’t be awake for take off and usually landings are easier than the former so there should be no problem there. I understand how some parents may be hesitant to use this but it can really help in the long run with your baby’s discomfort.

Loveys–when my niece was toddler age she had a pink blanket that she carried around everywhere. It helped comfort her and would be packed along for any road trip to help her adjust to her new surroundings. Sadly my son is not constant with his lovey affections so there is no certain one that I know will calm him down. Hopefully your child does have one particular lovey and you have something to carry with you to help them get use to the airplane ride. If they have something familiar to carry with them it should alleviate some fears.

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Educational Toys for Infants

Posted by babyhealthcare on August 19th, 2009
Educational Toys for Infants

Parents today are actively introducing learning at an early age because they recognize the importance of education, and its relationship to success in all areas of life. Purchasing educational toys for infants has become an increasingly popular choice for parents who wish to provide their babies with additional tools that will give them a head start.

Research indicates that providing infants the appropriate cognitive stimulus at an early age can help prevent many learning difficulties later. Providing your baby with the right stimulation will not only ward off these potential learning problems, but also help prepare them for the more complex challenges they will face as pre-schoolers and beyond.

Though your baby’s motor skills and mobility may be limited, he/she is actually learning at a phenomenal pace. But because their sensory skills aren’t developed yet, infants learn physically, through sight, sound and touch, and need toys that stimulate those senses.

From a very young age babies will respond to bright contrasting colors and simple patterns. In addition, toys at this stage should be lightweight, easy to grasp, have interesting sounds and a variety of textures for the baby to touch.

As always, when choosing toys for a child of any age, be sure to follow the toy manufacturers specifications for age and safety guidelines.

Here are some suggestions;

1. Very young babies prefer objects that move slowly and/or have a gentle sound. Crib mobiles mesmerize newborns; just make sure it’s within the baby’s visual range.

2. Infants will find an unbreakable crib mirror fascinating, and will stare at their reflection intently.

3. From birth to six months of age, babies have very limited motor skills. Wrist rattles, teething rings, colorful pictures and soft blocks will stimulate and motivate infants at this age.

4. Babies between six and nine months of age are old enough to benefit from toys like activity centers, stacking rings and building blocks.

5. Don’t hesitate to introduce books at any age. Babies will focus on your voice as you read. They also love looking at faces, and will respond to books with colorful pictures of people, particularly other babies.

Although interacting with parents and caregivers offers the best education during baby’s first few months, providing educational toys for infants will supply other forms of physical activity through touch, sight and sound that will keep their little brains active, and help further their healthy development.<!–

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Infant Car Seats will Save the Life of Your Toddler

Posted by babyhealthcare on August 19th, 2009

When selecting the best cover for your baby car seat, you need to be sure beforehand that the seat is one of the better ones so that you can protect your infant from injury while you drive around. Even the less expensive baby car seats have all undergone the same government crash test before they are released in the market. The choice then becomes that of getting the better fitting seat that will match both their type of vehicle and can support their child if there happens to be an accident.

Infant car seats will save the life of your toddler when installed properly in one’s vehicle. It is important before purchasing the seat to be sure that you can properly install the baby seat cover in the seat of the vehicle. Carefully read the toddler car seat manual so that you can fully follow the instructions and any safety measures involved in the installation of the seat in your vehicle.

Many stores can allow people to test a baby car seat with a dummy so that you can check if it can fit the seat of the vehicle. If the store doesn’t have a testing seat, take a look at the store’s return policy in order to find out if you can return it if it ends up not fitting into the seat of your automobile. One way you can check to see if the seat is installed properly inside a vehicle is to make sure it doesn’t wiggle more than one inch or so when you shake it from side to side.

Also be sure that the seat can fit your toddler well. Many seats will carry weight up to 20 lbs. for a baby seat. The car seat needs to provide an inch or more of space from the top of the seat to the head of the child for any seats that are rear facing, and for those that are facing the front, then the tops of your baby’s ears need to be below the top of the seat.<!–

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