Baby Articles » All About Baby

Does My Baby Have Colic?

Bob — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 18:00:06 +0000

Colic can be one of the most frustrating things for a parent. Experts aren’t entirely certain what it is that causes colic, and there is no guaranteed cure for colic. In fact, it is thought that colic may actually be caused by different things for different babies. There are, however, some ways that you can ease your baby’s colic. Recognizing that your baby has colic is the very first step in trying to help your baby with colic, and to reduce the frequency and duration of crying that your baby will experience.

Colic is defined as crying for three or more hours, three or more days each week. The most obvious way, then, to know that your baby has colic is if he or she is crying that long and that frequently. Continuous crying for long durations is the defining characteristic of colic. Often, the crying that accompanies colic will be worse in the evening, although a baby with colic may experience crying at any time during the day. When your baby is crying continuously for long durations, and you have ruled out all of the other possible causes for your baby’s crying such as tiredness, pain, illness, or overstimulation, then you can know that your baby has colic.

Your health care provider can help you to know if your baby has colic. In addition, your health care provider may be able to help you identify ways that you can help your baby with colic. The good news, medically speaking, is that colic does not seem to be harmful to a baby. Also, the fact of the matter is that colic will generally pass by the time your baby is four months old or so.

The real challenge of having a baby with colic is the anxiety and the stressful atmosphere that having a constantly crying baby can cause in a home. It is important, then, that each family member have some sort of a break from time to time to help them cope with the constant crying.

Basic Crib Safety

Bob — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 18:00:35 +0000

Much of your baby’s first two years of life are going to be spent in her crib. Like any parent, you want to make sure that this important piece of baby furniture is a cozy, secure, and comforting place for your baby to be. Most important of all, you want to make sure that it’s a safe place for your baby to be. Most cribs being manufactured currently follow these safety guidelines, but check them anyway, just to be sure.

Make especially sure to check them if you are considering buying a used crib:

Make sure there are no cut outs on the side panels. These can snag clothing or limbs as baby gets old enough to reach them.
If the crib has corner posts, there should be level with the height of the end panels. The exception is canopy style cribs, in which case they are high enough that baby’s clothing will not get tangled on them.
Slats should be no wider than 2 3/8 inches apart. If the openings between slats are wider than that, baby could get his head stuck.
Ensure that the mattress fits snugly into the crib. You should not be able to fit 2 fingers between the mattress and the crib walls.
Make sure children cannot drop the drop sides. There should be a locking mechanism.
Ensure that the height of the crib sides is at least 26 inches above the mattress when the sides are at their full height, and at least 9 inches above the mattress when the sides are lowered.

In addition, here are some things you should check periodically regardless of what kind of crib you use:

Make sure baby’s mattress is firm. Never use soft mattresses for babies.
Check your baby’s crib frequently for chips, splinters, peeling paint, and loose parts. Fix problems immediately.
Make sure that your baby’s crib is away from window dressings, blind strings and other objects that baby could pull into the crib with him.
Make sure that the crib is at the right height for your baby’s development. Most cribs have 3 height settings. The highest is fine until baby can sit up. When baby starts trying to sit, move to the middle setting. When baby starts trying to stand, move to the lowest setting.

Preventing SIDS

Bob — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 12:00:36 +0000

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, or SIDS, stated simply is when an apparently healthy baby dies of unexplained causes, usually while she is sleeping. Most SIDS deaths occur in infants between two and four months old, with occurrences being quite rare for babies under a month old or over six months old. There is no sure fire way of preventing SIDS. It can happen despite all of the best practices. However, by following these tips, you can significantly reduce the chances of your baby dying of SIDS:

Always place your baby to sleep on his back. Never lay a baby down to sleep on his stomach. Extensive efforts have been made to educate parents about this since the 1990s, and the occurrences of SIDS related deaths have dropped dramatically as a result of parents laying baby down to sleep on his back.
If you smoke, stop. If anyone in the home smokes, encourage them to stop. If you can’t stop, at least smoke outside, away from the baby. Second hand smoke, as well as mothers smoking while they are pregnant, has been shown to contribute to the risk of SIDS.
Don’t overheat your baby. Babies should generally have on about the same amount of clothing layers as adults. If you think your baby might be cold, one additional layer is generally OK, but no more. Overheating your baby has been shown to increase the risk of SIDS.
Use a firm mattress in baby’s crib. Don’t lay baby down to sleep on a soft mattress, pillow, or other soft surface. Not only will she not sleep as soundly, but these things increase the risks of suffocation and SIDS.
Make sure that your baby’s crib mattress fits securely in the crib. You should not be able to place any more than two fingers comfortably in between the mattress and the side of the crib.
Put your baby to sleep with a pacifier. Not only will it help her fall asleep and potentially stay asleep a little longer, but it has also been shown to reduce the risk of SIDS.

Should Baby have a Security Blanket or Other Item?

Bob — Wed, 11 May 2011 16:00:58 +0000

While it doesn’t always happen, babies can really become attached to a certain item. You might even notice that, from a very young age, your baby seems to be more restful or have better sleep when she’s wrapped in a specific blanket. What’s frustrating for your baby (and for you at times) is that it’s not always easy for her to show you those preferences. The same goes for specific toys that your baby enjoys, or even a certain pacifier.

In some ways, babies aren’t that much different from grown people. We all have our own favorite things and activities. Babies very often look to those security items at bedtime to help them calm down and go to sleep. It’s normal and natural for a baby to look to security and comfort items when they’re distressed, alone, or even tired.

A security item gives your baby a sense of the familiar. They can create associations with the object. It could be that your baby’s blanket makes him think of you. It could be that his favorite toy makes him think of home. Everything in the world around your little one is brand new, and sometimes it’s nice just to have a familiar object. That object provides a point of reference and stability for your baby.

One of the concerns voiced by parents about security items is that they are worried that the baby won’t ever give them up. To be sure, this can happen. There are plenty of teenagers who have a favorite stuffed animal, and more than one student has gone off to college with their favorite blankie. That being said, most children outgrow the need for the security item, and it becomes more of a nostalgic thing for them rather than a real need.

The bottom line is this: let your baby enjoy her security items, as long as they’re safe. It isn’t recommended that small infants have a blanket with them in bed, as it can increase the likelihood of SIDS. The same goes for toys. Barring those kinds of risks, it’s perfectly safe and normal to let your little one have those favorite things.

Diaper Rash Causes and Prevention

Bob — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 12:00:34 +0000

Diaper rash is one of the more frustrating things that you and your new baby can have to deal with. If you want to get through those diaper rash days, you need to know what it is that can cause diaper rash, as well as some of the kinds of things that can be done to prevent it.

Here are some of the particular kinds of issues that can contribute to diaper rash:

Moisture in the area of the diaper
Prolonged exposure of the skin to urine and to feces
Diaper area chafing
Baby having diarrhea
An allergic reaction to something that your baby has eaten
Irritation of the diaper area caused by a particular chemical or fabric

In addition to watching for these things and trying to avoid them whenever possible, here are some of the kinds of things you can do to help keep diaper rash from occurring:

Make sure that the elastic around your diapers or plastic pants isn’t too constricting on either the legs or on the belly. You want them to fit loosely enough that air can circulate, but you want them to be tight enough that they don’t leak.
Change your baby’s diaper regularly, even if you find that it’s only just slightly wet.
Try to let your baby go for a little while without a diaper for several times each day. This keeps the diaper area dry, and therefore helps to avoid diaper rash.
When you change your baby’s diaper, use ointment. You might consider an ointment that contains a white zinc oxide, although other parents do prefer to use petroleum jelly. The downside to petroleum jelly is that it tends to easily wipe off your baby’s skin.
If you use cloth diapers, watch out for laundry soaps that have fragrance or other chemicals that might irritate your baby’s skin.
If you suspect that your baby has a food allergy, talk to a doctor. Try to eliminate certain foods one at a time so as to know for sure which may be causing the diaper rash and the allergic reaction.

If your baby’s diaper rash is particularly severe or long-lasting, you should talk to your doctor.