May28

What to do if your baby has colic

 

 

colic babies

 

It’s the dreaded C-word that most parents fear. Colic is a difficult condition for both babies and parents to deal with, primarily because it’s difficult to diagnose and impossible to cure in a one-stop way. It’s the condition that has many parents leaning heavily on their medical aid, because it may require many visits to the pediatrician before it’s cured… or simply goes away.

What is colic?

Colic is a condition in which your baby becomes irritable and cries continuously for more than three hours per day, more than three days per week, for up to three weeks. The condition can start when your baby is two weeks old (a bit later for preemies) and last until she’s about three or four months old. There’s no known single cause for colic, and it’s described as general “fussiness”. There are theories about what causes colic and many parents and doctors have put it down to:

  • digestive trouble
  • reflux or heartburn
  • gas in the intestines
  • an immature digestive system with crampy muscles
  • high hormone levels that cause painful stomach ache
  • environmental over stimulation (sound, light, heat, etc.)
  • an as-yet underdeveloped nervous system

How to treat colic

As there are few certain causes of colic, it’s difficult to diagnose and treat, and requires a careful process of elimination to get to the source of the trouble. Your pediatrician should rule out infections, gastrointestinal distress, inflammation of the brain or nervous system (which can cause painful pressure in the body), eye problems, arrhythmia in the heart, bone fractures or hernias.

Once other conditions have been ruled out, try substituting cow’s milk formula with another type, like soy-based formula. Use a lactose additive or try a hypoallergenic formula. If you are still breastfeeding, change your diet to exclude caffeine, milk, and certain vegetables, or take herbal supplements. Make certain behavioral changes, like trying infant massage, using a front baby carrier so that you’re facing your baby, try a different type of pacifier, increase decrease the amount of environmental stimulation.

Speak to your pediatrician about the best possible solutions to colic and work with him until you find the right one, or until the colic resolves itself over time.

visuals are courtesy of : momstownburlington.blogspot.com and  duniacacamarba.blogspot.com

 

 

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May28

Adventurous ways to get your child to eat healthy foods

While your child’s body may still be developing, so are his taste-buds, so he may take a while to figure out what he likes and doesn’t like to eat. In the meantime, for the sake of health and wellness, it’s important that he gets his daily amount of vitamins, minerals, healthy proteins and carbohydrates, without too many sugars or artificial food additives. Try these methods to get him to eat a healthy variety of foods:Healthy-Food-For-Kids

Involve him in the selection process
Short of asking your child what he wants to eat, give him the choice of Food A or Food B. Narrowing it down means he has to pick one or the other, and if you add one new fruit or vegetable to the menu each week, he’ll get used to the variety. Taking him to the grocery store with you will also make food choices an exciting experience.

Make food fun
To introduce more healthy variety, it’s time to get creative in the kitchen. Arrange carrot and cucumber slices, cherry tomatoes, pieces of pineapple, etc. as recognisable shapes on a place. Angel spaghetti works very well as hair, mashed potato can be a cloud or a mini volcano. This encourages the use of his imagination, but also gets him to enjoy his food on more than just a taste level. On “home-made pizza Friday”, he can also arrange his own pizza toppings, or sprinkle the cheese on top of cottage pie.

Be a good role model
It doesn’t help to try to get your child to eat healthy food while you prepare a high-sodium microwave dish or chow down on MSG-enriched fast food, or chips and chocolates. You’ll need to be all about healthy eating and if he watches you enjoying a good variety of healthy foods, chances are, he’ll follow in your footsteps.

What are some of your experiences with successfully getting your child to eat healthy food? Let us know in the comments below!

visuals are courtesy of : www.carbonlabelca.com and www.dietforgoodhealth.com

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May28

How to adequately child proof your home

 

child proof home

 

All parents want their homes to be safe for their children, but often the most dangerous aspect in the home is your children’s curiosity. Wall sockets, staircases,medicine cabinets, hot water taps and cutlery drawers are only as safe as your children’s lack of access to them allows them to be. Here are some methods to childproofing that can make your home the safe place you want it to be:

Door latches

Childproofing door latches are one of those inventions you can’t do without, especially because you can put them on all doors – from fridges, to cupboard doors, as well as drawers. They will prevent your child from getting into medicine cabinets, kitchen cupboards where potentially poisonous liquids are kept and drawers with sharp knives and other utensils. A toilet lock is another type of latch that can prevent children from exposure to germs and drowning.

Corner/edge bumpers
Having kids doesn’t mean getting plastic furniture in your home until they go off to big school. You can get a variety of very handy edge-bumpers that prevent kids from hitting their heads against the sharp corners of furniture.

Safety gates and doorknob covers

Preventing your child from accessing restricted areas like the bathroom or the swimming pool can be achieved by installing safety gates (also for the tops of staircases) or special doorknob covers for child safety. It’s important to test these implements from time to time to ensure they are easily accessible for adults, in case of emergency.

Furniture stabilisers

Aside from keeping climbable furniture away from windows (in case your child should topple and fall through the window), large bookcases, free-standing cupboards and shelving should be bolted to the wall or floor so that there’s no risk of it tipping over. Heavier items should be stored on lower shelves to reduce the risk of tipping.

Aside from using childproofing techniques in your home, it’s also important to educate your children about what could possibly happen if they stuck their fingers in wall sockets, played with knives or drank unknown liquids, etc. Be safe!

visuals are courtesy of : www.kmart.com and www.happyparenthood.com

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May28

The superfoods every new mom needs

a piece of hoisen glazed salmon

New moms need all the nutrients they can get, not only to get their bodies back into post-pregnancy shape, but to continue to supply their babies with the best nutrition while breastfeeding. Here are some of the best superfoods that breastfeeding moms and their babies can benefit from: Continue reading →

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May27

The advantages of natural birth

a newly born baby

Even though modern medical technology allows women to experience a variety of childbirth options and to have their babies as painlessly as possible, many women opt for natural childbirth because they want to be in control of the labour process and actively participate in the birthing of their babies. Natural childbirth also negates the need for mothers to be continuously monitored, but they need to accept that there will be pain and it’s up to them to decide how to manage it, based on information and advice about natural birthing. Continue reading →

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Apr24

Your child’s first visit to the dentist

Modern technology and updated orthodontic practices mean that dentist visits no longer need to be scary (for children or for adults). Your child will need his first visit to the dentist at least six months after his first tooth shows up, or around the age of one. Here’s what you can do to make it plain sailing:

Girl with a toothache

1. Relax
Children often take cues from their parents, so if you freak out about the dentist, you’ll make your child anticipate a negative experience. That’s probably how most dentists have got a bad rap – much ado about nothing.

2. Turn it into an adventure
“Mommy knows how good your teeth are, so we’re going to show them off to the dentist.” Since the first dentist visit will potentially only be a short stop in for a check-up and to ascertain your child’s dental health, it’s not unrealistic to assume there will be no problems. It’s a great opportunity for your child to see the dentist in a good light.

3. Walk your child through the procedure while in the dentist’s chair
The dentist will do an oral examination: “Show him your nice, healthy teeth.”
Then he will check your child’s bite: “He wants to see if you bite like a birdie or bite like a dinosaur!”
He also looks at jaw and gum health: “Show him your squishy gums.”

You can discuss your child’s oral health strategy with your dentist – the correct oral care for children; a nutritional plan that will ensure optimal oral health; as well as when to expect different dental milestones (the first tooth to fall out, when to expect wisdom teeth, and what to do if teeth start growing crookedly).

Your child’s dentist may want to see your child every six months at first, so be sure to include dentistry in your medical aid options so that these visits are covered and your child’s dental care regime can be off to a great start!

Visual Courtesy: treatmentsforhealth.com

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Apr23

The secret to effective potty training

We bet you’re champing at the bit to hear the secret to effective potty training, so we’ll come right out and say it first, then back it up with some foundational advice:

baby smiling and sitting on a potty

Wait until your child is ready to potty train.

Even if your little one made all the other milestones right on the mark, there is no fixed age or set date for your child to ease off the nappies and be able to control his bladder enough for you to call him “potty trained”. And it’s not as though he’s going to pipe up and say, “Right, Mom, I’m ready to potty train now – let me at ´em!” You need to watch out for some key developmental signs to show up before you know he’s ready to give potty training a try.

And if you give the potty training a go for a couple of weeks and there’s no progress, then it’s obvious that he wasn’t ready to start. A good idea is to wait until he’s in a relatively calm phase of his life – not starting day care or having just moved house. Remove the anxieties before you start potty training.

Go slowly, even if you think your little champion will have this potty thing down pat in a couple of days. Take the pressure off of him and let him get there on his own. If you do want to help, then nurturing praise and gentle encouragement go a long way to building his self-esteem as he navigates his way through this important developmental phase.

Toddlers do respond well to positive reinforcement, so give him a thumbs up and encourage him to keep going. You don’t need to make a huge deal out of his potty training successes, as this may have the opposite effect of what you’re trying to achieve: it may make him afraid to fail and that nervousness can actually put the potty progress in reverse.

Once you accept that accidents will still happen from time to time and that getting angry won’t help the situation at all, you may even be helping him to get their faster. Good luck!

toddler reading on a toilet seat

 

 

 

 

 

 

Visual Courtesy of :mom-machine.com and tumblr.com

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Apr23

The 5 nutrients every child needs

A medical aid may help when your baby gets sick, but to provide the foundation for good immunity and physical health, the following are five very important nutrients and the foods to feed your child so that she can benefit from them:

Bowl-of-fruit

1. Iron
Full-term babies are born with a store of iron they can draw from for the first six months of life. It helps with all-important brain development, thought processing and motor function. Iron-fortified formula and cereals are a good place to start feeding your baby iron, and when she’s ready for solid foods, meat, poultry, eggs and fish are excellent sources. Vegetables containing iron include broccoli, avo, prunes, spinach, and squash.

2. Zinc
If you want your baby to have sustained immunity, a well-developed brain, and quick physical healing, then zinc is the mineral to focus on. You’ll find zinc in pork tenderloin, yoghurt, chicken (and other poultry), lentils, full-cream milk, cereal and cheese.

baby biting into a watermelon

3. Fat-soluble vitamins: A, D, E, and K
Your baby’s quality of vision, skin health, calcium absorption, bone growth, nervous system health, and blood health are all dependent on fat-soluble vitamins. These vitamins are found in leafy green vegetables and fruits, as well as sweet potato, broccoli, dairy, and whole-grains. Breast milk is also a great source of fat-soluble vitamins, so don’t let your baby go to the bottle too soon.

4. Vitamins C and B
To assist with iron absorption and general immune health, Vitamin C needs to be readily available, especially during the cold season. Vitamin B and folic acid also help with immune function, assist with healthy skin, and aid metabolism. Vitamins C and B can be found in citrus fruits, potatoes, green vegetables, whole grains, and meat, poultry and fish. If you provide a range of fruits and vegetables from the food pyramid, your baby will get the right vitamins in the right combination.

5. Calcium
This mineral is all-important for bone growth and density. It helps children to reach peak bone mass, which will prevent them from easily fracturing bones when they start to climb trees and play on the jungle gym. Your child can meet her calcium needs on breast milk, whole milk, yoghurt, cheese, salmon, broccoli, tomato, and oatmeal.

Visual Courtesy of :unmaseoutrasjoicy.blogspot.com and ttfatloss.com

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Apr23

Fever: When should you call the doctor?

You don’t have to get worried every time your child’s skin feels hot under your lips or cheek – he may have been playing outside, or if it’s a scorching hot day, the weather may account for his feeling hot. However, feeling hot is not the only clue to a potential fever; there are also behavioural clues that could lead you to the conclusion that a fever is the culprit.

What is a fever?
Fever symptoms indicate that the body is working hard to fight an infection. If you suspect your child is running a fever, take his temperature with a thermometer. It should give you the confirmation you need to get him to the doctor or not. The normal temperature range is 36 to 38 degrees celcius. Any higher than this and there could be risks for hyperthermia or seizures.

photo_of_baby_having_temperature_taken

 

 

 

 

 

Should I call the doctor?

A high fever can be brought down using any number of methods from removing a few layers of clothes, to applying a cold facecloth to the forehead, drinking cold juice or water, and getting rest. If the fever is accompanied by other serious symptoms like vomiting or diarrhoea, a very pale or very flushed complexion, an unexplained rash or large purple blotches on the skin, or laboured or quick breathing, go see your doctor immediately.

If there are no other symptoms, but your child is still running a very high fever (39 degrees) for more than 24 hours, it may be that he has a viral infection. Some viral and bacterial infections can be very serious – such as urinary tract infection, meningitis or bacteria in the bloodstream – and will need the doctor’s diagnosis before treatment can be started.

Once your doctor has ascertained the cause of the high fever (with or without additional symptoms), the correct treatment can be administered. If you are unsure of what’s causing the high fever, don’t give your child any medication until the doctor has given the “okay” to do so.

Visual Courtesy of : witgelekruisaruba.org

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Apr23

Could your child have asthma?

The ability to run outdoors, laugh uncontrollably and play without a care in the world are Girls Flying kiterights that all children need to have. However, some children may only be able to run, laugh, and play for a few minutes at a time before needing to catch their breaths, or they might have difficulty breathing under normal circumstances. Childhood asthma is relatively common amongst children and while there is no cure, doctors have become better at helping parents to manage their children’s asthma.

What are the symptoms of asthma?
Initially asthma is difficult to diagnose because often some children will present with one or two symptoms, while others will present with all of them. But it’s a good thing medical aids cover visits to the pediatrician because that’s where you need to go if your child had or displays the following symptoms:
• a low birth weight
• skin allergies alongside nasal allergies
• a family history that includes asthma and airway allergies
• respiratory infections that occur frequently
• tobacco smoke exposure before or after birth

What asthma attacks in children look like
An attack can start off with an anxious look in your child’s eyes as she realises she’s struggling to breathe. Drawn-up shoulders with ribs exposed is another sign for an attack coming, as the lungs inflate and push the chest outwards. A wheezing or whistling sound coming from her airways, shallow breathing in a desperate attempt to get air, as well as the prevalence of a chronic cough.

Children who have asthma complain of chest pains and increased tiredness when it comes to sports and high energy activities. Don’t think that it’s just an excuse to get out of sports – asthma is a serious disease. Little boy in bed sick

How is asthma treated?
Once your child’s doctor has made his diagnosis, the asthma will be managed based on the symptoms she presents and how frequently she has asthma attacks. Medication and an inhaler can be prescribed; but it’s also important to learn what her asthma attack triggers are and figure out how to avoid them.

If you suspect that you child has asthma, take him or her to the doctor immediately so that the treatment and management can start straight away.

Visual Courtesy of : susan dayley.wordpress.com and blogs.webmbd.com

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