SIDS – Sudden Infant Death Syndrome – What You Need to Know
By Sarah Veda

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is a frightening fear for most mothers. SIDS is often referred to as crib death, and is the sudden death of an infant who stops breathing. It is rare, affecting less than 2 in 1000 infants in the US, but the fear of it plagues all new mothers.

Who needs to be worried?

SIDS was once thought of as random, striking healthy babies, which made it all the more frightening. But, in reality, there are some things that can indicate that a baby is at a higher risk for SIDS. The first is any baby that has previously had an episode where he has turned blue or had to have breathing revived. Premature or low birthweight babies are more susceptible. In addition, mothers who have had poor prenatal care or smoked during pregnancy are more likely to have a child with SIDS. Children with diagnosed heart or lung conditions are also at risk, and boys are more susceptible than girls.

So, what do I do?

First and foremost, take care of yourself during pregnancy and don’t smoke. Have regular prenatal doctor’s visits, and follow your doctor’s recommendations. Secondly, put your newborn to sleep on his back, or his side. There does seem to be a connection between SIDS and babies who sleep on their stomachs, particularly if they sleep on a soft mattress. Don’t put unnecessary items, even blankets in the crib with the baby, and don’t let him get overheated. Learn infant CPR – so you are prepared in the event you need to resuscitate your child.

What if my baby has had an episode?

If your child has an episode – stops breathing or turns blue, notify your doctor immediately, even though you were able to revive him. Your doctor will want to run tests, and, if he fears that the baby is likely to have another episode (though 95% do not) he might suggest a monitor for the baby. These monitors will alert you in the event the baby stops breathing, but are only used in high risk situations. The monitors are quite cumbersome, and tend to have lots of false alarms, making Moms even crazier.

When Can I Stop Worrying?

The threat of SIDS is over once your child reaches his first birthday, and declines dramatically once he is six months old. In fact, most SIDS deaths happen between the ages of two and four months. Take some precautions, but unless your baby has an elevated risk, remember that SIDS is actually rare, and is not something to obsess over.

Sarah is a 41 year old wife and mother of two boys and one girl. She spent many years as a manager in the corporate world, and gave it up to be a stay at home mom.

Go to http://www.infantresources.com now and get her incredible baby minicourse – absolutely free.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sarah_Veda

Protecting Your Baby and Toddler from the Sun
By Graham Nicoll

Babies and young children have thinner and more delicate skin than adults. Afterall, our skin has had a lot more years of conditioning to the outside world. Due to this, the risk of young children getting sunburnt is significantly higher.

The most important thing to highlight whan discussing protection from the sun is that sunburn is only the short term result of over exposure to the sun. We need to think longer term in order to protect out children from developing more serious over exposure conditions such as skin cancer.

Some fundamental rules to follow are as follows:

+ Stay in the shade during the hottest time of day – 11.00 – 15.00

+ Always apply factor 50 or above for your baby or toddler

+ If going for a long walk always take a parasol for the buggy, sun hat and eye protection such as baby sunglasses

+ Brimmed hats are ideal for your little one to protect both their face and the back of their neck from the sun. This is area most prone to sunburn as it is often forgotten about!

As mentioned above, don’t forget to protect your children’s eyes as well as yours. Wear good quality, wrap around sunglasses. Look for the sticker on the lenses that tells you that the sunglasses provide proper UV protection.

Think about the clothes that your little one is wearing. You need to consider whether they will get too hot, as well as considering whether their arms or legs will be exposed.

Skin types do play a part in how quickly you will burn. They are divided into 5 categories. Individuals with skin type 1 will be pale skinned, have freckles, light coloured eyes and fair or red hair. These people will burn easily in the sun and never tan. Individuals with skin type 5, have dark brown or black skin, dark eye colour and dark hair. They almost never burn in the sun. Even though they don’t burn over exposure to the sun’s rays will still cause the premature aging of the skin and increase the risk of skin cancer.

Taking precautions in the sun is vital for everyone, but particularly for children.

The summer time is a great time of year, you just need to remember to take the necessary precautions to protect yourself and your little one from the sun.

Have a fun summer!

For parasols or baby sunglasses visit www.smileybaby.co.uk

If you are travelling during the summer months and are looking for activities to take your little one too then visit www.busylittleones.co.uk.

Graham Nicoll is a father of one, Toby, a keen entrepreneur and fitness enthusiast.

He enjoys writing and working with people to help them achieve greater success in their life. Whether this be overcoming mental roadblocks or helping them improve their health and wellbeing.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Graham_Nicoll

Just What is Colic – and Does My Baby Have It
By Sarah Veda

There are few things more nerve wracking than a crying baby, particularly when nothing you do seems to console him. But, how do you know when your baby’s symptoms have are just crying and when he has colic? And, just what is colic, anyway?

No one knows exactly what causes colic, though many old wives tales abound. Lots of older women will tell you that it is caused by parental inexperience, but colic does not occur more often in first children than in subsequent children, so they One thing that seems clear is that most babies who are experiencing colic have a stomach ache. Many are gassy, though a baby won’t cry so inconsolably every time he has gas, so it is clearly gas plus something, though just what is not clear.

Though we don’t know what colic really is, it is hard to miss when your child is experiencing it. The inconsolable crying usually begins in the late afternoon or early evening and often lasts until the baby finally falls asleep for the night, exhausted. Colic typically begins between two and three weeks of age, and is over its worst by twelve to sixteen weeks, though there are babies who start later and end later. My daughter started at twelve weeks, but thankfully her bout of colic was over in two weeks. A colicky baby will typically draw his knees up to his chest, clench his fists and scream. He may act like he wants the breast or bottle, but reject it as soon as you it’s in his mouth. You will get the sense that your child is frantic, and needs something very badly, but doesn’t know what.

If you believe your baby has colic, it is still wise to take him to a doctor. There is no cure for colic, but you should rule out other causes, such as an allergy to formula or some other gastric disorder. Once your doctor has proclaimed the baby healthy, you can chalk it up to colic.

Once you know that your baby has colic, though there is no cure, there are some remedies you can try. Simethicone drops, which are available over the counter as a gas medication for babies, helps in some cases. In addition, there are numerous tricks you can try such as taking a drive in the car or running the vacuum cleaner that will work for some babies some of the time. But, overall, colic is just a waiting game. Keep the baby (and yourself) as calm as possible and look forward to the day when it will be over.

Sarah is a 41 year old wife and mother of two boys and one girl. She spent many years as a manager in the corporate world, and gave it up to be a stay at home mom.

Go to http://www.infantresources.com now and get her incredible baby minicourse – absolutely free.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sarah_Veda

Babies and Teething – Banish the Hurt
By Mark Walters

Ouch! Teething hurts! It’s a very painful and stressful time for baby. There are a few things you can do to ease the pain.

Teething usually occurs between 6 months and 24 months of age. Often the bottom two front teeth will appear first and then the four top front teeth. Baby will often begin drooling or try to chew on any firm object within reach.

Baby’s gums may be tender and swollen and cheeks near the affected gums will sometimes become red. While most babies go through the teething experience without excessive pain, that’s not the case with all of them. For some it may be very uncomfortable and baby may become extremely irritable.

You can help by rubbing baby’s gums with a clean wet finger or use a cold table spoon to gently massage the gums. This will help ease the pain and soothe baby.

Chilled teething rings are a popular option. When using a teething ring you can increase its effectiveness by storing it in the refrigerator. Baby will find the coolness on the gums is very soothing. You want the ring chilled, but not frozen. A frozen teething ring could cause frostbite to baby’s tender lips and gums.

Some parents allow baby to chew on a clean cold wash rag. Another idea is to wrap cracked ice in a washcloth and allow children to chew on this. Careful! Watch your babies to make sure they don’t accidentally choke on any ice that may slip out of the washcloth.

When a baby reaches six months of age she loves to feed herself. Create a custom made cool treat by filling an ice cube tray with baby’s favorite juice and put wooden sticks in each section. The frozen treat will numb baby’s gums for a few moments and may even generate a few giggles.

After the first two bottom teeth appear, baby can chew on a cold carrot or apple. This helps ease the pain, as well as gives baby a little added nutrition. Of course, never give baby something he can choke on.

Keep over the counter teething gel handy. Ask your doctor if he or she recommends a pain reliever medication. Don’t mistake certain symptoms with teething when those symptoms could actually represent an illness or infection. Diaper rash, high fever, diarrhea, sleepless nights and vomiting are not a side effect of teething. If your baby displays any of those things get to your doctor quickly.

Chances are you won’t be able to make your baby completely comfortable during teething, but if you follow these suggestions you will be doing everything you can.

Mark “The Party Animal” Walters explains how to throw a giggle packed party for every expectant mother with a memorable Baby Shower.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mark_Walters

Your Baby Is Having His First Cold – What To Do
By David Crowton

As a new parent both you and your family are probably overjoyed. The first few months has been nothing but wonderful and you are hoping it will stay like this forever. Unfortunately everyday life does not work like that and you are bound to experience some bumps in the road along the way and nothing is worse than when your baby gets sick.

Like everyone else, you will wake up one morning and find that your little baby has got a real bad cold. Listening to that little chest being so congested can for many first time parents be very traumatic. You may not be quite sure of what to do and feel completely helpless because you can tell your baby is having a hard time breathing and he has a little bit of a fever.

In most cases of a baby cold there is no reason to panic and for most babies there is no reason to take them to the doctor either. Of course if taking him to the doctor make you feel better and safer that is what you should do. For anything you are not sure of when it comes to your child you should seek advice from somewhere. Anyway, like mentioned, with most baby colds there is normally no reason to rush to the doctor.

As for yourself when you have a cold there are certain things you should do for your baby when he has a cold. Here are a few ideas which can make it easier for both you and your baby. First of all make sure they get lots of fluids to keep them from dehydrating, this is very important.

In order for your baby to be able to breathe better, purchase one of those mist humidifiers and keep it on while the baby is taking a nap and at night time. This will help loosen up the cough secretions and let them breathe better. A humidifier will also help you if you get a cold so it is not a waste of money.

Keep their head elevated. Try to put something under the baby’s mattress to build up their head elevation. Babies always breathe better if elevated and not laying flat on their back during sickness.

If your child has a bad coughing spell, go in the bathroom turn on the shower with real hot water so it will steam up the bathroom. Sit the baby on your lap and let them breathe in the steam. This will help ease their cough.

Other things you can do to keep your child more comfortable during this time is to make sure you have things around the house to lessen the fever and discomfort like for example infant Tylenol. Also make sure to give lots of love, hugs and kisses just to let them know you are there for them.

All of this is only suggestions but hopefully it will help you get through your baby’s first cold.

David Crowton is an established expert copywriter. He is known for doing in-depth research before writing his articles.

http://www.Ispjv.com
http://www.Submitcontent.com

Copyright 2005 http://www.BabyContent.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_Crowton

Let Your Child Get Dirty! It’s Essential for Physical and Mental Development
By Charles Kassotis

Are you still following your child around worrying that they might stain their clothes? Do you forbid playing outside because they might get dirty? Do you see germs and infections in every step they take? Are you trying to keep away friendly dogs or cute kittens because they might be disease carriers?

Do any of the sentences above represent your attitude towards your child? If yes, you must reconsider. Depriving your child of physical contact with the “Dirty, Outside World” is bad for its health. Sound unbelievable? How can something full of germs be essential for a kid’s development?

First of all, your child, in the delicate years between childhood and puberty, develops its immune system. The immune system is designed to defend the organism against millions of bacteria, microbes, parasites, viruses and toxins. But it needs to be trained; just us muscles need exercise to function properly. In order to recognize harmful germs, it needs to meet them first. Then it creates an archive, where it is all installed. When the time comes for a fight, the immune system will be prepared because it knows the enemy. Pure exposure to various microorganisms and other environmental factors leads to pure immune resistance. That means, that the child will be less susceptible to disease later in life. So, don’t exaggerate in hygiene matters. Let your child’s immune system harden, with the help of dirt.

Your child needs also to be active, run around and feel happy playing outside. Worrying about stains will make the child feel guilty about activities that make it happy. You cannot replace that happiness with clean clothes, or with indoor inactive activities such us TV or video games. This is especially true during the school year. Imagine being seated in a chair while experiencing growth and energy spurts! Getting loose outside home will help the child deal with that pressure.

Don’t underestimate your kids’ explorative skills. By exploring –not the house of course- it discovers the world. Exploration boosts the imagination as well as creativity, social and physical skills. Well-developed physical skills result in a healthy body. Creativity will bring adaptability, and social skills will bring success and mental health. All those will eventually turn an active child, into a lively, successful healthy adult.

Let friendly animals approach your child. They won’t hurt it; they will be of benefit. By keeping animals away you teach your child to do the same. Have you considered having a pet? Children raised with pets show many benefits. Developing positive feelings about pets can contribute to a child’s self-esteem and self-confidence. Your child will develop trusting relationships with others much easier. A good relationship with a pet can also help in developing non-verbal communication, compassion, and empathy.

Finally, how important do you think memories are? Memories are moments of our lives, forming our personality. What would you like your child to remember from its childhood memories? Clean, germ-free clothes? Or shiny days outside, filled with laughter and a sense of adventure?

Are you still afraid of dirt? No need to be, after all, dirt is health! So, let your child go and play outside, loose in the dirt. Join in if you get jealous, you might want to get a little dirty too!

Learn How to Remove Grass and Dirt Stains from Your Active Childs Clothing, Easily and Safely. Visit Stainremovalinfo.com at http://www.stainremovalinfo.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Charles_Kassotis

First Aid for Children
By Debbie Hackett

“First do no harm” is one of the most important things to keep in mind. Keeping a first aid kit in your home, and in the car, is the best way to make sure you can provide your little ones with the first aid they may need. Make sure to keep your first aid kit up to date by checking expiration dates on the triple antibiotic ointments, eye saline solution, and other items you may have in your kit, such as Benedryl, that you have added after talking to your doctor and getting the proper dosage.

Having the right items in your kit is important too. In addition to the basics, instant ice packs (small 4 X 6 inches) are wonderful for boo boos at home and especially away, since they don’t need to be refrigerated before use. Another item, A two inch conforming gauze wrap (stretchier than regular gauze) is also important to have in your kit. If it not sterile, just make sure to use a sterile gauze pad first if there are breaks in the skin and then wrap the injury with the gauze wrap.

It is a huge help to take a short class in basic first aid (and CPR) as many things have changed in recent years and techniques and products have made tremendous leaps. The key to being able to give your children the best first aid care is to take the time to get to know your first aid kit and make sure you know what to do with all of the items and to keep it up to date and stocked with items that you and your doctor feel is necessary.

Some of the new blood stopping powders are also a great thing to check out. We have been using a product called “Trauma Dex” and it has proven to work wonderfully, similar to styptic powder, without the burn, and all natural. It doesn’t have to be rinsed off before going to the Emergency Room either. There are quite a few products similar to this out there. Find one you like and feel comfortable with and keep it in your first aid kit.

Last, but certainly not least, is having all of your emergency numbers in a place that everyone caring for your children know where to look and who to call. The list should also have your address listed on it, so that anyone can give the emergency personnel the correct address. Make sure to have a current listing complete with your local poison control number, pediatrician’s information, any allergy information to be passed on. Doing a mock emergency drill is a great way to make sure you have everything covered, and can be done in your home or at a childcare provider’s address. Knowing that you have the basics covered will give you and your children more knowledge and comfort when bumps and bruises occur.

Debbie Hackett, owner of By Dezign First Aid Kits & Supplies, http://www.bydezignproducts.com is a wife and mother of 2, with a background in nursing. She started By Dezign in late 2000 with a desire to help her childrens’ school raise money with something other than candy or wrapping paper.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Debbie_Hackett