Caring for Premature and Underweight Babies

March 17th, 2013 Posted in Babies
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Full term babies may not have so much of a problem in terms of their weight when they are born. However, most premature babies may not reach the expected normal range of weight upon birth and the succeeding months of life. It is necessary that mothers know how to take care of their premature and underweight babies. Most often these babies have lower immunity levels and are more prone to health problems. Pregnant women may be able to prevent such problems by going for their check-ups regularly. It is also important that they do not take any medication without the advice of their doctors as at times it can cause problems to their babies’ health as well.

There are certain things that mothers have to do in case they give birth to premature and underweight babies. They can for example try breast feeding their babies as soon as they can after childbirth. Their babies are expected to grow at a faster rate than babies who have reached full term. These babies will then require more nourishment to catch up with their weight gain that is expected for the next months of their lives. Mothers may want to put their babies on bottle feeding but they should try to refrain from doing so as much as possible.

However, there are times when premature and underweight babies have to be fed on tubes because they are not able to such milk from their mothers. In such cases, mothers will have to hold their babies close to them in order to help them feel better. Their tiny bodies need special care especially when lifting them up. These babies also need to be fed more often because their bodies do not also have enough reserve unlike normal babies. Mothers should not let their premature babies to be sleeping on their stomach because of the danger of SIDS.

Mothers may put on a little more effort in taking care of their premature and underweight babies. They have to make sure that everything is clean and that their babies do not get in contact with anyone who is sick. These babies can easily catch infection because of their lower immunity levels so it is best for mothers to prevent any sick person from getting too close to their babies. With diligence and sufficient care, premature and underweight babies can grow and catch up with the rest of the normal babies in terms of physical and mental development.

 

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Caring for a Baby’s Fontanel

March 10th, 2013 Posted in Babies
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A baby’s fontanel is the soft spot on the head which is composed of bony plates. This is a part of the skull that tends to flex during child birth so that it can get through the mother’s birth canal. However, by about 18 -24 months, this soft spot closes. A mother should know that the baby may be suffering from dehydration when his or her fontanel has sunk. On the other hand, the baby may have a medical condition such as increased intracranial pressure if it is bulging.

Most parents worry that their babies may get injured especially on the soft spots on their head. They have to understand that there is a strong membrane that covers the fontanels so it is not that easy for it to be penetrated. Babies who are crying, vomiting or lying down usually have fontanels that may seem to be bulging. When they have been calmed down and held in a head-up position, their fontanels return to its normal appearance. It is important for mothers to know the time that they should seek emergency care like when they observe bulging fontanel that is accompanied by drowsiness.

A baby has several fontanels on his or her skull but parents may see only the most visible ones which is the one on the top of the head and a smaller one which is located at the base of the baby’s skull. Mothers may hesitate to touch the soft spots but they can wash or shampoo it like the rest of the head. They can also brush the hair on it though they have to do it gently. Parents may also touch this area without harming the baby’s brain. They will of course prevent any sharp objects that may get through the fontanels but most parents are really careful about this part of their baby’s head.

The fontanels not only allow the possible passage of the baby’s head at childbirth through the small birth canal but it is also for the growth and the development of the brain especially during the first months of the infant’s life. Mothers may also be able to determine if something is wrong with their babies by checking the appearance of the soft spots. They can bring their babies to their doctors in case they observe signs that include a shrunken or a bulging fontanel. In general, the fontanel indicates something about the physical well-being of the baby.

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Baby Colds: How to Deal With Your Baby’s First Colds

January 28th, 2013 Posted in Babies
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So your baby is hit by their first colds. Seeing them uncomfortable with clogged or runny nose, rashes, fever, and sometimes diarrhea – most first time parents, especially first time mums are mixed with terrifying emotions on how are they going to handle this type of health issue with their baby. Here, we will discuss baby colds and how to deal with your baby’s first time colds.

No matter how we wanted to protect our babies from fever, baby colds are in fact a helpful factor in building our baby’s future immune system. So where and how did our little ones get affected with this viral type of infection?

Since baby colds is also considered as a virus infirmity – your baby possibly acquire his/her colds from one of the family member that is infected by the same issue while sneezing or coughing that may spread the virus all throughout the house.

Do Not Fear – Your baby’s first colds is somehow a good factor that you need not to fear about. Knowing that your baby is now exposed into this type of health infection, it also means that your baby’s immune system is exposed with the type of virus that your baby’s body is trying to fight against with. Although there are many types of viruses that can possibly cause fever and baby colds – knowing that your baby is now hit by a common cold is also an idea that his/her system is building a resistance to this type of health malady.

Let Colds Run Their System – Usually common baby colds runs for up to 10 days as the longest, although you should expect longer periods for coughing as it mostly occur after fever, and runny or clogged nose. Basically, let your baby’s immune system fights the type of virus that cause him/her the infirmity, as you take part with working on how to lessen the discomfort of symptoms to your baby.

Ease The Symptoms The Right Way – You can opt for natural remedies, or ask your baby’s pediatrician for the right paracetamol or ibuprofen that is perfectly made for infant’s dosage. Be reminded to always seek a physician’s advice if you know nothing about feeding the right medications to your little one. Basically, never opt for antibiotics as it is made to kill bacteria, and not virus infections.

Important Reminders:

If your baby is experiencing high fever temperature (38 – 39 Celsius) and shivers, don’t hesitate to visit a doctor and schedule a checkup right away.

You may also want to consider these symptoms when visiting a doctor if your baby is experiencing continuous cough, skin rashes, vomiting, and redness of eyes. If these symptoms persist, your baby might as well experiencing heavy headaches, and chest pain. Baby colds is not a serious health issue, but depending on the type of physical state that your baby has, first time colds in your baby can quite be a problem.

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