Top parenting stories this week

• 1.  Why Babies Smile
• 2.  Second Trimester Infant Development
• 3.  What Happens to Your Body After Childbirth
• 4.  Changing from Two Naps to One
• 5.  Baby's Development in the First Trimester

1. Expert: Steve and Andrew Hammond June 22nd, 2010
   	What should I do if my infant chokes?
   	Regardless of age, you should first assess the situation. If your child is coughing or gagging, his airway is only partially blocked and you should encourage him to cough. If your child is unable to cry, cough or speak something is likely blocking his airway and he needs help getting it out. For a child less than 12 months old, position him facedown on your forearm, supporting his head and neck with your hand. Your baby’s head should be lower than the rest of his body. Using the heel of your hand, give your child five firm blows between his shoulder blades. Then, carefully turn his head (still keeping his head lower than rest of body) and use your fingers to scoop the baby’s mouth to see if the item has become dislodged. If your baby becomes unconscious at any time call 911. This is an abbreviated version of what to do in an infant choking emergency. To be truly prepared, you should take a children’s first aid course.

   Permalinkchoking, infant, chokes, baby, first aid, children

2. Expert: Dr. Jennifer Shu April 12th, 2010
   	Could my baby be constipated?
   	Constipation is defined as a decrease in the frequency of stools, or having pain with bowel movements. It may occur when there is a change in the diet, such as when babies transition from breast milk to formula or cow's milk, or when they first begin solid foods. Children under one year typically have one to four bowel movements per day, although if a child usually goes a few days between normal bowel movements, it is not considered constipation unless there is a change in the pattern. There are many signs that an infant may be constipated, including:  She often skips days in between bowel movements. Her poops are hard and small and difficult to pass, or may be large and painful. She may have more fussiness than usual, stomach pains, a poor appetite, or small amounts of bleeding from the anus. Constipation may be treated by increasing fluids (such as water or 100 percent fruit juice) and fiber (from fruit, bran and other foods) in the diet. Talk to your baby's doctor about the best ways to change her diet. If changing her diet does not treat the condition, your pediatrician may recommend a suppository, stool softener, or laxative until the constipation improves. Babies with severe constipation may need to see a pediatric gastroenterologist, who specializes in intestinal problems in children. Dr. Jennifer Shu is a board-certified pediatrician in Atlanta. Her passion is educating parents on all topics relating to children. Dr. Shu is editor-in-chief of the American Academy of Pediatrics' Baby & Child Health: The Essential Guide from Birth to 11 Years and co-author of the award-winning book Heading Home with Your Newborn and Food Fights. web site: www.jennifershu.com blog: www.parentingsense.com

   Permalinkbaby constipated, constipation, infant stools, baby not going poo, baby bowel movements

3. Expert: Dr. JJ Levenstein March 15th, 2010
   	My baby seems hungry all the time, what should I do?
   	Remember that your baby’s rapidly growing brain is likely driving her appetite. It’s normal to expect that she would be hungry a lot of the time, especially if she is catching up from an initial period of slow weight gain. A breastfed newborn usually eats seven to 12 times every 24 hours. Eventually, feedings will drop to six to 10 times. During growth spurts (around three, six and nine weeks), her appetite may increase again. If you’re formula feeding, a good rule of thumb is that a baby will drink (in ounces) twice her age in months. For example, a two-month-old typically drinks four ounces during a feed, while a three-month-old drinks six ounces. If your baby fusses after a feeding and still seems hungry, or is hungry soon after being fed, just adjusting the amount she gets at each feed should allow her to achieve satiety and increase the time between feeds. Dr. JJ Levenstein is a board-certified pediatrician and fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics with a thriving private pediatric practice in Encino, Calif. Drawing from her experience as a pediatrician and mom, Dr. Levenstein serves as president and co-founder of MD Moms makers of Baby Silk, the first personal care line for babies developed by pediatrician moms. www.mdmoms.com/

   Permalinkhungry baby, baby weight gain, not enough milk, how often baby eats, fussy baby, baby nutrition

4. Expert: Sara Bingham March 1st, 2010
   	When can I start signing with my baby?
   	Because babies gesture before they can talk, they can learn to sign before they can speak verbally. You can start signing to your baby from day one, although it’s also never too late to start. Most babies are able to sign back by the time they are eight to 12 months old. Babies exposed to sign language can sign five to six months before they can speak words (the motor skills babies need for signing develop between six and 12 months, while the motor skills needed for speech don’t develop until around 12 to 18 months) You can start by incorporating signs into your daily routine while playing, singing and reading. Start slowly with basic signs (such as “eat” and “more”), make it fun and add to your repertoire as your child’s interests grow and develop. Click here for more information on how to communicate with your baby, and to find out how her speech develops from month to month. Sara Bingham is the founder of WeeHands and the author of The Baby Signing Book. She has been studying American Sign Language (ASL) since 1991 with the Canadian Hearing Society, the Bob Rumball Centre for the Deaf in Toronto and at Durham College in Oshawa, Ontario. Sara has worked with the Toronto Preschool Speech and Language Services and is an instructor within Durham College's Communicative Disorders Assistant program. Weehands.com

   Permalinkbaby sign language, baby signing, baby language development, baby learn language, infant development

5. Expert: Dr. JJ Levenstein January 18th, 2010
   	My baby isn't gaining weight and never seems hungry. Should I be worried?
   	First, check with your doctor to find out if your child has a medical problem that interferes with comfort during eating (for example gastroesophageal reflux can lead to heartburn or a fear of food), or any other medical condition that interferes with hunger or weight gain. If nothing is medically wrong, the next question is whether you’re giving calories that don’t promote weight gain or that decrease baby’s appetite–the worst culprit being juice.  It’s filling, not necessarily caloric, and can stall a baby’s progress with weight gain and appetite. If you’re breastfeeding, talk to a lactation consultant about ways to increase your milk supply, such as drinking more water, trying fenugreek tea, or using a breast pump to stimulate more milk. If you’re formula feeding, make sure you mix your formula correctly (typically one scoop powder added to two ounces water) so that baby receives 20 cal/ounce of formula given. Don’t dilute formula with more water to stretch your dollar, as that can become dangerous for baby and lead to nutritional deficiencies. And if your baby is eating solid foods, sometimes you just need to experiment. When I run into situations where babies turn down jarred food, I encourage parents to offer pureed table food, which often has more flavor.  You can also try increasing the fat content/caloric content in your baby’s diet with the addition of olive oil, other healthy oils, avocado, and other caloric foods – just make sure you do it with the guidance of your pediatrician.  In addition, remember to feed your baby like you feed yourself.  Babies will eat better when they have adequate practice, so three meals per day are fine. Dr. JJ Levenstein is a board-certified pediatrician and fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics with a thriving private pediatric practice in Encino, Calif. She serves on the clinical staff of two hospitals and has been consistently voted one of the Best Doctors in America® from 2003 through 2010. Drawing from her experience as a pediatrician and mom, Dr. Levenstein serves as president and co-founder of MD Moms, makers of Baby Silk, the first personal care line for babies developed by pediatrician moms.

   Permalinkbaby weight gain, baby weight, baby eating, make own baby food, bottle feeding, not enough breast milk, baby losing weight, baby not hungry, baby nutrition

6. Expert: Tarra Elliott, BSc, DDS December 28th, 2009
   	My 16-month-old only has four teeth. Should I worry?
   	There is no need for concern. Although averages exist for when to expect your baby’s first teeth, they are just averages and variation is normal. Some babies get their first teeth within their first three months, while some don't get any teeth until 12 to 18 months. And some babies seem to get teeth slowly, whereas others get their primary, or "baby," teeth all at once. Most baby teeth will have appeared by age three. There is not much you can do in the meantime except to wait and see and talk to your dentist if you have any concerns. Tarra Elliott, BSc, DDS, is a dentist practicing in Toronto and Markham. She regularly brushes her toddler's teeth with a dab of "real" toothpaste. She suggests checking out youroralhealth.ca for more information on toddler tooth care.

   Permalinkdentist, baby, teeth, 16-month-old, normal

7. Expert: Alyson Schafer December 14th, 2009
   	My child has been daytime potty trained for two years but still wets the bed most nights. What can I do?
   	Night dryness is the last potty training step to develop. There is a hormone known as antidiuretic hormone (ADH) that needs to be produced in order to slow the production of urine during evening sleep cycles. Most children have sufficient ADH to control nighttime bedwetting between ages 2.5 and 4 but it is perfectly normal not to have sufficient ADH until age 7. If your child is under 7, there’s nothing you can do except allow them to wear a nighttime pull-up or use washable sleep pads. Above all, remain positive and do not shame your child. They'll get it eventually.   Alyson Schafer is a psychotherapist and one of Canada's leading parenting experts. She is the best selling author of Breaking the Good Mom Myth (John Wiley and Sons 2006) and Honey, I Wrecked The Kids (John Wiley and Sons 2009). Her popular TV call-in show, The Parenting Show, is now in its fourth season. For more on her principles, rule and tools for parenting visit: alyson.ca

   Permalinkpotty training, night time wetness, daytime potty trained, alyson schafer

8. Expert: Dr. Jennifer Shu October 5th, 2009
   	When do babies start to talk?
   	Most babies start to babble between six and nine months of age. Around one year your baby will usually speak her first word. By 18 months, a baby should have a 10- to 20-word vocabulary. Around two years, there should be about 50 words in your child’s vocabulary and she should be putting two words or more together into phrases. If, at any time, you are concerned your child’s speech may be delayed or not advancing as expected, an evaluation by a speech therapist is recommended. Related problems include difficulty swallowing, chewing, sucking, and excessive drooling–all signs that a baby’s oral muscles may not be working properly. A hearing test will likely also be advised because poor hearing can lead to delayed speech and if the hearing problem is treated, the speech may improve. Dr. Jennifer Shu is a board-certified pediatrician in Atlanta. Her passion is educating parents on all topics relating to children. Dr. Shu is editor-in-chief of the American Academy of Pediatrics' Baby & Child Health: The Essential Guide from Birth to 11 Years and co-author of the award-winning book Heading Home with Your Newborn and Food Fights, both published by the AAP. An enthusiastic and experienced writer and public speaker, Dr. Shu is a member of the Parents magazine Board of Advisors and an editorial advisor for the AAP's Healthy Children doctor's office publication. She has been featured as a guest expert on CNN, Headline News, MSNBC and Discovery Health, as well as in US News & World Report, USA Today, and numerous parenting magazines, newspapers and medical publications. www.jennifershu.com

   Permalinkbaby, talk, babies, when do babies talk, first words

9. Expert: Dr. Jeremy Friedman September 8th, 2009
   	Hemangioma Babies
   	A hemangioma is a birth mark. About 20 to 40 percent of newborns have some type of birthmark, most of which are not serious and will usually disappear with time. The most common birthmark is the salmon patch, which appears as a small, flat, pinkish skin discoloration. It’s often called Angel’s Kiss when it appears on a baby’s eyelid, or a Stork Bite when it’s on the neck. Hemangiomas are less common birthmarks and are caused by the growth of immature blood vessels. They most often appear on a baby’s face, scalp and chest, but can be found on any part of the body in the form of raised, firm, bright red bumps that may resemble a strawberry. Deeper tissue hemangiomas can appear blue in color. Hemangiomas can be worrisome because although they may start out small, or even absent at birth, they can grow quite rapidly during the first six months of life. After that, they tend to grow at the same rate as the child until at some point they start to shrink. Hemangiomas are not serious and about half will disappear on their own in the first five years. Almost all hemagiomas will disappear completely in 10 years. The only time hemangiomas need treatment is if they are in a sensitive area, such as the scalp where they can be aggravated by hair brushing, or over the eye where they can obscure vision.   Dr. Jeremy Friedman is the chief of the division of Paediatric Medicine at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Canada. He is an associate professor in the department of Paediatrics at the University of Toronto. Dr Friedman is the associate editor of the Canadian Paediatric Society's journal, Paediatrics and Child Health and has co-edited three bestselling books for parents, including the most recent Caring for Kids; The Complete Guide to Children’s Health (Key Porter 2006) and The Baby Care Book (Robert Rose 2007). The Toddler Book will be released in spring 2009. He lives in Toronto, with his wife and two young children.

   Permalinkhemangioma babies, birthmark, hemangiomas, newborns, salmon patch, angel's kiss, stork bite

10. Expert: Elizabeth Pantley August 24th, 2009
    	My baby and toddler share a room. How can I ensure they both sleep?
    	Have a very specific bedtime routine for both children. Although your newborn will have a less predictable schedule, he will settle in over the next few months. If you keep their bedtime routine consistent, you'll have fewer issues getting your children to sleep. Since your children are different ages, chances are they will not go to bed at the same time. Once your first child has been put to bed, keep the room dark. Then, do any bedtime ritual with your second child in a separate room. When you put her to bed, use only a night light as harsh lights may wake your first child. Finally, play soft music or white noise (a recording of ocean waves or rain works well) throughout the night. This will help drown out any noises your children make so they don't wake each other up during the night. Elizabeth Pantley (www.pantley.com) is the author of eight parenting books, including: The No-Cry Sleep Solution. Based in Washington, Pantley is the president of Better Beginnings Inc. (a family resource and education company).

    Permalinkbaby toddler share room, baby sleep, toddler sleep, baby bedtime, toddler bedtime, children sleep, bedtime routine