Baby Care & Health
Guide to the Chickenpox Vaccine
Just a few decades ago, parents and children had to take their chances with chickenpox. Catching the virus was almost considered a rite of passage. Occasionally, one would even hear reports of parents who intentionally exposed the...
Caring for Baby's Teeth: Dos and Don'ts
While you may only notice a gummy smile, baby's teeth actually began forming during the second trimester of your pregnancy and is born with some 20 primary teeth. It's just that they are still under the gums. By age 3, all those p...
Calming Colic: Simple Home Remedies
Anyone who has ever raised a child who was a colicky baby will have scary stories to tell. Colic while still vastly misunderstood or overlooked, is a real condition that causes babies and their parents great distress. Trina from...
Age by Age Diaper Buying Guide
As most new parents quickly find out, there is probably nothing you'll buy more of once baby arrives than diapers. The choices are immense today and knowing which ones to buy when may be confusing especially for first-timers. A...
Choosing The Best Baby Thermometer
Part of the essentials you need for baby's first aid and health care needs is a thermometer. However, it's not as simple as when your folks needed to take your temperature. Then there was one choice; a simple mercury thermometer....
Baby Colic Causes, Symptoms & Treatment
Colic. The word inspires fear and confusion in new parents, and sighs of remembrance in veteran parents. For those without children, often ignorance is bliss. "Babies really get colic? I thought that was a myth." However, do not...
Does Baby Need Vitamin D?
Vitamin D is important for the development of strong bones and to prevent the bone-weakening illness of rickets. Vitamin D deficiency can lead to soft, thinning or misshaped bones. While the traditional method of obtaining Vitam...
Most Common Baby Rashes
Babies get bumps, blisters and rashes but they don't have to be a mystery to solve. Most are pretty common and easy to diagnose when you know what to look for. Milia These are tiny white bumps usually present on the chin, cheeks...
[Video] Infant Nutrition
In physiological terms, babies are the most demanding people on earth. Nutritional requirements are greater in infancy than at any other time in life. Making sure that babies get the best possible nutrition during infancy can...
The Diseases That Immunizations Prevent
Childhood vaccinations are crucial to avoiding not only getting sick, but creating the potential for an epidemic. There are many reasons to vaccinate youngsters, whether it’s due to a school’s rules upon enrollment or parents’ ...
Antibiotic Overload? When and When Not to Put Your Child on Antibiotics.
Sniffles and sneezes, fevers, aches and chills … cold and flu season has arrived. While the colder weather doesn’t actually cause colds, theories suggest that, due to the cold, people gather in closer proximity in indoor areas and...
Teething - Signs of Teething And How to Ease The Pain of Teething
When Does Teething Start? The vast majority of babies sprout their first tooth when they are four to seven months of age. Teeth actually start developing while your baby is in the womb, when tooth buds form in the gums. If you...
Importance of Immunizations for Babies
There are many reasons why it’s important for parents to immunize their babies. While some diseases are becoming rare in the United States, this is largely due to the fact that we have been vaccinating against them. Until the dise...
Teething
Teething can be a difficult time for both baby and parents. Teething is the process of new teeth rising or erupting from the gums. It can begin as early as two months of age, but usually occurs at around six to seven months of age...
Decoding the Cough in Babies & Toddlers
Cough in babies and toddlers can be distressing for any parent. How do you know what your child's cough means? Should you see a doctor? Do you need to worry or just wait it out? All of these are important questions so kno...
Cough & Cold Medicine Advisory & Tips for Parents
August 15, 2007 - FDA announced today that, in October, the Nonprescription Drugs Advisory Committee will discuss the safety and effectiveness of cough and cold drug product use in children. Questions have been raised about th...
Caring for the Umbilical Cord
Once your baby is delivered, the umbilical cord will be cut. However, a small portion will remain, until it falls off; somewhere between 7 days and four weeks. Until this happens, mom and dad must care for the cord. The best time ...
Taking baby's temperature
When baby is sick, it's a terrible feeling. Most often, when you call your pediatrician he or she will ask if your child has a fever. It's advisable to take baby's temperature before calling. Many times, however this is easier sa...
Dental Care
Many parents don't realize that good dental care for babies begins long before those first teeth pop through. There are several tips to follow, to ensure your little one's pearly whites are healthy from the beginning. First, and...
Infant Colds
Q. My 3 month-old daughter has been congested for about 10 days now. She finally developed a cold yesterday, and the congestion has gotten worse. She is having difficulty sleeping at night because her "snurgles" wake her up. I'v...
Circumcision
Q. When a circumcision is done, how long does it take to heal, and what cost is involved? Does the foreskin take long to remove also? A. The cost for circumcision varies between offices. Our office charges 0 for the procedu...
Slow to Fall Off Cord
Q: I have read that there are some rare immune problems associated with slow-fo-fall-off cords. Do you know what these problems might be? My son's cord didn't fall off until 5-1/2 weeks. The doctor wasn't concerned. A: A cord ...
Q&A: Should we have our boy circumcised
Q My wife and I are having our first baby this September. We found out its a boy, and are very excited. We have been hearing mixed stories as to whether circumsion is good or bad. Do you have any thoughts as to whether we should o...
Q&A: Should we Immunize
Q We are struggling with the whole immunization question. My SIL does not immunize her kids for "homeopathic" reasons. What is your experience with serious reactions (not the low grade fever type) to vaccines and/or the diseases ...
Q&A: Is it teething or an ear infection?
Q The past few days my daughter (7.5 months old and has her two bottom teeth) has been fussy. She has been screaming and crying alot (which is very unusual for her). Tuesday evening was the worst, she would not calm down at all, ...
Q&A: Is it a cold or allergies?
Q My son is 16 1/2 months old and he always seems to have a cold, and he is always sticking his thumb in his eyes and scratching them. I'm afraid that he will scratch his eye. I have allergies and I have the same symptoms as he d...
Q&A: Discharge from your baby's eye may mean an eye infection
Q My one month old seems to have a lot of yellow discharge coming from her eyes. Is there anything I can do to reduce or stop this? Thanks for your help. A This may be an eye infection that needs antibiotic eyedrops. Most pediat...
Q&A: My baby always has a cold. Does he have allergies?
Q My son is 16 1/2 months old. He always seems to have a cold. He rubs his eyes, and I'm afraid that he will scratch his eye. He also has this (stringy, goopy) stuff in his eyes, and it just swims around his eyeball. I usually ha...
Q&A: My 9 month old has had a cold for over a month
Q My 9 month-old son has had a cold for over a month, and the doctor has given him several prescriptions, but they just doesn't seem to work. I was wondering if you had any suggestions? We have also tried various over the counter ...
Q&A: Does your baby have colic?
Q I am a new mother of a 4 week-old baby boy, and he is very fussy even after feedings. I am breastfeeding every hour and half and supplementing a bottle almost every time. My question is: Will my baby stop eating when he has gott...
Understanding Growth Charts
You may have noticed during typical well-child visits to your doctor or pediatrician, a practitioner whips out a chart with dots and lines that represent your child's growth in height, length and head circumference. Words like "pe...
To Vaccinate or Not to Vaccinate
Vaccinations are an integral part of a child's well-care routine. They are designed to protect children from illnesses and diseases that otherwise could make them ill, incapacitate them, or worse yet, kill them. Nonetheless, the...
Baby Heartburn? Who Knew!
When I gave birth to my second child, it was as routine as could be expected, and we both went home healthy and happy. He was bottle-fed, seemed to be eating regularly, but was spitting up a great deal and having a little troubl...
Baby Skin Conditions
Before the skinned knees and elbows, some other skin conditions. Having a newborn baby is an exciting experience. There is so much love and joy to share. They always seem to smell so good, and their skin is always so smooth and...
Dressing Your Baby
Once you get baby home, you may be anxious to get all of those adorable, new clothes on her. However, once you realize that many of these outfits need to go over her head, you may opt for the button-up, snap, or zippered variety...
How to Burp Your Baby
When your baby eats, he may need a bit of help getting rid of air bubbles ingested while feeding. Air bubbles in baby's stomach can cause gas pain and bloating, so burping baby during and after a feeding is the best way to keep hi...
Preventing Choking
One of the biggest fears of a new parent is that of baby choking. Each year, infants and small children die due to choking. There are some important things to know, in order to minimize the risk of this happening to your child....
Toothy Grins
Don't get too accustomed to that goofy gummy grin, Moms and Dads, because it's sure to turn toothy before you know it! Here's how to make the transition a smooth one and encourage bright smiles well into the future. What to Ex...
Prevent The Spreading of Germs
Hello, my name is Phillip and I...I...Ah...Ahhhh...AHHHHCHOOOO! I'm pleased to meet you. Well, go ahead, shake my hand. What? Well, yes, I DID just sneeze into my hands, but I wiped them off on my pants. Oh, I see, you're afraid...
The Dangers of Shaken Baby Syndrome
Many well-intentioned, responsible people who would never dream of hitting a child, think nothing of giving a small child a "good shaking." But while such punishment was generally considered harmless until a few years ago, resear...
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is the "sudden death of an infant under one year of age which remains unexplained after a thorough case investigation, including performance of a complete autopsy, examination of the death scene...
Bathing your baby
Ready for some fun ? During your hospital stay, your infant gets a good bath by the nursery staff. It's so funny to see all these newborn infants squeaky clean with their hair slicked up. Your finally home and now it's mom and da...
Baby Skin Care
At birth and throughout the infancy, your baby's skin is very sensitive and it is for this reason that special consideration should be given to detergents for your infants clothing, bath soaps and shampoo's, body lotions, etc... I...
When to Call the Doctor
Deciphering between a serious illness and a minor one, a true emergency and a false alarm can be intimidating especially for new parents. But with a little knowledge under your belt, the proper guidelines and experience -- decidin...
The Therapy of a Loving Touch
The loving touch of infant massage has many benefits for both parent and baby individually, as well as strengthening their bond. Massage is great for baby, too! After your baby is born, consider infant massage to strengthen the bo...
What Every Parent Should Know: Infant & Toddler CPR
One of the best things to do as a parent is to learn CPR. If you are a new parent it is suggested that you learn and know CPR. In this document I will tell you how Infant/Pediatric CPR in done, But you must understand the I am not...
Ease the Pain of Teething
We all hate to see our children in pain. When your baby is crying due to teething, all you want to do is make it stop for him. Here are a few suggestions: 1. A six-month old baby loves to feed herself. Let her do just that b...
Clipping Baby's Nails
You will be surprised to notice how quickly a newborn's nails grow. Therefore, it is necessary to keep them trimmed, to prevent your baby from scratching his face. There are three common ways to keep baby's nails under control. Re...
How to Administer Medicine
When you have a sick baby, it's a terrible feeling. You wish there were something you could do, to make your little one feel better. However, aside from TLC and giving her medication prescribed by her doctor, there isn't much le...
Is your Child Sick?
How your child is acting is more important than how high the fever is running. The terms lethargy and listless or acting sick can mean different things to different people. In order to tell how sick the child is acting when they...
The Basics: Illness and Injury Guide
Administering Medicine Burping your Baby Caring for the Umbilical Cord Caring for Baby's TeethCaring for the Circumcised Penis Changing Your Baby's Diaper Clipping Your Baby's NailsCloth or Disposable Diapers?Dressing your Baby H...
Fevers 101
When your baby has a fever, the first question you may ask yourself is "What can I do to make it go away?" Surprisingly, fever has a role in getting rid of whatever illness your child has. The purpose of a fever is to elevate ...
How to Change a Diaper
For the first-time parent, changing a diaper can be a daunting task. Newborns seem so tiny and fragile, and diaper changing can be an awkward and nerve-wracking event for those who are inexperienced. Rest assured that, after chang...
Caring For The Circumcised Penis
If you have chosen you have your baby boy circumcised, there are some steps you will need to follow while the penis heals. Most likely, your doctor will give you instructions, but there are some basic bits of information that shou...
Q&A: Baby's Weight Gain in the First Year
Q My 1 year old baby (girl) is weighing 14.5 pounds which is 2 times of her birth weight. But I heard that about 1 year the baby should weigh 3 times of her birth weight. But my baby is doing very fine in other milestones. Can yo...
Checklist: Should You Call The Doctor?
If your baby is ill, injured or needs to see the pediatrican, use this checklist to aid you in describing to the doctor/nurse why your baby should be seen. When did the child's symptoms begin? What's the child's temperature? Is...