Baby Care Information & Advice

Tabatha Jones asked:

When a woman who smokes starts to think about having children, she needs to think about quitting smoking. Women who smoke during their pregnancy take a huge risk with their unborn baby’s health. When she smokes during pregnancy, so does her baby. If your health isn’t enough to make you quit smoking, then the health of your baby should be. If she is willing to take such risk with her potential baby’s health, maybe she’s not ready.

Why am I so harsh on the subject? Smoking during pregnancy affects your baby’s health before, during, and after your baby is born. There is a greater chance that she will lose the baby during pregnancy. The baby could also be born too early, before the lungs are ready, so he or she will have trouble breathing. The baby will be smaller and more likely to need special care and stay longer in the hospital. Some may die either at birth or within the first year.

Cigarette smoke contains more than 4,000 chemicals; the worst of these chemicals are nicotine and carbon monoxide. When a women smokes during pregnancy, the toxins gets into their bloodstream. This is her baby’s only source of oxygen and nutrients. A shortage of oxygen can have devastating effects on her baby’s growth and development. Smoking during pregnancy doubles the chances that a baby will be born too early or weigh less than 5 1/2 pounds at birth. Smoking also more than doubles the risk of miscarriage and stillbirth.

Undersize babies tend to have underdeveloped bodies. Their lungs may not be ready to work on their own, which means they may spend their first days or weeks attached to a respirator. After they’re breathing on their own (or even if they did from the start), these babies may have continuing breathing problems — because of delayed lung development or other adverse effects of nicotine. Children whose mothers smoked during pregnancy are especially vulnerable to asthma, and have double or even triple the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Not to mention stunting a baby’s growth in the womb can have negative consequences that last a lifetime.

Smoking during pregnancy can have lifelong effects on your baby’s brain. Children of pregnant smokers are especially likely to have a learning disorder, behavioral problems, and relatively low IQs. Recent animal studies suggest that nicotine in the womb can program a baby’s brain for a future addiction.

Cutting Down vs. Quitting? The more cigarettes you smoke per day, the greater chances of developing these health problems. There is no “safe” level of smoking while pregnant. The only way to really protect her baby is to quit. Cutting down is better than doing nothing but it does not eliminate your problems just decreases them a little. A smoker’s body is especially sensitive to the first doses of nicotine each day, and even just a few will significantly tighten blood vessels. A few cigarettes a day are safer than a whole pack, but the difference isn’t as great as you might think.

When to Quit? NOW! If you’re pregnant don’t wait any longer. The best time to quit is when a woman is planning to get pregnant before becoming pregnant or soon after she finds out that she is already pregnant. If she does quit before 16 weeks, her baby will probably weigh the same as the baby of a woman who has never smoked. If she quits within the first three or four months of her pregnancy she can lower her baby’s chance of being born too small and with lots of health problems. Even if a woman quits at the end of her pregnancy, she can help her baby get more oxygen and have a better chance of making it. It’s never too late to quit, but the earlier the better for both the mother and her baby!

How to Quit? Even though you’re aware of the dangers of smoking, it’s not always easy to give up the habit. The pull of nicotine can overwhelm your good intentions.

1 She can ask for help from her doctor for different ways to quit.

2 Make a list of her reasons for wanting to quit, for herself as well as for her baby.

3 Talk to family and friends. Support can make all the difference.

4 Ask people who smoke not to smoke around you.

5 Do not go to places where many people are smoking such as bars or clubs, and smoking sections of restaurants.

6 Set a Quit-Date; the sooner the better. If a woman is not ready to set a date, she can begin to cut down on smoking.

7 She can try the four D’s: Delay, Deep Breathe, Drink Water, and Do Something Else.

8 Keep mints or gum (preferably sugarless) on hand for those times when you get the urge to smoke.

9 Drink less caffeinated beverages; caffeine may stimulate your urge to smoke. Also avoid alcohol, as it may also increase your urge to smoke and can be harmful to your baby.

10 Stay active to keep your mind off smoking and help relieve tension: take a walk, exercise, read a book, or try a new a hobby.

11 Change your habits connected with smoking. If you smoked while driving or when feeling stressed, try other activities to replace smoking.

12 I think the best way for a pregnant woman to quit is to think of her baby being born healthy.

How Does Secondhand Smoke Affect Pregnancy? If you are regularly exposed to secondhand smoke, you increase your and your baby’s risk of developing lung cancer, heart disease, emphysema, allergies, asthma, and other health problems.

Babies exposed to secondhand smoke may also develop reduced lung capacity and are at higher risk for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

Smoking after the Baby is Born. It makes no sense at all for her to go back to smoking! Even after the baby is born, her smoking can hurt the baby.

Babies have very small lungs and airways which get even smaller when they breathe smoke-filled air. Smoking can make it hard for the baby to breathe. It can cause lung problems like bronchitis and pneumonia that could put the baby back in the hospital.

Nicholas Tan asked:

Experts found babies whose mothers smoked during pregnancy were born with smaller airways – making them more vulnerable to breathing problems after birth.  These breathing problems can put your baby at increased risk for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Smoking has been linked to various health problems in babies, including prematurity and low birth weight. Mothers who smoke are at increased risk of having a stillbirth, miscarriage or premature infant. Smoking while pregnant will lower the amount of oxygen available to you and your growing baby and increase your baby’s heart rate. These health factors also contribute to raising the SIDS risk for your infant, and in your child’s decreased ability to breathe correctly or take in enough oxygen for a restful, restorative sleep at night.

Babies born to mothers who smoke are significantly lighter and shorter than those born to non smokers. Children who are exposed to tobacco smoke before birth or in the home are far more likely to suffer from respiratory illnesses and infections, which can also contribute to a decrease in quality of nighttime sleep for your baby.

The more cigarettes you or your baby’s caregiver smoke per day, the greater your baby’s chances of developing these and other health problems.  Studies show that a baby’s risk of SIDS rises with each additional smoker in the household, with the number of cigarettes smoked a day, and with the length of exposure to cigarette smoke.

So give your baby and yourself the best chance at a restful night’s sleep and keep your home and your baby’s sleeping environment smoke-free.  Your baby will thank you and you’ll sleep better knowing your baby’s risk for SIDS is greatly diminished and that your baby is breathing clean air with each breath he takes at night.

kydde0asquare asked:

If you have a new baby, there are some important things you should know. Even if this is not your first child, you should take this information. Many parents are facing new challenges and you will realize that each baby is an individual and can bring unique problems that do not face before.

As you may already know, babies do not come with an instruction manual, so here are some things you should know. First, you should only sponge bathe your baby until the umbilical cord falls off. This may take one to two weeks after birth. After that, you can bathe your baby in a Baby Bath, small bath or even the kitchen sink. Just make sure you never leave your baby alone in water. Even a small amount of water can drown a baby and will be very slippery and water can also be injured if they slip out of the tub.

If your baby is male circumcision, which should heal quickly and easily on their own. Be sure to follow the instructions from your pediatrician to keep the area clean and dry.

Be aware of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) and the circumstances that may contribute to risk it. Male babies are more likely than women and small island developing States are minority children. Premature babies are also at higher risk. The statistics also show that babies of young, single mothers are also at higher risk. Avoid placing blankets, stuffed animals and other items in the crib with your baby.

Here are some basic Tips for Baby Care for new parents. Of course this does not even come close to the things you need to learn about your baby or how to care for a baby, but there are some starters. You should seek as much information as possible about caring for the baby and always have a good support system to turn to for help with your baby questions.

Paul Banas asked:

You want to keep your baby safe when she sleeps. Most babies are healthy and have no problems when sleeping. But sometimes babies die in their sleep. This is called the Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) or crib death. Doctors have not found out what causes SIDS.

Research shows that babies who sleep on their backs are less likely to die from SIDS. If your baby has a health problem, your doctor may tell you to put her in another position. Otherwise, always put your baby to sleep on her back.

Other factors in lowering the danger of SIDS are:

Breastfeeding–Your breast milk is the perfect food for your baby. Breast milk helps protect your baby from many illnesses, as well as SIDS. Smoke-free environment–Don’t smoke around your baby. Don’t take her around others who smoke. Babies in smoke-free homes have fewer colds and infections. Closeness–Keep your sleeping baby nearby. It’s good for your baby to learn to sleep in her own crib. Be sure you can hear her if she cries or is in distress. Bedding–Be sure your baby is sleeping on a firm mattress. Don’t put your baby to sleep on soft or fluffy things, such as a pillow, quilt or waterbed. Keep stuffed animals out of the crib at sleep time. Temperature–Make sure your baby is warm but not too hot. Doctor visits–Take your baby in for her regular checkups. Any time your baby seems sick or has trouble breathing, take her to the doctor or clinic.

Robert Baird asked:

The way babies are put to bed has an effect on sudden infant death syndrome or what’s commonly known as crib death. The number of babies dying has halved due to better awareness about this.

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Stop smoking and never let anyone smoke in the same room as your baby. Don’t let any one smoke in your home at all.

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Always lay your baby on her back to sleep so that her breathing is unimpeded and she can lose heat from her front, face and head.

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Don’t let your baby get too hot, since she isn’t very efficient at controlling her temperature. If the air temperature feels hot to you, it’s very hot for her.

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Don’t increase the amount of bedding when your baby is ill.

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Never over wrap your baby. Cover her with a cotton sheet and cellular blankets according to the room temperature.

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Lay your baby in the feet to foot position at the end of the crib so that she can’t wriggle down under the blankets and get too hot.

Wakeful Babies

Most babies develop a routine of sleeping for perhaps two hours in the morning and again in the afternoon, but there are always exceptions. While wakeful babies can be trying, they reward you in the end because they’re usually very bright and affectionate, so don’t be down hearted. Your baby is wakeful because she loves you and craves your friendship, she doesn’t mean to starve you of sleep, she just wants to learn and be sociable. Every minute spent awake with you, she’ll be forging new links with the world and developing many skills. Think about this, too when she’s awake during the day, if she isn’t tired, why should she sleep. From her point of view, it’s much better for her to stay with you, so don’t be surprised if she cries when you leave her.

What You Can Try

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Keep her temperature even touch her skin to check that she isn’t too cold or hot, add or remove blankets if necessary. Check the room temperature a temperature of about 65°F (18°C) is comfortable.

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Change her diaper if it’s wet or soiled and soothe the diaper area with a mild diaper cream (zinc oxide), if necessary.

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Use a rocking cradle or push her rhythmically in her carriage.

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Play her a tape of the human heartbeat, the sound she heard in the womb.

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Play her music you listened to during pregnancy, or an old fashioned music box with a simple repetitive melody can be really effective.

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Play her a tape of you and your partner quietly talking.

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Put the crib on alternate sides of the bed each night so that you can take turns seeing to her. Talk to her and rock her, you don’t need to pick her up.

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If she’s obviously reluctant to sleep get her up and put her in her baby chair where she can see you.

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Hang a mobile over her crib so she has something interesting to watch when she wakes up. A mobile that plays music is ideal.

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Fix a baby gym, with different noises and textures, across her crib or attach it to the bars so she can reach for it when she’s bored.

Blankets And Bedding

Use enough bedding to keep her comfortably warm. When your baby is under 12 months, don’t give her a pillow, and don’t use quilts, comforters, or baby nests because they also prevent loss of heat.

Sleep And Your Older Baby

As your baby grows, her sleep pattern will gradually change, she’ll begin to stay awake and alert for longer periods during the day, even after feedings. When she’s being stimulated with play and talk from you, she’ll start needing longer periods of sleep to recharge her energy levels. The trick is to persuade her that these longer sleep periods should be at night, to align with your own.

Establishing A Bed Time Routine

Your baby may well get upset at bed time she could be anxious about being separated from you or she may simply want to continue playing, so establishing a bed time routine is essential to build her confidence and to help her learn that there is a time when play time has to stop. Set up your own routine at a time to suit all of you for example, if you’re working, you may want it to be a little later-but try not to vary the routine, whatever time you do it. A suggested routine might be as follows:

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Give her the final meal of the day preferably not her main meal.

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Give her a bath with out too much romping, and change her in to her night clothes.

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Spend quiet time in your baby’s room, sing gentle songs, or read a story (depending on her age and stage of development).

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Give her the last breast feeding (unless your baby still wakes at night).

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Lay her in her crib, with any security object she has become attached to, turn the dimmer switch down low, then sit quietly with her for a minute or two.

* Go out of the room quietly, saying good night and leave the door open.

Day Time Naps For Your Older Baby

As babies grow older, they sleep less and less, but up to 12 months your baby may still nap in the day time. Up to the age of three, many toddlers still rest during the day:

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To help your baby relax and doze off, put her in her favorite place, which may not be her room. Make sure she has any special comforter or security object with her. Play calming music, let her have toys and books, and keep her with in earshot so she can hear you moving around. If she calls out to you, it’s probably only for reassurance, so calmly call back.

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If she doesn’t want to sleep, that’s okay; just make it a quiet time when she can sit in her crib and play. But never let her cry for longer than a few minutes with out going to her. If she’s unhappy, that defeats the purpose of the nap.

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If your baby falls asleep in the car, or her carriage, never wake her suddenly. Like you, she’ll need time to adjust. Never leave her asleep alone in the car or in her carriage outside a store.