5 Reasons to Give Cloth Diapers a Try

Cloth diapers have evolved lately over the last ten years, having many features with endless styles and materials, made of different fabrics such as cotton, wool, and even hemp. Organic versions (made of 100% natural materials) are also available nowadays. In present days, cloth diapers are getting popular over disposals specially among the incontinence sufferers for many reasons among which major five environmental, financial and health reasons are as follows:

Economical choice

Comfort

Whether cotton, flannel, terry, or gauze, cloth diapers are soft enough and non-abrasive at the same time. Many cloth diapers are also made with special padding or removable pads which is very essential for the people with sensitive skin. Cloth diapers help to prevent rashes, chafing, and other skin problems caused by wetness. Soft cotton for baby’s tender skin is much more comfortable than paper and plastic.

Flexibility

Diapers made of cotton are easy to custom-tailor as per needs. Reusables are available in an extensive variety of shapes, materials, forms, and sizes, ranging from traditional or folded to the contoured diapers. Cloths just look better on infants according to children fashion experts. With many colors and styles your kid really looks adorable in cloth.

Hygiene Factor

Disposal diapers contain chemicals, poisons, dioxins which are very harmful for skin. The cloth diapers are more breathable and have no harmful chemicals or bleaches like in disposables. Study says disposal diapers cause many toxic shock syndromes – direct link to childhood asthma, even increase in infertility rate among boys. So why take such risk!

Environment Friendly

In today’s highly polluted environment, all communities are imitating the voice “go green” to save our little planet. Where 80 % of diapers in US are disposables, each baby could save thousands through using cloth (or organic) diapers.

So attention parents ! remember, it’s never too late to try or convert totally to the cloth diapers irrespective of what brand or type of diaper you plan to use, or are already using.

Bathing Baby: A Guide to Getting Your Little One Clean

Every infant needs to be very healthy as well as neat & clean – probably the most prime concern of basic baby care related matters like bathing, and cleanness, hygiene. Parents often face challenging questions like when, how many times kids should take bath, how hot should be the water, what type of soap and shampoo should be used etc. Initially it becomes little scary but following these guidelines you can safely clean your little one from head to toe.

How Often and When

Most of the new born babies have silky-smooth skin which protects against bacteria and environmental irritants. They need not to be cleaned regularly apart from the diaper area. Overuse of strong cleansers and even tap water may damage the skin of newborns. Daily bath is not necessary, a bath (better sponge bath in light warm water) twice or thrice in a week is quite sufficient. Sometimes nighttime bath can be very useful for bedtime ritual.

Useful Accessories

Before placing your newborn in the tub, make sure you have following things on hand:

• Washcloth – one for soaping and another might be for rinsing.
• Cotton balls or wool – for cleaning around the eyes, under arms etc.
• Mild soap – specially for maintaining baby hygiene)
• Mild, no-tears baby shampoo – only once or twice per week)
• Clean Towels, changing mat
• Clean diaper
• Blanket (for warmth and cuddling after bath)
• Clean flannel — for rinse off your baby thoroughly.

Baby Bathing, Washing

Once the new born starts crawling or toddling, it is important that his/her body, hands, feet are kept clean. That means bathing baby more frequently – maybe every other day initially, and afterwards more frequently and then on daily basis. Generally parents give two types of bath for their own babies, which are as follows:

A. Sponge Bath

For the first couple of weeks, you should give proper sponge-bath – your baby only needs to be cleaned 3-4 times a week. Room should be warm enough, wash your baby’s face, eyes can be cleaned with a cotton ball; after that move to the neck, chest and entire body slowly. Sometimes gentle shampoo can be used to wash out the scalp.

B. Bathing in Tubs and Sinks

Bring your baby into the bath area and undress him completely. Gradually slip the baby into the bath tub, holding neck & head with one hand. Water should be warm, but not hot. Wash your baby well, may be using baby soap, after taking bath rinse your baby thoroughly with a clean flannel.

And lastly, relax and enjoy this special time with your little one, just be careful about the safety of your little angel while bathing her, specially in the winter times.

Baby proofing vs baby friendly: How to make your house both

For every household, arrival of a new baby into the family is a most joyous event. But along with the thrill of new parenthood comes essential responsibilities; such as baby safety, well care of the angel, child proofing environment at home, to name a few.

Actually the term ‘baby proofing’ refers to creating safe environment for the infant, whereas ‘baby friendly’ means making the home environment friendly to the child allowing him/her to play, explore and discover freely.

Making Safe Environment at home for the newcomer

There are numerous ways to keep your baby out of accidents. Follow these precautions to child proof your home, from the living room to the bathroom:

Living Areas (open spaces for roaming inside the house)

Be aware of the floor free from small (solid) objects like pins, nails, niddles, coins etc. that a baby could swallow. You also need to be conscious of not leaving sharp (like knife, casers etc.) or hot things (like iron, cup of hot tea i.e.) on the floor or in any place easily accessible to the child.

Fire Safety
Burner, stove or mini oven must be guarded with fire safety protection.

Windows & Glass
Windows stand another matter of concern. They should not be easy to open. Try to avoid leaving objects under windows, as babies often try to climb on to get.

Kitchen
Cooking utensils, cleaning supplies must be kept in the upper-level rack rather than under the sink. It’s better to keep the kitchen door always close.

Bathroom
Always keep cleaning supplies, medication, cosmetics away from the child’s reach. Like the kitchen room, door should be always locked.

Making Baby friendly Environment at home

After baby proofing home, now you can concentrate over making the environment friendly where the child can play safely and participate in other family activities with happily. An infant-safe and well decorated colorful interior inside the home is always comfortable for your child. Other elements are:

• Keep the basket with favorite toys within the child’s reach.
• Colorful books and other learning materials always encourage the child.
• Child friendly furnitures like chair(specially for kids), little almirah etc. always give extra comfort to the child.
• Color items, posters, teddy bears etc. (not harmful for the baby’s health) are entertaining items for the little angel.

Creating the home environment that is safe as well as enjoyable for your baby is the prime responsibility for every parent. A home that is decorated orderly and appealing to the child’s innate sense always is helpful for development of child’s health and confidence.

FDA Warning: Infant Overdose Risk With Liquid Vitamin D

Vitamin D is very important for child growth, specially for development of health bones in the body. As deficiency of Vitamin D causes many health problems, excessive dose of this vitamin for a long period of time also creates wide range of health problems such as nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite etc. Among some children excessive thirst may even lead to excessive urination. Symptoms like abdominal pain and constipation may develop, as well as muscle and joint soreness and muscle weakness, fatigue or confusion also may develop. Long-term overdosing on Vitamin D can cause some other serious consequences like kidney damage and kidney stones.

Vitamin D is very important for child growth, specially for development of health bones in the body. As deficiency of Vitamin D causes many health problems, excessive dose of this vitamin for a long period of time also creates wide range of health problems such as nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite etc. Among some children excessive thirst may even lead to excessive urination. Symptoms like abdominal pain and constipation may develop, as well as muscle and joint soreness and muscle weakness, fatigue or confusion also may develop. Long-term overdosing on Vitamin D can cause some other serious consequences like kidney damage and kidney stones.The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning of the high risk of overdosing children with liquid vitamin D. Some droppers of Vitamin D supplement (that prevail in the market) could allow parents or caregivers to give accidentally greater amount of liquid to an infant than an infant should receive.

FDA recommendations are as follows:

• The FDA has set 400 International Units (IU) of vitamin D (as a maximum dose of recommendation) per day for infants being breast fed. However, it also should be kept in mind that some droppers may hold much greater amounts causing a medication mistake.
• Parents and caregivers are advised to follow the instructions carefully for the usage of dropper correctly and giving the right dose.
• The dropper must be properly marked and the units of measure must be clear and understandable easily. These units of measurements must correspond to those mentioned in the Instructions section.
• Parents and caregivers should consult with any professional health care professional in case of any confusion to determine over the dose of the dropper.
• If the child is partially (or fully) fed with the infant formula, you should take proper advice from the pediatrician or health care professional before giving the child Vitamin D supplement.

The FDA is somehow forcing manufacturers of liquid vitamin D supplements that droppers should be clearly and accurately marked for 400 IU (not more than 400IU).

In the month of June, Health Canada has issued publicly information regarding this matter. The regulatory body recommends that all breastfed infants aged less than 12 months should receive a daily vitamin D supplement of 400IU (equivalent to 10 micrograms).

From the practical perspective, death from taking large doses of vitamin D is not an issue, but overdose of Vitamin D leads to vitamin toxicity, also known as hypervitaminosis. Vitamin D is an essential nutrient for human being. Used in optimal doses, it has incredible potential for improving health.

Is Your Sick Child Really Too Sick for Daycare?

It is really tough to take decision over sending kids to Daycare during their sickness. Countless parents actually struggle with this matter every day – confusion, dilemma over the right decision whether the child should stay at home or should be sent to Daycare. In general, if the child is sick, don’t send him/her to the Daycare. But sometimes, child awakens crying, uncomfortable, cranky a bit, lot of confusions arise among parents. Decision-making in these situations gives unnecessary hardship on parents. In such situations, consider the following checklist below, call your doctor if you aren’t sure, and simply listen to your instincts.

Organizations such as AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) and National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care and Early Education have developed following guidelines for children should be kept home when they have following serious sickness:

• Diarrhea or stools containing blood or mucus
• Any illness causing vomiting multiple times in the 24 hours
• Mouth sores that include drooling
• Impetigo, Chickenpox, or Mumps etc.
• Fever above 101 degrees orally, above 102 degrees rectally, or 100 degrees in the armpit
• Influenza-like illness
• Head lice
• Hepatitis
• Persistent stomach pain lasting more than two or three hours
• Pinkeye, conjunctivitis
• Trouble breathing or severe wheezing
• Uncontrolled coughing
• Scabies (an itchy skin condition caused by mites) until after treatment has been given
• Conditions that suggest the possible presence of a more serious illness, including a fever, sluggishness, persistent crying, irritability, or difficulty breathing

While the child stay at Home due to illness, you make ready certain ‘back-up’ plan:

• Do you have other family members (like grand father or mother i.e.) or any trustworthy friends nearby who can help (to take care of child) ?
• Is it possible to make such schedule that one parent stays in the morning and other stays at afternoon to look after the sick child ?
• Does your company allows to work from home ?

However, easiest way to identify if your child has a mild illness is to check child’s behavior. If he or she is lethargic or needs a bit of attention because of the sickness, it will probably be the best to keep the child home. But, if your child has a runny nose and otherwise seems to be fine, then your child could be in daycare. Furthermore, when your child stays home due to illness, it’s suggested to call the Daycare and report everything about the child.

Some Common and Some Uncommon Newborn Constipation Remedies

Constipation in newborns is very common phenomena, particularly when babies are transitioning from breast to bottle. Infrequent stools, straining while passing stool, or suffering during passing stool – these are the signs of constipation that requires special attention. In fact, most of the babies pass through this phase specially during their first few months since the digestive system still needs to be adjusted with ingesting and processing foods. The constipation (sometimes with colic and gas) is really uncomfortable for the little one, on which every mother seeks immediate relief for their baby. There are remedies – some are very common (mainly homemade), but some are uncommon in the sense of unusual. If however the problem is not resolved it’s recommended to consult pediatrician immediately. Following remedies can be considered as homemade that are very common:

1. Reduction in feeding amounts and increase feeding times allow the newborn to digest milk with ease. Adjusting an additional bottle of water in baby’s formula (daily feedings for formula-fed newborns) may increase baby’s water intake, improve absorption in the intestines, and thus stool gets soften naturally.
2. Lots of water (water therapy i.e.) is one of the helpful remedy for the infant. Water actually softens stool for easy excretion.
3. Messaging baby’s stomach definitely gives baby relax and helps passing stools smoothly.  Little exercise stretching legs and pushing the knees back towards stomach evidently activate the digestive tract.
4. Tummy message or warm bath also helps to alleviate pain and stimulate digestion.
5. Raw spinach contains finest organic material for cleansing and reconstructing the intestinal tract. So babies having more than 6 months can be feed raw spinach juice (100 ml) mixed with equal quantity of water to cure constipation within 2-3 days.

Constipation among children causes severe abdominal pain and uneasiness for the child. Constipation treatment for infants, babies and smaller children with natural or home remedies should be avoided in case of serious matter (like infection i.e.) as the treatment requires medical expertise of child specialist. And here are some uncommon remedies:

1. Studies show that iron is very essential for newborn’s development. So baby must be feed with stuff with full of iron and other minerals needed for development.
2. A glass of warm water with lime and salt (half a teaspoon) is an effective remedy for constipation. Drinking water kept in a copper vessel overnight also brings good results. Water with a teaspoon of linseed before each meal is also an effective remedy over constipation.
3. If the infant suffers consistently from the constipation, then pedestrian may prescribe the use of glycerin suppositories, flax oil or laxatives as natural remedy.

Tips To Treat Fever in Children

It’s really hard for the parents when their babies get sick especially to the new parents with newborns. The best to deal with this is to keep level headed since panicking might do more harm than baby care.

Fever in Babies and Newborns

During sickness, it’s very difficult to know what the cause is especially in babies or newborns. This is because the only indication that you have that there might be something wrong is your baby’s cries.

They will not be able to tell the parents specifically where the discomfort is coming from. Therefore, parents will have to rely on what knowledge they gained in order to make sure that their baby will get well.

First, it is important for parents to remember to take the child’s temperature to initially know how sick the child is. Parents also have to make sure to check the child temperature every hour so that you can keep tract of the illness.

If the temperature is not quite high, it is possible for the parents to attempt to first try to bring it down to normal levels before going to a hospital.

Bringing the fever down

There are different methods of bringing down a fever that can be done at home. Some parents would choose to just give the sick child some medicine. Giving medicine is probably the quickest way to cure a normal fever because they are made for that purpose.

However, there are some parents who prefer natural ways of treating a fever. This involves making sure that the sick child takes in enough fluids like water or juice so that the child will not get dehydrated. This will also include giving the child vitamin rich foods such as fruits to help the body’s natural ability to heal itself.

Some parents will also try to lower the temperature by washing the child down with a towel soaked in cold water. This will help ease the burning feeling that the fever brings. It is also important to remember to make sure that the child is comfortable all the time and will get plenty of rest to help in the recuperation.

Going to the doctors

After checking the baby’s temperature and it’s in a very high level or that the fever is not going down, it might be better to bring him to the hospital or clinic. Very high fevers might indicate that it might not be just a simple fever which is why keeping track of the changes of temperate is important.

It is also preferable to bring the baby to the hospital when he couldn’t take in fluids the usual way or throws them up after drinking might result to dehydration. The doctors will be able to give the child the fluids the he needs in order make him feel better. This will also prevent the illness to grow to worse situation.

Baby Care Tips- 5 Basic Guides Those New Parents Should Consider

New parents might find it unsettling the first time they have to take care of their little ones full time. They will have to rely on knowledge gained from others who have experience in the situation and knowledge gained from books and articles.

Hopefully the following five (5) steps will help guide the new parents in taking care of the baby.

1. Be Informed

In every new situation, it is important that the person or persons facing that situation should have at least an idea on what to expect in that certain situation.

It is not much different when new parents are faced with taking care of their newborn. It is advisable for parents to do some research about this situation so that they will gain knowledge on how to take care of their child as well as what to expect when they are taking care of the child.

2. Be Prepared

Although it is not possible to be completely prepared for any situation but it helps to anticipate certain situations so that you have supplies on hand. Parents have to make sure that they are prepared to provide their baby’s needs.

They have to make sure that they have enough supplies of the things that the baby will use like diapers, food and others. It also helps to have most common medicine on hand like cough and cold medicine in case the baby gets sick.

3. Don’t Panic

Admittedly, it’s very difficult for parents to see their child injured or sick but panicking when the baby gets sick or injured does more harm than good. When people panic, they tend to get more disorganize and, most often than not, forget things.

This might cause the parents to lose some of the precious time that could be used in transporting the infant to the hospital especially if the illness or injury is serious.

4. Take a Break

Taking a break while the child is resting will also help. This will not be only beneficial to the parents but also to the well being of the child. People who are not so well rested might have short fuses which will result to arguments with other people in the house. This will not create a safe a comforting environment for the child. Also, a well rested person can make more informed decisions regarding a situation.

5. Learn from your Mistakes

It is common for new parents to make mistakes while caring for their child. There’s nothing wrong with that as long as the parents will learn from those mistakes so that it will not happen again. For example, if the parent notices that a certain kind of food that the baby is fed result to rashes or allergies, the parent should immediately stop giving the child that certain food.

Essential Tips to Safeguard Your Baby At Home

Infants rely on their parents for everything. It becomes the parents’ responsibility to ensure the child’s safety. A newborn is easier to watch because he still can’t go to places on his own therefore his parents know where the baby is. However, despite this reliance for mobility, there are also things in the house that may be hazardous to the baby health.

Provision of safety is the prime responsibility

The baby will need many different things and it’s up to the parents to ensure that those things that will be used are up to par with the baby care and safety standards. For example, the crib is probably one of the most common furniture that the baby will need.

This is where the baby will start and end his day. Parents have to make sure that the materials used to make the crib will not cause harm to the baby’s health.

Not only that, the parents should also check if the way the crib is assembled is done properly. There shouldn’t be loose small parts as the baby might accidentally swallow these which will result to choking.

The mattress, pillows, bed sheets, pillow cases and blankets must always be kept clean to prevent the baby from getting any sickness causing particles. The materials of these accessories must also be checked so that it can be ascertained that they will not cause future illness such as asthma and allergies.

Other Tips to go for

The other things that the parents will have to look at for the baby’s care are the things that the baby will need day to day. Bath seats must have the proper safety belts to ensure that the baby will not slip during the bathing process which might result to drowning.

Soap, shampoo and other toiletries must not contain harmful chemicals that will harm the baby’s sensitive skin. The food that will be given should have the necessary nutrients that the baby will need and should not include ingredients that will cause harm to the child.

As the baby grows and starts to become mobile, more precautions should be taken to ensure the baby’s safety. Sockets should be properly covered so that the baby will not accidentally stick his fingers there.

Sharp edges of the furniture should be blunted so that they will not cause injury in case the child falls down while moving around especially when the child is still learning how to walk. Breakable things must also be kept out of reach as well as different harmful solutions such as paint and cleaning detergent as these might caught incidents that might cause harm.

Finally what you need to do

Finally, some parents also put baby monitors in the room where their child is in order to keep an eye on them. This will allow the parents to keep track of how the baby is doing while they do chores around the house. These are a few examples that parents should look into in order to make sure that their precious treasure remains safe in their home.

10 common childhood winter illnesses

Illnesses are the common complaints in winter season by majority of moms since children spend more time indoors with germs passing around them. Croup, cold, runny eyes, sore ears etc are some of the major and common illnesses find in children during this season.

It is essential to find out the symptoms on-time and apply remedies to the same to save your kid from severe diseases. The primary thing that you have to check is that your kid has wearing plenty of warm layers when he/she is out in the cold. Following are the 10 common illness that attack children during winter season;

The Common Cold

It is said that babies and young children get cold more than 10 times in a year. This common illness is generally caused by viruses and its symptoms include coughs, blocked or runny nose, crankiness and sore throats. Babies will find feeding very hard with blocked nose and often will omit the solid food. It is good to give only milk to babies during this period.

Health Tips: To prevent spreading of cold viruses, teach elder children to cover their mouth with hands or tissue while sneezing or coughing. Also, ensure that they wash their hands after coughing or sneezing.

Fever

Fever is the increase in the normal temperature of human body. Generally children get fever when their body looses the immunity power. When you find your kids very hot, wear out some of their layers and cool their chest and face with a damp flannel. Ensure that the kid doesn’t get chilled. Give infant paracetamol which will be available in pharmacies. It is good to call a doctor if your baby is under 3 months.

Health Tips: Keep your kid’s immunity system healthier. For this, give different types of fruits and vegetables that contain good quantity of vitamins.

Sore Throat

Sore throat is caused by either bacterial or virus infection. Back of the throat get inflamed when bacteria or virus infects. Moms have to watch their kids’ telltale signs of wincing while swallowing food. Give warm and soothing drinks to your toddler when he/she get sore throat. Infant paracetamole can less down the intensity of sore throat to a great extent.

Health Tips: It is good to give honey as it is found as a good cough suppressant. However, don’t give honey to babies of under 1 year since it can occasionally include a bacterium that may cause danger to babies.

Eye Infections

Never ignore runny eyes just as a sign of cold since it may be caused due to conjunctivitis or bacterial infection. General symptoms are greenish or yellowish discharge from kids’ eyes. Clean up the eyes with cotton pad which is dipped in cooled or boiled water. Use separate pad for each eye and each wipe.

Health Tips: To stay your kids healthy and strong, motivate them to do regular exercises. To boost their immune system, encourage them to go out in the fresh air and keep them moving around.

Ear Infections

You may see that your little one continuously rubbing or pulling at his/her ear. It can be a sign of ear infection. Symptoms include temperature, runny wax from ear and grumpy towards food. Keep your kid’s ear dry and give infant paracetamole for fever.

Health Tips: Ensure that your kid get enough sleep. It is essential to recover him from the day’s activities. Disordered sleep will increase his susceptibility to catch the infection.

Meningitis

It is the inflammation of the membranes that cover the brain and the spine. Generally meningitis is caused by bacterial, viral or fungal infection. Its symptoms include vomiting, high temperature, sensitivity to light, floppiness, drowsiness, red or purple pinprick rash that doesn’t fade even you press a glass against it and persistent crying.

Health Tips: Give vitamin supplements to child if he/she is aged between 6 months and 5 years.

Croup

Croup is the viral or bacterial infection caused to children and makes their airways to become inflamed. Symptoms are dry and barking cough. Children may have a temperature and feel difficulty to breath. Inhaling steam is the best remedy for croup. If the cough does not ease off in a couple of days, immediately call your GP.

Health Tips: Dress your children with appropriate cloths when they go out into the cold. Buy cloths that are both windproof and waterproof. Since wool is the best insulator, buy it for your little one.

Bronchiolitis

Bronchiolitis is the inflammation of the membranes lining the bronchioles. This illness fills the airways in the lungs with mucus and makes difficulty for smooth passing of air. Bronchiolitis is generally caused by cold or RSV virus. Babies find difficulty breathing whereas older children cause a sore throat or cough. Raise the head end of child’s coat or give more liquids and try a humidifier.

Health Tips: Encourage children to take plenty of water in a day. Warn them not to take fizzy drinks and squashes.

Winter Vomiting

This is caused due to a virus called rotovirus and the major symptoms are frequent vomiting and a temperature. This can last for 3-10 days. Give sachets and infant paracetamole.

Health Tips: Reduce the spread of bugs by encouraging hand wash. Get your visitors to wash their hands when they want to cuddle your child.

Hand, foot and mouth

This virus creates itchy, sore blisters on the soles of your kid, the palms of his hand and inside his mouth. Symptoms include a temperature, sore throat and runny nose. Never burst the blisters before drying up as it will spread more. Use teething gel to soothe the ulcers in the mouth. Wash your hands every time when you change a dirty nappy or touch a blister.

Health Tips: Always keep an alcohol-free hand sanitizer when you are out with your baby. Use quick squirt rather than soap and water.

Keep your little ones to be the best of health even in the winter season.