Quality care for babies

The following aspects of relationships are particularly important In quality care for babies:

Each baby has many opportunities to use all skills, such as reaching for, holding and exploring objects, and adequate space to develop physical skills such as crawling, rolling, and pulling up to stand.

Crying and signs of distress are responded to by child care professionals in ways that are timely, comforting and appropriate.

Care is provided by familiar adults, who get to know the baby and whom the baby gets to know.

Tips to New Mothers - Part three

A child goes through many stages. The most dramatic of them occur between birth and one year. Some bring pleasure, others bring pain, but 'every one of them will But remember, your baby is yours alone. Don't let anyone bully you into doing anything you do not want to do. Rely on your instinct (this reaches new heights ), a reliable knowledge of child care and sound advice from those more experienced around yon will also helps you.

Tips to New Mothers - Part two

There is often a vaginal discharge in the first days after birth. It appears as white mucus and may he ting with blood. Sometimes both baby boys and girls develop a swelling and fullness of their breast. They may actually secrete milk, which sometimes even exudes from the nipples. You should not squeeze this milk out deliberately; such squeez¬ing may result in an infection or an abscess. Both vaginal discharge and milk secretion are caused by maternal hormones which crossed the placenta: before birth.

The newborn usually passes urine in the first twelve hours, but delays up to 24 hours are not unusual. If the baby does not pass urine by then, inform your doctor. The baby's bowels usually start functioning in 24 hours. Initially, the child will pass a blackish motion, called meconium. The normal, yellow-colored motion appears only around the third or fourth day of life.

Tips to New Mothers

Many newborns have a variety of "spots" on their skin. Others have dark pigmented areas, usually to be found on their bottoms, backs or feet. These areas are called Mongolian spots; they become lighter as the child grows. Still other babies have red patches, or Hangel's kisses", at the roots of their noses or at the napes of their necks. No treatment is recommended in all these cases, as they will aU eventually disappear.

If you see Sometimes a blister in baby's mouth on its upper lip. Don’t worry. This is due to suckling, particularly in a breast-fed infant. It will disappear by itself. Some infants are born with a tooth. If it is loose, it can be removed easily.

New Born Babies - Eyes

The eyelids of the newborn may appear puffy, again due to its forcible passage during labour, but this too will disappear in a day or two. Sometimes the baby's eyelids will be sticky. Nothing more than a little cotton wool is needed to wipe them and remove the stickiness. Almost all newborns, upto the age of six months, have one eye wandering. This is normal and happens only because the baby's muscles have not yet become co¬ordinated. As time goes by, it will Correct itself, so don't fret the first time you notice this and think your child is going to be cross-eyed. The baby's pupils constrict if a torch-light is reflected on them.

New Born Babies - Some common doubts

When the baby is born he is covered with a grayish, somewhat greasy substance. Doctors call it vernix caseosa and it is secreted by the foetus's skin glands. This is Nature's way of protecting the foetus's skin from the effect of the long exposure to the liquid environment found in the uterus. It will come off by itself in a few days. It can also be removed by rubbing oil over the baby. The newborn baby is also covered with fine, scarcely visible hair. This too will soon disappear, usually during the first month. At birth the baby is usually pink all over. But sometimes its hands and feet may be bluish for a few hours.

New Born Babies - doubts

At birth, most of the baby often has a fnll head of hair. This will, in most cases, be shed in the first ten months. Some babies grow a fnll head of hair quite quickly. Others do not have more hair for first few months. Rest assured that such growth does not mean the baby is going to end up being bald for life.

After the baby is born, this is generally the case if he has been exposed to cold. Make sure the baby is kept well wrapped and covered all the time. After all, he has come from the warmest, most secure place in the whole world - your womb. Try and give him in his first days as much of the same warmth outside.

Common Doubts about new Born babies

The common doubts about new born baby to the new mothers are listed here. Is he the right weight and length? What is this pink patch on his nape? Is his head in the right size? Does he seem cross-eyed? Are his ears shaped like cauliflowers? Such concern is natural. But if you know what to expect, your adjustment to motherhood will be quicker and you will be spared many an anxious moment. It is good to remember is that babies are individuals, each baby is different from the other, both physically and temperamentally.

When a proud friend tells you her baby weighed almost four kilos at birth and yours was only three, do not go into a tizzy. Your baby is as normal as can be. The average newborn weighs 2.7 kg. Since that is only an average you will find newborns weighing any¬where from 2.5 to 4 kg. The newborn's head circumference will vary from 33 to 35 cm and its body length from 47 to 50 cm. If your baby measures a little more or less than even these 'normal figures', he is still within the normal parameters.

Tips to new mothers

The umbilical cord, which linked Baby to you, is cut and tied immediately after birth. It begins to dry and turn leathery soon afterwards and will fall off within 5-10 days. A slight bulge around the umbilical cord may sometimes develop in the first month. This too is not uncommon and is not dangerous; it generally disappears by the end of the first year.

The newborn's genitals are usually disproportionately large, being swollen at birth. The swelling will gradually disappear. In an uncircumcised baby boy, the foreskin normally adherers to his penis and should not be forcibly retracted. The foreskin naturally separates and becomes retractable as the child grows older. In the case of newborn girls, there is often a vaginal discharge in the first days after bith. It appears as white mucus and may be tinged with blood.

Solid food for babies

All baby food, to start with, must be hand-mashed, blended, ground or liquidized. Fruit and vegetables can be blended, raw or after cooking. Meats have to be cooked for easier blending. Most foods need water or some other liquid, like milk, juice or stock, added to them to get a good consistency - especially when the baby is very young Large amounts can be made at one time and frozen, either in ice-cube trays or in individual servings, so busy mothers can defrost them one at a time.

Cooking for Baby does not require the skills of a gourmet cook. All it takes is common sense, fresh and wholesome ingredients, scrupulous hygiene and lover for your Baby. Here is a list of starter foods and some basic recipes to introduce Baby to solid food.

Early stages of the Child

Early stages of the Child are wonderful to watch. The most dramatic of them occur between birth and one year. Each and every moment of them will make you react. A child goes through many stages. Some moments bring pleasure, others bring pain. If you know what to expect, your adjustment to every new situation will be quicker and your joy in each the greater.

What to feed your baby

Most babies are inadequately fed during the second half of the first year due to our ignorance of nutritional requirements. All of us have certain beliefs regarding food for children. Often, many mothers feel that bananas cause phlegm, that cereals are bad for the liver, that orange juice makes the child prone to coughs and colds, etc.

All these beliefs are baseless and wrong. No item of food is bad for the child unless he is sick or has an allergy to a particular type of food. There are a variety of foods to choose from and an appetizing meal can be made by the blending different kinds of food to suit your baby’s palate.

New born baby – vomiting or spitting-up problem

Babies often spit up a small amount of food after a feed. This is quite normal. Babies may even vomit during or after a feeding, then they become less full and want more nourishment. If a baby throws up all or most of a feed occasionally, it is possible that the mother’s breast milk supply may have been especially generous. Or that the bottle’s nipple holes were too large. In this situation, the breast-feeding mother should express some milk at the beginning of each feed and not begin to nurse until the flow has lessened. For bottle fed babies, nipples with smaller holes should be used.

New born baby - vomiting problem

Hi- Occasional spitting up or vomiting is usual not a cause for concern. Repeated vomiting on the other hand should cause concern. Call the doctor if your baby vomits large amounts consistently or if there is blood in any of the vomit.

Baby care tips

Common problems in Infancy

With parenthood comes new responsibilities, new worries. Many doubts and questions arise, and you will face many, many anxious moments. All of this begins when your baby is an infant and unfortunately, never quite ends.

Parents need to be sure that their baby is growing normally. This can be confirmed by regular physical examinations. Nevertheless, there are worries from time to time. Sometimes your baby’s nose will run, sometimes his stomach will ache. He will be a perfect little angel during the day, but a howling banshee every evening. What are you supposed to do if he get up with sticky eyes and can’t open his eyelids? And what if he is straining to pass a bowel movement?

A number of these conditions may worry new parents. But all of them are quiet normal. If you know what to expect, you should be able to take them in your stride and handle more wisely every condition as it comes up.

Tips to New mothers - Burping baby

Even breast-fed babies will sometimes swallow a little air. Be sure to burp him at least once during the feeding as well as afterwards. No two babies burp alike. But until you know your baby’s style, bring up the bubbles by rubbing gently up and down along his spine, especially between the shoulder blades, while he falls over your hand or your shoulder. This pressure forces more gas from the area, stomach afterwards, the last bubbles usually come up in about fifteen minutes. Some babies bring up a bit of milk now and then. This is harmless. If no burp is forthcoming, don’t try to force one; perhaps your baby hasn’t swallowed any air and doesn’t need to burp.

Babies Bottle feeding problems

Sometimes the baby refuses to drink his milk though he is hungry. This is commonly happens if the teat is blocked with milk particles and the milk does not flow in spite of Baby’s suckling. Babies also refuse milk if it is too hot or too cold, or if the milk is not to their taste (he knows his sugar and his brand). There are also times when a vacuum is created in the bottle and he is not able to suck – this is especially so if the teat is soft. The teat must be change at least once in a month.

Before feeding, check the temperature of the milk by putting a drop of milk on the back of your hand. The temperature should be just hot enough. Hold the bottle obliquely so that the teat is full of milk while feeding. If there is a vacuum, release it by lifting the edge of the teat and allowing some air to enter the bottle.

Baby’s solid foods

Once your baby has settled into a good breast-feeding, or bottle feeding, routine, thee is no need to introduce him to any solid food till he is four months old. By then, his nutritional needs would have grown and you will find it difficult to sustain him on milk alone. At this stage start him off gradually on solid foods. Being fed solid food is a whole new kind of experience for a baby. It is also a major step towards eventual independence. And you will be filled with a new joy when baby takes his first tiny teaspoonful of kheer or Khichadi.

Try to introduce various tastes to baby because his taste buds are pure (i.e.) unsullied. To the baby salt is saltier and sugar is sweeter. So keep them away, for the eating habits, you are preparing in the early part of baby’s life will stay with him forever.

Young mother and a new born baby

At birth, the baby often has a full head of hair. This will, in most cases be shed in the first ten months. Some babies grow a full head of hair quite quickly. Others do not have lots of hair for moths. Rest assured that such growth does not mean the baby is going to end up being bald for life. The shape of the ears differs from child to child due to familial variations. Some times a skin tag may be seen on the ear. These tags should be shown to the doctor before they are tied.

The shape of a baby’s head varies a great deal. This due to the baby forcing its way out of your body. There is sometimes a uniform swelling but this usually disappears in two or three days. However, if the swelling is localized on one side of the head and is confined to the limits of the bone, it is due to the blood collection on the outer surface of the skull bone. This is called Cephal Haematoma and usually disappears in about 4-6 weeks. For all your doubts you can consult your doctor.