Baby Health

Surviving the NICU As a New Parent

Recently, a friend of mine had a baby. She had a textbook pregnancy and gave birth right on schedule to an almost nine-pound baby. It should have been the happiest day of her life.

But it wasn’t.

At some point during the delivery or before, the baby inhaled meconium and developed an infection. Instead of cuddling her new little one in her arms, the mom and dad were frantically driving to a hospital in a larger city as their new baby was airlifted to their Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, or NICU for short.

How do families deal with having their dreams deferred by a side trip to the NICU? How can you prepare for an experience like that? How can you help a friend of family member that is looking at their baby through a plastic crib cover? [Read more…] about Surviving the NICU As a New Parent

Choosing the Best Pacifiers for Baby

by DP Nguyen Leave a Comment

Pacifiers are so helpful when you’re a new mom. Sometimes the best way to soothe a cranky, screaming baby is to just insert a pacifier into your baby’s mouth. Babies have a natural instinct to suck; many infants in utero suck their little thumbs. The sucking action can calm your baby and help him or her sleep. Some babies are suckers – these infants will suck on their thumbs or fingers if there’s no pacifiers around. Plus, another benefit of using pacifiers is that it may reduce the risk of SIDS – sudden infant death syndrome.
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Baby Congestion: How to Clear Baby’s Stuffy Nose

by DP Nguyen 6 Comments

Baby congestion can be hard to handle, and play with your mommy feelings. A baby with a stuffy nose are cranky and miserable, and as a parent, it hurts your heart to see your baby all congested and crying. A baby’s stuffy nose can make it hard for her to breathe well, and if you’re breastfeeding, it can make it more difficult for your baby to nurse well. Young babies under four months old with congestion can have a difficult time sleeping and feeding, so it’s your job to clear your baby’s congested, stuffy nose and get them to feeling better soon.

Infants can’t blow their nose – they don’t start learning how to until they’re toddlers. It’s up to you to help your baby feel better – fast. So what can you do to clear your baby’s congested, stuffy nose?
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How to Keep Baby Warm in Winter

by DP Nguyen 2 Comments

How do you keep your baby warm in winter, especially when it is freezing outside? This most recent winter is the harshest most of the United States has experienced for fifteen to twenty years. And if you have a new baby at home, you might be worried on how to best keep your little bundle of joy warm and comfy.

Keeping a baby warm in the winter can be tricky, because piling on layers of blankets and bedding is simply not an option with a young baby. You don’t want to run the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), which can affect any child under age one. Too many blankets or bedding can also run the risk of a baby overheating, and accidental suffocation.

So, what’s a new parent to do?
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The APGAR Score – Your Baby’s First Test

by DP Nguyen 1 Comment

The APGAR score is a quick assessment performed immediately after your baby is born, usually between one to five minutes after delivery. This simple test gives the doctors and nurses an idea of your baby’s overall health and well-being.

Childbirth can sometimes be traumatic to infants entering the world, and the APGAR test can give your healthcare team vital information on how a baby tolerated birth, and whether your new child needs additional medical care.

APGAR Scoring can range between 0 (a deceased or stillborn baby) and 10 (a perfectly healthy baby). [Read more…] about The APGAR Score – Your Baby’s First Test

News: Circumcision Rates on the Decline

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An interesting new government report, just released in August 2013 from the National Center for Health Statistics, says that the in-hospital circumcision rates have decreased around 10 percent in the last 30 years – from 65 percent in 1979 to only 58 percent in 2010.

The drop was most noticeable in Western states, according to the report. In these states, the rates dropped to 40.2 percent in 2010. This is almost a 20 percent drop in parents choosing not to circumcise their sons. In the Midwestern states, however, circumcision rates remain high – around 71 percent.

Circumcision is the removal of a baby boy’s foreskin from his penis. It is a routine surgical procedure that is typically performed within the first few days of a little boy’s life.

The growing decline in circumcision may be due to a number of factors – from the growing anti-circumcision movement within the parenting community to the growing immigrant population in the USA, to the fact that the federal Medicaid program for lower income families has stopped paying for infant circumcisions in about 18 states.

Historically, circumcision is a mandatory ritual in the Jewish community, and a very common practice in the Muslim community. Outside of these faith communities, many Americans choose to have their sons circumcised for the potential health benefits – including decrease the risk of urinary tract infections (UTIs) in their son, reducing the risk of penile cancer later on and even STDs, such as AIDS.

In recent years, circumcision has been a hot button topic across the country, with some areas wanting to ban the practice. Proponents of circumcision see it as a unnecessary procedure.

In response to this anti-circumcision movement, in August 2012, the American Academy of Pediatrics released a statement saying that the health benefits of circumcision outweigh the risk of the surgery itself. Risks of infant circumcision includes bleeding, infection, reaction to the anesthesia, injury to the penis and surrounding areas.

What are your thoughts on the decline in circumcision rates? Sound off in the comments!