As your baby grows, the more your child safety precautions to make. From the shift of being immobile to becoming mobile individuals, the more issues of child safety and child injuries are more likely to take into utmost consideration.

One usual child safety issue is the security of your child if you have stairs or open doors at home. Your primary responsibility is to get some gates to secure a closing in your stairs and open doors. As your baby grows, he will see those stairs as an irresistible mountain he must climb.

Installing a good-quality gate at the top and bottom is very much necessary to avoid any falling accidents and injuries. Always make sure you are in close monitoring of your baby especially when your child learns to climb. If you have a Walker in your home, the more you should secure gates. There were reported cases for the past years about accidents caused by walkers. That is one of the reasons why the government recalled many walkers from the market.

Be in constant looking for your child. Aside from the necessity of the gates that you need to have in your homes, always make it on the toplist of your priorities to secure your child’s safety. After all, you may not want your child to have injuries or accidents. It is best to prevent it before it may happen.

There are times when you definitely want to scream in frustration because your baby has been crying out loud for reasons that you don’t know what he really needs. Accept the fact that part of your child care experience is dealing with the cry of your baby. Of course, dealing with it entails a long lasting kind of your patience.

Without patience, for sure, you may just end up compromising your child’s safety.

There is a condition that may possibly happen if you are one type of a person who is likely to cause some abuse. It is called the Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS). Also called as Battered Baby Syndrome, it is one of the leading causes of mortality in infants. It is a form of child abuse that occurs when an abuser violently shakes an infant or small child, creating a whiplash-type motion that causes brain injuries.  Actually, it can be 100% prevented.

A newborn’s neck muscles are not yet strong. Therefore, they are extremely vulnerable to mishandling. Every parent or caretaker should know that an ultimately safe infant care must be given to a newborn.

A shaken baby is likely to develop swelling of the brain that can cause head and even brain trauma. This sad consequence can lead to serious health problems later in life. Worst to know, almost half of these kinds of situations end in death.

So if you are likely to be on the verge of almost getting to your limits, do not touch your baby when you are angry or upset. Be on a time-out. Walk away and compose yourself first before going back to your baby to comfort him. But if you are close to your breaking point, switch off with your spouse or any other person with you in your house. If you are by yourself, secure him down into safety. You may walk into another room to gain your composure before returning.

You do not want for sure that your baby will be put into abuse. If you will be in your baby’s shoes, you may not want to be innocently traumatized as well. Violent shaking is NEVER an accepted behavior to express any of your deepest anger or frustrations.

If adults are easy to contract colds, the more your babies are prone to have this sickness. Do not let your baby suffer from the nasty symptoms of common colds. You are held responsible to give 100% child care to your baby.

Let us take a closer look on this condition. “Common colds” is a generic term for the medical condition called Upper Respiratory Infection (URI). Colds are caused by a virus. The treatment involves more than just taking a few antibiotics.

Babies contract a lot more colds than adults. Their immune systems are still immature that make the catching of a cold fairly easy. According to some proven studies, an average baby will have 6-8 colds a year. Newborns under 4 weeks very rarely get colds because their bodies have a rich content of antibodies to fight any disease. While those infants exposed to toddlers or older children can have as many as 10 or more colds a year.

Setting all the alerts on to prevent colds, your child care responsibility is take some preventive measures against this condition.

The virus is spread to infants mostly by touching. It also can be spread through droplets after sneezing. An effective universal prevention is still more on hand-washing frequently. Carrying an alcohol-based antibacterial wash in your diaper bag is also a helpful idea to stop visiting viruses. Even baby wipes can be used to help keep you and your baby’s hands as virus-free as possible.

Disinfect as well your baby’s things as frequently as possible. Maintaining cleanliness will not promote any harboring of the viruses that cause colds.

Limiting contact with other sick adults and children is also a common-sense solution to avoiding a baby cold. Also, less sneezing directly to the face of your baby will help in the prevention. This applies with the proper prevention in adults.

Breastfeeding (even for just a few months) is also a great way to help prevent a baby cold. Your breastmilk gives antibodies to your baby, and protects him as he builds up his own.

Just like the saying “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”, the best treatment for a cold is actually preventing it.

Burping your infant is one of the essentials of your infant care experience. After every feeding of your baby, whether through breastfeeding or bottle feeding, burping is a need to do.

It is a need because during feeding, air can be swallowed and accumulate in your baby’s stomach. The formation of air bubbles will possibly lead to discomfort to your baby. Too much air in the stomach can lead to uneasiness, colic, and later on, spitting up of the milk.

Proper burping technique helps prevent your baby’s discomfort. If your baby is on bottle feeding, you can choose to burp after every few ounces. While for breast feeding babies, every 10-15 minutes is recommended.

Breastfed and Bottlefed babies are recommended to be fed in a more upright position of 45 degrees. Avoid frequent feedings with short intervals because it will contribute to less swallowing of air. If your baby is bottle fed, it is not a good idea to let your baby drink milk while straight on her back. Not only will it increase gas, choking is at an increased risk to happen.

Too much of anything is totally dangerous. Just like the addition of salt to a baby’s food, it puts the baby’s safety into danger. Health professionals’ advice is against the addition salt to your baby’s food.

There is much more to discover from the reasons why it is not advised. You may already be including too much salt in your baby’s diet. This is the time for you to stop doing it or not to do it.

Basically, the human body needs some salt in order to function correctly. Salt is not produced in the body. Therefore, salt is added to our daily diet in order to supplement our body’s needs. But there is an exemption to that. With the baby’s age and body system, it is not recommended.

A baby’s salt requirement is only minimal with approximately less than 1g per day up to the age of 12 months. While the baby is still young, it is actually met by his breastmilk or formula.

Considering the age of the babies, their kidneys are still immature and underdeveloped to process more salt than the minimal requirement needed. Adding too much salt from sources other than natural foods like veggies and fruits, breast milk and/or formula may damage baby’s kidneys and possibly even cause brain damage. There have even been extreme situations in which babies have died as a result of consuming too much salt. Researches even showed that consuming too much salt from an early age can lead to high blood pressure in later life (particularly in families with a history of hypertension).

Your baby’s system is still fragile. Not only until their kidneys are matured enough to process the recommended amount of salt that you can include it in the diet.

Baby feeding is a vital part of your continuous child care responsibility. Using feeding time to make eye contact and hold your baby are great ways to increase your mother and child bonding time. This goes for either breast or bottle feeding.

Breast Feeding Baby Considerations

1. Choose a comfortable position. You can choose any position you wish to nurse in, whether that be a seated or laying down position. It should be one that gives you the best feeding position for your baby. This may vary with the baby’s age, your comfort level and even the time of day. Cradle hold is a recommended position, with mom seated upright, holding baby like a cradle. This allows you to hold the baby with one hand and use the other to support or move your breast.

2. Have a  supporting pillow. No matter what position you decide on, get some support! A nursing pillow or using couch or bed pillows helps you hold baby up will save strain on your neck and back.

3. Baby Placement. A good latch is one of the most important parts of breastfeeding comfortably. This directly goes back to a good position of the baby. Your baby should be belly to belly with you and chin to breast. If baby is twisted or has their head turned it can make it not only more difficult for them to get milk, but it can make your nipples sore. While baby is nursing you want to look for a few things to ensure all is well. The baby should have their lips flared around the breast. If you pull the lower lip down a bit (while they are nursing) the tongue should be curled around the breast. You can also usually hear baby swallowing and watch their ears wiggling when actively nursing.

4. Latch! Use your one hand to cup the breast and offer it to baby. Baby should open his or her mouth wide enough to take a good portion of the areola tissue (darker portion of the breast) into the mouth. As baby does this pull them closer to the breast and watch them nurse.

5. Baby needs a break, it’s time to change sides or is finished, simple slip a finger in the corner of their mouth to gently break the suction. If you don’t do this you will cause yourself a lot of pain. You can then offer the other side following the same steps.

Make every breastfeeding time a worth while one! Take into consideration your comfort and your baby’s without compromising your baby’s needs.

Feeding your baby is one important part of your child care responsibility. It is more than just a matter of nutrition. It is also about nurturing and comfort.

Positioning is very vital to take into consideration. You can choose any position you wish to latch on the baby to your nipple, whether that be a seated or laying down position. But this may vary with the baby’s age, your comfort level and even the time of day.

Here are the usual positions for feeding your baby:

~ Cradle Hold

It is one of the most frequently seen breastfeeding positions for babies. It is highly recommended because it allows the mother to hold the baby closely and support their little bodies, particularly when they are newborns and not quite able to hold themselves up in any way.

It is a comfortable and natural position for older babies with better head control.
Use a pillow to help support the baby and your arms.

~ Football Hold

It is a great position if you really need to see the breast. It works well for large breasted mothers as well as mothers who need to avoid the baby being on their abdomen, such as after a cesarean section.

Be sure to use pillows with this position so that you can be sure that the baby is well supported. If the baby is longer than the space you have between you and where you are sitting, bend the legs upward, so that their bottom is against the back of the chair or bed. This prevents you from leaning out.

With this position, you can also use the other hand to help better position the baby’s mouth or your breast. It gives you a visible look at the breast while nursing. So, it works well if you’re having latch issues. This position is also great for premature or very tiny babies.

~ Side-lying position

It is indicated for resting with baby or after a cesarean section.

~ Saddle Hold

It is a fun way to easily nurse babies who are sitting up. It also works well if your baby has a runny nose or a sore ear.

So now you have read the usual positions during breastfeeding. Find the best position that will suit your needs and your baby’s. Be sure to take rest periods or changing the position so as to prevent you and your baby for any pain or cramps in the muscles.

The transition from bottle to cup feeding or weaning is a gradual decision to make. Breast or bottle feeding is usually the best and sure way to soothe or comfort a child and weaning the child from these sources of comfort can distress parents as much as the child. However, even doctors recommend that bottles should be eliminated as a feeding tool by the time babies are one year old to prevent tooth decay and improper alignment of teeth. Here are some gentle weaning strategies, ways and child care tips that can help the child to drink with cups more cheerfully and happily and without much stress:

* Be very supportive to your child during the transition period and giver her extra support including hugging, playing with her to comfort her or help her soothe herself with her favorite toy or blanket.
* Children who can already handle sippy cups well may love to drink from a cup, just like ‘big people’.
* Early morning and late night nursing sessions are special for baby and mom and means ‘bonding time’. So, keep them until last and start eliminating one feeding at a time from sometime in between. You can gradually start from eliminating one feeding a week and then move on gradually by dropping one more feeding per week.
* Get your baby used to changes in routines first and learn how to break habits. You can change rooms, reschedule bath times or exchange the chores with your spouse.
* Make sure that your baby doesn’t get too hungry or she will become irritable and will refuse to accept any changes. Give her about six ounces of water or juice daily using a sippy cup and favorite snacks to soothe her.
* Postpone a feeding by just 15 minutes a day and shorten the duration of the feedings and you will soon find that the number of feedings will soon dwindle down.
* Whenever a child insists on being nursed or feeding on a bottle, you may want to distract her with errands and excursions by first taking her for a walk or reading her favorite storybook to her and she may forget her request and take to the cup easily.
* You can also consider making bottles less tasty for the baby by watering down the milk or just give them water in bottles and milk only in sippy cups.

Any parent that spends time with their children around water knows how important it is that their children learn to swim. However, when those children are very young, they may not be able to learn. Using swimming aids and safety measures to protect young children may safeguard them, but are they as helpful as they are thought to be?

Babies can actually learn to swim if taught to do so. However, you may not know how to teach them or may not have baby swimming classes available to you. You may feel that the best way to protect your child is to use swimming aids.

There are several types of swimming aids but they don’t all provide the same level of confidence for keeping young children safe. The following are some types you may think of:

* Inflatable animals – An inflatable animal may be good for having fun in the pool if you already know how to swim, but they are not advisable to keep non-swimming children safe. The inflatable animals will keep children afloat as long as they are strong enough to hold on; should they let go, drowning is a possibility if no one is watching closely.

* Arm bands – Inflatable arm bands are a better option for children that cannot swim. However, they still don’t provide enough protection. These are good for children that are learning to swim but haven’t quite gotten the hang of it yet.

* Floating swimsuits – Floating swimsuits come in a variety of styles. They can be as simple as a swimsuit with an inflatable ring to something more elaborate like a swimsuit with life vest material in them. If you choose to have your child swimming with you in deeper water, the latter floating swimsuit would be a better choice.

* Life vests – Life vests are probably the best choice if you have your children around water. Not only will they keep your child afloat, they are designed to keep your child on its back to avoid drowning. Life vests truly can save a child’s life if used whenever a child is near the water.

Pros of using swimming aids

If used properly, and consistently, some of the swimming aids can save your child’s life. They are readily available through most discount stores; however, you may want to buy actual life vests at sporting goods stores to ensure you’re getting the best quality.

Cons of using swimming aids

Swimming aids can give you a false sense of security where your small, non-swimming children and water are concerned. You may not think you have to watch them as closely if they have on a swimming aid, but the truth is supervision is important whether your child can swim or not and whether they are wearing a swimming aid or not. Flotation devices such as animals, arm bands, and some floating swimsuits are not life preservers and it is best not to think of them as such.

Swimming aids and safety may seem to go hand-in-hand, but that isn’t always the case. While they may keep your child safer than not using one, nothing can beat having supervision whenever your child is near the water. Summertime fun in the sun and in the water is right around the corner. Are you prepared?

Taking temperature in a baby is not just in the hospital or clinics when you are in monthly check-ups. It is a part of your infant care responsibility as well. It is not as easy as taking temperature of an adult. Babies may not allow thermometers in their mouth and even if they do, it will be difficult to make them keep it still under their tongues for full two minutes, as infants do not have full muscle control to do so. They will only try to chew on the glass using their jaws and newly sprouted teeth and may even cause the glass to break, which can become a very dangerous situation with all the mercury inside their mouth. Here are tips to do it properly:

* An oral thermometer can be used over four years of age as they can put it under the tongue easily.

* Forehead strips are the easiest one to use on children and are easily available too but they are not trusted enough to get an exact reading. However, they are good for children who are a year old or older.

* Underarm temperature represents external body temperature, which may be lower than internal temperature and lead to false assumptions and diagnosis.

* While some people may prefer taking ear temperature, it can be a little challenging to place the thermometer right to get a good reading. It may also be hurtful to children who have ear infections.

* The best way to take a temperature in a baby is via rectal route. It is the recommended route to use. Rectal temperatures represent the body temperature most accurately too as the oral temperature may vary with the temperature of something the baby has just eaten or drunk.It can be taken for about 3-5 minutes.

* For taking rectal temperature, use digital rectal thermometer and apply petroleum jelly on it. Insert it one inch into the rectum and keep it there for about a minute or until the thermometer beeps. Remove the thermometer and note the reading. Babies may have a bowel moment just as you remove the thermometer from their rectum.

Traveling with a young infant for the first time can be a frightening experience but it does not have to be as scary as some parents expect it will be. It is part of your infant care responsibility to secure all the necessary items needed for the travel.

By the time a baby reaches three months or age there is no reason why you cannot travel with him or her. Babies are not as fragile as many parents believe them to be and they are not able to walk or run off therefore keeping your baby close to you should not be a problem!

Food and comfort tips

* If you are breastfeeding your baby then make sure you bring a water bottle for yourself to help keep yourself hydrated during the trip.
* If you are bottle-feeding then the most convenient thing to bring along for the trip is ready-to-use formula.
* Make sure you bring a bib for your baby (or a couple) that have a plastic or waterproof coating and is big enough to cover his or her whole front.
* Pack enough diapers for the trip as well as bags to put dirty diapers in and lotion in case diaper rash develops.
* In your carry-on bag or in a bag that is easily accessible to you in the car, pack an extra set of clothing for both yourself and your baby in the event that your baby spits up on you or vomits or if a diaper leak occurs.
* Always have a blanket with you so your baby has a cozy, soft place to lie his or her head down and take a nap or even crawl around or roll on.

Health and safety tips

* Gather together all of the supplies you need to create a first aid kit to ensure that you can cope effectively with any minor medical problem that takes place on your trip, with either yourself or your baby. If your infant has any prescription medication that he or she needs make sure to pack it. Write out a list of essentials for the first aid kit if you are concerned that you might forget something important. Any over-the-counter drugs that you might need for your baby is important to include in the first aid kit as well.
* Make sure you have completed an emergency sheet for your baby, which details his or her health information as well as any medication he or she requires. Also include on this sheet all relevant names and telephone numbers of family, friends and doctors.
* A hat is essential for your baby both in the hot months as well as the cold months. Sunscreen is an essential item as well if you plan to have your infant outside. This is not just the case in the summer but all year long. Apply a sunscreen to the face and backs of hands of infants who are under six months of age and apply even more to babies who are older than six months. Always buy a sunscreen that has an SPF of 30 for protection.

According to researches and studies, music can help in child development- both cognitive and behavioral. Music therapy is increasingly becoming popular among kids and therapists believe that certain tones, rhythms and vibrations can actually help treat various medical and behavioral problems in babies and adults alike. It has been seen that lullabies in parents’ voice indeed make babies feel more secure and loved and can help them thrive. It has been seen that relaxing music and 20 minutes of vocal lullaby twice daily helped premature babies and preemies to thrive better, slowed their heart rates and increased the amounts of formula and oxygen they took in.

Similarly, colicky babies or teething babies that hurt and cry a lot are easier to soothe with songs that have soothing melody and steady rhythm. However, if parents love the lullabies, then it works much better than instrumental music, even if they are unable to carry a tune and have to make up the lyrics because they simply can’t remember the words. Another study showed that the brain waves of kids with attention-deficit or hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) that listened to three 40-minute recordings of classical music per week for about six months, moved to higher levels and that they could focus or concentrate better on the tasks assigned to them while they were listening the music.

Listening to regular music sessions periodically throughout the day and classical rhythmic music such as that of Mozart or Haydn can help calm a kid, when he is restless or very tired such as after school. Some kids can learn better or show improvement in their efficiency levels when they do their homework while playing music. However, some kids are just the opposite and cannot just concentrate on studies or work while the music is on, so it basically varies from individual to individual. Kids who face difficulty in following directions may show better results and pay more attention to you if they are given directions in playful, rhythmic, singsong tunes. So, music does help health and stimulate development of a kid.

Your baby may not yet be able to communicate in words, but when he’s ready for solid foods- he has his ways to let you know! You have to be ready as well because your baby’s feeding is part of your infant care responsibility. Here are questions to help you determine whether he is now ready or not.

* Does your baby watch you with eager anticipation when you eat? Maybe he even opens his mouth, or tries to grab your spoon? Besides making you feel guilty as you enjoy your dinner, this behaviour indicates that he may be ready for solid food.

* Does your baby seem hungrier than usual, appearing dissatisfied after his usual milk feeds? Once you’ve ruled out teething or illness as possible causes, you may find that he needs something a little more substantial to satisfy his growing appetite!

* Is your baby waking at night after previously sleeping through? Or, if he was waking at night anyway, is he now waking more often? This can be a sign that he’s ready for solids. And it’s very tempting to get baby started on solid foods so that he’ll settle at night and “sleep like a baby”! (Where did that expression ever come from?)
But be careful! He may be waking more often due to teething, or some other discomfort. If you introduce solid foods too early, it can have the opposite effect on your baby to the one you seek. His immature digestive system may not be able to cope. This can mean an upset tummy for him … and even more sleepless nights for you!

* Can baby sit well, without support? This will make swallowing easier. Not all babies are able to sit unsupported at this stage, though. So it’s important that you provide the proper support when feeding, if this is the case.

* Does your baby have good head control? This is important, so that your baby can turn his head away to refuse food.

These are all good indicators of your baby’s readiness for solids. You can all take these into consideration. You will then be well knowledgeable to determine whether or not your little one is ready for solids.

Teaching baby sign language is a relatively new concept. It can be an additional form of your child care tasks. The ability to understand and communicate with your baby is something we often yearn for as parents and using simple sign language from an early age brings a host of other advantages.

* Using sign language reduces the frustration and tantrums that baby’s inability to communicate can provoke

* Children taught baby sign in infancy tend to develop superb language skills later on - including an increased ability to learn a second language

* Children who sign display a tendency to resolve problems with good communication, not tantrums

* Some signing babies actually speak EARLIER than those who don’t use sign

* Children who sign often develop a higher IQ

* Parents form deep, strong bonds with their signing children, based on satisfaction and trust - babies are more content, knowing their needs will be met

* In families where all children are taught to sign, the bond between siblings is great - particularly when older children are able to communicate with a baby brother or sister

The blood vessels of umbilical cord nourish an unborn child, when he is still in the mother’s womb. Oxygen and all the nutrients of the mother are supplied to the fetus, through the umbilical cord. Hence, the cord plays a pivotal role in the overall development of the fetus. Soon after the birth of the baby, the doctor puts a plastic clamp on the umbilical cord and cuts it off, leaving a one-inch umbilical stump attached to the baby’s body. The umbilical stump (sometimes known as umbilical cord) eventually drops off, within three weeks after the birth.

The period before the fall of the umbilical cord is very crucial for the baby as well as the mother. For the parent as part of the child care responsibility, it is the time to take proper care of the newborn, because the umbilical cord is highly sensitive to skin irritation and various kinds of infection. The cord needs to be dried well, before it falls off naturally. If you do not know how to take care of the newborn’s umbilical cord, then you are reading the right article. Go through the following lines and get some tips on taking care of your baby’s umbilical cord.

Taking Care Of Your Baby’s Umbilical Stump

Cleaning The Umbilical Cord

* You need to clean your newborn’s umbilical cord, to avoid any kind of infection. Since no nerves are located in the cord, cleaning it won’t prove painful to your child.
* For the purpose, make use of cotton balls or swabs. Dip the cotton balls/swabs in rubbing alcohol.
* Now, wipe the soaked cotton swab around the base of the cord, next to the baby’s skin. Thoroughly clean the area between the cord and the skin.
* If your baby cries when the soaked cotton ball comes in contact with the umbilical cord, then need not worry - it is due to the cold sensation due to the use of rubbing alcohol.

Keep The Umbilical Cord Dry

* It is vital to keep the umbilical cord stump dry, to avoid any kind of skin irritation or infection.
* Allow fresh air to pass through the cord, to keep it dry.
* While putting on the diaper, always fold down its top edge. By doing so, the diaper would not rub against or cover the cord.

Some More Tips

* Give your baby clean sponge baths, until the umbilical cord falls off naturally. Avoid the cord getting wet, while bathing your newborn. If the cord gets wet by chance, then dry it immediately by wiping it with a cotton ball/swab dipped in rubbing alcohol.
* Be sure to clean the umbilical cord after every diaper change, if your doctor has recommended to do so.
* In case you notice redness, swelling around the cord, discharge or bad odor from the stump, contact your doctor immediately.
* The umbilical stump should naturally fall off by three weeks after the birth. If the cord persists to stay in the place even after the stipulated time, consult your doctor.
* If the cord stays moist even after two to three days of birth, consult the physician.

When you are blessed with a small bundle of joy, you get filled with nurturing and child care instincts automatically. You become more caring as well as sensitive. A little whimper of your child is enough to put you in a sad mood, not to talk about the whole throated cry. But what if your otherwise happy baby starts fussing and crying all the time and the reason is nothing, but teething. Although teething pain largely depends on heredity factors (say if the mother, father, or both had an early and painful teething, there are chances that the baby also will suffer from it), you can still use some methods you can use to reduce the pain, if not actually remove it. Read on to know how reduce the teething pain of your little one.

Tips To Ease Teething Pain

Chewing Toys
One thing that you can do to reduce your baby’s teething pain is provide him something to chew on, as it helps alleviate the discomfort. Give him liquid filled rings or rubber toys. You can also get a number of products from the market, for this purpose. To reduce the pain further, freeze the toys and give them to your baby. The chill soothes the gums and helps reduce the pain, at least temporarily.

Nursing
For some babies, nursing often reduces the teething pain. This will not only provide food to the baby, but also comfort him. You can even freeze the breast milk for the purpose. If your child eats food other than your breast milk as well, providing him with chilled foods, like chilled yogurt, pulp of peaches or even a banana, will do the trick.

Hard Cookies/ Biscuits
You can give your child hard cookies or biscuits to chew on. They are nutritious as well, thus being much better than the chewing toys available in the market. You would easily find cookies specially made for teething purposes. Buy them in flavors that your baby enjoys and give them for chewing.

Cold Water
You can also give your baby cold water for drinking. It will numb the gum and reduce the pain. But do so, only when the weather is warm and your child is able to drink it. Otherwise, he may catch cold or even flu.

Massaging
Another thing what you can do is to freeze a clean cloth and wrap it around your finger. Now, gently massage your baby’s gum with it. He will feel an instant relief. You can also give him the cloth to chew upon. If he is too small to eat chilled fruits, freeze them, wrap them around a very cold cloth and give them for chewing on.

Teething Gels
Teething gels are also available in the market, which can help reduce the pain and discomfort experienced by your baby. However, if the pain persists for long, you can need to consult your doctor and ask him to give your child some medication.

As soon as baby’s first tooth erupts, it’s time to buy a good toothbrush. It is one important part of your child care experience to buy the first ever toothbrush for your baby. The best type to use at first is a long handled brush with a small head. This design makes it easy to reach all areas of your baby’s mouth.

Your baby’s toothbrush should have rounded, soft filaments. You should replace it every 10-12 weeks, or sooner if the filaments become splayed.

Another option is to use a specially designed infant toothbrush that fits over your finger. Some babies seem to prefer this type… but beware! If your baby is a biter, a toothbrush of this type offers your vulnerable finger very little protection!

As your baby grows and wants to hold the brush himself, then it’s a good idea to buy him one with a chunky handle. This will be easier for him to hold - but, of course, you will still need to do the majority of the brushing yourself!

Tips for brushing baby’s teeth

* If your baby won’t open his mouth when it’s time to brush his teeth, then try putting the brush in YOUR mouth - babies love to mimic whatever Mum is doing!

* Open your mouth wide and sing a musical scale (we recommend trying this one in the privacy of your bathroom ONLY!). He will either try to copy your singing - or he will laugh - but either way, he will have opened his mouth!

* Sit your baby in the most comfortable position for both of you - try standing or sitting behind your baby as he looks up. This is an excellent position to adopt, because it makes it very easy to reach all parts of his mouth.

* Be gentle - it isn’t necessary to brush firmly at this stage and it may just put your baby off having his teeth brushed altogether!

Proper feeding is one very important part your child care responsibility. The timing when to give the food and following the sequence or the order in which the baby should be introduced to foods is important for baby’s health, proper nutrition and good eating habits in the baby.

Here are some tips that can help you feed ‘real’ foods to the baby in a way that he will enjoy:

* Milk is a VERY important part of baby’s diet for the first year and at this stage he should still be having around 5 - 6 breast-feeds or 24 to 40 oz of formula in 24 hours.

* Babies are very skeptic about ingesting solid foods as they have only been fed on breast milk or formula until now. So, they may push the food out of their mouths or may purse their lips together so that you cannot get the spoon or the food inside their mouth. This is just natural.

* You certainly don’t need to be worrying about introducing 3 meals a day at this point, either. Take things slowly, increasing the size and frequency of solid meals as your baby’s appetite dictates.

* Babies younger than four months have more permeable gut that can absorb whole proteins too and thus, the risks of developing a food allergy is much greater at that age. So, do not try to give him solids then.

* Breast milk or formula provides enough nutrition for the babies younger than 6 months of age but older babies need additional calories and nutrients that can be supplemented by solid foods. One year olds may need about 400 extra calories from solids while 2 year olds may need about 600 calories.

* If you try to force feed a baby, he or she may not be able to use the tongue to push the food properly from front to back and may gag on it.

* Infants that are fed cereal before 3 months old are at a higher risk of developing celiac disease (a serious intolerance of wheat protein) and children who are fed cereal before three months of age and after seven months of age are at greater risk for diabetes.

* Try to make baby eat only one or two teaspoon of any new food or at least taste it. The experience with eating should be positive for the baby.

* Once baby is enjoying baby rice, then it’s time to introduce some vegetables and fruits  (that, of course, is if you didn’t skip the rice cereal and move straight to alternative first foods from the outset).

* You have to be patient and know that this process has to be slow and force should never be used to make the baby open the mouth. This may mean that baby is still not ready to take in solid foods or it may take as many as 20 tries before he trusts a particular food to ingest it.

* You may start introducing baby to solid foods between the ages of 4 to 6 months as the reflex of pushing food outside the mouth with the tongue disappears, though you may delay it a bit if you are undergoing too much pressure of work or stress, so that you can be more patient with the baby.

Memo to pregnant mothers all over the world: do not wallow in depression while carrying your child in your womb. An American Academy of Sleep Medicine news release is reporting that babies are more likely to have sleep issues when their mothers are battling depression.

Babies who are born to depressed mothers took longer to fall asleep at night even during the first six months of existence of the baby. This also applies for their sleeping habits during the day so that’s a big no-no for infant care. Moreover, these babies are more than likely to have an earlier on-set of depression as children.

Publishd in the May 1 issue of the Sleep magazine, the research findings are from the Sleep and Chronophysiology Laboratory at the University of Michigan Depression Center. However these data results do not mean that this cannot be reversed in child. In fact, it can be treated for babies.

“We do think that we could develop a behavioral and environmental intervention to improve entrainment of sleep and circadian rhythms in the high-risk infants,” says study lead author Roseanne Armitage, who is also the director of the Sleep and and Chronophysiology Laboratory at the University of Michigan Depression Center, “They may still be modifiable, since brain regulation is very plastic and responsive in childhood.”

Past studies suggest that cortisol, a stress hormone produced in greater amounts by depressed women during pregnancy and after delivery, may affect the infant’s ability to sleep.

As ironic as it may sound, many parents don’t instantly bond with their baby. Don’t feel pressured and think you are failing as a parent. As long as your baby is fed, changed, bathed, the rest will immediately follow. Here are some insights to guide your parenting experience with infant care.

Don’t think that you are weak if you need to seek for help. Talking about potential problems is still the better route to go instead of keeping it all to one’s self. Discuss anything you may be worried about because it may be postnatal depression or an issue with your baby’s health. There may be a reason why you don’t feel you are bonding such as a difficult birth, baby blues, your relationship with your own parents. There may also be no obvious reasons at alll. Make sure you have lots of support and people you can talk to.

Sit quietly with your baby when they are asleep. When you start to feel calm take the next step of gently stroking your baby’s face.

Encourage yourself to feel optimistic, especially when you feel negative, anxious or scared. Focus on the beautiful intricacies of your child like his or her small and gentle fingers and cute eyes. Always be thankful to have received such a blessing.

You should be beaming with pride more and more now that your baby is getting stronger with each passing month. Prepare for more bonding time with your child once he/she enters the 12-18 months stage. Your toddler will soon have more mastery of his body and can now explore frantically with increased mental curiosity. He wants to see, touch, taste and smell everything.

And he wants to do all of this now. He has no understanding of the past or the future. If your child wants something, he/she wants it immediately. Thus, try to be patient with your child because he/she can be really demanding.

At this child development stage, expect your baby to be very curious. Let him play around but be sure to be there to supervise anything he/she is holding in order to avoid accidents such as choking.

Remember, your child has no sense of danger. This is why he/she will not understand you if you want to prevent him/her from doing certain actions. Put away anything that could be dangerous and remember that soon he will be able to reach up and climb, so keep things well out of reach before that happens.