Leading health and nutrition organizations - including the American Academy of Family Physicians, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Dietetic Association, American Heart Association, National Hispanic Medical Association, National Medical Association and School Nutrition Association - recognize the valuable role that low-fat or fat-free milk, including flavored milk, can play in meeting daily nutrient needs for child development, and helping kids get the daily servings of milk recommended by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

All milk contains a unique combination of nutrients important for growth and development. And flavored milk accounts for less than 3.5 percent of added sugar intake among children ages 6-12 and less than 2 percent of the added sugar intake among teens. Studies have shown that children who drink flavored milk meet more of their nutrient needs; do not consume more added sugar, fat or calories; and are not heavier than non-milk drinkers.

Flavored milk is an important choice because:

Milk provides nutrients essential for good health and kids will drink more when it’s flavored
Flavored milk contains the same nine essential nutrients as white milk - calcium, potassium, phosphorus, protein, vitamins A, D and B12, riboflavin and niacin (niacin equivalents)

Drinking low-fat or fat-free white or flavored milk helps kids get the 3 daily servings* of milk recommended by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, and provides three of the five “nutrients of concern” that children do not get enough of - calcium, potassium and magnesium as well as vitamin D
Low-fat chocolate milk is the most popular milk choice in schools and kids drink less milk (and get fewer nutrients) if it’s taken away.

SOURCE National Dairy Council

Burping your baby is one of the best ways to act out your unending child care efforts.

There are recommended positions that will help your baby be burped in a comfortable way. The burping positions depend on you and your baby.

Over the Shoulder Position

*You can also lay your baby over your shoulder (with a supporting cloth or bib), so your collar bone presses against her tummy. That pressure is vital to getting a good burp. Be sure that your baby is leaning comfortably against your chest and sitting on your arm.

Over the Lap Position

*You can place a burp cloth on your thigh while you lay your baby on top so her mouth is over the cloth and your knee is applying the vital pressure on her stomach.

Over the Hand Position

If you think this works for your baby, you can sit your newborn on your lap with the palm of your left hand against his tummy and his chin resting in the “V” between your thumb and index finger (if you’re right handed). Then, lean him forward slightly, so that most of his weight is resting against your palm (providing that vital pressure). If he is less than three months old, make sure you are supporting his neck.

Whichever position works, gently rub and pat your baby’s back until gas is released. Have your burp cloth readily draped over for possible spit ups.

Constipation in babies can occur at any time of their life as an infant. It is caused by many factors.

Once your baby is introduced to solids, his stools will often be of the same color as the food he ate. The stools may also contain small pieces of undigested food. The appearance and smell of their stools will change dramatically as well. For breastfed babies, their stools will reveal a noticeable change by which their stools were previously of a smooth texture and relatively sweet smelling. The frequency of passing of stools may change too. Sometimes a baby can go a few days without a bowel movement.

Basically, constipation is possibly caused by constipating foods such as rice cereals, cooked carrots, bananas, potato, yogurt, applesauce, cheese and pasta. Other causes can include an underlying illness, food allergies, dehydration and certain types of medication that your baby may have been prescribed.

This condition is too hard for your baby to cope with. Here are some signs to look for if your baby is constipated.

= Stools are hard and dry. This must be an indicative sign of this condition.

= Your baby cries as he “poos” - straining might be normal, but crying indicates a greater discomfort that needs investigating.

= Your baby seems resistant to be fed.

= There is a possibility of presence of blood.

If your baby has any of these symptoms, seek for a medical advice from your doctor to rule any underlying cause.

Baby constipation can be distressing but there are simple infant care steps to relieve baby’s discomfort and prevent its return. These can help you out as you provide child care.

* Feed your baby plenty of fiber rich foods, fruits and vegetables, in addition to breast milk, formula, or whole milk.
* Gradually increase the amount of fluids in your child’s diet. Make sure that he/she drinks plenty of water. Offer him/her diluted juice or plain water several times a day. Increasing the amount of fluids your child consumes can help prevent as well as ease the problem of constipation.
* Giving prune juice to your child, every morning, can help keep stools soft. You can also dilute the prune juice, if you want. In case of any problem, try using apple juice as a substitute. Giving bran cereal is also an option. However, this remedy is suitable for older children and not infants.
* Avoid giving those foods to your baby that produce harder bowel movements, such as bananas, rice, white bread products and processed foods. Give him/her extra servings of other fruits and vegetables instead.
* Massage baby’s tummy gently, in a clockwise direction, starting at his navel and moving outwards.
* Give him a warm bath - this will make him feel relaxed (if he enjoys his baths!) and you can continue the massage technique to “get things moving” and relieve discomfort.
* ‘Cycle’ baby’s legs - this exerts gentle pressure on his intestines by moving the muscles in his tummy. Simply put him on his back, hold his legs and turn them gently, but quickly, in a cycling motion.
* If hard stools have caused tears to baby’s anus, alert his doctor and use Vaseline to protect his delicate skin.

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.

You may have heard, or even said the phrase, “I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream.” With warmer weather it’s time for summer fun. Learn how to make your own ice cream by following one of these recipes for kids for home-made ice cream.

Custard-based recipe

There are two basic recipes to make an ice cream base. If you don’t mind cooking the base ingredients before freezing, you may want to try this custard-based recipe:

4 large egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups whole milk
Pinch of salt

Begin by beating the first three ingredients until they are pale and yellow, then set them aside. Combine the rest of the ingredients, minus 1/2 cup milk, in a medium saucepan. Cook this over medium until it begins to simmer, about 5 minutes. Let the mixture almost boil but do not let it boil. Remove it from the heat and set it aside.

Put two handfuls of ice into a large bowl and fill it with water to cover. Gradually pour the warm milk into the eggs, whisking constantly and then pour it back into the saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat and stir constantly until it has thickened, about 5-10 minutes. Remove it from the heat and then pour in the remaining milk.

Pour the mixture into a medium bowl and put it in the ice bath. Continue stirring until the mixture is chilled. For the best results, let the mixture chill for 4 hours, or you can pour the chilled mixture into the ice cream maker and let the machine do the rest of the work.

No-cook version

For people who prefer not to wait the amount of time it takes for the custard-base, you may want to try the no-cook version:

2 cups heavy cream, well chilled
1 cup whole milk, well chilled
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Pour it all into an ice cream maker and follow the instructions given by the manufacturer. Before long you’ll have ice cream the whole family can enjoy. The ice cream will be soft-set, but you can firm it up by putting it in the freezer for two hours before eating.

Add-ins

Starting with either of these base recipes you can create nearly any ice cream you might want. Here are five ideas your family may enjoy:

* 1 cup finely diced overripe strawberries or peaches
* 1 cup crushed peppermint candy
* Chocolate chips
* Chopped peppermint patties
* Chunks of cookie dough

You’ll want to add fruit ingredients during the last 5 to 10 minutes of the freezing process. The chips, peppermint patties, and cookie dough would be added after the freezing process so they can be evenly dispersed.

Decorate the ice cream with additional fresh fruit, chocolate syrup, or slivered almonds. You can also place some of the ice cream between two cookies to make your own version of an ice cream cookie. The options are endless and every one is sure to be a taste sensation!

Summer is the perfect time to make your own ice cream. Summer fun, in fact, wouldn’t be the same without ice cream. Use one of the recipes, put in some add-ins, and then enjoy a taste of summer.

Every child has a unique language development pattern so the parents should not worry too much about their children not following the growth chart as they had expected or should not think that their child can become a child prodigy just because he achieved some language milestones quicker than what have been reflected in charts. Yet, on the other hand, child development experts emphasize the need of recognizing a handicap, autism or some other deficiency in the child as early as possible as the right intervention at an early stage can minimize its effect to a great extent and can even enable the child to live almost a normal life.

There is a wide range of individual difference in language learning and the chart only reflects what most babies do at a given age. In this article, we will discuss how to tally the child’s achievements with a growth chart without being overstressed or anxious about it and know whether your baby is normal or needs help. Here is a generic chart for ‘Infant Language Milestones’:

* 0-3 months: Infants cry, coo or gurgle. They respond to parents’ voices by being quiet and looking into their eyes. They start sucking quickly or slowly in response to various sounds according to how they like it.
* 4-6 months: Babies start to babble with sounds like ‘mama’, ‘nana’, ‘dada’ or ‘gaga’. They love to use their newfound speech, turn their necks to see where the sound is coming from in its direction, respond to voices and sounds like crying if there are spoken to harshly, cooing with music and get attracted to toys that make sound such as rattles and even TV and mobiles.
* 7-12 months: Babies’ babble becomes more coherent as they start making some sounds repetitively. They listen attentively when they are spoken to and start understanding some common words like ‘book’, ‘milk’, ‘bottle’ and ‘potty’ along with ‘Mommy’ and ‘Daddy’. They can even understand simple commands like ‘come here’, ‘go’, ‘sit down’ and ‘kiss mom’. They generally say their first words when they are about a year old.
* 1-2 year old: Babies generally start saying one-word sentences at one year of age like ‘milk’, ‘book’ and ‘park’, followed by two-word sentences such as ‘go park’, ‘teddy bear’ or ‘daddy office’ when they are two year old and in the third year, they say three-word sentences such as ‘I want book’, ‘milk is hot’, ‘cookies are good’. Then, they generally start using the language properly. Toddlers also start recognizing body parts by their name and point to them along with pictures in a book. They can also follow easy commands such as ‘Kiss the aunt’, ‘Sit on the chair’ and ‘Use spoon while eating’.

However, even when babies cannot express themselves they recognize and understand certain words and know more than they can say. Thus, there is a difference between ‘receptive language’, which means understanding the words and how they are used in combination to communicate and ‘expressive language’, which means producing sounds that requires motor skills required for speech too. Thus, babies who are not still able to speak can still communicate using sign language such as ‘Stop crying’.

It is important to know whether your baby is just going to talk late or has a hearing problem or language delay. In the first six months, all children babble irrespective of the fact that they are deaf or not. However, if they are too silent and do not respond to parents’ voices that should warn you that there is some problem. Children with language and hearing disorders stop babbling instead of moving on to more complex patterns and coherent speech between 6 to 12 months. Receptive language is more important than the expressive language so a child who has not said his first word is communicating by other means such as lifting her arms to be picked up, pointing and responding to simple commands than she is probably just a late talker.

If a child is not interested in communication at all and does not try to imitate adult actions or don’t make eye contact than probably it shows developmental disorder or language delay. If it is accompanied by delay in other milestones such as sitting and walking than parents need to be worried even more and seek help immediately. Children born prematurely, suffering from Down syndrome or had succumbed to meningitis are at higher risk for developmental delays and hearing, speech and language problems. In such cases, parents should immediately visit their pediatrician who can help them to find whether there is hearing loss in the child. However, infants as young as 3 months can now be fitted with hearing aids, which help them to learn language, just like normal children. Other reasons of language delay can include persistent middle-ear infections. So, parents are advised to get frequent infections evaluated.

Milk is still very important for child development - even if they are no longer babies. Sadly, children are starting to leave their milk glasses for sodas and sugary drinks so parents should step up and ensure that milk is still part of the diet of the child because it can have long term benefits to your child.

According to the Milk Processor Education Program study in the United States, calories consumed from milk (which includes flavoured milk), drop as children mature. ‘Our study found that milk is a primary source of nutrients in a child’s diet,’ said Mary Murphy, who works at the Environ Health Sciences Institute, Arlington, adding, “But milk consumption steadily declines as children grow older, which may prevent older children and teenagers from consuming the nutrients they need for growth and development.”

Here are some facts on the calories that milk provides for children over the years:

* Ages 2 to 5: 13 percent of daily calories.
* Ages 6 to 11: 9 percent.
* Ages 12 to 18: 6 to 7 percent.

So make sure to prepare a glass of milk for your child. You can join him/her drink milk while you’re at it.