Sunday, September 29, 2013

Weird Things Babies Do and Why ?

OH, YES, WE DID JUST GO THERE! TO CLARIFY, we're not just talking about your baby -- really, it's all of them. Cute as they are, they're quirky, too. They've got immature nervous systems, zero life experience, brains that are still developing, and, let's face it, not a whole lot of social awareness. Add all that up, and it's no surprise they do things that make no sense to us. (What our DH's excuse is, can't say. Maybe just the social-awareness part.)

So what kind of head-scratchers will you be dealing with? These seven often pop up sometime in the first year or so of a baby's life. Now you'll be a lot less worried when your pride and joy lets his tiny little freak flag fly.

Weird behavior #1:HE'S HAVING AN, UM, TOUCHING EXPERIENCE

It's time for a diaper change, so you do what you usually do and take off his diaper. Except this time, your baby doesn't just lie there like he usually does; instead, his hands wander south, and stay there. Oh. My. Goodness. Is he copping a feel?

Yes and no. "It's very common to see babies start playing with their genitals around the five-to-seven-month mark," . "It means something very different to them than it does to you, I promise!" Babies are driven to touch themselves out of simple curiosity, Dr explains: "They're such eager learners and explorers at that age -- anything they can get their hands on is fair game." Including themselves. "If you think about it, your child is also playing a lot with his hands and feet, but it doesn't attract your attention the way it does when he touches his genitals," . Your baby may spend more time on his equipment than on other places because it feels good.

If it makes you squeamish, provide a distraction: Hand your child a toy when his clothes are off so he has something different to focus on. Or else just go with the flow. "Accept that touching themselves is something kids do, and it's just another way of learning about their bodies," Dr says.

Long, long ago, women didn't just drive to Walmart when the pantry was running low on canned tuna and Kix. They were nomads, wandering to wherever the eatin' was good. Harsh! And, as you can imagine, BabyBjörns were kind of scarce then, too. Wee ones traveled in their mothers' arms, and a fall could be fatal. Yeah, harsh again.

Babies adapted by developing a defensive strategy against getting dropped -- at least, that's how experts think an automatic behavior called the Moro reflex came to be. Whenever your infant has the sensation -- rightly or wrongly -- that he's falling or if he's startled, he may fling his arms out to either side, as though he were trying to fly. "If someone had lost her grip on a baby, it helped him literally hang on for dear life, and bought Mom a few seconds to catch him," says Dr.

While it's startling to see the Moro in action, it's actually a sign that your little one's nervous system is developing properly. Still, "it's stressful on the infant," . "His breathing and heart rates will go up." And so will yours; you're guaranteed to feel guilty every time you accidentally set off his body alarm. But don't worry -- the reflex usually subsides by about 3 months.

Weird behavior #3:HE'S TAKEN A STAND

Around 10 months of age, your baby will hit a cool milestone: He'll grab on to a piece of furniture and pull himself up onto his feet. Which is all fine and good, except that he may not be able to figure out how to sit again! Lowering your butt back down takes practice and coordination. So get ready: "You may be awakened at night by a crying baby who's stranded upright, holding on to the side of his crib" .

It's okay to offer a helping hand, but don't rush to sweep him off his feet altogether. Sitting is a skill he needs to learn for himself . The chances he'll hurt himself are small, since babies have those cushy tushies (and diapers) for padding. During the day, put him next to a safe surface to pull up on (like the edge of a sturdy sofa), and put down a pillow. Soon he'll be sitting pretty.

Weird behavior #4:SHE'S ALL SHOOK UP

One minute, your baby's lying there calmly. The next, she's trembling the way you did when you got your nursery-furniture bill. What's going on?

That's a nervous-system blip. "Neurologically, babies are just not very good at regulating their movement at first, and you may see a little jerkiness. It's just part of the maturation process," .

Of course, check her hands to see if she feels cold. While you might shiver a little when you catch a chill, a newborn can quiver much harder. "Babies are born relatively thin, since they have to fit in their mothers' bodies". Your little one simply doesn't have much padding to help her regulate her body temperature. And she can't do the things you do when a breeze passes, like fold her arms across her chest or grab a sweatshirt. That's where trembling comes in handy: When muscles tense and relax rapidly, it generates heat. Give her an extra layer of clothing and see if it helps.

If your child trembles often, and cries along with it, that's worth a call to your pediatrician. But the occasional shiver? find something else to stress about (now where did that paci go?).

Weird behavior #5:HER HICCUPS RUNNETH OVER

Don't you hate when you get the hiccups? The way that -- hic! -- you can't seem -- hic! -- to go even five seconds without -- hic! Well, your jags may be annoying, but they also may be nothing compared to your baby's. She can contort herself in those little spasms for minutes at a time.

Infant hiccups are a bit of a mystery, but there is a theory. "Your baby's swallowing and breathing abilities aren't fully synchronized yet" . "She may try to swallow at the same time she draws a breath, and that's what sets it off." And the reason it lasts so long? "She's also still learning how to untangle these bad patterns, so it simply takes her longer than it takes an adult or even an older child to get back to normal" . Nursing her or giving her a bottle may help.

If she's still in a hiccup holding pattern, think about taking her someplace quiet. "Hiccups can also be a sign that your baby's feeling overwhelmed by her environment" . "New-borns aren't good at blocking out noise when they're awake." Try a room away from big sibs, pets, and the TV. Turn the lights down low, too, and your babe should be hiccup-free before long.

Weird behavior #6:SHE'S DEVELOPING A COUGHY HABIT

You're just doing your own thing around the house when suddenly you hear your baby start hacking. You rush to see what's wrong, and the answer is: nothing. In fact, she's grinning naughtily as she loudly, and theatrically, coughs again, then waits for your reaction. She's a faker! A cute faker, but a faker! Should you keep a poker face, even though it's pretty darn funny?

Go ahead and laugh. She's too young to understand the story of the boy who cried wolf, and besides, her behavior is charming proof that she's growing more socially aware. "Around six months, when the fake coughing first begins, babies are really starting to get how the world works," . "Your child has noticed that when someone coughs, you're very solicitous, so she's doing it to get some attention." Give her the interaction she's craving -- smile and even fake-cough back. "There's no harm. It's just hilarious."

Weird behavior #7:HE'S HAVING A JUNIOR MOMENT

Last week you cheered as your baby finally shook a rattle or rolled across the floor. Now you hand him his Wiggly Giggler and he just holds it with a "What do you want from my life?" look in his eyes, or lies sunny-side up without flipping onto his tummy. (Naturally, this occurs when you've gathered the in-laws to check out his new trick.) How could it have slipped his mind?

The same way you forget things you thought you knew, like how to program the DVR. "Sometimes, even after we've successfully performed a task several times, we have an incomplete memory of how we accomplished it," . And a DVR to you is what a rattle is to your child. "Kids forget to do things that seem so simple to us because they're actually complex to them," . Another possibility: A new setting -- say, Grandma's house instead of yours -- has made him a little disoriented. Or it isn't that your child has forgotten a new ability, it's just been back-burnered. "Sometimes it's a good thing when it seems like your child abruptly stopped doing something he's learned, even if he didn't learn it so long ago -- it means he's moving on," Davies says. And so will you -- to wondering how the first puzzling but precious year blew by so fast.

Make Your Baby Healthy

( Poonam Sharma`s Baby
from Delhi)

If you're like most moms, you want your child to develop helpful habits like putting away her toys and clothes.

It's just as important that she cultivate habits that'll help her stay healthy -- physically and emotionally. "Healthy practices really do begin at home, where there are teachable moments in everyday life," says Donald Shifrin, M.D., clinical professor of pediatrics at the of University Washington School of Medicine, in Seattle.

An easy way to start: teach by example. Young kids love to copy Mom and Dad. But role modeling can take you only so far. If no amount of broccoli chomping on your part seems to inspire your child to eat her veggies, for instance, you'll want to get a little creative. Here, some important health practices to encourage, and easy ways to get your child started:

1. Get moving
The whys are convincing: Being active can slash your child's chances of becoming overweight, lower her risks for heart disease and Type 2 diabetes down the road, and help her mood stay on an even keel. Yet fewer than one in four kids gets even 30 minutes of physical activity a day. The key to making it a habit? Stop stressing "exercise." Have fun! Play with hula hoops. Go hiking. Race around the park to catch falling leaves.

Every morning, my husband makes a game out of getting on the floor with our sons for a round of sit-ups and push-ups. Nate, 8, decides how many Dad should do, and the deal is that Nate has to do half as many. Nicky, 3, loves to join in the contest.

If nothing motivates your child to move, try a system that limits couch time. "My son gets three plastic tokens -- each representing thirty minutes in front of the TV or computer -- to use during the day," says Dena Dyer of Granbury, Texas. "He can earn an extra token for playing outside."

Ways to chill, and stay safe

2. Chill out!
Your child needs downtime, just as you do. Art classes and soccer games are fun, but too many activities can take a toll, and kids often can't articulate feeling stressed. Consider how much time your child has to do absolutely nothing. If it's less than an hour a day, you may want to increase her leisure time, when she's not involved in any structured activity, says Jack Wetter, associate clinical professor of family medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles.

If you notice your child starting to feel overwhelmed, distract her with a quiet activity like reading or coloring, or do deep-breathing exercises. Diane Umansky of New York City calms her 5-year-old by doing "balloon breaths" with him. "I have him breathe in, make his belly big like a balloon, and slowly let the air out." You could also blow bubbles or on a pinwheel.

3. Put safety first
They may not have been de rigueur when we were kids, but using car seats, seat belts, and bike helmets are essential now. One eye-opening statistic: Safe Kids Worldwide estimates that 75 percent of fatal head injuries among kids on bikes could be prevented with a bike helmet. Wearing your own seat belt and bike helmet goes a long way toward making kids less likely to balk at being made to wear their own. It also helps to point out to your child when people are being unsafe (by skateboarding or scootering sans helmet, for example).

Another trick: Deputize your child by making it his job to let you know that it's safe to start the car or a family bike ride after everyone's buckled up or helmeted. The responsibility becomes a badge of honor.

4. Pamper those pearly whites
Your child may brush his teeth, but he's probably not doing it long enough. You should brush for two minutes twice a day, says Amy DeYoung, a pediatric dentist, in Grand Rapids. "Most kids brush for thirty seconds, if we're lucky."

Help your child go the duration by encouraging him to brush for the length of a favorite song. Angie Koenig of Lincoln, Nebraska, started humming the chicken-dance song for Ryan, 1, during teeth-brushing time. "Once the song's over, he can stop. Now every time he brushes, he hums the song to himself." She also lets him brush while he's still sitting in the tub, so it's a part of his bathtime routine, rather than an extra step afterward. You can even put a CD player in the bathroom (but not near any water, of course).

To make sure Lucas, 4, hits all of his teeth, Maura Rhodes, a Parenting staffer, lets him brush first, and then tells him she needs to make sure he got all the "sugar bugs" out of his mouth. "I pretend with the toothbrush that I'm chasing them around all over his teeth. He lets me do this for as long as it takes to make sure we get every nook and cranny," says Rhodes. "Plus, he's usually laughing, so his mouth's open." If you want to boost the novelty quotient and effectiveness, consider buying an electric toothbrush for kids over 3. It's been shown to do a considerably better job of removing plaque than a manual one does. Just be sure to limit your child's use of toothpaste to no more than one pea-size drop twice a day until you're sure he won't swallow it.

Go overboard... on produce, soap, and self-esteem

5. Pig out on produce
If you and your husband eat fruits and veggies, your child has the best chance of eating them too, say studies, And if your child isn't a copycat? Make it fun for him. Nichole Bernier Ahern of Chevy Chase, Maryland, put a "vegetable high five" chart on the fridge for Connor, 5. When he's reluctant to eat veggies at dinner but does it anyway, he gets a smiley-face sticker on the chart.

You might also take your child shopping and have him pick out a fruit or vegetable of the week -- a new food for the family to explore. Together, you can figure out ways to prepare, say, mango: cutting up pieces and putting them on a skewer one day, making smoothies with them the next. Or challenge him to eat five different colors of the rainbow in a day.

Jayne Drew, a mom of two from Doylestown, Pennsylvania, discovered a good approach one night when she was late getting dinner ready. "I quickly microwaved some frozen peas for my two-year-old to tide him over, and for the first time, he ate every last one." Since then, she's served such appetizers as baby carrots or a bowl of corn every night, and her kids eat them up.

6. Lather up
Regular hand washing can dramatically reduce your child's chances of getting sick. The right technique: At least 20 seconds of hand rubbing with soap and warm water (don't scrub under running water), followed by thorough rinsing. To make it less of a chore, you might have your child sing the "ABC" song while he's scrubbing up. My kids are better washers now that I let them pick out cool liquid soaps -- super-foamy varieties and ones in kid-friendly fruity aromas -- when they come grocery shopping with me.

"We introduced a little competition to get our three-year-old to the sink," says Seattle mom Laurie Almoslino. "Before dinner or after coming home from the park, my husband will say, 'I'm going to wash my hands first,' and my son races him to the bathroom."

7. Boost body image
A study from the Harvard Eating Disorders Center found that half of girls and one-third of boys ages 8 to 10 don't like their size. Girls typically want to be thinner; boys, heavier or more muscular. Get your child off to a confident start by laying the foundation for a positive body image.

"Kids develop feelings about the way they look by identifying with their parents, so it's important not to criticize your own body," says Ann Kearney-Cooke, Ph.D.

But go a step further and actually say what you like about your own body and others' -- by commenting on how good you feel since you started going for walks, for instance, or how much stronger your arms are since you started lifting weights.

You can also help your child focus on what her body can do rather than how it looks. You might point out how much energy she has during family hikes. Or say, "You seemed strong and flexible when you were climbing the monkey bars today." Rebecca Brooks's 6-year-old son wants to be good at soccer, so "we talk about how exercising makes you strong and agile," says the South Orange, New Jersey, mom. Scoring goals or hitting home runs may be a bonus, but feeling good is the best feat of all.

Saturday, September 28, 2013

Advice for Breastfeeding Problems

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The message is clear. Breastfeeding is at its most popular level in more than 35 years, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reporting as many as three out of four women initiating nursing — up from one in five in 1972, the lowest rate noted in the last century, according to a review in The Journal of Nutrition. There are more lactation consultants than ever, government-funded support programs, faster and more affordable breast pumps and even iPhone apps available to help moms succeed at nursing. Yet at the same time, only 22 percent of babies receive breast milk until at least age 1, as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics. So what's the problem? Why are so many moms starting and then stopping breastfeeding or never starting at all?

Dozens of booby traps sabotage our efforts. As described by lactivists (lactation activists), booby traps are barriers that hinder a mother's ability to nurse successfully. Physical obstacles, such as low milk supply or a bad latch, as well as social ones, like nursing in public, put pressure on well-intentioned moms to toss out their nursing bras and opt for a bottle. “Nursing problems have become an epidemic,” says Diana West, a renowned lactation consultant who co-wrote the latest edition of The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding. When breastfeeding doesn't come easily, “Moms automatically assume they've done something wrong,” West says. But they haven't. They've just faced some obstacles that can seem insurmountable at the time. Doctors, lactivists, moms and more weighed in on the most common breastfeeding “booby traps.” Here's how to overcome them and maximize your chances of having a successful breastfeeding experience.

Friday, September 27, 2013

Finding the Right Baby Formula

Many a new mom stands in the formula aisle, takes one look, and instantly feels overwhelmed. Who wouldn't? Between the organics, the fortifieds, the generics, the premixes and powders, it's nearly impossible to know which one will be right for your baby (and you). Our guide will help take the guesswork out of your next shopping trip.

Q. I'm a savvy shopper and am curious about generic formulas. Do they contain the same key ingredients as brand-name formulas?

All formulas must meet the nutrient standards set by the Food and Drug Administration, and generic formulas are nutritionally sound, says William Klish, M.D., professor of pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX. However, they don't always have the added supplements that many brand names do.

Q. I find the labels confusing. Any tips on how to best interpret what's there?

There is a ton of information to decipher, says Ann Condon-Meyers, a clinical nutritionist at the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. It's always good to ask your pediatrician what she recommends, since there are reasons to give certain babies a specific type. Assuming you can start with the basics, the first thing to look for is one that's iron-fortified. You'll also see brands that contain DHA and ARA, two fatty acids that are abundant in breast milk and can enhance development of the brain, eyes, and nervous system. The research on the benefits of these supplements is growing, and doctors are increasingly recommending them. These formulas may be a bit pricier, but they're very likely worth the splurge.

Q. What's the difference between premixed and dry formula? And if I use dry, does it matter what sort of water I mix it with?

The two types are equivalent -- the premixed formulas simply already have water added to them, Condon-Meyers says. "If you find yourself in a situation where you're unsure of the water supply, or if you're sending your baby to daycare and you want to make sure no mistakes are made in the mixing process, consider buying premixed formula," she adds. "If you use powdered, many doctors suggest sterilizing the water in the early months; after that, tap water is fine." Boil the water for a few minutes -- especially if you have well water -- and then let it cool to room temperature before mixing.

Q. Should I go organic? I've read that some contain more sugar than regular formula.

Nutritionally, the organic formulas are the same as any other, says Dr. Klish. And though some do contain sucrose, which may be a bit sweeter than other sugars, it's still on par with sugars in other formulas. The bottom line? "This is more of an emotional decision than a health one," says Dr. Klish. If living an organic lifestyle is important to your family, then by all means go for it -- just be prepared to spend extra.

Bottle Feeding

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Keep it clean.Before using a new bottle, unscrew the nipple, pop it out of the ring, and sterilize each part or boil in water for five to ten minutes. No need to sterilize after each feeding -- just put the bottle in the dishwasher or wash with hot, sudsy water, with a bottle brush to scrub away milk residue.

Heat it right. Run filled bottles under hot water or use a warmer, then test the milk's temperature on your forearm. Don't use a microwave, which may leave hot spots. It's also fine to give your baby a room-temperature or slightly chilled bottle. (He'll like what he gets used to.)

Work the angle. With your baby lying semi-upright across your arm, tilt the end of the bottle up slightly. Milk should fill the entire nipple so air can't get in (that can give your baby gas). Never prop bottles up while you multitask. If your baby's mouth gets full, he can choke.

Give enough. Newborns typically take one to two ounces per feeding during the first weeks, and eat every two to three hours. As their digestive systems mature, babies take in more but eat less often. Generally, your baby should be eating one or two ounces more than the number of months old he is (up to eight ounces).

Healthy Baby Feeding Tips

Should you worry about baby fat? Not so much. While some recent studies have found a link between fattening up too fast during infancy and childhood obesity, your number one job as a mom is to help your baby gain weight. Indeed, cutting calories during the first year could interfere with both your baby's physical growth and her brain development. Instead, just keep these guidelines in mind so your little cherub develops healthy eating habits:

Know the signs of satiety. A baby has had enough to eat when she closes her eyes, spits out the nipple, or pulls away, says John Worobey, Ph.D., chairman of the department of nutritional sciences at Rutgers University, in New Brunswick, NJ. Don't insist that she continue to nurse or finish her bottle. (Of course, if your baby shows no interest in eating for two or three feedings in a row, give your doc a call.)

Avoid using food to soothe. You'll need to feed a newborn often and on demand. But an older baby who fusses between meals or not long after he has emptied his mom's breasts or finished off a bottle doesn't always need more food to feel better. First try offering him a pacifier, or help him relax with rocking, singing, or shushing, suggests Jennifer Helmcamp, M.D., assistant professor of pediatrics at Texas A&M Health Science Center at Round Rock.

Put solids in perspective. During the first year, a child's primary source of calories and nutrition should be breast milk or formula, says Dr. Helmcamp. Even though babies typically start solids around 6 months, the main function of eating food at this point is to get a kid used to having it in her mouth and to provide her with a chance to "practice" eating. She doesn't need to polish off jar after jar every time she's plopped in the high chair.

Keep some barometers in mind. Babies should double their birth weight by about 4 months, and triple it by their first birthday. Talk to your pediatrician if your baby is exceeding these guidelines.

Thursday, September 26, 2013

Infants Skin Conditions

When it comes to your baby's skin, you can depend on one thing: It's bound to erupt into a rash during the first year. Why? The human skin acts as a protective barrier against all sorts of elements, from sun to bacteria, but it takes about a year for that epidermis to get up to speed and function effectively, says Bernard Cohen, M.D., director of pediatric dermatology at Johns Hopkins Children's Center. It starts out thinner, has less pigment, and doesn't regulate temperature as well as the skin of bigger kids and adults. Of course, no baby escapes the most common skin issue--diaper rash. The diaper area is warm and moist, which breaks down the skin on that tender tush. Add irritating poop and pee and you've got the perfect environment for breakouts. Keep diaper rash under control by changing your baby often, using petroleum jelly or a barrier cream with zinc oxide to protect his bum, and letting his naked bottom air out occasionally (put a sheet on the floor and let him loose). Protect the rest of that fragile birthday suit with mild products, such as hypoallergenic and fragrance-free soaps, washes, and lotions. Once your baby turns 1, you can relax a little--his skin will be thicker and more rash-proof.

Intertrigo

What It Is: A rash found mainly in a baby's skin folds, especially in the neck. It usually appears in chubby babies under 6 months.
What It Looks Like: A red, raw, weepy rash that looks worse inside the skin creases. Your baby may not notice it at all or it may cause some pain, depending on the amount of skin-to-skin friction in the affected area.
What Causes It: Excessive moisture from drool and spitup that collect in your baby's creases, which don't get any air.
What to Do: Wash out the inside of your baby's skin folds with water and apply a zinc-oxide barrier cream or petroleum jelly to protect them, recommends Dan Brennan, M.D., a pediatrician in Santa Barbara, CA. As babies get older and more mobile--they crane their necks-intertrigo goes away.

Prickly Heat

What It Is: Also known as miliaria, prickly heat rash may occur on the face, neck, back, or bottom.
What It Looks Like: Tiny red bumps.
What Causes It: Since a baby's skin isn't able to regulate heat well, says Dr. Cohen, just about anything that overheats your little one--hot, humid weather; overbundling him in tight clothing; or a long, hot car ride while strapped in a car seat--can set off a prickly heat rash.
What to Do: Get your baby out of the heat and dress him in loose, cool clothing. The rash should look much better in about 30 minutes

Seborrhea

What It Is: A rash that can appear on the scalp and eyebrows (where it's known as cradle cap), behind the ears, or on the neck, cheeks, and chest. It's most common in babies under 6 months.
What It Looks Like: On the scalp and eyebrows, seborrhea looks like dandruff, although it can also appear like thick, yellow or crusty scales. Behind the ears, seborrhea tends to look cracked and scaly; on the chest and neck, it may be pimply, and on the cheeks, it's red and bumpy. It can be unsightly but probably won't bother your baby at all.
What Causes It: No one knows.
What to Do: The traditional remedy is to rub a little olive or baby oil on your baby's scalp to loosen the scales, then gently brush them off. Dr. Brennan also recommends washing the scalp, behind the ears, and any other spots with a small amount of anti-dandruff shampoo.

Eczema

What It Is: Eczema can appear anywhere on a baby's body starting around 3 or 4 months, though it's not usually found in the diaper area. Up to 20 percent of babies will develop this very itchy rash.
What It Looks Like: In its mildest form, eczema erupts in dry, patchy areas on the skin. It can also look like a bad case of windburn and cause the skin to turn red, ooze pus, and crust over.
What Causes It: Anything can be a trigger for babies prone to eczema (those with a genetic predis-position or a family history of allergies). Hot weather can cause sweating, which irritates the skin; cold weather can dry it out. Soaps and clothing, especially wool, can also spark an outbreak.
What to Do: Wash the skin with a gentle, fragrance-free cleanser--ask your pediatrician or dermatologist for a recommendation--and then slather moisturizer onto damp skin twice a day. For a more severe case, talk to your doctor about a steroid ointment, which will reduce the inflammation.

Contact Dermatitis

What It Is: A skin reaction to something your baby came in contact with--from soaps and detergents to grass and other plants.
What It Looks Like: Red, itchy bumps at the contact site.
What Causes It: If the rash is all over your baby's body, then soap or detergent is probably to blame. If the chest and arms are affected, the culprit could be a new, unwashed shirt. Rashy legs? For some super-sensitive infants, all it takes is the unfamiliar texture of a rug or grass.
What to Do: If the rash looks dry, moisturize it. If it's not bothering your baby, just remove the trigger (roll up the rug, wash the shirt, try a milder soap, a gentler laundry detergent). If the rash is itchy, talk to your doctor about a hydrocortisone cream or an antihistamine.

Refer:

Baby Steps

A baby's first few years are marked by many milestones. But the one you'll probably always remember is when he took his first wobbly steps. Walking is a major developmental leap for babies, and parents are often anxious about when it'll happen. Every baby learns to walk at his own pace, however, so just because your friend's child is already toddling doesn't mean yours should be, too! Read on to find out what signals indicate your child is ready to walk, how you can help, and more.

When will my baby walk?

Most babies take their first steps around their first birthday, but the age range varies from 9 to 18 months. Don't worry if your baby takes a few detours along the way. Some kids never crawl -- they go straight from standing to walking -- and that's perfectly normal. What's important at this stage is that your child is using arms and legs together to become mobile. If your child is doing any of the following, walking is not far behind:

Rolling around
Crab walking
Scooting
Climbing stairs using his hands

Look at your child's progress. Is he doing more this month than last month? Is he getting a little bit more of his body off the ground? If so, you've got nothing to worry about. If by the end of his first year he doesn't make any effort to get around somehow, talk to your doctor.

How to encourage walking

It takes most babies about 1,000 hours of practice from the time they pull themselves upright to the time they can walk alone. To help prepare your child for taking those first few steps:

From birth:
The single most important requirement for walking: strong back muscles, which babies develop by lifting their heads while lying on their tummies. So make sure yours gets plenty of tummy time while awake. Place interesting toys and objects just out of reach for motivation.

Once she can sit:
Help her practice her balance and mobility by rolling a ball back and forth with her. Or hold a toy in front of her and move it from side to side, which will encourage her to lean this way and that. As she lunges forward or crawls, she'll develop more strength in her neck, back, legs, and arms, as well as more control of her hips -- enabling her to pull herself up to a standing position -- and safely plop down again.

Once she can stand:
Let her walk in front of you while you hold her hands -- and periodically let go of one hand so she can experiment with balance. Or stand a few feet away from her and cheer her on when she's standing on her own. Offer lots of encouragement and praise.

Once she can cruise:
After she has mastered standing, she may start to leave her handprints all over the house as she cruises from the wall to a chair to the coffee table. Help her by arranging sturdy furniture so she can make her way across the room. She may not yet be able to sit from a standing position, which she'll want to learn to do before walking on her own. Be close by so you can help ease her butt down with your hand; then she'll be able to sit without hurting her bottom.

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Baby Loose Stool By Colour

choose the stool below that looks most like your baby’s.

Blood or mucus in stools
Fever
Vomiting
Irritability
Refusal to eat
Decreased or dark-colored urine
Decreased activity