>> HEALTH ARCHIVE |
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>> Too soon for solids
Why you should hold off on feeding your baby rice cereal and jarred food. • Starting cereal before 4 months (or after 7 months) may put your baby at a higher risk for Type 1 diabetes. • Your baby's odds of developing eczema and allergies may be higher if you offer solids before 6 months, particularly if there is a family history of allergies. • At this age, he still pushes his tongue forward when he swallows, which can make solid-food feedings a frustrating experience for both of you. • You are more likely to overfeed solids than liquids. A newborn has few ways of communicating, and it's easier to read his signals at the breast or bottle. • Giving him solid foods now will decrease the amount of breast milk or formula he drinks, which could leave him shortchanged on nutrition. • No matter what Grandma says, solids won't help him sleep through the night.
Anita Sethi, Ph.D.
>> When baby eats... everything!
By June D. Bell
>> Making fitness fun
And make it easy. You should be able to start exercising at a moment's notice, without changing clothes or dragging out heavy exercise equipment, and just as easily switch back to doing something else. One way to motivate yourself: Get a pedometer, figure out the average number of steps you take a day, and then try to add 2,000 to 3,000 more. Play a game of Twister with your kids. You'll get in some good stretches and improve your flexibility. But watch how you fall! Rediscover hula hoops. Keep at it for ten minutes and you'll get a cardio workout, strengthen your abs, and improve your core body strength, much like a Pilates workout. Rock on. Put on your three favorite up-tempo songs and dance around the house with your kids. Jump rope for 30 seconds, then walk around for 2 minutes. Repeat three more times. Take a flight of stairs. "I live in a four-story town house, and I carry my three-year-old, Hannah, up the stairs several times a day," says mom Sondra Goad of Bethesda, MD. "She's thirty-five pounds, so it's a good, quick workout." Power stroll at the mall. The next time you're in a large department store, push your child in a stroller (or shopping cart) around the store for ten minutes before you begin to shop. You'll burn calories, build up your arm strength, and get to see what's on sale, all at once. Swing. Pushing your child on a swing works your chest and upper-arm muscles (triceps). And if you can get on a swing yourself, even for five minutes, you'll tone your abs, thighs, and calf muscles. Together with pushing, it's almost a perfect workout. Pop in a grown-up exercise DVD. Your child will probably enjoy it, too. Karen Postal of Plymouth, MI, loves her Tae Bo tape (aerobics plus abs, arms, and butt). So do her two daughters, Madison, 6, and Carlie, 4. "I can do all or parts of the routine while my girls are playing together, and sometimes they'll join in and do it with me!" Play Tag Or Hide-and-Seek. Or Capture the Flag. Anything that involves lots of running around. Your child will love the game, and you'll both get some exercise. Waiting in line? Do "calf lift-ups" — you'll tone leg muscles and improve balance. Stand on the balls of your feet and your toes for a count of two. Repeat until it's checkout time. By Laura Flynn McCarthy
>> I cant sleep!
It’s not just adults who lose sleep when they’re stressed — many school-age kids have occasional bouts of insomnia. “It’s totally normal,” says Jodi Mindell, Ph.D., author of Take Charge of Your Child’s Sleep. “Preteens face real fears about new classes and relationships with friends.” If your child has trouble winding down at night: Remove the clock from her bedroom, so she’ll be less likely to fret (and lose sleep) over the minutes ticking by. Set a relaxing bedtime routine — perhaps a shower, followed by an hour of unassigned reading. Try to build in at least a half hour of downtime before lights-out. “Consistency helps kids sleep well, and feels especially reassuring on nights like this,” says Mindell. Have your child write down her worries. Seeing them in print may make her fears less daunting and more controllable. Turn off the television at least an hour before lights-out. Recent studies have shown that any TV before bed — even if the show isn’t violent or scary — can keep kids up. When it’s midnight and she’s freaking out, try playing a soothing book on tape or rubbing her back to relax her. And reassure her that she will, eventually, fall asleep, even if it feels impossible at that wide-awake moment. By Charlotte Latvala
>> Can loud music hurt their ears?
Huh ? Can you speak up? Oh! You want to know if loud music can hurt your ears. Are you asking because you like to put on your headphones and crank up the volume of your favorite CD? Maybe your mom or dad has told you, "Turn that down before you go deaf!" Well, they have a point. Loud noise (from music or other sources such as machinery or jet engines) can cause both temporary and permanent hearing loss. Hearing loss means a person can't hear as well as other people do. For some people, that means not being able to hear at all. If the noise around you is so loud that you have to shout to be heard, there is a chance that the mechanism inside your ear can be injured. Temporary hearing loss can happen after you've been exposed to loud noise for 15 minutes or less. If you have temporary hearing loss, you won't be able to hear as well as you normally do for a while. You may also have tinnitus (say: tih- neye-tus), which is a medical term for ringing in the ears. Your ears can feel "full," too. Luckily, these symptoms usually go away and your hearing is likely to return to normal. If someone is exposed to loud noise over a long period of time, like every day, permanent hearing loss can occur. This means the person's hearing won't ever be as good as it once was. That's why construction workers and factory workers need to wear ear protection. Lawn mowers and power tools, like chain saws, can also be loud enough to affect a person's ability to hear high-pitched noises. This kind of noise also can cause a person to have tinnitus all the time. Listening to extremely loud music a lot can cause the same kind of damage, especially if headphones are used. Some famous musicians have lost hearing and developed tinnitus - a real problem for someone who needs to hear to make and enjoy music. But you can help keep your hearing in tip-top shape. Protect your ears by wearing ear protection when you're using machinery, like in metal shop at school. Also remember to turn down the volume, especially when you are wearing headphones or in the car. You also might want to give your ears a rest once in a while if you like wearing headphones. And if you're going to a concert, where you know the music is going to be loud, consider wearing earplugs to protect your ears from the boom, boom, boom! Take these steps now and you won't be saying "What?" later on. By Robert C. O'Reilly, MD
>> CUTTING YOUR BABY'S NAILS!
Even though many babies are born with long nails, it's best to wait until they've hardened a bit before trimming them for the first time. Some parents find it easier to accomplish the nail-trimming task with a partner: one person holding the baby to keep the little one from squirming and the other trimming the nails. First, find a good position that allows you easy access to your baby's hands. This may mean placing your baby in your lap, sitting with him or her in a rocker, or even waiting until your baby's asleep. Hold your baby's palm and finger steady with one hand and cut with the other. You should cut your baby's nails with baby nail scissors, which have rounded tips for safety, or baby clippers. Many baby nail-care kits also come with nail files or emery boards, but if you cut your baby's nails short enough and make sure to keep the nail edges rounded instead of jagged, it isn't necessary to use these. However, if you're hesitant to try baby nail scissors or clippers and your baby will sit long enough to cooperate, you can use an emery board to file the nails down without the risk of giving your little bundle any nicks. If you accidentally draw blood (a common occurrence with fussy, fidgeting babies), don't worry. Using a sterile gauze pad, gently apply pressure to stop the bleeding. But don't put a bandage around the tiny cut - babies will inevitably put their fingers in their mouths and can dislodge the bandage and choke on it. Because babies' nails tend to grow quickly from infancy to toddlerhood, they may need to be trimmed as often as once a weekReviewed by: Steven Dowshen, MD
>> TEETHING
Teething troublesSome babies are born with teeth, some get their first teeth (milk teeth) from about six months old, while others will have still have no teeth by the time they're one. It varies. But most children will have all their milk teeth by the time they're two-and-a-half and will begin to get their first 'second' teeth at the back when they are six years old. Studies have shown that babies are more likely to suffer a slight rise in temperature when teeth come through the gums. And, for a number of babies, this can make them a little irritable, more inclined to wake up crying at night, more liable to drool and dribble, and needing more soothing and comfort. Teething takes the blame for all sorts of baby complaints - from bad temper and a runny nose to rashes, crying, and extra dirty nappies. Be sure you check with your doctor or health visitor if you're concerned about your baby's behaviour, and don't just put it down to 'teething'. Teething shouldn't make babies ill. You may find your baby's gums become red and sore, one cheek may be more flushed, and she may seem more fretful. Dribbling and gnawing is also a common complaint. Again this may not necessarily mean your baby is 'teething' but there are ways to ease your anxiety and your baby's discomfort. Ways to help
"I don't think my baby was bothered by her teeth coming through, but she did get a sore chin and cheeks because her dribble used to end up on it, and then she'd spread it round over her face as she sucked on her fingers... I used petroleum jelly to keep it from getting worse." BrushingYour child's teeth will include 20 primary teeth - ten at the top and ten at the bottom. Even if your baby has only one or two teeth, they need to be looked after properly. Make sure you brush your baby's teeth as soon as they appear, and try to get into a routine of brushing them twice a day, in the morning and before bedtime. You should use a smear of fluoride toothpaste on a small toothbrush for your baby. Baby toothpaste may have a nicer taste, but doesn't offer as much fluoride protection. Check with your family dentist if in doubt of which toothpaste to choose. Set a good example - your baby will learn about good teeth hygiene by watching you brush your own teeth. Sugar and spiceYour baby's diet is also important for the growth of healthy teeth. When introducing food and drink other than milk, try to avoid sweet things as sugar causes tooth decay. When appropriate offer healthy alternatives to sweets - such as fresh fruit, raw vegetables and water. Avoid fizzy drinks, syrups and lollipops.
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What's keeping her up at night? 
Although cutting your little one's nails can be a bit unnerving, especially at first, keeping nails short is important to your baby's safety. Because they lack muscle control, infants can easily scratch and cut their own delicate skin while happily waving their hands and feet. It's especially important to keep babies' nails trimmed once they start interacting and playing with other children who could be scratched, especially in child care. 