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All about your Baby.
Information for Parents.
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 Swaddling comforts a
newborn in many ways. It helps calm a fussy baby and helps
babies sleep well. Swaddling a baby is an effective means of
comforting a baby because it makes the baby feel as if he or she
is still in the womb. Here are a few tips to swaddle a baby.
Instructions
Step1
Fold a baby blanket over in one corner about a quarter of the
way so that you have a flat edge.
Step2
Lay the baby so that his shoulders are just below the flat edge
and his head is above the edge.
Step3
Crease the blanket over the baby's feet up toward her stomach.
Step4
Tuck the baby's shoulder at the top
before folding over the side of the blanket. Then fold the side
of the blanket over the baby's abdomen. Tuck it in along the
baby's side tightly.
Step5
Tuck the other shoulder in at the top. Fold the other side
across the baby's stomach as well. Tuck the corner of the
blanket under the baby tightly.
Tips & Warnings
1.
Hold blanket in place with one hand
as you tighten each fold as you go. The arms should be tight but
the legs can have a little wiggle room.
2.
Get a long enough blanket to tuck around the baby. Square
blankets work the best.
3.
Be careful not to overheat the baby with thick blankets.
4.
Never cover a baby's head. |
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eHow Parenting Editor
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Not much has really
changed since the days of diaper pins - whether you choose to go
the route of cloth or disposable diapers, you'll follow more or
less the same procedure..
Instructions
Step1
Lay a fresh diaper on a changing table, or on a towel or mat on
the floor.
Step2
Place your baby, tummy side up, on top of the clean diaper.
Step3
Unfasten the diaper tabs on the soiled diaper.
Step4
Hold your baby's feet together and
very gently lift them up, raising the baby's bottom. Use the
clean part of the diaper to wipe away any excess stools, then
fold over the soiled section of the diaper and set the old
diaper aside.
Step5
Wipe your baby's buttocks and genitals gently from front to back
with baby wipes. Don't forget the lower back and the skin folds
of the thighs. (A baby girl might get stools around her labia
and vagina, so clean that area gently with baby wipes.)
Step6
Lower your baby's bottom onto the clean diaper.
Step7
Pat the area dry with a towel; cornstarch powder is optional.
Step8
Apply diaper-rash cream to the area if necessary.
Step9
Make sure to pull up the back of the clean diaper high enough to
prevent leaks. Position the front of the diaper just under the
baby's abdomen.
Step10
Bring the tabs around from the back of the diaper and fasten
them to the front.
Step11
Turn diapering into a game of peek-a-boo to distract your baby.
Tips & Warnings
1.
Wash your hands before and after all diaper changes, and
remember that frequent changes help prevent diaper rash.
2.
Never leave your baby unattended on a changing table.
3.
Talcum powder or baby powder that
contains talc can cause upper respiratory problems in babies.
Instead, use cornstarch powder, and apply it carefully to
prevent inhalation. |
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eHow Parenting Editor
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To determine whether a fever is present, an accurate body temperature is needed. Medical research has not determined an exact correlation between oral, rectal, ear (tympanic), and armpit (axillary) temperature measurements. Generally, the correlation of temperature results are as follows:
● The average normal Oral Temperature is 98.6 F. An oral temperature is 0.5°F (0.3°C) to 1°F (0.6°C) lower than a rectal or ear (tympanic) temperature.
● A Rectal Temperature is 0.5°F (0.3°C) to 1°F (0.6°C) higher than an oral temperature.
● An Ear (Tympanic) Temperature is 0.5°F (0.3°C) to 1°F (0.6°C) higher than an oral temperature.
● An Armpit (Axillary) Temperature is usually 0.5°F (0.3°C) to 1°F (0.6°C) lower than an oral temperature.
Rectal temperature guidelines are used in Fever, Age 3 and Younger.
Oral temperature guidelines are used in Fever, Age 4 and Older.
To use the table:
● Find the method that you used to take a temperature.
● Find the correct temperature range.
● See the correlating rectal or oral temperature range to help you answer the Check Your Symptoms questions.
● For example, in Fever, Age 3 and Younger: If your 2-year-old child's oral temperature is 101 F, his or her rectal or ear temperature may be about 102 F. Remember, a child has a fever when his or her temperature is 100.4 F or higher, measured rectally.
● For example, in Fever, Age 4 and Older: If your axillary temperature is 100 F, your oral temperature is about 101 F.
Tips & Warnings
● Rectal temperatures are generally thought to be the most accurate for checking a young child's temperature.
● The manufacturer of the temperature device you use, such as a tympanic thermometer, provides information on how to use it. Be sure to read and follow the instructions to obtain an accurate temperature. The information may also include how the results of the device correlate with the results from other methods of taking a temperature.
● Plastic strip thermometers have some uses, but they are not recommended for general home use. Unlike oral, rectal, and ear thermometers, plastic strip thermometers measure skin temperature, not body temperature.
Hold blanket in place with one hand
as you tighten each fold as you go. The arms should be tight but
the legs can have a little wiggle room.
● When you talk with your health professional about your
temperature, be sure to say what method was used to take the
temperature. |
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Jan Nissl, RN, BS (revolutionhealth.com)
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What is normal body temperature?
Most people think of a "normal" body temperature as an oral temperature of 98.6 F. This is an average of normal body temperatures. Your temperature may actually be 1°F (0.6°C) or more above or below 98.6 F. Also, your normal body temperature changes by as much as 1°F (0.6°C) throughout the day, depending on how active you are and the time of day.
A rectal or ear (tympanic membrane) temperature reading is 0.5 to 1°F (0.3 to 0.6°C) higher than an oral temperature reading. A temperature taken in the armpit is 0.5 to 1°F (0.3 to 0.6°C) lower than an oral temperature reading.
What is a fever?
In most adults, an oral temperature above 100 F or a rectal or
ear temperature above 101 F is considered a fever. A child has a
fever when his or her rectal temperature is 100.4 F or higher.
Types of thermometers:
●
Electronic thermometers are plastic and shaped like a pencil,
with a display window at one end and the temperature probe at
the other end. They work by measuring how well electricity
travels through a wire. Electronic thermometers are used in the
mouth, rectum, or armpit. They are easy to use, easy to read,
and are accurate. If you buy an electronic thermometer, check
the package for information about its accuracy. See a picture of
an electronic thermometer.
●
Ear thermometers are plastic and come in different shapes. They
use infrared energy to measure body temperature. The small
cone-shaped end of the thermometer is placed in the ear, and
body temperature shown on a digital display. The results appear
within seconds. Some models also show the corresponding oral and
rectal readings. See a picture of an ear thermometer.
●
Forehead thermometers use skin temperature to determine body
temperature. Some have a soft disc that are pressed against the
forehead and show the temperature on a digital display. Other
types are thin pieces of plastic with numbers on them. You press
the strip against a person’s forehead, and the temperature makes
some numbers change colors or light up. These thermometers are
not as accurate as electronic and ear thermometers.
●
Disposable thermometers are thin flat pieces of plastic with
colored dots and temperature markings on one end. The color of
the dots shows the temperature. Disposable thermometers can be
used in the mouth or rectum. A patch form can be used on a
baby's skin to measure temperature continuously for 48 hours.
These thermometers are safe and accurate within 0.2°F (0.1°C).
They do not contain glass, latex, or mercury. You can reuse the
thermometer during an illness and then throw it away.
●
Pacifier thermometers are shaped like a baby’s pacifier but have
a display that shows the temperature. You place the pacifier in
your child’s mouth to measure temperature. These thermometers
may take longer to get a reading and are not as accurate as
other types.
Tips & Warnings
Glass thermometers containing mercury are no longer recommended.
If you have a glass thermometer, contact your local health
department for instructions on how to dispose of it safely. If
you break a glass thermometer, call your local poison control
center immediately. |
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Maria G. Essig, MS, ELS; Sydney Youngerman-Cole, RN, BSN, RNC (revolutionhealth.com)
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Morning sickness,
also called nausea gravidarum, nausea, vomiting of pregnancy (emesis gravidarum or NVP), or pregnancy sickness is a condition that affects more than half of all pregnant women, as well as some women who use hormonal contraception or hormone replacement therapy. Usually, it is present in the early hours of the morning and reduces as the day progresses. The nausea can be mild or induce actual vomiting. In extreme cases, vomiting may be severe enough to cause dehydration, weight loss, alkalosis and hypokalemia. This extreme condition is known as hyperemesis gravidarum and occurs in about 1% of all pregnancies. Nausea and vomiting can be one of the first signs of pregnancy and usually begins around the 6th week of pregnancy (week 6 starting on the day the last period started). It can occur at any time of the day, and for most women it seems to stop around the 12th week of pregnancy.
Causes
Proximate causes of pregnancy sickness include:
● An increase in the circulating level of the hormone estrogen.
Estrogen levels may increase by up to a hundredfold during
pregnancy. However, there is no consistent evidence of
differences in estrogen levels between women who experience
sickness and those who don't.
● Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) due to the placenta draining
energy from the mother, though studies have not confirmed this.
●
An increase in progesterone relaxes the muscles in the uterus,
which prevents early childbirth, but may also relax the stomach
and intestines, leading to excess stomach acids and
gastroesophageal reflux disease.
●
An increase in human chorionic gonadotropin.
●
An increase in sensitivity to odors, which overstimulates normal
nausea triggers.
Morning sickness as a defense
mechanism
Morning sickness is currently understood as an evolved trait
that protects the fetus against toxins ingested by the mother.
Many plants contain chemical toxins that serve as a deterrent to
being eaten. Adult humans, like other animals, have defenses
against plant toxins, including extensive arrays of
detoxification enzymes manufactured by the liver and the surface
tissues of various other organs. In the fetus, these defenses
are not yet fully developed, and even small doses of plant
toxins that have negligible effects on the adult can be harmful
or lethal to the embryo. Pregnancy sickness causes women to
experience nausea when exposed to the smell or taste of foods
that are likely to contain toxins injurious to the fetus, even
though they may be harmless to her.
There is considerable
evidence in support of this theory, including:
●
Morning sickness is very common among pregnant women, which
argues in favor of it being a functional adaptation and against
the idea that it is a pathology.
●
Fetal vulnerability to toxins peaks at around 3 months, which is
also the time of peak susceptibility to morning sickness.
●
There is a good correlation between toxin concentrations in
foods, and the tastes and odors that cause revulsion.
●
Women who have no morning sickness are more likely to miscarry
or to bear children with birth defects.
In addition to protecting the fetus, morning sickness may also
protect the mother. Pregnant women's immune systems are
suppressed during pregnancy, presumably to reduce the chances of
rejecting tissues of their own offspring. Because of this,
animal products containing parasites and harmful bacteria can be
especially dangerous to pregnant women. There is evidence that
morning sickness is often triggered by animal products including
meat and fish.
If morning sickness is a defense mechanism against the ingestion
of toxins, the prescribing of anti-nausea medication to pregnant
women may have the undesired side effect of causing birth
defects or miscarriages by encouraging harmful dietary choices.
On the other hand, many domestic vegetables have been purposely
bred to have lower levels of toxins than in the distant past,
and so the level of threat to the embryo may not be as high as
it was when the defense mechanism first evolved.
Treatments
Teatments for morning sickness typically aim to lessen the
symptoms of nausea, rather than attacking the root cause(s) of
the nausea. Treatments include:
●
Lemons, particularly the smelling of freshly cut lemons.
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Avoiding an empty stomach.
●
Accommodating food cravings and aversions.
●
Eating five or six small meals per day, rather than three large
ones.
● Eating cabbage.
● Trying the BRAT diet: bananas, rice, applesauce, toast and
tea.
● Ginger, in capsules, tea, ginger ale, or ginger snaps.
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Eating dry crackers in the morning.
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Drinking liquids 30 to 45 minutes after eating solid food.
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If liquids are vomited, sucking ice cubes made from water or
fruit juice or trying lollipops.
●
Vitamin B6 (either pyridoxine or pyridoxamine), often taken in
combination with the antihistamine doxylamine (Diclectin).
A doctor may prescribe anti-nausea medications if the expectant
mother suffers from dehydration or malnutrition as a result of
her morning sickness, a condition known as hyperemesis
gravidarum. In the US, Zofran (ondansetron) is the usual drug of
choice, though the high cost is prohibitive for some women; in
the UK, older drugs with which there is a greater experience of
use in pregnancy are preferred, with first choice being
promethazine otherwise as second choice metoclopramide, or
prochlorperazine. |
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Wikipedia.org
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