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Crying Due to Gas
The Joys of being a new mom are endless; as are the stresses. Some new mom’s expect a hard baby! I know I did. I was sure that my first baby would cry and fuss all the time. Boy was I wrong. The most mayhem he causes is the funny noises he makes and all the rolling and getting into things. But some moms aren’t as lucky as I was.
By: EA Walker
Add comment October 29th, 2009
Deciding to get pregnant is like enrolling in a major college or university. You will need to learn a great deal about nutrition, morning sickness, prenatal testing, nursery preparation and, the most interesting fact of all, how to expand your already expanded waist band. Although pregnancy is full of wondering moments, fortunately, you do not have to wonder for long. Child n’Parent’s mothers and experts can get you and your baby on the right course with our Pregnancy Survival 101.
Are You Ready to Have a Baby?
Make no mistake; pregnancy will change your whole life. This article explores issues behind the decision such as infertility, miscarriage and nutrition. Learn how to evaluate if your current home is an ideal environment for a new baby.
Is my Baby Healthy?
This question weighs heavily on every new mommy’s mind. Calm your anxiety by learning the facts about prenatal testing. Find out what the different results could mean for you and your baby.
Getting ready to be a Big Brother or Big Sister
Bringing home a new baby can bring on some jealous feelings from older siblings. Learn how to help your older child make the necessary mental adjustments. Bringing baby home will then be a joyful experience for both you and your child.
Hormones, Morning Sickness and Healthy Baby
Okay, throwing up is not the fun part of pregnancy. Learning about the different hormones behind your morning sickness will help you understand the changes going on within your body. Also, find out how morning sickness is a good sign that your baby is developing.
Mapping Out a Plan to Handle Morning Sickness
For the first three months, getting out of the bathroom is a major goal for most new mommies. This article can help you map out a plan to handle the morning sickness monster.
Morning Sickness Relief
Still having trouble? Let these suggestions and natural home remedies get you out of the bathroom and into your day!
Exercise Can Make You Feel Better During Pregnancy
Now you are out of the throw up stage and into the big and bloated stage. Find out how exercise during pregnancy can make you feel better! Pick up valuable tips on how to exercise safely to protect both you and your baby.
All about Pregnancy Massage
The pain running down your leg is excruciating. Find out how massage therapy can soothe away your aches and pains. Review our pregnancy massage checklist to find a massage therapist that is right for you.
The Signs and Symptoms of Miscarriage
It is sad, but sometimes, a pregnancy is just not meant to be. Find out how to tell if you are having a miscarriage or just a regular period. Learn about the five stages of grief and get some tips on how to recover both physically and emotionally from a miscarriage.
By Debby Hoffer
Add comment July 6th, 2009
Does your child get diarrhea during or after they take antibiotics? If so there are some things you can do to help.
What is Diarrhea?
Diarrhea is generally watery or liquid stools. We have all experienced acute diarrhea which only lasts a couple of days. Usually a child with diarrhea goes to the bathroom more than three times a day. Diarrhea can be a side effect of treatments or even long lasting diarrhea can be a sign of a more chronic disease.
Unfortunately diarrhea is an all to common side effect of antibiotics. But there are some things you can do to proactively avoid this side effect or alleviate some of the symptoms and get back to a healthy state rather quickly.
Why do antibiotics cause diarrhea?
The answer is simple. Your doctor prescribes antibiotics to kill off bad bacteria. There is both good and bad bacteria in your body. The good bacteria in your digestive system helps the enzymes break down the food and also helps to fight off bad bacteria. The antibiotics do not generally discriminate against which bacteria it fights and kills off. This usually means both good and bad bacteria are eliminated from your body.
How can I protect my child?
This is a simple answer as well but often times overlooked. When your child is prescribed an antibiotic ask your doctor to prescribe a probiotic as well. Make sure your child takes this while taking the antibiotic and a week after he/she finishes taking the antibiotic. The probiotic will help to replenish the good bacteria your child’s digestive tract has lost during the antibiotics healing process. As always anytime a side effect occurs from medication the prescribing doctor should be notified. He/she may have some alternatives as well to help aid in the healing process.
Another good tip is to have your child eat yogurt with live cultures to help replace the good bacteria usually known as lactobacillus, which can also be found in acidolphilus milk.
Diarrhea can dehydrate a person; drink plenty of water, pedialyte, and sports drink. Your child can also lose important nutrients in the body with diarrhea. Make sure your child is fed, if solid food is not something the child wants offer broth that is low in sodium. Fruit juices or the fruit and soda can help replace potassium.
If diarrhea is persistent and home treatments do not help it may be necessary to take your child back for a check up. One reason is sometimes the antibiotic kills off more good bacteria and not enough bad bacteria. This bacteria will continue to lay in the digestive tract and is kept down in count by the good flora in your body, but it does not eliminate the bad bacteria. This can become c-difficile-associated diarrhea, pseudomembranous colitis also known as PMC, or even a life threatening condition known as toxic megacolon. This is rare and only occurs in 1-2 out of a hundred people.
C-difficile bacteria can be passed on to other family members that may be handling the stool; possibly changing diapers or cleaning soiled clothes. The bacteria can live outside the human body for months and sometimes years. If you handled the stool in anyway make sure you notify your doctor so that you also can be tested.
Can you prevent Diarrhea from Antibiotics?
The simple answer is no. Most of the time diarrhea is caused because the antibiotics are doing the job they are supposed to do. On rare occasions you might be able to avoid taking a general antibiotic and wait for the test results to come back telling the doctor a specific antibiotic that will most likely take care of the bad bacteria, but even then, the antibiotic might not work and may still kill off the good bacteria. The best form of prevention is to catch the symptoms as quickly as possible, notify the doctor and start treating the symptoms.
We all want to protect our children from the evils and diseases in the world today. But we cannot keep them safe from everything. Fighting off bacterial infections and side effects helps your child to build a healthy immune system. It is never good to see anyone sick, let alone your child, but knowing this is a normal process of life and will help them to fight off other illnesses in the future is a positive thought to remember.
Child n’Parent offers many resources for your children’s health.
By: Jami Wright
1 comment May 18th, 2009
We are honored to be included in the list of Top 100 Baby and Children’s Health Blogs published by The Ultrasound Technician Schools organization. The list and other topics on health and safety can be found at Top Children’s Health Blogs.
Congratulations to our talented writers Debby Hoffer, Megan Wallgren, Vanessa Lee, Dawn Blankenship, Stephanie Moore, Dr. Kristi, Destiny, Brandi Ellis and all the others. Their research and writing craft has been given generously and they have often invited us into their lives with their own personal experiences.
Child n’Parent is especially proud of these posts on Children’s Health and Children’s Safety:
Child Proofing Your Home
In today’s economy, every dollar counts. There are many “child proofing” experts out there that would be happy to charge you hundreds and even thousands of dollars to child proof your home. The big secret is that you can do it yourself for very little cost.
Healthy Meals for Kids When Eating Out
Dining out is challenging enough for adults but when it comes to kids, the challenge is even greater. Even though many sit-down and fast food restaurants are adding healthier adult dining options, the meal choices for the little ones are still surprisingly high in calories and fat. When surveying the kid’s menu at fast food restaurants, the standard seems to be fried chicken nuggets or chicken strips served alongside a serving of greasy French fries. It would almost be a joke to call this meal low fat or nutritionally sound. If you’re looking for a healthy menu for kids at a restaurant or fast food stop, what are your options?
Flu Shot or Not?
Flu season is on its way. Though getting a flu shot may seem like a no brainer to some, at $20 a shot for my family of six, I want to know if it’s really necessary.
Honey, the Better Treatment for Your Child’s Cough?
Remember the unbearable taste, not to mention aftertaste of the cough syrup your Mother gave you as a child? Over the years cough syrup has improved and has become more bearable, however most children still put up a fight when they know they have to take a spoonful of the dreaded syrup. What if there was an alternative? Something that your child already likes that could help treat their cough?
Babies have underdeveloped temperature control systems. Mosquito bites, bee stings, allergic reactions, viral infections, bacterial infections- all of these can cause an infant to burn. Usually, a fever occurs when the body detects an unwelcome presence. By raising the heat, the body makes itself inhospitable to germs and wakes up white blood cells. Fever also activates the body’s immune system.
We are also proud of our writers for the great parenting resources they provide on Child n’Parent with articles on Child Health and Child Safety.
1 comment April 8th, 2009
Favorite foods? Most children don’t list carrots and broccoli at the top of their list. They would much prefer a chocolate chip cookie or a peanut butter sandwich to a dish of hot steamed vegetables. If you have run out of ideas to get your child to eat more vegetables, you may be interested in the results of a new study. It shows a unique and very effective way to motivate children to eat more vegetables instead of just pushing them around on their plate.
Motivation for good child nutrition
This study was carried out by a group of child nutrition researchers at Cornell University and showed that four-year-old preschoolers ate more vegetables when the vegetables were given catchy, funny, child-friendly, names such as “super sonic spinach” or “topsy turvy tomatoes”, for example. It seems these types of names resonate with children and inspire them to eat the same vegetables they previously would have ignored.
In child nutrition there is power in words
In this study when vegetables were given names and presented to a group of pre-school kids, the four-year-olds ate fifty percent more than when the vegetables were called by their standard names. While this may sound silly to adults, as it turns out, adults aren’t immune to the power of names either. When menu items at restaurants are given fancier, more descriptive names, sales of these items tend to go up. It seems that there is power in words, particularly when it comes to encouraging your children to eat more vegetables.
Your child will be asking for seconds
Would this clever naming trick work in your own house? Start by choosing a healthy vegetable and before preparing it for your child, give it a nifty new name. Try to relate the name to something your child enjoys such as a favorite television show, cartoon character, comic book character, or a sports name. This will help your child better identify with it. When your child sits down to dinner, encourage him to help himself to the “power peas” and “blast off broccoli”. To your delight, you may find your child asking for seconds instead of struggling to eat the first plate. And more vegetables mean more antioxidants to help keep your child healthy.
Although this child nutrition study was conducted on four-year-old children, there’s no reason to think the renaming game won’t encourage children of all ages to eat more vegetables. Give it a try in your house and see if doesn’t inspire your own children to eat more veggies with less of a fuss.
Find more help to get children to eat healthy ant Child n’Parent.
By: Dr. Kristi
Add comment March 17th, 2009
Did your mom ever tell you not to eat apple seeds or an apple could grow in your stomach? Well, your mom may have been right. You shouldn’t eat apple seeds, but it’s not because of the apple tree. Apple seeds contain substances called cyanogenic glycosides (a cyanide containing compound) which could cause health problems if consumed in very high quantities. Apple seeds aren’t the only fruit seeds that contain cyanide, so do the seeds of peaches, apricots, cherries, and raspberries, to name a few. It’s quite likely you’ve swallowed a few apple seeds in your life, if they’re poisonous, why didn’t you experience any serious symptoms?
Cyanide ?
Cyanogenic glycosides, as the name suggests, contains cyanide attached to a sugar molecule. When this compound is acted on by an enzyme, the sugar molecule is cleaved off, leaving behind the well known poison, cyanide. The truth is if you were to eat apple seeds in large quantities, they could kill you, but in most cases, the seeds pass through the digestive system without releasing significant amounts of cyanide unless you chew on them to release the toxin.
Even if some poison is released from the seeds, your body has the capability of neutralizing small amounts of cyanide and you probably wouldn’t experience serious effects unless you were to eat apple seeds in very high amounts.
Unfortunately, a small child or a pet may not be so lucky. It might not take a large number of apple seeds to cause symptoms in a child or pet which means you should avoid giving your pets apples unless you remove the seeds. The same applies to children.
What kind of symptoms would develop if you were to eat apple seeds to the point of toxicity? You might experience neurological symptoms including seizures, headache, lightheadedness, and dizziness along with fluctuations in heart rate, breathing rate, and blood pressure. Vomiting and excessive salivation could occur. If you consumed enough seeds, you might develop severe breathing problems followed by respiratory failure and death. Because of the large quantity of seeds needed to poison a human, this isn’t commonly seen, although animals are not infrequently affected.
The bottom line? You probably shouldn’t panic if you swallow a few apple seeds. Just make sure your children and pets don’t eat apple seeds. (or other fruit seeds and pits).
Whatever you do – keep giving the kids those seedless apples! They’re a healthy source of fiber and antioxidants.
More great children’s health help at Child n’Parent.
Pregnant? We can help! Check our fun to read ebook “My Bloomin Belly.”
Dr. Kristi
Add comment March 4th, 2009
You’re expecting a baby soon or just had one. You’re babysitting an infant or toddler for the first time. You’ve just set up your toddlers first playdate. These three scenarios have one thing in common beyond the obvious. With over 100 viruses that cause the common cold lurking about, the very real possibility of catching the common cold awaits babies no matter what the scenario. Knowing the causes of the common cold in babies is, as they say, half the battle. Following are some instances to help enumerate the most common causes for the common cold in babies.
Common Cold Viruses Adrift in the Air
You just had a baby not long ago and someone visiting you and the baby is, unbeknownst to him or you, infected with a common cold virus in its most contagious part of the cycle, the shedding stage, and suddenly without warning sneezes into the air. Roughly, 40,000 droplets of what just came out if his nose is now set adrift in the immediate surrounding air. No actions are taken by anyone to avoid the contaminated snotlet droplets now floating around the baby, because it was just a little sneeze and doesn’t mean much. Two days later your baby has a 101.5º temperature and can’t breathe but out of his mouth.
Common Cold Viruses Stick To Your Hand Like Glue
You just landed your third babysitting gig for your mom’s friends who have a two year old toddler. You only get to watch her for two hours, but that’s twenty dollars you didn’t have before, right! Come 6 pm you arrive at the Smiths’ house and just before you ring the doorbell you cover your mouth with your hand like you’ve been taught when you cough. A quick passing though crosses your mind, ” I wonder if I’m getting sick, since I started coughing at school today and just now, again.” Just then the door opens and the Smiths are so happy you’re there and you follow them inside to the adorable waiting baby whose outstretched hands have been waiting for yours. It wouldn’t matter if it had been a couple of hours after you coughed into your hand, because you couldn’t get to the crook of your arm or into your shoulder fast enough, or just before you started holding hands with the baby. Common cold viruses stick to your hands like glue.
Common Cold Viruses Contaminate Innocent Playthings
You’ve been awaiting your little toddlers playdate with greater anticipation than your toddler. Finally, you and toddler in tow make your way to where the other three parents and toddlers are meeting. All sorts of toys have been collected together for the occasion, and all of the parents have been very conscientious about disinfecting whatever they brought to the toy pool now in the center of the room. All of the toddlers have been enjoying themselves playing with the toys, but you notice your toddler has since gravitated toward one of his favorite things to play with-the remote control-and has it in a death-grip because he knows at some point you’re going to suddenly pop up and take it away. You wrestle your friends remote control away from your toddler, and innocently enough neither you or your friend realize that someone contaminated it with a common cold virus only a couple of hours earlier. Every toy in the place is clean, but not that one innocent plaything toddler just has to have in his mouth whenever he gets a chance.
Whether by air, human touch or contaminated surfaces, the causes or situations where a common cold virus can make its way into your baby’s or toddler’s system are quite numerous. While most everyone is aware of how a baby can catch a cold, how many of us are as avidly conscientious about protecting the baby or toddler from catching the common cold as we should be.
For treatment of your baby’s cold here is help and for fighting off RSV infection see Child n’Parent.
By: T. H. Pankey
For the best ebook to guide you through pregnancy see “My Bloomin Belly.”
Add comment February 9th, 2009
ADHD is a relatively common diagnosis marked by hyperactivity, behavior problems, and inability to focus or complete a task. It’s thought that up to five percent of children suffer from ADHD with boys being more commonly affected than girls. No one knows exactly what causes this disorder although environmental toxins and a genetic predisposition have both been proposed.
Many parents are reluctant to use prescription medications to treat children with ADHD due to concern about potential side effects. For this reason, many parents have turned to alternative remedies to treat their kids. One such remedy that’s used is a herbal treatment known as St. John’s wort available from local health food stores. St. John’s wort has received attention in the past for its possible role in treating depression. Does St. John’s wort for ADHD work?
St. John’s wort in treating children with ADHD
A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association this year assessed the role of St. John’s wort in treating children with ADHD. A group of fifty-four children and adolescents diagnosed with ADHD were given St. John’s wort or a placebo three times a day for a period of two months. At several points during the study and at the end of the two month period, the children were clinically evaluated for changes in their symptoms as well as to determine any adverse reactions to the herb. Although there were no adverse reactions, the investigators found no improvement in symptoms in the group given St. John’s wort relative to the placebo group.
St. John’s wort for depression in children
Although some, but not all, studies have shown that St. John’s wort for depression is as effective as standard anti-depressant medications, at least from this study, it doesn’t appear to be effective for treatment of ADHD in children. This is disappointing in light of parental concern about using prescription medications for ADHD treatment.
Conventional drug treatment of St. John’s wort has characteristically included stimulants such as Ritalin and short acting amphetamines such as Dexedrine. Although the majority of children do respond to these medications, side effects can include insomnia, personality changes, and problems with social interactions. Behavioral therapy is also generally used in conjunction with medications.
Although St. John’s wort for ADHD would have been an appealing natural alternative with its lack of significant side effects, there’s no documented evidence that it works and this controlled study, although small, found no benefit. Although there’s been some focus on dietary changes such as limiting sugar as an ADHD treatment, this also hasn’t been proven to be effective. The role of food additives such as preservatives and food coloring has also been proposed to play a role in ADHD symptoms. Limiting processed and packaged foods may be worth a try to see if the symptoms improve.
The bottom line? Disappointingly, there’s no real evidence that St. John’s wort for ADHD treatment works.
Learn more about help for parents with their children’s health at Child n’Parent.
By: Vanessa Lee
Add comment January 13th, 2009
The information in this blog is for information purposes only. For medical diagnosis or treatment, always consult a physician.
Babies have underdeveloped temperature control systems. Mosquito bites, bee stings, allergic reactions, viral infections, bacterial infections- all of these can cause an infant to burn. Usually, a fever occurs when the body detects an unwelcome presence. By raising the heat, the body makes itself inhospitable to germs and wakes up white blood cells. Fever also activates the body’s immune system.
Normal body temperature is 98.6 , but it may vary by a few degrees. A feverish infant will be cranky, sluggish or look flushed. Then it is time to take the temperature. Wait 20 minutes after a bath to take it, since the warmth of a bath raises the body heat and will distort the temperature reading.
Newborns and very young infants should be evaluated by a doctor for any fever that reaches 100.4? Fahrenheit (38? Celsius) or higher. For other babies a reading of less than 102 is less than serious. Give them plenty of fluids and keep them in a cool well-ventilated room. Re-check their temperature at intervals to make sure it is going down. A cold compress will make the baby more comfortable and help lower their temperature. Keep an eye on the child for twenty-four hours. If it has not subsided by then, call your doctor.
Consult a doctor immediately when your baby runs a fever of 102 or above. If the fever reaches 104 , it is serious, and the child must get to a hospital as soon as possible. If the fever is accompanied by runny nose, sensitive eyes, red spots, or itchy red spots, consult a doctor, since these symptoms are indicative of measles or chicken pox.
For medicines, you can give children’s acetaminophen (e.g., Tylenol) or ibuprofen (e.g., Advil) for fevers above 102?F (39?C), if your child is uncomfortable. Fever medicine usually lowers the fever by 2 to 3?F
Never, ever give a child aspirin, as it has been associated with Reye’s syndrome. Reye’s syndrome is a series of flu-like symptoms that set in right as the patient begins to recover from a virus. The symptoms include vomiting, delusion, combativeness, dizziness, listlessness, and signs of brain dysfunction.
Parents, especially new ones, are often worried when their little one gets sick. Don’t be alarmed. Babies often get fevers; but they are rarely life threatening or dangerous. Just follow procedure and have the number of good doctor on hand.
If there are ever any serious concerns, ask a doctor.
Find more help with your baby’s health at Child n’Parent.
By Stephanie Moore
Add comment November 19th, 2008
Flu season is on its way. Though getting a flu shot may seem like a no brainer to some, at $20 a shot for my family of six, I want to know if it’s really necessary.
New Jersey recently passed a law requiring flu shots for all pre-school and elementary school kids. Some parents are happy because it will mean their kids are less likely to pick up the flu at school. Others are furious that the government is regulating medical procedures for their children they see as risky and unnecessary.
According to the CDC the number of Americans getting the flu in a particular year could be as low as 5 percent or as high as 20 percent of the population. More than 200,000 people are hospitalized and 36,000 people die. Those most likely to die of influenza and related complications are the elderly and other immune compromised people.
Members of “priority groups” will get flu shots first if, as in recent years, there are shortages. This high-risk group includes:
• Children aged 6 to 23 months
• Children over 2 years old with chronic health conditions
• Children who are taking long term aspirin therapy
• Household members of children less than 6 months of age, since these babies are too young to get a flu shot themselves
• Women who will be pregnant during the flu season
• Residents of long-term care facilities
• Adults with any condition that weakens the immune system
• Any person in close contact with someone in a high-risk group, such as healthcare workers.
People who should not get a flu shot include:
• Anyone who’s severely allergic to eggs (ingredients for flu shots are grown inside eggs)
• Infants under 6 months old
• Anyone who’s ever had a severe reaction to a flu vaccination (although most people do not experience any side effects from the flu shot)
• Anyone with Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), a rare condition that affects the immune system and nerves
• Anyone with a fever
Flu shots are made of dead influenza virus cells and cannot give your child the flu. A nasal mist vaccination is available for children over 2. This is a live vaccine and your child could develop flu symptoms.
Some parents worry about the preservative Thimrosal contained in some vaccines can cause autism. Studies have shown no measurable connection. Thimrosal-free shots are available.
Flu shots are available at a variety of locations including some stores and pharmacies and your county health department. Most HMOs will only cover flu shots if they are given at your pediatrician’s office. You will then only be asked to pay your required co-pay. The flu shot cannot keep your children from getting other kinds of viral infections and may not even prevent some influenza strains.
The best way to ensure your child stays healthy this winter is to wash hands often, avoid crowds, and never share cups or eating utensils.
Find more great child health articles and Child n’Parent
By: Megan Wallgren
Add comment October 25th, 2008
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