Baby’s Teething Stage

For the most part most babies are bothered by teething in the night. If they are it is usually when the molars come through and then only for a few nights. Typically, babies who wake in the night due to teething are more likely to have suffered from colic and have developed poor sleeping habits.

If your baby is teething and waking in the night but quickly settles back to sleep when given a cuddle or a dummy, teething is probably not the real cause of his waking. A baby who is gen uinely bothered by teething pain would be difficult to settle back to sleep. He would also shows signs of discomfort during the day, not just at night. It’s a good idea to check the section on excessive night waking and early morning waking to eliminate other reasons your baby may be waking. Usually at around six months of age many babies begin to kick their covers off, which can cause them to wake in the night. The major ity of parents who contact me regarding their baby’s teething and night waking report an immediate improvement when they follow my advice and put their baby in a sleeping bag at night.

How to cope with teething in babies

If you are convinced that your baby’s night-time wakings are caused by severe teething pain, I suggest you seek advice from your doctor regarding the use of paracetamol. While genuine teething pain may cause a few disruptive nights, it should never last for several weeks. If your baby seems out of sorts, develops a fever and suffers from loss of appetite or diarrhoea he should be seen by a doctor. Do not assume that these symptoms are just a sign of teething. Often what parents thought was teething turned out to be an ear or throat infection.

The Significance of Touch for Infants and Babies

Loving touch is so important for babies because it initially facilitates development of all other senses of the infant. That is why most experts, pediatricians and doctors would advise taking greater care of baby skin. Taking the time to learn how to properly handle and take care of baby skin is certainly worthwhile.

Touch is basically how newborn babies start to communicate. The warmth touch of the mom to baby skin is basically what the infant first encounters. Remember that after birth, it would take a few days before the eyes clears up, while the sense of taste is still not developed fully. Through touch, the baby is given an assurance of warmth, love, security and protection. And the baby somehow feels that. Thus, a mothers touch is a good pacifier to an uncomfortable and fussing baby.

Experts assert that aside from that, the touch of a mother is providing much more than just warmth and passion to baby skin. When a mom touches and holds her baby, she is unconsciously stimulating the secretion and production of the baby hormones for growth and more effective digestion. The mothers touch to the baby is just like how massage is good and health-conducive to average adult.

The sense of touch also complements and bolsters the development of all other senses of the baby. For instance, a mothers touch helps the baby initially discern verbal language and words used by the mom. For example, when a mom says the word, ‘my baby’, along with touching baby skin, the baby is learning how to associate the words with the warmth and pleasantness of the touch. After some time, the baby would learn how to listen to words although he or she would not be able to totally understand it yet. Eventually, the sense of touch would be separated from the verbal communication or comprehension.

Aside from that, the baby sense of touch very much tells about how the baby overall health is doing. When the baby is feeling bad, a mom could tell that something is wrong if the skin temperature is unusually high. Aside from that, a mom could sense a discomfort in the baby through the infants skin. Redness and swelling indicates that there is something troubling and annoying the baby.

That is why the sense of touch is practically deemed appropriate and useful to the baby. Because of that, there of course is a need to ensure that the baby skin is always well taken care of. Thus, as much as possible, it is imperative that baby skin care be always made conducive and very much in good status. Remember that taking care of the baby skin is far different from taking care of the skin of a child, a teenager and an adult. Baby skin is still very fragile and sensitive to handle it with extra care and make every touch as smooth and as loving as possible.

New Advice to Keep Baby Safe

Parents often worry that they will not be able to tell when their baby is unwell. After a few weeks, once you get to know your baby and his routine of feeding, sleeping and waking, you will be able to tell if the baby is behaving differently. If you feel that the baby is not his normal self consult your doctor immediately. Either take the baby to the doctor or speak to him over the phone. If you are calling him, write down all the things that you want to ask about. Make a note of all the important phone numbers like your doctor’s, health clinic, hospital, a good taxi service and numbers of friends who would be willing to look after older children in an emergency. If you are asked to bring your baby to the hospital at night do so, as it is better to take the baby there than, treating him at home.

Whenever they are taken outdoors babies and small children need special care. Their skin is so delicate that the sun and wind can burn them easily. If there is any tanning on your babies skin it means that there is some skin damage. Special care must be taken of babies when they are taken abroad where the weather is different from that of his home country. The mildest of sunburns is very painful for the baby and studies have shown that skin cancer is related to sunburn in childhood. Here are some tips to protect the baby from the sun:

Dress your baby up in long-sleeved T-shirts and trousers made of cotton. This will be cool and protect the skin from the sun.
Do not let your baby out in the sun especially at noon, as the sun is the strongest at this time.

Use a sun block every time you take the baby out. The sun protection factor should be at least 25. Apply this cream every two hours. Studies have show that people should be using thrice as much cream as they are using now.

Use a broad rimmed straw hat when you take the baby out in the pram. If the canopy of the pram is small, attach sunshades to protect the baby from the sun.

If your baby does get sun burnt give him a cool bath and apply calamine lotion. It is always safer to consult your doctor first.

Ensure that your baby is drinking a lot of fluids. Whether it is breast milk or water especially if it is very hot so that he doesn’t get dehydrated.

Sometimes babies can have a heat stroke due to over exposure to the sun. The common symptoms are vomiting, listlessness, headaches and drowsiness. Give your baby plenty of fluids and consult your doctor immediately.

Protect your babies from the wind as harsh wind can damage their delicate skin as well. Keep you baby well covered while taking them out.

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