Parents now no longer need to worry about Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). They can now do a hands-on method to reduce the risks involved for their newborn. SIDS seem to result from a variety of factors including difficulty in breathing, underdevelopment of cardio-respiratory control functions, unsafe sleeping practice, and several other medical conditions.

Dr. William Sears, a practicing pediatrician for over 30 years and who has eight children proposes that the subsequent steps that can lower the risk of SIDS can aid parents in diminishing the risk and building a cultivating, secure, and relaxed environment for their child, both when the child is still inside the womb or after he is born.

The first step is to provide a healthy environment for your baby while he is still inside the womb. A healthy environment leads to a healthy life. Studies show that the risk of SIDS is higher with prematurely conceived children, although 99 percent of them do not die because of this cause. Even when you haven’t given birth to your child yet, you can start making the right choices for him to decrease the risk of having more health problems after birth. Dr. Sears advised mothers to eat foods with high nutrients and to keep their babies away from a dirty environment. His life inside the womb will greatly affect a baby upon birth.

After the baby’s birth, Dr. Sears advises the mother to keep the baby comfortably warm but not too warm. A baby needs proper ventilation just like a normal person. Overheating has been seen as one of the causes of SIDS in many situations. Keeping the baby in a very hot place will affect his breathing and will most likely affect his rest and sleep. The abnormal changes in temperature may cause the respiratory system of a baby to fail.

He also advises mothers to avoid over-bundling. Consequent overheating has been shown to increase the risk of SIDS. Overheating may disrupt the normal neurological control of sleep and breathing. The respiratory control center in the brain is affected by abnormal changes in temperature, and SIDS researchers believe that overheating may cause respiratory control centers in some babies to fail.

See to it that your baby’s head is uncovered. Do not make him wear bonnets on hot days if you are only inside the house because this will make him feel uncomfortable and restless. Put him to sleep on his side or on his back. When the baby sleeps on his stomach with his cheek and abdominal organs touching the bedding, these major areas of heat discharge are enclosed, thus preserving heat. Also keep in mind never to bundle a baby especially when he is sick as this only increases his temperature. Keep your baby’s room not too cold or not too hot but just enough to keep him ventilated and comfortable. In general, dress your baby as much or as little as you would dress yourself depending on the weather.

Unlike Western tradition, Chinese tradition believes that it is unlucky to prepare a baby’s room before the mother actually gives birth to a child because the deities might be mischievous to the infant. The baby, who is a new addition to the family, should move into a space that is new and specially prepared in the last few weeks before he arrives to your house. Designing a nursery according to feng shui can make it easier for the baby to adjust from his mother’s womb to his room. (more…)

Mothers who smoke have a higher risk of miscarriage, stillbirth or giving birth to a premature infant. Smoking increases the baby’s heart rate, which is caused by low oxygen supply in his respiratory system. It will affect a growing baby’s health in many ways. It might result to more problems as he grows. These factors can also cause sudden death because it decreases the child’s ability to breathe. He will also find it hard to sleep and rest because of this. (more…)

Sleep talking happens more often than sleepwalking in children, notwithstanding the fact that they commonly occur at the same time. Parasomnias have this propensity to run in the bloodlines of families, and children may possibly go through one, two, or all three types. Some are strongly taken from the father while some are from the mother. However, the child will experience them equally. (more…)

The only adequate alternative for breast milk is instant formula. Cow’s milk is not recommended for an infant because it contains a different type of protein compared to that of breast milk. Humans, especially babies may have trouble digesting it. Cow’s milk is good for cows just as breast milk are great for humans. Solid food can be fed to a baby when he is four to six months old, and a baby should be breast fed for a full year. Babies who are bottle-fed usually grow bigger than those who are breast fed, but this does not essentially mean that they are healthier.

Philips / Avent ISIS Breast Pump with Reusable Bottle

Breast milk has at least 100 ingredients not found in formula. It is best for babies and no one can possibly be allergic to his own mother’s milk, although what the mother eats may affect the milk that she produces. If allergies on the baby occur, it is best for the mother to eliminate the cause of allergy in her diet. Breast milk also contains colostrum, which is the first liquid that flows out of the mother’s breast after giving birth. It provides antibodies that protect your baby until he has enough antibodies to produce on his own, when he gets older.

Mothers are encouraged to breastfeed their babies, however, they should make sure that they are healthy for the method to be successful. The risks to breastfeeding and the need for a breast-milk substitute may occur possibly due to the baby’s disadvantage at birth, like being premature. Infant formula can be a very good breast milk substitute if prepared and used correctly.

Earth Mama Angel Baby Breastfeeding Support Kit

The good thing about breast milk is that it’s always safe and clean. It stays fresh in the mother’s breasts even if she does not breast feed for days. Milk from the mother remains safe for eight hours under any kind of climate, and even when not refrigerated.

In addition, the baby develops a strong jaw by sucking into her mother’s breasts. It helps in the growth of straight and healthy teeth because it is more difficult to suck on a mother’s breast than a milk bottle. The baby must continually suck the nipple of his mother and regulate the pressure of the breast when he is being breast-fed unlike when he is sucking on a bottle.

Primarily, a breast-fed baby will need to be fed eight to 12 times a day every 24 hours, especially since both the baby and mother has to try getting used to the process. Breast milk is easily digested by the baby compared to formula. The baby’s sucking of the breast stimulates the mammary glands, which makes the mother produce more milk. Breast milk provides the highest quality nutrition that a baby needs to be healthy.

Just like grown ups, he also falls down, literally bumps into things, become surprised and even hurt over and over again every single day. Everyday is a challenge for him just like the older people but in his own little way. Because your toddler doesn’t understand how to soothe himself, he will always get upset and exasperated by failure. (more…)

In addition, it’s also necessary to get your baby down for a short nap as soon as you notice his “sleepy signals.” He may possibly become overtired if you wait for too long to get him, and as a result, he’ll eventually be unable to go to sleep. A few of the several noticeable “baby sleepy signals”, which a lot of people find funny, are the movement of his eyes and the wavering of his body when he feels drowsy. His eyes close and open soporifically, and his body goes with it as well. (more…)

If you’re not the roll-around-on-the-floor kind of parent with your little kid, you may most probably have chosen to hang back and let your little one explore things on his own. That’s actually a great idea! Keep in mind that you should never let other people make the decisions about how to raise your child. As a first time parent, you may not have the confidence in your parenting methods and will often consult other people but in time you will develop your own personal parenting strategies. You will learn not to measure yourself up against everyone else’s expectations and demands and just continue enjoying being a parent. (more…)

These night terrors and nightmares have caused a lot of children to be fearful all the time. This is particularly true with nightmares as they’re the ones that are likely remembered. When children come across scenes in their dreams, they become terrified. Some kids become very afraid when they’re alone thinking that the monsters might come out of the closet and grab them. These facts are possibly one of the many reasons behind some children’s diffidence. In fact, they can have some serious effects on your kids and their fears can last for a very long time. (more…)

It will be quite difficult for him to get himself used to sleeping in normal patterns at first because babies tend to be sensitive to a lot of things. The job of building a standard and soothing sleep pattern for a new infant is most of the time an exercise that brings confusion and frustration to many parents. One effective method to help your baby get to sleep is massage. Massaging creates a calming effect on the baby and results to a deep and restful sleep. This gives a baby a better sleeping pattern during their bedtime. In addition, studies show that babies who are massaged grow faster than babies who are not.

recommended massage oil for babies

Giving your baby a massage after you get from work or after a long day will help you connect with him, making both you and your baby relax and unwind. Once you have established this routine, you can use it to calm him whenever he gets upset or restless. When a baby gets upset, it is not always food or sleep that he wants; sometimes it is something that he enjoys doing that can make him calm down. A massage will be of great help. The soothing touch of a mother will help a baby relax.

You can also use this lotion as an alternative to massage oil

Even when your environment changes due to certain circumstances, a daily massage can be a go signal for your baby’s deep and restful sleep. Remember that babies are also a lot like us. We enjoy doing what soothes us the most, and in your baby’s case, if massaging calms him down, then give it to him every time you feel that he is asking for it. Furthermore, learning to relax in your hectic world is necessary. You have to look after for yourself as well as for their baby. Studies point out that practicing baby massage have positive effects not only on the baby but also on the parent’s bodily, psychological, and emotional well-being.

Baby massage has also been proven to benefit babies with gastrointestinal bonding, eating, affection, weight increase and general growth challenges, all of which can greatly affect the baby’s overall sleeping routine. Massage also helps babies be aware of body feelings as it stimulates the brain while it is done. It can boost a child’s mental capacity and makes him alert. The interaction between a mother and the baby will also develop the baby’s mental faculties, thus resulting to increased mental capacity.