Why is Rooming-in important?

A baby that is kept in close proximity to its mother often has better sleeping patterns and will cry less which has a calming effect on the mother.

Learning feeding cues and establishing a sleep/awake rhythm with the baby while still in the hospital is important for the going home period as the mother would have a better idea of what she needs to expect in the home environment. Learning these cues will ensure that the mother establishes optimal breastfeeding practices which in most cases will continue for longer periods of time and result in good weight gain and growth of the baby.

As I’ve mentioned in previous articles, babies need to be fed on demand (when they are hungry), and rooming-in supports this practice as the baby is easily accessible.

Rooming-in, as with skin-to-skin, allows a special bonding to occur between mother and baby during the first few days of life and this often gives first time mothers the confidence that they may initially lack. The anxiety that exists from being separated from the baby while in the hospital is completely removed which means that milk flow is not hindered in any way.

There will be times when it is not possible for mother and baby to be together 24 hours due to medical procedures, but this time period should be kept as short as possible. Rooming-in has so many great potential benefits to both mother and baby and should be insisted upon by every expectant mother whether she has chosen to breastfeed or not.

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What is an Apgar score?

The Apgar score is a quick and simple way to assess a baby’s condition at birth. The baby is assessed on five simple criteria (complexion, pulse rate, reaction when stimulated, muscle tone, and breathing) on a scale from zero to two. The five values are then summed up to obtain a score from zero to 10.

Scores of 3 and below are generally regarded as critically low, 4 to 6 fairly low, and 7 to 10 generally normal.

Strong link between low Apgar score and cerebral palsy

Cerebral palsy is a rare disease, affecting two to three infants in every 1 000 live born children in Western countries. Recent studies have found a strong link between low Apgar score and cerebral palsy in children born to term or with normal birth weight, whereas studies in children with a low birth weight or born preterm have shown conflicting results.

Using linked data from the Medical Birth Registry of Norway and the Norwegian Registry of Cerebral Palsy in Children, the researchers assessed the association of Apgar score five minutes after birth with cerebral palsy in 543,064 children born between 1986 and 1995. A total of 988 children included in the study (1.8 in 1000) were diagnosed with cerebral palsy before the age of five years.

Low Apgar score was strongly associated with later diagnosis of cerebral palsy. The prevalence of cerebral palsy in children with Apgar score of less than 3 was more than 100-fold higher than in children with a score of 10.

This association was high in children with normal birth weight and modest in children with low birth weight.

Low Apgar score was also associated with all subgroups of spastic cerebral palsy, but the association was strongest for quadriplegia.

“Despite the strong association of low Apgar score with cerebral palsy, it is encouraging that almost 90% of children with an Apgar score of less than 4 at birth did not develop cerebral palsy,” say the authors.

Apgar score is a measure of vitality

Given that Apgar score is a measure of vitality shortly after birth, our findings suggest that the causes of cerebral palsy are closely linked to factors that reduce infant vitality, they conclude. In fact, low Apgar score might be interpreted as an indicator of brain impairment that has occurred during pregnancy or delivery.

In an accompanying editorial, Professor Nigel Paneth from Michigan State University in the US says that a low Apgar score in a baby of normal weight “is an important clue that the baby has an increased risk of death and disability, even though most infants with such scores recover quickly and do well.”

He advises that such babies should be watched closely for the persistence or development of signs of brain damage, especially in the light of robust evidence that babies with brain injury may benefit from head or body cooling.

Article source: BMJ-British Medical Journal via Science Daily.

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Child sleep expert Dana Obleman (http://www.sleepsense.net) looks at the bedtime routine mistakes to avoid in this YouTube video. She also shares her tips for a bedtime routine that is conducive to a good night’s sleep.

The post Video: Bedtime routine mistakes to avoid appeared first on All4Baby.

Depth perception

A good way for your newborn to start learning is by moving interesting objects into their field of vision. And, when your baby’s vision gets a little less ‘blurry’, you should also occasionally pick up toys and move them around while your little one is watching. This will teach your baby to focus on moving objects and help them develop their depth perception.

Let your baby use their mouths

Now, as much as you might want to, try not to stop your baby from putting things into their mouth. At this age it’s one of the few ways they have to explore and learn about the objects around them. But that being said, always remember to keep an eye on your little one. And never ever let them play with anything with which they might accidentally hurt themselves.

Don’t overstimulate

As cute and as little as they are, keep in mind that at this stage your baby can easily be overstimulated. They’re also most likely quite sensitive to bright light and loud noise, so try to avoid these as much as possible when encouraging your newborn’s stimulation.

Help them explore

Every day is just another chance for your toddler to explore! So it’s really important to make sure that your little one’s toys are always within reach and that everything around them is neat and tidy so they can find their toys easily too.

Importance of reading

Try to read a little to your child every day as this will help them to develop auditory perceptual skills. Just remember to choose age-appropriate books and pick a time when your baby is feeling calm and relaxed. This will ensure that they can really get the greatest benefit from this activity. And, if you find that the story is too long, simply describe the pictures to your tiny tot instead of reading it all.

Let them find their toys

As tempting as it may be, don’t simply hand over toys to your poppet to play with. Instead, allow them to look for and discover their toys all on their own. By encouraging your little one to look for something themselves you’re giving them the chance to hone their visual perception skills. And it’ll keep them busy for a short while too!

Visit www.mysmartkid.com or www.myslimkind.com, or call 0861 555 224 for more information.

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With the days getting longer and the sun getting hotter, it’s time for a wardrobe change!

Clicks launches their exclusive Baby Spring Summer ‘14 clothing line in selected stores from October 2014. With a bright and fresh look, quality fabrics, cute designs and attention to detail, we’ve created a clothing line for babies from 0 – 18 months that moms can trust!

From crisp core body vests to floral dresses; shorts & t-shirts to adorable vest & bib gift sets, we are making dressing kids fun and easy.

Clicks baby clothing is made from 100% cotton and is proudly South African. Clicks baby clothing is available at selected Clicks stores. For more information visit www.clicks.co.za

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Regular lotion helps keep a baby’s immune system intact

A small-scale study carried out by researchers at the Tokyo-based National Center for Child Health and Development suggests regular lotion in the first few weeks of life helps keep a baby’s immune system intact.

Scientists divided 118 newborns into two groups of 59 each, applying an emollient (a glycerine-based over-the-counter moisturiser) to one group of babies for 32 weeks and no treatment to the other group.

As a result, 19 in the intervention group developed atopic dermatitis (eczema) against 28 in the control group.

The study, which the researchers said was a global first, tentatively shows moisturising reduces the risk of developing eczema 30%.

The institute said in a release that emollient prevents skin from drying out and cracking, which exposes immune cells and allows irritants to get in.

This, in turn, boosts the body’s production of antibodies to combat the irritant, resulting in over-production.

It is this over-production of antibodies that produces the symptoms of an allergy.

Babies suffering from eczema can go on to be allergic to eggs

The institute said babies suffering from eczema tend to display strong reactions to egg white, and thus can go on to be allergic to eggs in later life or to developing other problems such as asthma or sinus infections.

“It was known before that dry skin would cause eczema. One of the achievements of this study is that we came up with clear figures for the probability of developing eczema,” the centre’s spokesman Toru Sato told AFP on Friday.

“Researchers are now looking at why some babies in the group still went on to develop eczema,” he said.

“Another important point is that the study suggests atopic skin problems could be linked to other allergic reactions such as asthma and hay fever that may appear later in life.”

Research on allergies has often focused on preventing maternal intake of certain substances to reduce transmission to the foetus.

(AFP Relaxnews)

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To begin with, it’s important to understand the various achievements that an infant needs to reach.

Though each child is different, for a baby between birth and three months you should expect some of the following:

• Able to focus on objects and respond to funny faces
• Neck strength
• Grip adults finger
• Maintain eye contact
• Movement when free
• Able to push their feet firmly onto a surface
• Respond to noises and recognise care-givers’ voices
• React to stimuli and turn their head in the direction of noise
• Make gurgling noises

Eye-control

• Babies can focus on an object between 20 and 25cm away from them. Maintain eye contact, and using your face as the focal point, move side to side and back and forth.
• Have a variety of objects, which the baby can focus on. Only use one object at a time. If they have too many stimuli they will be unable to focus.
• Take your baby outside, and allow them to spend time looking at trees, leaves, flowers.
• Using gloves, attach different textured and coloured ribbons on their fingers. They see red, black and white best, so using these colours will be beneficial.

Body movements

• Babies love the sensation of rocking. This should be soothing.
• By placing the baby on their back, they will gain neck support and trunk control. Allow them to kick their legs, use their arms and shift their body weight from side to side.
• When dressing, roll the baby on their side, from side to side. This rotation is good for twisting and enhancing trunk rotation, which will develop crawling, walking and balance.

Touch

• Encourage the baby to hold objects, to grip them and control them.
• Show and teach your baby what they can do with their hands.
• Introduce your baby to new textures by stroking their arms and legs and encouraging touch with their hands with feathers or towelling. This will enhance a deeper touch sensation.
• Be in physical contact with your baby continually – stroke them, tickle, rub, massage. This will enhance circulation, and at the same time, bonding.
• Touching, and massaging the soles of their feet is a form of stimulation which will help later with walking, balancing, climbing etc. For example you can rub their feet or clap them together.
• By GENTLY pushing and pulling the babies joints you will create body sense.
• Water is a great sensation for young babies. They should be allowed to kick and play in the water during their bath. During bath time brush the babies feet, rub them together and pat them – this is a soothing sensation.

Sound

• It is imperative to talk to the baby constantly as well as reassure and encourage them. They love attention, and want to know they are loved and cared for. This will enable the baby to recognize their parents as well as their smiles and faces.
• The first sounds that your baby will make are ‘aa’ and ‘oo’. Try to use these sounds, and encourage the baby you use these sounds.
• Make shakers from foods such as rice, beans, sugar placed inside bright, safe boxes.
• Use a bell or voice to encourage your child to turn their head as they focus on the sound. This will enhance their neck strength, as well as encourage auditory refinement.
• Read simple books and sing songs. Repetition, rhythm, touch and movement should all be included in this exercise.
• Note: Be careful not to place the young child in situations where there is too much noise as they tend to get over-stimulated and frustrated.

Another consideration for your child is routine. With a set routine and structure, your baby will feel secure and that you as a parent are in total control. But remember, each child is different and it isn’t the quantity of time but the quality of time you spend with your child.

Find out what your baby enjoys and what engages them and work with their interests and abilities.

That’s the WHAT and WHY. For the HOW, contact [email protected].

About the Author: Dr. Lauren Stretch is the founder of Early Inspiration, an organisation which aims to enhance the development of young children in South Africa through practitioner training and home interventions. She is is one of the youngest PhD graduates in the country, and has completed her studies in the effectiveness of pre-school teachers, particularly in underprivileged settings, at the University of South Africa (UniSA).

The post Activities to support your three-month-old’s development appeared first on All4Baby.

Parenting, sleep consultant and creator of The Sleep Sense™ Program, Dana Obleman looks at whether dream feeding will help your baby sleep through the night in this YouTube video.

The post Video: Can a dream feed help your baby sleep through? appeared first on All4Baby.

Memes (pronounced meems for those who didn’t study for a degree in linguistics) are those hilarious, tongue-in-cheek cards that float around Facebook and other social media channels that leave you in a fit of giggles that only other moms will get. Okay, and maybe dads, too.

Here are 10 of the funniest memes we’ve come across. Click through the gallery and enjoy!

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