The post Lower your newborn’s allergy risks by exposing him to dirt and bacteria appeared first on All4Baby.
]]>Researchers from Johns Hopkins tracked the health of 467 inner-city newborns from Baltimore, Boston, New York and St. Louis over a three-year period.
They also measured the pollution levels in the subjects’ homes.
By three years old, children who had been exposed to mouse and cat dander as well as cockroach droppings within their first year of life wheezed significantly less than those who hadn’t.
It took exposure to all three allergens, cat, mouse and cockroach, to shape the children’s immune responses and this had to happen within the first year to benefit from the protective effect.
“Our study shows that the timing of initial exposure may be critical,” says study author Robert Wood, M.D., chief of the Division of Allergy and Immunology at the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center. “What this tells us is that not only are many of our immune responses shaped in the first year of life, but also that certain bacteria and allergens play an important role in stimulating and training the immune system to behave a certain way.”
Children unexposed to the three allergens in question developed wheezing problems at a rate of 51 percent, while wheezing occurred in only 17 percent of children with exposure.
In the case for good bacteria, normally associated with microbes that inhabit the digestive system, infants living in bacteria-rich homes were less likely to develop environmental allergies later on.
The study was published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.
(AFP Relaxnews)
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]]>The post Newborn Swaddling: The pros and cons appeared first on All4Baby.
]]>While many parents say the technique is soothing and aids their child’s sleep, researchers underlined that links have been observed to osteoarthritis and hip replacement in middle age.
“Traditional swaddling is a risk factor for DDH (developmental dysplasia of the hip),” paediatric orthopaedic surgeon Nicholas Clarke wrote in the Archives of Disease in Childhood, a British journal.
“In order to allow for healthy hip development, legs should be able to bend up and out at the hips. This position allows for natural development of the hip joints.
“The babies’ legs should not be tightly wrapped in extension and pressed together.”
Clarke cited figures that about 90 percent of infants in North America are nowadays swaddled in the first few months of life, and that demand for swaddling clothes increased by 61 percent over a year in the UK in 2010-11.
The practice, believed to go as far back as the ancient Greeks and Romans, is said to mimic the baby’s experience in the womb by creating a sense of warmth and security with light pressure all over the body.
It fell out of favour in the Western world decades ago over fears of adverse effects, but remains popular in the Middle East and some tribal communities.
An education programme in Japan against swaddling saw the prevalence of hip dislocation halve, said Clarke.
Store-bought swaddling clothes must have a loose pouch or sack for the baby’s legs and feet, allowing for plenty of hip movement and flexing, he added.
Commenting on the article, orthopaedic surgeon Andreas Roposch of the Great Ormond Street children’s hospital in London, agreed there was evidence that swaddling could affect the normal development of infant hips.
“Swaddling should not be employed in my view as there is no health benefit but a risk for adverse consequences of the growing and often immature hips,” he said in comments distributed by the Science Media Centre.
Paediatrician Alastair Sutcliffe of University College London pointed out that in countries like Nigeria where women traditionally carry their babies with the legs splayed around their waist, there was a “virtually unseen” rate of hip dislocation.
“I would advise that if a baby needs to be wrapped up to get off to sleep that parents do this in a sympathetic and loose manner, and not tight especially around the babies’ hips,” he said.
(AFP Relaxnews)
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]]>The post Handwashing tips for moms with new babies appeared first on All4Baby.
]]>“By teaching mothers and birth attendants how hand washing with soap can prevent disease, we can improve neonatal survival rates and put more children on the path to reach their fifth birthday – a key milestone that millions of children don’t reach every year,” says Ashveer Mahabeer, Brand Building Manager of Lifebuoy.
Young babies have not built up a strong immune system yet, so they are susceptible to infection. Make sure that everyone who handles your baby also has clean hands.
In particular wash hands with soap at the following occasions:
Always remember to wash your hands with soap and running water after handling dirty nappies to stop the spread of infection.
The more people your baby is exposed to, the more likely it is that he will come in to contact with someone who is sick, especially during flu season. Ensure that you prevent the spread of everyday infections such as common colds, flu and digestive disorders by adopting healthy hand washing routines – keeping yourself healthy is important when you are nursing a newborn.
Don’t leave your baby alone with pets or near pets. Make sure pets do not get into the cot with your baby. When your baby is very young, don’t allow the family dog or cat to lick your baby’s face. This could transmit infectious material (such as faeces) into the baby’s mouth or eyes. Make sure that anyone who has come into contact with your pets washes their hands thoroughly before touching your newborn.
To protect your newborn from microbes that could be ingested during feeding, sanitise all parts of the bottles and feeding equipment (including breast pump attachments). To avoid contamination, it’s imperative to wash your hands when handling any of this equipment.
Lifebuoy has initiated a new awareness programme in a rural community in KZN, which illustrates the importance of developing daily hand washing routines to improve hygiene standards. For more on the programme, click here.
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]]>The post The power of a mother’s touch – Kangaroo Mother Care appeared first on All4Baby.
]]>About four million babies die each year in the first week of life, according to The Lancet; replicating the protective and nourishing environment of a Kangaroo pouch, through Kangaroo Mother Care, could help 25% survive, says Dr Nils Bergman, a public health physician specialising in Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) in South Africa.
“The very best environment for a baby to grow and thrive, is the mother’s body,” says Dr Bergman. “When placed skin-to-skin on her mother’s chest, a baby receives warmth, protection and food, and its brain can develop optimally.”
“Skin-to-skin contact should ideally start at birth, but is helpful at any time. It should be continuous day and night, but must be at least one hour to give benefit,” says Dr Bergman.
The next part of Kangaroo Mother Care is exclusive breastfeeding. That means that for an average mother, direct suckling by the baby from the breasts is all that is needed. For very premature babies, expressing milk and addition of some essential nutrients may be necessary.
Thirdly: support to the mother-child dyad means that whatever is needed for the medical, emotional, psychological and physical wellbeing of mother and baby is provided to them, without separating them. This might mean adding ultramodern equipment if available, or intense psychological support in contexts with no resources. It can even mean going home very early.
In the past, parents of premature babies were excluded from care directly after birth, including the neonatal ICU. Now, it’s known that separation causes harm to all babies – especially preterm infants.
Recent science shows that parents’ presence has a positive influence on brain development, says Jill Bergman, who has promoted Kangaroo Mother Care for 24 years. “We are realising more and more from neuroscience that the parent as central to the healthcare team is not just essential for survival, it ensures a good start to life,” she says.
1. Regulation
The baby at birth is wide-awake for the first 60-90 minutes and experiencing certain sensations. He hears mom’s familiar voice, feels her heartbeat, smells the familiar scent of her and her breast milk. The baby feels safe and comforted by these sensory signs and so his body calms.
Heart rate, breathing and oxygen saturation, blood pressure and temperature all stabilise far faster on mom than when they are separated. Baby has his basic needs for warmth, food and protection met.
2. Bonding and attachment
Baby’s brain also calms, and all of the expected sensations are collected and fire pathways in the brain. The baby will feel safe and open his eyes to make contact with his mother. This is the start of early bonding, and emotional and social intelligence. As continued contact and breastfeeding continues, a secure attachment is formed, which is the basis of all future physical and psychological health.
3. Breastfeeding
“A baby in the right place is very competent!” says Jill Bergman. A proper latch ensures adequate nutrition, and stimulation of all of the essential hormones. The mother’s chest will warm automatically if her baby is cold, and even cool baby if too warm.
4. Sleep
During quiet sleep, all of these sensations collected will fire and wire circuits to the emotional brain (amygdala), be organised and sent back to the cortex when he wakes again, thus completing the brain circuits for healthy development. Sleep should not be disturbed.
If a baby is separated from her mother early on, all those essential processes are disturbed and a stress response is created. When the baby cries, his heart rate and blood pressure goes up, and oxygen levels go down. The baby crying uses up more calories so is more likely to become hypoglycaemic; these calories are better used for growth.
“High levels of stress hormones for long periods of time are toxic to the neurons that make the brain work. The stress hormone cortisol makes more neurons die off at a faster rate. This disrupts and disturbs developing pathways and circuits. With prolonged stress after birth, the brain is measurably smaller one year later. The only difference between toxic and tolerable stress is the absence or presence of mother or father,” says Jill.
Kangaroo Mother Care babies benefit from better brain and emotional development, less stress, less crying, fewer brain bleeds, more settled sleep. They are more alert when awake and feel less pain from injections, the heart rate stabilises, more breast milk is produced and babies gain weight faster.
Ultimately babies can go home earlier when they have done Kangaroo Mother Care and have better brain and emotional development.
Your baby only needs a nappy and cap. Put her on your bare skin – starting at birth – facing you, inside your shirt. Sit in a chair with cushions so you can be at a 30-40 degree angle to help baby’s breathing. Tuck her legs up in the foetal position. Put her hands near her face for self-soothing. Cover her and yourself. Your body will automatically warm up if your baby is cold or will cool down if your baby is hot. Relax, knowing that your body is the best place for her.
To do this for long periods with a small or premature baby, safe technique requires that the airway is secured, and the baby firmly wrapped against parent’s chest. In this way baby and parents can both sleep. When awake and feeding, the wrapper is loosened, allowing eye contact, and access to the breast.
For more details see the book Hold Your Prem by the Bergmans and www.kangaroomothercare.com
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]]>The post Tips to help you shed those pregnancy kilos appeared first on All4Baby.
]]>This means that any extra weight gained during pregnancy will soon be lost.
Although this is very exciting to all lactating mothers, it is important to understand that this is not a time for dieting. Moms should still try to consume foods of high nutritional value in order to replenish those energy stores.
An additional intake of 2000kj may be required depending on frequency and length of feeds in order for a mom to maintain her weight. Fluid requirements are also slightly increased by 500ml per day. However, moms should listen to their thirst and drink accordingly.
For formula feeding moms, the weight loss task may be a bit more challenging but definitely not impossible. The key to returning to your pre-pregnancy weight is to re-establish your pre-pregnancy routine.
That means eating and exercising as you did and not concerning yourself too much with rapid weight loss but rather, gradual and safe weight loss.
Most moms take between three and six months to return to their pre-pregnancy weight. As your baby grows and demands more of your time, you will notice that you will need to be a lot more active around the house which also helps to burn those extra calories.
Here are some general healthy eating tips for both breastfeeding and formula feeding moms:
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]]>The post What’s in your baby’s nappy? appeared first on All4Baby.
]]>Having a baby is a wonderful experience. Before you know it, your little bundle of joy will turn your world upside down. You’ll soon notice that your conversations with your partner (which were once deep and meaningful), will now revolve around vomit and poo. Especially poo.
Decoding your baby’s nappy can sometimes be a mystery as stools change so often. Below is a guideline that will help you decide what’s normal and what’s not.
Remember if you notice something completely out of the ordinary for your baby, rather play it safe and contact your paediatrician or clinic sister.
Meconium is what your baby will pass the first few days after birth and is what lined your baby’s bowels while he was still growing in your womb. It is usually dark black and has a sticky consistency to it.
If you are breastfeeding your baby, his stool will change from the meconium to a yellowy-mustard colour. It may even look like your baby has eaten some seeds, as the texture may appear seedy.
Your baby does not need to poo every day and can go a few days without passing a stool. As long as the texture remains soft and paste-like, your baby is unlikely to be suffering from constipation.
This type of poo could be a sign of constipation in your baby. Before using over-the-counter laxatives (which you should never do without medical supervision), place baby on her back and move her legs in a bicycle motion to help relieve constipation. You can also massage your baby’s tummy around the navel in a clock-wise circular motion to assist in peristaltic movement.
Instead of a yellowy-mustard colour, formula fed babies often pass a stool that is dark green in colour. This is due to the heavy iron contents found in some formulas.Your breastfed baby can also pass this type of stool if you are taking an iron supplement.
Red bloody streaks can be a result of constipation. They are caused by cuts that occur when your baby is straining to push a hard poo out. If there are more than just a few streaks, or if it continues over a few nappies then contact your paediatrician or clinic sister.
Bright green poo is usually a result of an imbalance between foremilk and hindmilk in breastfed babies. This imbalance occurs when baby feeds for short periods on each breast, which results in him receiving more foremilk than hindmilk. Feeding baby for longer on each breast will restore the balance.
Diarrhoea stools are watery and chunky. Diarrhoea can quickly lead to dehydration in babies, so if your newborn passes a stool that is loose and watery then it is best to contact your paediatrician or clinic sister. In bigger babies, seek medical attention if the diarrhoea lasts for longer than 24 hours. It’s important to note, that the occasional loose stool is probably nothing to worry about.
There are probably more colours and textures that are also considered normal. However, there are certain things that shouldn’t be ignored and should be observed closely;
Remember, your baby’s stool will automatically change once you introduce solids.
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]]>The post Insure your baby against life threatening diseases appeared first on All4Baby.
]]>The collection and storage of cord blood and cord tissue taken from the umbilical cord of a baby at birth is becoming increasingly common. The reason for this is that the cells contained in the blood and tissue, have potential therapeutic value in the treatment of blood disorders, immune diseases and the emerging field of regenerative medicine.
Should you consider stem cell storage for your baby, Netcells have put together this parent’s guide to stem cell storage…
Cord blood is collected from the baby’s umbilical cord at birth and contains haematopoietic (blood) stem cells.These stem cells are used to regenerate bone marrow and are routinely used to treat blood related diseases such as;
New therapies are also being researched for cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injury, hearing loss and type one diabetes.
The umbilical cord tissue contains mesenchymal stem cells that are being employed in both research and clinical environments for a variety of aesthetic and medical conditions, that include;
Apart from it being a valuable medical investment, there are other compelling reasons to consider storing your baby’s stem cells, such as:
At Netcells, the storage of umbilical cord blood and tissue (for ten years) as well as maternal blood testing will cost you approximately R19 900. Although hefty, the insurance it can give your baby means it’s probably worth it. Fortunately, payment plans are also available.
For more information on Netcells, visit www.netcells.co.za.
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]]>The post Bonding with your newborn baby – is it always natural? appeared first on All4Baby.
]]>Some women simply find it difficult to bond with their babies. And that’s okay. If you are having trouble bonding with your baby just after birth, don’t panic. The process can take longer for some – and this doesn’t mean that there is anything wrong with you. In time, as you get to know your baby, the bond will develop and deepen naturally.
In the meantime, talk to other moms you know. It may surprise you to find other women who suffer from the same problem as you do. They may be able to give you pointers and great advice that will prove helpful. Besides that, it will feel good to talk to someone.
Becoming a mom can be very rewarding. The struggle to bond is frustrating for those having difficulty, but it can be overcome. Know that there is a reason why you are having bonding issues and work on them. Before you know it, you’ll be forging a special relationship with your newborn that will last a lifetime.
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