All4Baby » PREG_36 https://all4baby.co.za From Pregnancy to birth to baby and beyond. The place to find, chat, and share. Thu, 10 Jul 2014 16:09:36 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=261 World’s first kidney dialysis machine for infants now exists! https://all4baby.co.za/newborns-0-6-months/birth-defects/975/worlds-first-kidney-dialysis-machine-infants-now-exists/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=worlds-first-kidney-dialysis-machine-infants-now-exists https://all4baby.co.za/newborns-0-6-months/birth-defects/975/worlds-first-kidney-dialysis-machine-infants-now-exists/#comments Wed, 18 Jun 2014 08:28:13 +0000 https://all4baby.co.za/?p=975 A new dialysis machine can be used on newborns and children up to 10 kg, can handle smaller volumes of fluid much more accurately, and allows the use of a much smaller catheter.

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The world’s first miniaturised kidney dialysis machine has saved the lives of eight babies in nine months.

Until now, babies with kidney failure were treated with machines built for adults, with smaller filters and other imprecise adaptations that tend to withdraw too much or too little of the waste fluid building up in the body.

“Incredible but true,” said Claudio Ronco from the San Bortolo Hospital’s renal research institute in Vicenza. “It’s like using a tool for a car to fix a watch.”

Yet companies have been loath to invest in baby-targeted machines as they are not profitable enough, he added.

“The number of neonates (infants) around the world that suffer from this disorder is very small and therefore there is no point for a company to invest in technology.”

So Ronco and colleagues launched a fundraising programme, hosting sports games and concerts and collecting some 300,000 euros ($410,000) to build a prototype.

This attracted help from two Italian manufacturers, and so the child-friendly machine dubbed CARPEDIEM (Cardio-Renal Paediatric Dialysis Emergency Machine) was born.

The first beneficiary, a girl with multiple organ failure weighing just 2.9 kilogrammes (6.4 pounds), was treated in August last year.

“The baby was almost dead,” Ronco told AFP. “This baby could not be treated with any other treatment. When the baby was discharged from hospital we really had the impression that we had done something very good.”

The girl underwent 25 days of dialysis and was sent home after 50 days with her organ function restored.

Nine other babies have since been treated in Europe, of whom seven survived, said Ronco. This was an “incredible” percentage given the historical mortality rate of up to 90 percent, he explained.

“This technology has the potential to revolutionise the treatment of infants with acute kidney injury,” said a press statement from The Lancet medical journal, which published the study.

It can be used on newborns and children up to 10 kilogrammes, can handle smaller volumes of fluid much more accurately, and allows the use of a much smaller catheter.

About 18 percent of infants with low birthweight and about 20 percent of children admitted to intensive care are estimated to suffer from acute kidney injury, according to the statement.

In a comment on the study, Benjamin Laskin of The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and Bethany Foster from Montreal’s Children’s Hospital said the girl’s survival was “an outcome that would have been less likely just several years ago”.

“The smile of the baby when she came to visit me three days ago — that smile was worth 40 years of medicine,” added Ronco.

(AFP Relaxnews)

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Baby Sense Principles for Happy Days and Peaceful Nights https://all4baby.co.za/uncategorized/965/baby-sense-principles-happy-days-peaceful-nights/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=baby-sense-principles-happy-days-peaceful-nights https://all4baby.co.za/uncategorized/965/baby-sense-principles-happy-days-peaceful-nights/#comments Tue, 17 Jun 2014 08:56:19 +0000 https://all4baby.co.za/?p=965 The transition from womb to world can be harsh on your baby. Megan Faure shares her tips to promote a smooth and calm transition.

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For nine months your baby is nurtured in the ideal world of the womb. From this calm environment your baby emerges into a busy sensory world.  The transition to the harsh world can to be made smoother by you.

Mimicking the world of the womb

Your baby’s brain acts like a sponge absorbing all the new sensory information of the world outside the womb. In the early days your baby is very susceptible to overstimulation, which can result in fussing and an unsettled baby who won’t sleep.

By keeping your baby’s world calm and mimicking the world of the womb your baby will be calmer and the transition from womb to world will be a smooth one.

 7 tips to promote a smooth and calm transition

  • Sensory environment – Develop ‘sensory eyes’ to read what may be causing your baby
to be overstimulated, such as a loud and busy room or the smell of strong perfume. Remove your baby from the stimulus or change to a more calming environment.
  • Self calming – Give your baby the space to
develop his/her own self calming tools, such as sucking her hands or clasping them together.
  • Swaddling – Tightly wrapping your baby in a stretchy blanket has been proven to calm
young babies significantly and help them sleep well.
  • Soothing touch – Baby massage is a fantastic tool for calming a baby and has all
day benefits as well as helping your baby to sleep well at night.
  • Sling or pouch – Movement is lulling for your baby. By mimicking the womb environment, it
soothes babies very effectively.
  • Sounds for calming – White noise (e.g. the sounds of waves or radio static) absorbs other sounds and is very calming for your baby. Lullabies and nature music help with calming and sleep.
  • Stick to one strategy for 5 minutes – The last thing an overstimulated baby needs
is a lot of quick changes. Each intervention you use is a stimulus for a short time, until your baby gets used to it. So try any of the above strategies for at least 5 minutes before trying the next.

Hear more from Meg Faure at the 2014 Johnson’s Baby Sense Seminars. She’ll be talking at the morning baby seminars on how to stimulate your baby and toddler for optimal brain development. In the afternoon birth & newborn seminars she’ll be sharing her secrets to a calm newborn with tips on preventing colic and managing a fussy baby.

Dates and venues:

Durban 16 August Three Cities Riverside Hotel

Port Elizabeth 23 August The Marine Hotel

Johannesburg 6 September Woodmead Country Club

Cape Town 13 September The Vineyard Hotel

Cost per seminar is R240 and R80 for the Johnson’s baby massage workshop. If you book for both the morning Baby Seminar, the afternoon Birth & Newborn Seminar and the Johnson’s Baby Massage Workshop a discounted rate of R480 will be applicable.  Tickets include goodie bags of essential baby products, invaluable information in the seminar manuals and the chance of winning amazing prizes including a Stokke Scoot travel system. 

 

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Sterilising baby bottles: To steam or cold water sterilise? https://all4baby.co.za/newborns-0-6-months/feeding/955/sterilising-baby-bottles-steam-cold-water-sterilise/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=sterilising-baby-bottles-steam-cold-water-sterilise https://all4baby.co.za/newborns-0-6-months/feeding/955/sterilising-baby-bottles-steam-cold-water-sterilise/#comments Tue, 17 Jun 2014 07:42:12 +0000 https://all4baby.co.za/?p=955 A steriliser is an important item on any new moms must-have list. However, many moms question the benefits of steam versus cold water sterilising.

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Whether breastfeeding or expressing to feed, one thing is certain, sterilising baby bottles, soothers, feeding utensils, cups and equipment is vital to ensuring baby is kept safe from germs and infections.

Bacteria that can be extremely harmful for babies are known to grow rapidly in milk. For this reason, moms are advised to sterilise breast pumps and bottles, and also cups, feeding plates, spoons and forks until baby is at least a year old.

A steriliser helps moms to achieve this quickly and without fuss, which is why it is such an important item on a new mother’s must-have list.

Many mothers do query, however, the benefits of steam versus cold water sterilising. We uncover which method is best suited to the special needs of both moms and their babies.

The Cold Water Steriliser Option

A sterilising liquid or tablet, as well as a sturdy plastic container and lid, is all that is needed for the cold water sterilising method. After washing baby’s equipment, it is submerged in the sterilising solution for a period of 30 minutes and remains sterile for up to 24 hours if left in this liquid.

Rinsing the sterilised bottles, dummies and feeding utensils with boiled water is necessary prior to use.

The benefit of the cold water sterilising option is that the solution can be used as often as necessary within a 24 hour period. One drawback, however, is that the sterilising solution can give off a strange smell, which may be off-putting for baby when it comes to drinking or eating from the sterilised equipment.

The Steamy Alternative

Steam sterilisers, on the other hand, use steam created from the heat of the microwave to disinfect baby’s equipment. The contents of a microwavable steam steriliser also remain sterile for up to 24 hours if the lid is kept closed. Sterilising generally takes between three and eight minutes depending on the brand of steriliser moms choose.

The advantage of steam sterilising is without a doubt the speed at which bottles can be sterilised, but the fact that metal utensils cannot be placed in the microwave does count against this method.

What Size is Best?

It is important to consider the size of steriliser required before making a purchasing decision. Firstly, it is essential to make sure baby’s feeding equipment will fit in the steriliser of choice.

Wide-necked bottles, by way of example, won’t fit in a steriliser designed for narrow-necked bottles.

Furthermore, bottle-fed babies require more bottles than those who are breastfed and so it is a good idea to buy a larger steriliser for infants on formula.

Mother Knows Best

While both sterilising options offer significant benefits, it seems the ultimate purchasing decision is reliant on the unique needs of both moms and their babies. In this case, mother does indeed know best.

About the Author: The Philips AVENT Microwave Steam Steriliser is a good example of a convenient sterilising system for moms. Its compact and lightweight design means that six bottles can be sterilised in two minutes making it an ideal option both in and out of the home.  The steriliser can be found at BabyCity, Baby Boom, Toys R Us and selected Dischem stores at a retail price of R605.29.

 

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#baby101 at the Johnson’s Baby Sense Seminar https://all4baby.co.za/newborns-0-6-months/newborn-basics/782/baby101-johnsons-baby-sense-seminar/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=baby101-johnsons-baby-sense-seminar https://all4baby.co.za/newborns-0-6-months/newborn-basics/782/baby101-johnsons-baby-sense-seminar/#comments Tue, 27 May 2014 10:44:16 +0000 https://all4baby.co.za/?p=782 Now in their 11th year, the Johnson’s Baby Sense Seminars are back to deliver the latest parenting advice for new and soon to be parents.

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The expert speaker panel will share invaluable insights and guidance for all parents embarking on this very special but sometimes challenging journey.

This year’s industry professionals are Meg Faure (occupational therapist and Baby Sense co-author), Sr Ann Richardson (specialist nurse practitioner, author and parent coach), Tina Otte (midwife and special editor of Your Pregnancy magazine) and paediatrician, Dr Claudia Gray.

The seminars will address the challenges arising during specific periods of the parenting journey with BABY as the morning session theme and BIRTH & NEWBORN for the afternoon seminar.

Dr Claudia Gray will kick off the first session,demystifying your baby’s health concerns and giving tips on how to boost immunity and decrease the risk of allergies. Meg Faure will follow by taking a look at your baby’s development and how to stimulate him/her through play to ensure optimal physical, cognitive and emotional development. Sr Ann Richardson will close the session covering how to establish a sense-able sleep routine and age appropriate sleep training.

For the expecting parents, the afternoon birth & newborn seminar is not to be missed – the ultimate crash course on birth and baby’s first four months. Tina Ottewill discuss your newborn’s amazing capabilities and why skin on skin contact is essential for mom and baby in the magical hour after birth. Learn the secrets to a calm newborn, ways to manage your crying baby and simple strategies to prevent colic in an informative talk by Meg Faure. Sr Ann Richardson will take you through the first six weeks of #baby101 from umbilical cord care, nappy changes, feeding, sleeping, nappy rashes, sniffles and snuffles, cradle cap and more.

To further enhance bonding with your new bundle of joy, the Johnson’s Baby massage workshop will open the world of communication with your baby through touch and massage, with an interactive demonstration of some hands-on massage skills and tips.

Dates and venues for the Johnson’s Baby Sense Seminars are:

Durban 16 August Three Cities Riverside Hotel

Port Elizabeth 23 August The Marine Hotel

Johannesburg 6 September Woodmead Country Club

Cape Town 13 September The Vineyard Hotel

Cost per seminar is R240 and R80 for the massage workshop. If you book for both seminars and the massage workshop, a discounted rate of R480 will be applicable. Tickets include goodie bags of essential baby products, invaluable information in the seminar manuals and the chance of winning amazing prizes including a Stokke Scoot travel system.

Don’t miss out on these info-packed#baby101 seminars!

Book now online babysense.com/talks-and-workshops or call (021) 671 3245(021) 671 3245

facebook.com/babysense @BabySense #baby101

 

 

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