The post World’s first kidney dialysis machine for infants now exists! appeared first on All4Baby.
]]>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)
The post World’s first kidney dialysis machine for infants now exists! appeared first on All4Baby.
]]>The post Baby Sense Principles for Happy Days and Peaceful Nights appeared first on All4Baby.
]]>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.
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.
The post Baby Sense Principles for Happy Days and Peaceful Nights appeared first on All4Baby.
]]>The post Sterilising baby bottles: To steam or cold water sterilise? appeared first on All4Baby.
]]>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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The post Sterilising baby bottles: To steam or cold water sterilise? appeared first on All4Baby.
]]>The post #baby101 at the Johnson’s Baby Sense Seminar appeared first on All4Baby.
]]>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.
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
The post #baby101 at the Johnson’s Baby Sense Seminar appeared first on All4Baby.
]]>