The post Immunisations: What is your baby protected against? appeared first on All4Baby.
]]>When jabbed with an immunisation, your baby is given a weakened form of the disease that will help his body produce antibodies as if it were an actual disease.
Being immunised will ensure that your baby will either not contract that disease at all, or if he does, then he will contract a very mild form of the disease.
Your baby’s temperature might spike and he may become irritable. He may also experience slight swelling and reddening where the injection was given.
It is important to note, that if your baby develops a fever of over 38 degrees or has a fit, that you consult your doctor immediately.
1. Polio
The Polio virus can cause paralysis (which is permanent) and even death
2. Diptheria
Diptheria is a disease, where a membrane forms at the back of the nose and throat, making it difficult to breathe. This disease is rare, but dangerous.
3. Tetanus
Tetanus is an illness which affects your child’s nervous system. As your child grows, he will have booster doses against this illness.
4. HiB
This vaccine protects against haemophilus B meningitis as well as a breathing problem called epiglotitis.
5. Pneumococcal infection
This is a very dangerous illness that can cause pneumonia, meningitis and blood poisoning.
6. Pertussis
Pertussis prevents whopping cough which can be a dangerous and prolonged illness.
7. Measles
Measles is a serious illness that presents itself as a serious rash that is accompanied by a fever. Both can lead to complications.
8. Mumps
Mumps is an illness that causes swelling around the jaw. Contracting mumps is dangerous as it can lead to complications such as deafness and meningitis
9. Rubella
Rubella is commonly known as German Measles. Symptoms are a rash and a sore throat. Rubella is especially dangerous if you are not immune whilst pregnant. If you happen to catch Rubella during the first trimester, your baby could be born with serious defects.
It has been found, that sucking can help to reduce pain. Breastfeeding after immunisation or offering your baby a pacifier can help reduce the pain from the injection.
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]]>The post Baby box designed to improve lives of babies and mothers appeared first on All4Baby.
]]>“We thought the Finnish box was an amazing example of design that changed a nation,’’ said Hertzog of Action Hero Ventures, an early-stage angel fund that invests in creative and technology start-ups. ‘’We hope that, given some tweaks, our product will have just as much of an impact.’’
Within a year of Hertzog and marketing executive De Villiers designing a similar model for South African circumstances, their design was designated an official 2014 World Design Capital partner project. The project has also received funding from the J-PAL Africa Incubation Fund to study its effects on maternal and infant health, along with health economists from the University of Stellenbosch.
The Thula Baba Box will include items such as clothes, medicine, developmental toys and literature for parents. In addition, it will give access to free health products, information and a system of rewards to encourage expectant mothers to visit antenatal clinics earlier and more frequently.
De Villiers said these interventions, which had been designed in partnership with Stellenbosch University, were crucial to improve infant and maternal wellness but should be based on data. “We are looking forward to seeing the impact of the study on lower income families in the Western Cape. Hopefully we’ll be able to supply new mothers throughout the Western Cape with the Thula Baba Box by 2016, and all across South Africa by 2020.”
The Western Cape Government Health, Chief Director for Health Programmes, Dr Tracey Naledi says about the project: ”We find it encouraging that two fathers are proactively engaged in a collaborative initiative to improve the lives of both babies and mothers in the Western Cape. We encourage such initiatives that are particularly aimed to support the first 1000 days of life, and are excited to see the results of the study.”
Speaking on behalf of the Stellenbosch University team of researchers involved in the project, Prof Ronelle Burger of the Department of Economics, commented, “The initiative not only distributes products and information but also offers incentives to change behaviour. It therefore has great potential for improving the lives of mothers and babies. Similar schemes have been successful in promoting health in other countries and we that this study will provide useful inputs for policy making, but also contribute to ongoing international research on the role that incentives can play in promoting better health choices.’’
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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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