Jenna’s Blog

When we have children at home, we are sure to childproof the dangerous areas, but when going to visit friends or family (especially those that haven’t had children around for a while), we may going to a house that is not child-safe. But there are a number of steps you can take to ensure that your vacation is a safe one. Remind your host that you will have young children with you. Ask them to take care of the obvious risks, breakable items, and medications they may have. Purses should be emptied of hazards as well - kids might look in there for candy. When you arrive, quickly look over the house from a child’s viewpoint and ensure that no major problems stand out. Ask your host if you want to make changes, of course. Also, if you’re staying for several days, you may want to completely childproof the room you’re staying in, so there will be a safe place to play. Probably the most important thing you can do, however, is to keep a closer eye on your children. The house is foreign territory for both you and them, so pay close attention, particularly when in the kitchen or bathroom.

Technorati Tags: childproofing, traveling, vacation

Hello Baby is a simple game to play that can have a great impact on your baby’s development (this game is best for newborns up to 6 months). While baby is laying in the crib looking in one direction, stand on the opposite side of the crib, so that baby can’t see you. Call his or her name repeatedly, until he or she turns to look at you. Then move to the other side of the crib and start calling again, until baby turns the other way to find you. This game is very important, because it helps infants learn to integrate hearing and sight, and to localize objects and people by listening carefully to where the sound is coming from. This aids in focus later on, and improves concentration skills as baby has to keep listening to your voice in order to find you. Babies love this game because their mother’s voice is so sweet to them.

Technorati Tags: concentration, focus, hearing, learning games

Keeping baby warm on winter nights can be a concern for new parents, but there is really not that much to worry about. Keep in mind this rule of thumb, for all seasons: if the baby is dressed comfortably, it will sleep better at night. If you are swaddling, use a lightweight fabric. Cotton is the best choice, because it can be light and cozy at the same time, and breathes better than other fabrics. If you are not swaddling and your child is still under a year old, you should keep blankets and other soft bedding out of the crib. You can keep baby warm at night by using a sleeper (one piece pajamas with feet, sometimes called a coverall or stretchie) or a sleep sack (a wearable blanket, closed at the feet, with armholes). Using flannel for your fitted crib sheet can also add warmth. If you are co-sleeping, you need to keep in mind that you will be providing quite a bit of body heat, and heavy sleep covers may be too much. You should, as always, keep pillows, blankets, and soft bedding out of the way - they’re a suffocation risk.

Technorati Tags: cosleeping, sleep sacks, sleepers, sleeping, winter

Gestational diabetes (diabetes during pregnancy) is when insulin resistance is triggered by the pregnancy and the mother develops high blood sugar. A recent study published in Diabetes Care (the lead author was Teresa Hillier, MD, endocrinologist at Kaiser Permanente for Health Research Northwest and Hawaii). shows that when mothers experience gestational diabetes and remain untreated, their children are almost twice as likely to be obese by 5-7 years old. The reason (it is assumed) is that when the mother has high blood sugar, the fetus is getting too much food, which triggers the baby to store more fat than is normal - before he or she is ever born. Childhood obesity is a growing concern, because children who are obese are much more likely to obese as adults, and to develop their own obesity-related diabetes. However, treating gestational diabetes completely reverses the risk, so make sure to get a blood-glucose screen.

Technorati Tags: childhood obesity, gestational diabetes

Spitup is a pretty normal occurance for babies, and really nothing to worry about. As most parents already know, it may come from the mouth or nose (or both) and is most common during and right after feedings. It does not cause pain or discomfort to the baby, and is more of a hygiene problem than anything else. Although you may worry about choking, this is rarely a problem with spitup. To avoid spitup, be sure to burp your baby mid-feeding (if you’re breastfeeding, burp when you are switching sides). Try keeping your baby upright after feeding - although this may not prevent spitup, it should reduce the quantity. It is not recommended to thicken formula with rice cereal (as used to be suggested), as this can lead to overfeeding, which actually makes spitup worse (it also raises concerns about excessive weight gain, which can lead to obesity concerns later in life).

Technorati Tags: breastfeeding, formula, spitup