Health Blogs

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23 December, 2022

Three Surprising Causes of Infant Weight Loss

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A Baby’s weight during their growth plays a significant role. It helps us track their development and growth. It is like a direct indicator of their healthy upbringing. Then, what if you notice your baby is underweight or losing weight. Do not panic; it is not very dangerous. However, it is still not a great sign to consider.  It is good to know the reasons behind infant weight loss. We might do some of these on a regular basis without knowing the fact how harmful they are for your kids. Check out these three surprising causes of infant weight loss.  Bathing the baby soon after feeding A lot of parents think that a full stomach will keep the baby put during the bath. Maybe, babies might feel drowsy and do not make much noise, but this daily will affect their metabolism. When an infant is fed, the food takes time to digest, just as it does in any adult’s body. Now, bathing the baby cools down the body and slows down the metabolism rate. This causes late digestion, indigestion and gas issues in the tiny ones.  Having longer gaps between the meals  You might have already observed how less your little ones consume at a time. Yes, their little stomachs cannot fit in more. But, their growing body requires more food. Thus, we need to feed them more. Long spans of time between meals trigger gas in toddlers. This gas will bloat their stomach for hours, leaving them uncomfortable, which in turn leads to rejection of food.  Giving liquids or breastfeeds before actual meals  For babies older than six months, supplying solid food is an important part of nutrition. Giving breastfeeds, water or any liquids before actual meals will occupy their tiny stomachs. Thus, avoid the food that is provided which has more nutritional value. Baby meals must be adequately planned, and you should take some extra care about timing.  Do not worry about your baby’s weight if you are following the above three measures. If that’s not the case, think of it and monitor your baby’s weight and metabolism levels. Consult a paediatrician or doctor for better tips and tracking measures of your baby’s growth!! *Information shared here is for general purpose. Please take doctors’ advice before taking any decision. 

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24 January, 2022

Baby’s First Year – Feeding Schedule and Nutrition Tips

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You’ve happily clicked a snap of your little munchkin eating messily! That’s great, but now are you worried about how to provide the best nutrition to your baby in the first year? Fret not, here’s a guide on the feeding schedule for baby in the first year. Keeping in mind the fact that different infants require a different amount of nutrition, the nutrition you provide to your infant depends on his or her age, appetite, and body weight. So let’s have a glance at the healthy food for baby according to their age in the first year of birth. Newborns. As you must know, infants should receive the nutrition and calories only through breast milk or formula.  So let’s know the feeding schedule for baby with both these items. Breast milk According to the American Academy of Paediatrics, an infant should drink one to two ounces of breast milk per feeding. However, once your baby is at least two weeks old, the amount of this quantity will amplify to two to three ounces.  Generally, you need to feed breast milk to your newborn every two to three hours ass it proves to be a healthy food for baby. Formula. If you’re opting to include a formula in the feeding schedule for baby, then make sure to provide two to three Oz per feeding. Additionally, you need to remember that the infants take up formula every three to four hours. Once your baby grows, gradually the amount of this liquid even increases. According to an associate professor of general pediatrics in the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, you should provide 2.5 ounces of formula per pound of your baby’s weight. 1-3 months old babies. The feeding schedule for baby gradually heightens as he or she enters the three months of age threshold. During this period, the baby will become more vocal when his or her appetite increases. The healthy food for baby during this period is also either breast milk or formula. According to the American Academy of Paediatrics, a two-month-old baby can consume four to five Oz of breast milk or formula every three to four hours. Four to six months old. When the babies reach five to six months of age, they tend to start eating solids. Some of the indicators showing that your infant may now be ready to take in solids include their grabbing skills and head and neck control.  So during this duration, you can aim at providing one to two tablespoons of food to your child twice a day. However, make sure not to substitute solid food with milk completely. The American Academy of Paediatrics suggests including some 8 ounces per feeding every four to five hours once your baby is six months old. 6-9 months old. Healthy food for baby when he or she is 6 to 9 months old includes both milk and solid items. However, during this period, the major calories should still come from breast milk or formula. Generally, you may aim at feeding up to two meals to your child that include two to four tablespoons each. You can introduce solid items to your child during this period that include single-grain baby cereals, pureed fruits, vegetables or meats. At the same time, when breastfeeding, make sure not to cross the limit of 32 ounces of formula per day. 9 to 12 months old Once your baby enters this age threshold, the feeding schedule for baby should provide half the calories from food and half from breast milk or formula.  Generally, babies even like to play with their food and explore their tastes during this period. So you can even consider adding yogurt, or an additional dip with their whole-grain crackers or food items. So now you can create a feeding schedule for baby that includes healthy food for baby. *Information shared here is for general purpose. Please take doctors’ advice before making any decision. 

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21 January, 2022

What is a Neonatal Care Specialist and What’s Their Job Description?

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Once a baby enters into this world, he or she needs to be taken care of. The transition of the baby from the womb to the outside world is made smoother with the efficacious services of a neonatal care specialist. A neonatologist or a Neonatal Care Specialist is a physician who provides care for newborns, especially infants that are born prematurely and have different health issues. Due to this, the services of a Neonatal care specialist are hired by different Community hospitals, University Medical centers, and other children’s hospitals. Now let’s have a peek at the job description and the qualifications or education required to become a Neonatal care specialist.  Education of a Neonatal care specialist  What is a Neonatal doctor? A Neonatal doctor or a neonatologist is a physician responsible to maintain the proper nutrition of a newborn. To practice the profession of a neonatal care specialist, you need to acquire a demanding educational path. This means you have to procure your undergraduate degree and then spend four years in a medical school. Once medical school is done, a neonatologist spends another three years in residency in general pediatrics.  When your education is completed, you need to obtain general certification from the American Board of Paediatrics. This requires you to pass certain education requirements along with the certification exam. Once done, you are ready to practice the different job roles and responsibilities of a neonatologist. Job description and responsibilities of a neonatal care specialist. The basic job role and responsibility of a Neonatal care specialist is to ensure that the newborn receives proper nutrition and is taken care of to the best extent. For this, the neonatologist might consult the parents, paediatricians and other healthcare providers of the infant.  In normal circumstances, most pediatrics have enough experience and education to provide nutrition and care to infants. However, in the cases where a baby is born prematurely or has several other health issues,  the services of a neonatal care specialist are to be hired. These physicians work in Intensive care units and are responsible to diagnose several conditions in the infants after their birth. They are responsible to treat infections, birth defects and breathing problems in premature babies by coordinating with their healthcare providers. Sometimes when the medical issues of the baby are known in advance, the neonatal care specialist may even be present during labour. Or, he or she may arrive just after birth for a short-term follow up care of the infant before passing the child to the pediatrician. Working conditions of a neonatologist  Just like other doctors, the working conditions of a fetal treatment specialist require working for long hours. They may even be called during the weekends and evenings and spend most of the time standing or walking. Additionally, the neonatal care specialists often get emotionally connected with their patients and hence may spend additional time with them.

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06 January, 2022

Skin Care Advice And Protecting Your Baby’s Skin

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Once you have brought your newborn home, the most important thing on your list should be to keep him or her warm and nourished. Knowing skin care tips for babies is crucial because newborn skin is delicate and it requires special care. Besides the normal rashes, different fragrances, chemicals or even detergents and baby products can cause irritation, allergies, dryness and chap on your infant’s skin. But if you know the right skin protection tips, you can save your baby from all such issues. So let’s have a glance at the skin care tips for babies that will help you to protect your babies skin.  Natural skin care advice for babies A newborn baby has a natural baby skin defensive mechanism with wrinkly skin and the protective covering known as vernix. This skin layer naturally peels off in the initial first week of the baby. So you need to make sure not to invade this natural process by rubbing or treating their baby’s skin, with creams and lotions in the initial first week. However, in case your child is born past the due date, then the naturally peeling off process is likely to be already finished while they are inside the womb. Skin care tips for babies. Besides not invading with the natural skin defensive mechanism of the babies, certain other skin protection tips for your newborns are explained below. The most crucial thing which you should remember before practising any skin care tips for babies is that in the case of newborns and infants, ‘less is more’. Do not commit the mistake of bathing your baby frequently. By frequently, here we mean not to bathe your baby more than three times in a single week during the first year of your baby’s life. In case you frequently bathe your baby, you are only depriving his/her skin of natural oils. Not only this, but frequent bathing can even lead to dry skin or sometimes amplify eczema. So this is one of the most crucial skin protection tips to remember for your infant. Instead of bathing, you can conduct a sponge bath two to three times a week. This is because generally, the newborns don’t get very dirty except for the diaper changes or droolings. Since they are not working, playing or working out, they are generally clean. Between the sponge baths, you can simply clean your baby’s diaper area and mouth with a cleanser or little water. Make sure not to use Scented baby products on your baby’s skin during the early months. You never know which product or ingredient can prove to be harmful or allergic to your infant’s skin. It is quite essential to wash your baby’s clothes before they are worn. However, while washing, make sure to use a baby laundry detergent that is free from any dyes or fragrances. Due to the same reason, it is advised not to wash your baby’s clothes, blanket or bedding with your family’s clothes. Another alternative here can be to use the same baby laundry detergent for the entire family. To evade the problems of eczema or dry skin on your baby, you should prefer soft clothing, like cotton. In order to avoid diaper rashes, check your baby’s diaper frequently and change them if they are wet or soiled. You should avoid using baby wipes and instead use a soft cloth. The reason behind this is that some of the wipes have alcohol or perfumes in them that can further irritate your child’s skin and cause rashness. So these are some of the important skin care tips for babies that you should follow. *Information shared here is for general purpose. Please take doctors’ advice before making any decision.

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23 November, 2021

Newborn Sleep

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Newborn Sleep  Sleep patterns in newborn babies is different from that of children in that they usually sleep for most of the time in a day. Often this will be hard for the new parents to know what normal sleep pattern of their newborn baby is and how long a baby will sleep. How are sleep patterns in newborn? Newborn baby sleep for most of the time in a 24hour period and wakes up in between for feeding every few hours. There will not be any fixed schedule for the newborn sleep and their day and nights are little confusing. Most of the newborn babies sleep for about 16 to 18hours duration in a 24hour period. They sleep mostly in the day time and will be awake during night time. This could be probably due to sleep pattern during the stay in their mother’s womb. They usually start to learn the day and night rhythm by about 6 to 8weeks of age. But the sleep patterns can vary and some babies may not sleep during night time through their initial few months. Newborn baby will wake up for feeds atleast once in every 2 to 3 hours. Parents need to closely watch for the changes that happen in the sleep patterns of the newborn as their sleep duration will gradually decrease and awake period increases through their first year of life. How can we identify the sleep readiness of the newborn baby? The following signs can help you to know the readiness for sleep. Fussiness Excessive Yawning Not interested in the surroundings Redness of the eyes What are the different alert phases in a newborn? Newborns also differ in their alertness as well. Quiet & alert phase: Phase where the baby is awake, not crying, calm and interested in the surrounding. Active & alert phase: Phase where the baby is active and attentive to sounds. Crying phase: This follows active and alert phase. Baby can be easily over stimulated, and cries out loudly. Baby can be held and swaddled to calm down. How can you help the baby to fall asleep? When the newborn baby shows signs of sleep readiness, they can be held in your arms, make the environment comfortable, calm and quiet. Swaddling also help them to feel safe and help in falling asleep.  What sleep positions are best for a baby? Putting the baby on his or her back is safest. Prone position (placing baby on tummy) and side sleeping positions has an increased risk of sudden infant death (SIDS) as per research. What are the things to keep in mind while making a newborn sleep? As per American Academy of Paediatrics (AAP) recommendations on infant bedding: Baby should be placed on his or her back on a firm surface Avoid pillows, soft toys, comforters in the baby’s bed Tuck a thin blanket only upto baby’s chest Baby’s face should remain uncovered.

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