For you, all breastfeeding mothers, please read this news for your baby’s shake. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is doubling the amount of vitamin D, from 200 IU per day to 400 IU per day, beginning in the first two months of lice. This recommendation also extends to all other babies, children, and adolescents. “We are doubling the recommended amount of vitamin D children need each day because evidence has shown this could have life-long health benefits,” Dr. Frank Greer, chairman of the AAP Committee on Nutrition, said.

This doubling recommendation is especially important for breastfed baby according to Dr. Carol Wagner, member of the AAP Section on Breastfeeding Executive Committee and who co-authored the report with Geer. “Because of vitamin D deficiencies in maternal diet, which affect the vitamin D in a mother’s milk, it is important that breastfed infants receive supplements of vitamin D,” she explained.

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Most moms are afraid to trim their baby’s nail because they are worried to cut their baby’s finger. Are you one of them? Here are some useful tips to trim baby’s nail without hurting her:

1. Trim after your baby has a bath - it will make the nails softer and easier to trim.
2. Don’t do the trimming all by yourself! Get someone to help you.
3. Distract your baby’s attention with toys or other amusing things.
4. Trim your baby’s nail while she’s sleeping. But do this without waking her!
5. Use baby nail clippers, baby nail trimming scissors, or an emery board, and never use adult nail clippers!
6. Push down the pad of the finger. Make sure that none of her skin is showing when you cut the nail.
7. Cut along the shape of the nail and round any rough edges with an emery board.
8. Cut toenails straight.
9. If you accidentally cut baby’s finger, press the finger to stop the bleeding. And use a clean cloth and apply a little antibiotic ointment after the bleeding stop.

Now, trimming your baby’s nail won’t be scary anymore, right?

Good news for breastfeeding and fish lover mom! A study that was conducted by the researchers from Harvard University said that omega-3 fatty acids found in fish and compounds in breast milk aid infant development. The research, which looked at 25,446 children born to mothers participating in a Danish study between 1997 and 2002, found that children whose mothers ate the most fish during pregnancy (about 2 ounces a day on average) were more likely to have better motor and cognitive skills. Children who were breast-fed for longer periods of time also scored better, especially at 18 months. Breast milk also contains omega-3 fatty acids. The benefit of fish consumption was similar among infants breast-fed for shorter or longer durations. But, U.S. women are advised to limit their fish intake to two servings a week, because some fish contain high traces of mercury. Cod, plaice, salmon, herring, and mackerel are good low-mercury fish choices to consume.  

SOURCE: Harvard Medical School, news release, September 2008

Are you pregnant and worried about the risks of amniocentesis and other available tests for chromosomal disorders such as Down syndrome? There is a good news for you! The safer test may be on the horizon! This new technique, as described in Proceeding of the National Academy of Sciences, takes advantage of fetal DNA in pregnant woman’s blood. The technique that is developed by Stanford University and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital scans for fetal aneuploidy, an abnormality in the number of fetal chromosomes.

Down syndrome is a type of aneuploidy that arises from extra copy of chromosome 21. Based on that, the researchers used samples from 12 women with aneuploid pregnancies and 6 with normal pregnancies. They found that women from the first group had more chromosome 21 fragments in their blood than the women with normal pregnancies. This test has the potential to detect other forms of aneuploidy too and could lead to earlier diagnosis of fetal aneuploidy because the fetal DNA shows up in maternal blood early in pregnancy.

SOURCE: Stanford University, news release, Oct. 6, 2008

Welcome to baby world! It’s time for you (new moms) to learn all new things about baby, including how to diaper your baby. Here are smart diapering tips for you, new moms!

CHOOSING Diapers Tips

·         For your newborn baby, first, get one small package of diapers in newborn size, and one larger package in the next size. Sometimes, some newborns are already too big for newborn size.

·         Test some diapers brands for comfort and leak protection until you know what brands works for you and your baby.

·         You can join a warehouse club or order in bulk online. Many sites offer free shipping for large purchases that may be useful for you and for your baby. In fact, there are some free baby diapers that you can get for your baby!

USING Diapers Tips

·         First, WASH YOUR HAND before and after a change!

·         Put the wipes, new diaper, and change or clothes within your reach before opening the dirty diaper.

·         When you have to wipe (you can use diaper wipe or washcloth), WIPE FROM FRONT TO BACK especially for you baby girl. Wiping in the wrong direction can cause infections.

·         THE CUTE PATTERNED PART GOES IN THE FRONT.

·         If your baby is wearing a sleeper, unsnap and tuck the bottom half of the garment behind her back during the change.

·         When you hear or feel your baby pooping, give her time to finish first before you change the diaper.

·         Take off your baby’s socks before removing a diaper with dirt in it!

·         CHANGE THE DIAPER FREQUENTLY. The weight and smell of the diaper is a clue that you have to change the diaper. If your baby is fussing or cries, check the diaper!

·         When wiping your poopy baby, hold her ankles in one hand, her wrist in another, and wipe with your remaining hand.

·         Wipe your hands from lotion or oil that can render the diaper’s sticking tabs before you touch the fastener.

It’s so easy, isn’t it? Keep practicing those tips for at least a week, and you’ll be a pro- “diapering master”! J

 Does your baby cries for hours at a time and make you feel like you want to join in those cries? Moms, this is what we call baby colic. Your baby is described as having colic if he or she has extended and uncontrollable crying more than 3 hours a day and at least three days a week. Colic starts to affect babies around three weeks of age, and getting worse at around six weeks of age. The good news is it usually stops at around three of four months of age.
Nobody knows what the exact cause of colic is. But, many experts believe that colic is cause by baby immature digestive system, while others say that colic is caused by an immature nervous system. Another theory about the cause of colic is milk either from breast or bottle is the cause. Every baby has different symptoms of colic. There are babies who show many symptoms of colic, while others only show one.

So, how do you know that your baby is having colic? Below are some guides to know it:

• Your baby cries with loud and continuous crying that can last from one to three hours at a time and these “disaster” occurring about three or four days a week.
• These crying episodes usually happen in the late afternoon or evening, although some babies can cry at any time.
• Your baby’s face gets red during the crying episodes.
• Legs are pulled up to stomach and then may be fully stretched.
• Feet may be cold and hands may be clenched and may lift their head or legs and pass gas.
• Your baby refuses to eat or become fussy after eating.
• Your baby has difficulty to fall and stay asleep (sometimes makes you have to stay awake all night long).
• Your baby seems uncomfortable and appears to be in pain.

If your baby has those symptoms, here are some smart tips to handle them.

• Make your diary of when your baby cries and in what activities. For example, she cries when I feed him, nap him. You can use this diary to look patterns, which can give you some clues to the solutions.
• If you’re breastfeeding, may be it would work if you eliminate dairy products and gas foods such as, cabbage, onions, and avoid spicy foods and caffeine. But, please be sure to check with your doctor first before eliminate those foods.
• If your baby is bottle-feeding baby, you may need to reduce the amount of air that your baby swallows. Choose a curved bottle or a bottle with collapsible disposable liners.
• Burp your baby frequently.
• Don’t over feed your baby! That will make the colic worse.
• For bottle-feeding baby, ask your doctor whether colic is cause by the formula that you give to your baby.
• When colic happens, take away your baby from bright lights, noise, or a large number of people.

You can also get suggestions from other parents and friends on what their methods to calm their baby. Not every baby will react to the methods the same. So, try one method at a time, and pray that it will comfort your baby and stop his or her cries. If it doesn’t work, try another method and you fill find the most effective one. Now, baby colic won’t make you want to cry anymore!