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| Babies & Toddler Information |
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Is It Colic, Infant Reflux, Or GERD? Learn How To Tell The Difference
It can sometimes be difficult for a parent to understand whether the baby has colic or reflux (and even GERD) since some of the symptoms (eg. poor sleep, constant crying) can be similiar. It's also extremely important to rule out reflux as a cause of this crying, as it's becoming widely acknowledged that many cases of colic are actually undiagnosed and untreated cases of reflux. In these cases, simply treating the reflux may eliminate the colicky behavior. The easiest way to determine whether a baby has colic or reflux is to look at the definitions and symptoms of each. Then compare them to your child's symptoms. COLIC Colic can be defined as uncontrollable, extended crying in babies who are otherwise healthy and well-fed. All babies cry, but when they cry for more than three hours a day, three to four days a week, they are said to have colic. Symptoms of Colic The main symptom is continuous crying for long periods of time. This crying can occur at any time of day but it usually gets worse at night. It's not believed that colic is caused by pain although a colicky baby may look uncomfortable or appear to be in pain. They may lift their head, draw their legs up to their abdomen, pass gas and become red-faced. Poor sleep habits is also common. REFLUX The term reflux is a shorter way of referring to GER (Gastro Esophageal Reflux) and is simply defined as the backward flow of stomach contents up the esophagus. GER is a physiological process that happens to everyone-young and old-from time to time, particularly after meals and many times we are not even aware it is happening. In babies it generally occurs from immaturity of the LES (Lower Esophageal Sphincter) which is the muscle between the stomach and esophagus. Some common symptoms of uncomplicated reflux can include: *constant or sudden crying or colic like symptoms *irritability and pain *poor sleep habits typically with frequent waking *arching their necks and back during or after eating spitting- up or vomiting *wet burp or frequent hiccups *frequent ear infections or sinus congestion Your child does not need to exhibit all of these symptoms, in fact, only having one of the above could mean they have reflux. It does not; however, mean they need treatment. If your child is showing one or more of the above symptoms but is otherwise happy and healthy then some simple lifestyle modifications will likely make life better until they outgrow it. Visit InfantRefluxDisease.com for more info on treatments. GERD In contrast, GER (Gastro Esophageal Reflux) is referred to as GERD (Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disease) when complications arise. GERD is a pathological process and the complications can be typical (failure to thrive, feeding and oral aversions, esophagitis, etc) or atypical (wheezing, pneumonia, chronic sinusitis, etc). Patients with GERD have complications arising from their GER that necessitate medical intervention. GERD is also referred to as "Pathogenic GER". It is estimated that approximately one in three hundred children will present symptoms of GERD and is more common in children with neurological impairments. Symptoms indicative of Reflux Disease or GERD: *refusing food or accepting only a few bites despite being hungry or the exact opposite requiring constant *small meals or liquid *food/oral aversions *anemia *excessive drooling *running nose, sinus infections *swallowing problems, gagging, choking *chronic hoarse voice *frequent red, sore throat without infection present *apnea *chronic ear infections *respiratory problems-pneumonia, bronchitis, wheezing, asthma, night-time cough, aspiration *gagging themselves with their fingers or fist (sign of esophagitis) *poor weight gain, weight loss, failure to thrive *erosion of dental enamel *neck arching (Sandifer's Syndrome) *bad breath Roni MacLean Early in 2001 Roni MacLean launched InfantRefluxDisease.com. One of the best sources of info online, it's an informational website to help others survive what MacLean had been through with her daughter. She has also written the highly acclaimed book, Life on the Reflux Roller Coaster, published in 2004. Currently she dedicates all her time to the website and it's visitors.
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Alternative Medicine The Best Way To Give Medicine To A Baby So you carefully fill a spoon with medicine for baby, move it near her mouth and the mouth doesn't open! Maybe it's the smell, but there's no way she is going to open her mouth. Frustrating isn't it. Where can you rest the spoon without spilling the contents! You haven't got a hand free to try to open baby's mouth. There's only one winner in that battle, and it's not you! Baby Shower Recipes Baby shower recipes are available on the Internet and in various cook books. It is a great idea to have a wide variety of snacks, drinks, and desserts since people enjoy so many different things. Most people who are planning a baby shower plan a few simple appetizers. Some juice, pop, perhaps a punch, and some desserts such as cake and cookies. Try to stick to the baby shower theme and basic flavors and your culinary work will be appreciated by all that attend. Infantile Cradle Cap - Symptoms and Treatments What is cradle cap?What is the cause? To Develop Your Childs Genius - Start with Your Unborn Baby Research has shown that babies in their mom's womb can hear sounds from the environment, and it is widely believed that the baby is sensitive to their environment - inside and outside of their mother's womb. It is a known fact that the mother's moods and activities can affect the unborn baby (I use the term baby instead of fetus, it is my personal preference.) Baby Safety Checklist - Protecting Your Baby When bringing home your new baby, there are so many things to do in order to get ready. Making your home a safe haven for your new little one is one of the most important things you will do to get ready. Each room contains its own set of dangers. Below is a baby safety checklist to ensure that every room in your house is baby friendly. Babys First Days at Home The moment that you have waited for has finally arrived: the day you bring your newborn baby home from the hospital. Like all other expectant parents you will have spent the last nine months preparing for this day. You will have a baby room full of everything a newborn could possibly want. You will have read book after book on a wide magnitude of baby topics from what to name your baby to when you can expect those first words. You will have walked and paced the length of baby's room, imagining your little bundle sleeping peacefully in her crib. Now the moment has arrived. In the crib lies your sleeping baby and the most exciting adventure of life is about to begin. Raising Baby On The Cheap Have you ever read those reports on the cost of raising a child? How Often Should A One-Month Baby Go for Check Up? What happen during the first month of your newborn, does your baby need check up? In the first weeks after birth, your newborn begins a series of routine check ups. These are called well child visits. All healthcare professions have individual approaches to the timing and frequencies of these visits. In general, you should take your baby for a checkup within a week after delivery and thereafter, one or two visits during the first month as recommended by your doctor. Young Child Games-But When Do I Stop Playing Baby Games, You Ask? As a baby matures and starts to show the first signs of independence the games that you play will change dramatically. The turning point comes as he progresses from crawling to walking. This skill is as important for his development as it is for his proud parents! As a toddler becomes mobile, all of his other skills develop in tandem with this new found ability to get around. There are four major areas for development and these are motor-skills, creativity, mobility and social skills. How to Make a Lovely Baby Shower Cake Baby shower cakes are terrific centerpieces for showers. Guests always laugh when they see one and the expectant mom is thrilled to receive a very useful gift. They're also called diaper cakes because diapers are the main ingredient. It is quite easy to make one. Check out the detailed instructions below. When to Have a Baby Shower When to have a baby shower is a personal choice. It can be held anytime 4-6 weeks before or after the birth. Moreover, it can be held any day of the week and at any time of the day that is suitable for the mom-to-be, her family and the invited guests. Baby Boy Clip Art to liven up your Baby Shower Cards Loads of baby boy clip art images are available, once you click your computer's mouse and get connected to the Internet. First, you must know what clip art is all about. Clip art is about copying / cutting the pre-existing images. Yes, these images are already mostly in the books that have made their entry into the public domain for that purpose. Hello World: Babys Third Month Guide Remember how you wished your baby would learn there is more to life than crying, feeding and sleeping? Your wishes are coming true. Your baby's third month will see her become much more interactive. So much so with some babies, that parents secretly sigh, "Why doesn't she ever sleep?" Wonder what to expect in the third month? Your Little Gourmet: Babys Fifth Month Guide Baby smiled her real smiles at you and you were so charmed, you decided nothing could be better. But baby has more in store for you in her fifth month. Endless entertainment coupled with increasing interest in her surroundings makes your five month-old baby an ideal playmate. Educational Toys That Stimulate Chidrens Mind When children start to walk more steadily, run, push, pull, climb and grab things - they are growing from infants to toddlers. Between their first and second birthdays, they are self centered and get busy doing various things like - to flip light switches, pour things in and out of containers, unwrap packages and empty drawers. The toddler stage is very important in a child's life. It is the time between infancy and childhood when a child learns and grows in many ways. Everything that happens to the toddler is meaningful. Perfect Baby Shower Hostess Gifts Picture this; you are invited to a baby shower. How do you show your appreciation for the hostess who had put the whole affair together? By giving her thank you gifts. This is the best way to show a little thanks to the person who put the whole affair together. Scrapbooking the Dizzying Movies of Toddlers Toddlers are highly energetic life forces. Between infancy and kindergarten school days, your toddler is often fully involved in massive actions and activities. Sometimes, your kid hardly let you slow down enough to take a deep breath before he or she is off to another "movie" stunt. Using Music To Calm Your Baby Music is a wonderful way for you to calm and soothe your baby, especially during the first year. How many times have your heard parents say that there was nothing that they could do with their crying, fussing baby until they tried music. This is because music does indeed soothe the savage beast, or in this case, the baby. New Parents Rely on Other Moms & Dads to Prepare for Baby When most new parents are preparing for the arrival of baby this Spring, more often than not, they will not be sure what they will need as the dizzying array of options can be overwhelming. Rather than relying on recommendations by corporate America, many new parents and their loved ones are turning to products invented by other moms and dads that were created to solved real-world parenting challenges. Inventive Parent (www.inventiveparent.com), a premiere online parenting resource and a provider of solutions invented by real moms and dads, is pleased to announce their top 10 list of parent-invented, safe baby essentials. Important Car Seat Statistics Installing a car seat correctly is the most important thing you can do to protect your child or newborn if you are in a crash. If you ever doubted how important a car seat is you'll change your mind once you realize the shocking facts about automobile accidents. First and most importantly, most parents assume that their child is safe whether their car seat is installed correctly. This is FALSE! Other parents mistakenly believe they installed their seat correctly. Unfortunately this is often not the case.
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