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| Babies & Toddler Information |
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Safely Feeding Babies - 10 Important Tips
Babies usually triple their birth weight the first year. That's why nutritious and safely handled food, served in an age-appropriate way, is so important. Being aware of safe food handling practices and potential feeding dangers are the best ways to protect your family from food illnesses and accidents, while also giving your child a healthy start on development and growth. Here are a few important tips and reminders. 1. Wash Hands. It's important to wash your hands before preparing food or beverages, especially when feeding babies. According to a Penn State University study of mothers with infants less than 4 months old many moms said they routinely forget to wash their hands after changing baby's diaper, and using the bathroom. Not washing hands could result in infant diarrhea from the bacteria transferred while engaging in these activities. 2. Handle Bottles Carefully. Although some babies will drink a bottle straight from the refrigerator, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) advises most babies prefer milk warmed to room temperature. Warm the bottle by holding it under a running hot-water faucet or putting it in a bowl of hot water for a few minutes. Shake well and test milk temperature to make sure it's not too hot before feeding. Microwaves can heat unevenly. Children's mouths and throats can be severely burned by bottles heated in the microwave. Always discard leftover milk in bottle to reduce the growth of harmful bacteria. 3. Cow's Milk. Avoid serving regular cow's milk until infants are 1-year-old. Before then, infants may experience an allergic reaction, stomachache and low blood iron. When you begin serving regular cow's milk, serve whole milk. Do not switch to lower fat milk until the baby's doctor recommends this change usually around age 2. 4. Mixing Cereal and Formula in the Bottle. Do not serve cereal mixed with formula from a bottle. Many think this practice helps babies sleep better through the night, however there is no evidence of this. Plus, there is a possibility of a baby choking. 5. Hold Baby When Bottle-Feeding. Babies who are put to bed with a bottle are more likely to have cavities. This practice also increases the potential of choking. 6. Limit Juice. Serve only 100 percent juice and in small quantities so it doesn't interfere with the infant eating other nutritious foods. AAP recommends giving juice diluted with water only to infants who are approximately 6 months or older and who can drink from a cup. AAP recommends offering no more than a TOTAL of 4 to 6 ounces of juice a day to infants. (Source: American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Nutrition) 7. Avoid Honey And Corn Syrup. Do not serve infants honey or corn syrup during the first year of life. These foods may contain botulism spores that could cause illness or death in infants. 8. Food Introductions. When introducing new foods, try only one at a time, and start with single-ingredient foods. Avoid serving mixed ingredient foods until each food has been given separately. Begin by serving about 1 to 2 tablespoons and then increase the amount as baby wants more. Wait at least 3 days before trying another new food so you can tell if there are any adverse reactions. Iron-fortified rice cereal is usually the first food offered, as this is easily digested. It's frequently recommended to continue fortified baby cereal through the first year of life. Remember your baby will still be receiving the majority of nutrition from breast milk or formula during the first year. 9. Serve Solids Safely. Transfer an amount you feel baby will eat from the baby food jar to a dish. Throw away any food left uneaten in the dish. Avoid feeding directly from the baby food jar. Bacteria from a baby's mouth can grow and multiply in the food before it is served again. Use refrigerated jarred baby foods within 1 to 2 days after opening. Once opened, do not leave baby food solids or liquids (breast milk or formula) at room temperature for more than 2 hours. Bacteria can grow to harmful levels when food is left out longer than this. 10. Choking Hazards. Avoid serving foods that may choke an infant, such as nuts and seeds, raw carrots and celery, whole kernel corn, raisins, large chunks of meat or cheese, popcorn, chips, pretzels, grapes, whole berries, cherries, unpeeled fruits and vegetables, hard candies, pickles, hot dogs, marshmallows (regular or miniature), and peanut butter. In general, avoid foods that are round and firm, sticky and chewy or cut in large chunks. As infants grow into toddlers, they can begin eating the foods above, if cut into small pieces. Most pediatricians advise foods should be no larger than 1/4 inch for toddlers and 1/2 inch for preschoolers. Lisa Barnes is the owner of Petit Appetit, a cooking service devoted to the health and nutrition of infants and toddlers. She is the author of The Petit Appetit Cookbook (Penguin, March 2005) and teaches cooking classes to parents in Northern California, who want to provide fresh, healthy, organic foods to their family. For information and to sign up for a free newsletter visit http://www.petitappetit.com
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Alternative Medicine Baby Shower Invitations Add Style To Baby Announcements Baby shower invitations set the tone for the big day Should Your Baby Sleep In Your Bed? Advantages: Breastfeeding is easier, you don't have to get out of bed to feed baby. Many mothers say baby sleeps better - if she wakes she is more likely to be comforted by your presence and heartbeat and go back to sleep. You will probably get more sleep. For Mother and Baby What Do You Give? A Gift Basket of Course! The choice for a baby or an infant gift can be a difficult one. One of the best baby or infant gifts that you can give is a gift basket. A gift basket is that one present that comes in many shapes, themes and of course price ranges. A gift basket is lovely gift to for a baby shower. The Baby Stroller- How To Choose You will need to begin gathering the things your baby will need, now that you got the news that you are expecting a bundle of joy. You may feel overwhelmed if this is your first baby with all the decisions that need to be made. 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. Using Baby Signing To Communicate With Your Young Child Baby Signing.. Infant Car Seats Finding the best car seats for your child: To escape injury in an accident, you will need to pick a seat suitable for the child's age and weight. They come in three main categories: infant, infant & toddler convertible and booster seats. Statistics show that most seats are installed incorrectly. Once you have purchased a seat make sure to follow the directions for proper installation. Potty Training Resistance - Is Your Child Resisting Your Potty Training Efforts? Potty Training Resistance Baby Shower Party Game Ideas to Keep Your Guests Entertained Baby shower party game ideas? This is the question which comes to every baby shower hostess' mind when she has to plan a baby shower and also brainstorm her mind to come up with an innovative game idea. There is also so much to be done in so little time. You have to organize and prepare invitations, food, drinks, party favors, schedules, and activities. You don't want your baby shower to be exactly like every other shower your guests have attended. Are You Spending Too Much Money on Baby Gear? Did you waste $57 today? I hope not. Unfortunately, so many new parents pay much more than they have to for baby products, because they don't know the secrets the insiders know. Does Your Baby Necessarily Need Shoes? When you came up with such question, what will be your answer? You understand that your baby always in your arm and your baby cannot walk yet. So, what the need of shoes for your baby? Tale of the Missing Nub The extent of the memory loss that accompanies new parenthood really surprised me the first few times I experienced it. My task is especially difficult when I must not only to retrace my own footsteps, but figure out what my toddler might have seen fit to do with that half-gnawed cookie, the crayons she was supposed to pick up and put away, and the box of peppermints I just bought. Planning a Baby Shower? These Tips Make It Stress Free One of the most pleasant parties to plan has to be the baby shower. The mom-to-be gets so much attention and she can just sit back and enjoy all of the fuss. The key to creating this wonderful event is organization. Here's everything you need to make your upcoming baby shower as festive and memorable as possible! 10 Items of the Well-Stocked Diaper Bag Does your diaper bag have everything you need in it? Of course, you have the basic items: diapers, wipes, bottles, etc. But are you equipped for any "baby situation" that could possibly arise? It may seem like a lot of gear, but if you bring along the following baby paraphernalia when you head out, you'll be ready for just about anything. 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. Basic Guide To Choosing Toys For Babies A baby's only activities until the age of two months are sleeping and eating. He is not interested in anything else. After two months, the baby starts being more curious about the world around him. At first, he just watches the activity in the room. At the age of 4-5 months, he is already moving his arms and legs with a lot of energy. Scheduling Your Baby Naming Ceremony - the Right Time Makes All the Difference If you are at the stage of wanting to organise a naming ceremony for your baby, then you already know that babies have their own schedule, which doesn't always align with yours. At certain times of the day they are more sociable, more alert, and more amenable to the sort of activities a naming ceremony involves. For a baby this means being clean, being rested, and not being hungry. Baby Carriers - Choosing the Right Pouch, Ring Sling, or Carrier for You With so many options out there for baby carriers it is hard to choose the right one for your needs. Listed are all the different types of carriers with the advantages and disadvantages of each. Under Carpet Heating In The Nursery To Help Your Baby Sleep Through The Night And More! As new parents, we all want what's best for our babies. There are so many things to worry about, not the least of which are colds, allergies, sleeping through the night, and keeping their delicate skin soft and moisturized. So, you ask, what can I do to help with all of these dilemmas? The answer is a product that is little-known to the general public, called under carpet heating, which eliminates several problems with your traditional forced air heating systems that can result in all of these concerns and more. Traveling With Babies If you start baby travel slowly and plan wisely, both you and baby will enjoy first-class comfort. Begin with baby steps and you'll find that soon you and your little one will be able to walk, ride, or fly in the fast lane.
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