Senin, 26 Desember 2011

dealing with a colicky baby

For a brand new mommy, or even a seasoned one, dealing with a colicky baby can be overwhelming. The constant crying is heartbreaking and nerve wracking, and leaves you with a sense of helplessness. But don’t lose heart; the only good thing I can tell you about colic is that it’s temporary. Here are a few ideas to keep you going.

First – Be sure it’s really colic. If you haven’t had the little one checked out by a doctor, do so. Sometimes what’s written off as colic is really a milk allergy or some other true gastric disorder, like acid reflux. If the baby is on formula, you should ask if making a change in brand might help.

Secondly, get help! If you have to deal with the colicky symptoms all by yourself every day, you’re bound to go nuts. Swap off with your spouse, another family member or a friend. My daughter had colic for the two longest weeks of my life, and it began every evening around 5:00pm. My husband and I took turns making dinner and eating with our other children while the other took care of the baby. It kept each of us somewhat sane to have a normal evening every other night, plus our other children didn’t feel so neglected.

Next, try some of those tricks everybody tells you about. A lot of them really do work! Take the baby for a drive (this worked wonders with my daughter). Vacuum, play music or sit with the baby on the washing machine during the spin cycle! Try to take the baby’s mind off her misery. For some babies a warm bath and a rock in the rocking chair is helpful. I don’t personally recommend the “crying it out” method for colic. Your baby is truly in pain and needs comfort during this time, and letting her cry for a long time will probably only escalate the situation. Mylicon Drops, an over the counter gas medication, might relieve symptoms on some babies. It’s perfectly safe, so it’s definitely worth a try. Otherwise, don’t medicate unless it’s something your doctor has told you to use. I’ve heard of moms giving the baby something to make them sleep. This is terribly unsafe.

Finally, if the colicky symptoms haven’t subsided within a few weeks, make a return trip to the doctor, just to be sure nothing has changed. Colic is a temporary condition, so just bear with it and look forward to better times.

after the baby is born

After collecting the cord blood in maximum 15 minutes after the baby is born, processing it is the following faze in order to be viable for further medical operations. The processing of cord blood includes specific steps, such as RBC depletion, shipping and the actual freezing. The freezing or, scientifically said, the cryopreservation is applied within 1 day after the actual collection and can be successfully preserved for indefinite years.

There are various pediatric solutions that include using the cord blood. The most major ones are the children cancers and blood diseases, including infant leukemia (juvenile chronic myelogenous leukemia and juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia) or immune system disorders. All these are usually treated with chemotherapy, which, besides its benefic effects, also negatively affects some good cells. A significant cord blood usage in infant medicine is the marrow transplant. This procedure has the result of providing new and healthy blood cells, which leads to a safer immune system of the child. Besides these, there are some rare genetic diseases that require cord blood stem cells. Among these rare disorders, there is the fatal Krabbe Disease, which is characterized by causing severe degeneration of mental and motor skills of the child. If receiving the stem cells from the umbilical cord before the actual manifestation of the symptoms, the brain development can be successfully preserved. Hurler Syndrome, Adrenoleukodystrophy, Metachromatic Leukodystrophy, Tay-Sachs disease, Sandhoff disease are also other rare and severe conditions that affect the infants and can be successfully treated if using the cord blood stems. Hurler’s Syndrome is a genetic and progressive disorder that results from the body’s incapacity to make a significant enzyme. The disease damages many organs and most importantly, it affects the heart and causes death in the early teens. The Sandoff disorder has a result the progressive deterioration of the central nervous system and, like the Krabble disease, it is fatal before the age of 3.

Cord blood is not used as a temporary solution in serious medical cases of infants. Cord blood actually provides a new and healthy blood structure that increases the safety of the immune system and prevents further imbalances.

Congratulations you're having a baby

So you’re having a baby. First off, congratulations! However, having said that, there are a few things you need to know – things that people are unlikely to tell you about, but which might worry you if you don’t know about them in advance.

You should know that when your baby is born, there is a high probability that it will look very strange indeed. Babies can often be born blue or grey, and may have a deformed head from having to fit through such a small gap. They are generally bloody and bruised, and may be covered in body hair, especially if they were born prematurely. All this adds up to a very startling sight if you weren’t expecting it.

You shouldn’t worry, though, as the baby will return to normal quite quickly – the skin will go the right colour after a few minutes, when the baby starts to breathe, and any head injuries and odd hair should clear up after a few days. Just realise that it will take a few weeks before your baby starts to look like the cute little thing you were expecting.

Of course, the next thing you need to know is just what you should do with the baby after that. The most important thing is to breastfeed the baby. Baby ‘formula’ is like junk food for babies, and you should avoid it at all costs – it lacks most of the natural nutrients the baby needs, and will instead fill your baby with whatever chemicals you have in your water supply. Babies can see, hear and smell, although not very well, and the most important thing is for the baby to be near its mother – the sight of her, the sound of her voice and the smell and taste of her milk will soothe it better than any toy or gadget ever could.


baby variety of reasons

Every year, millions of expectant parents prepare for their new baby's arrival.

Bringing a newborn home can be a thrilling but stressful and confusing experience.

A new baby's frequent crying can also be a source of anxiety for inexperienced parents. According to a recent survey conducted by the Caregivers' Advisory Board, 94 percent of first-time mothers admit to feeling stress when their babies are crying and can't be comforted.

Although babies cry for a variety of reasons, digestive problems, such as infant gas, are a common cause. Infant gas affects more than 2 million infants per year. While excess gas can be uncomfortable for a baby, it is important for parents to remember that it is often a temporary problem.

"First, it is important that parents with questions or concerns regarding their infants talk to their pediatrician. But parents can help prevent and reduce gas by ensuring that the baby's mouth forms a good seal around the breast or bottle, and by avoiding certain foods while breast feeding," says Dr. James Sears, pediatrician and co-author of "The Baby Book." "I also recommend an over-the-counter treatment, such as Infants' Mylicon Gas Relief Drops, to safely relieve gas and make the baby more comfortable."

The main symptoms of infant gas include uncontrollable crying and the baby pulling his or her legs up into a curled position, as if to relieve pain. To relieve these symptoms, many parents may find over-the-counter simethicone drops helpful. In fact, 95 percent of new mothers surveyed in the Caregivers' Advisory Board survey who tried Mylicon drops said the treatment provided some relief to their babies.