Wednesday, May 2, 2007

Your Baby's First Meal

When do I Start My Baby on Solid Foods?
The answer to that question is around 6 months. When your baby is young, her body is designed to have breast milk, or a similar substitute, because breast milk is the best source of nutrient's for your baby. If you start your baby on solid foods too early, she will be missing out on the vital nutrient's she needs in the early stages.

There are several reasons why you should only start your baby on solid foods when they are 6 months:
Your baby's digestive system isn't able to cope with solid foods until she reaches about 6 months. She lacks some important enzymes that help digest carbohydrates and fats
Your baby's throat muscles aren't developed to swallow properly. Until the age of 6 months, a baby's natural reaction is to push her tongue forward, instead of moving the food towards the throat to swallow
Your baby needs to have a way of telling you that she is full. When a baby is breast feeding he usually falls a sleep, when feeding on solids she will turn her head, and this only develops around the 6 month mark

Signs of Readiness for Solid Foods
You can tell your little one is ready to start on solid food when:
She is about 6 months old and weighs twice her birth weight
She can sit with support and can lean forward
She has control over her head and neck muscles and can turn her head to refuse food
She has stopped the extrusion reflex, (sticking her tongue out), when you put a spoon in her mouth
She is drinking at least 32-40 ounces of formula, and still wants more, or you are breast feeding her 8-10 times a day
Shows interest in others eating around her
She wakes in the middle of the night when she used to sleep through

Which Foods Should be First?
Foods that are easily digested, and have the least chance of causing an allergic reaction. You should try and consult with your pediatrician about what foods should be first.

It is also important to remember to try and keep the foods as liquid as possible, as your baby will not to be able to eat any "solid" foods until she has a full set of teeth.

You will be surprised how little you need to feed your baby at it's first meal, in fact, often as little as 2 teaspoons!
(http://www.pregnancy-info.net)

Ke pesta ............




Ayman mo kepestanya kakak Tanang hehehehe, coba lihat gaya Ayman dengan pakaian adat makassar, persis kayak orang yang sudah besar. Sengaja Bunda buatin baju agar Ayman terlihat gagah di acaranya kakak Tanang. Tapi sayang topinya kebesaran, bunda ma tante Susi dah keliling nyari topi yang cocok, tapi gak dapat. ukuran itu yang terkecil. Gak papa deh yang penting Ayman masih bisa gaya, hehehehe

Immunization Schedule And Meningitis

Immunization is important to protect your baby from those diseases that can be fatal for him. It is important to follow the immunization schedule accurately. If you miss an immunization date then consult your doctor immediately and he will give you a new date. If the baby is very ill when immunization is due then you consult your doctor and reschedule immunization. But if your baby has a slight cold or cough then you can go ahead with immunization. If your baby has had an acute reaction to a dose of immunization consult your doctor before you give him the booster dose.

After an immunization shot the baby is likely to have slight fever, give him the recommended dose of paracetamol and that should help him. If the injection sight is swollen do not worry, as this is normal. Consult your doctor about the reactions that various injections will have on your baby. If your baby has any of the following conditions then he is ill:
Is not feeding normally for over 24 hours.
Vomiting continuously.
If is suddenly beings to breathe noisily and rapidly.
Has wet only 4 nappies or less in the past 24 hours.
Presence of blood in stools or urine.
Cries continuously and it sounds different from the normal way he cries.
Lacks energy and is not alert.
Has a skin rash.
Consult your doctor if you are concerned about the way the baby is behaving.

Given below is the ideal immunization schedule for babies:
At 11/2 months:
B.C.G (injection) If not given at birth to the baby.
D.P.T. - 1 (injection)
O.P.V. - 1 (dose)

At 21/2 months:
D.P.T. - 2 (injection)
O.P.V. - 2 (dose)
At 31/2 months:
D.P.T. - 3 (injection)
O.P.V. - 3 (dose)

At 9 months:
Measles (injection)
16 to 24 months:
D.P.T. Booster (injection)
O.P.V. Booster (dose)

Another illness that is a cause of great concern among parents is meningitis. When this affects infants and small children, it can be fatal if not treated promptly. Meningitis is the inflammation of the meninges, the membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord. Inflammation can be caused either by bacteria or viruses. Meningitis caused by bacterial infection is more fatal than the one caused by viral infection. Meningitis is contagious as it is airborne. It spreads when an infected person sneezes, coughs, laughs or talks and tiny droplets of fluid from his throat and nose become air borne. Infants are more susceptible to meningitis as their immune system is still developing. The number of cases of meningitis among infants has dropped greatly every since the Hib vaccine was introduced. A Hib vaccine safeguards the child against the attack of meningitis. But vaccines have not been developed for all the strains of meningitis. Hence parents continue to be worried about meningitis. Some symptoms of meningitis are:
Stiffness in the neck.
Swollen fontanel - swelling of the soft spot on the baby's head.
The baby is listless and is not his usual energetic self.
The baby looks very pale.
The baby is not alert.
The baby has a purple rash.
The baby cries in a high-pitched voice and seems to me moaning.
The baby has very high temperature.
The baby has suddenly become sensitive to light.
Though meningitis seems like a deadly disease, it can be cured, if diagnosed at the right time and treated promptly.
(http://babycare.iloveindia.com/baby-health)