Infant Health – Best Ways to Care for Your Toddler
The period from infancy to toddlerhood can be quite overwhelming when it comes to health issues. Numerous questions arise in the mind of parents regarding children’s healthcare, and it is good to be armed with prior knowledge to handle emergencies.
Infant Health – Caring for a Newborn
Knowing the basics of infant health helps the mother care for the baby with confidence. Apart from feeding, bathing, and sleeping, infant health also includes understanding the baby’s needs, protecting the baby from infections, and attending to his or her emotional requirements. Take cues about early signs of hunger like sucking lip movements. The faster you attend to the baby’s needs, the less fussy he or she will be. A crying baby is not always hungry. When you look at the baby closely, the infant will show cues or movements signalling that he/she needs to be burped, needs the diaper changed, or needs to be cuddled. Understanding the cues will take time, but once you learn to understand your baby, caring for the toddler becomes much easier. Listen to your maternal instinct and seek your doctor’s guidance if you feel something is not right. Nothing is trivial when it comes to infant health.
Vomiting in Toddlers – A Common Ailment
Vomiting in toddlers is generally normal after a heavy meal or during a crying spell. But if your toddler is vomiting a good amount of multiple feeds or forcefully throwing up, then it is a cause for concern. Consulting a doctor or visiting the emergency room is essential if your toddler exhibits dehydration, vomits blood or dark material, vomits more than once after a head injury, if he is lethargic, if he indicates a tummy ache, or if he is having breathing difficulties. Keep the baby adequately hydrated with slow frequent sips of an electrolyte solution. If the baby does not take the electrolyte solution, give sips of water frequently. Do not try to medicate the baby on your own. The causes for vomiting in toddlers may vary with each condition. Your child’s doctor would be the best person to assess the situation and decide what needs to be done.
Cough in Babies – When to Seek Help
Common colds, allergies, respiratory infections, and croup are some reasons for cough in babies. Cough caused by allergies often go away once the allergen is identified and eliminated. You will need to call your doctor if your child is having breathing difficulties, coughing hard enough to result in vomiting, running a fever greater than 101 degrees Fahrenheit, or if you find tints of blood in the mucus the baby coughs up. A newborn who is less than 3 months can quickly develop croup, pneumonia, or other respiratory infections. Hence, early intervention is necessary. Do not try any over-the-counter medications to treat cough. Over-the-counter cough and cold remedies are considered harmful for children. Seeking professional help is vital if the cough is abnormal and if accompanied by any other illness.