Supporting infant growth involves identifying teething stages, establishing safe sleep environments, and transitioning to age-appropriate solid foods.
Placing your baby in a bassinet to sleep can be cozy for her and convenient for you. When you like to keep your baby near you at night, a bassinet offers a safe and comfortable sleeping environment. Eventually, your baby will reach the point where it's time to move her from the bassinet to a crib for sleeping.
Read more →
Installing a Graco Snugride infant car seat base correctly is essential to the overall safety and function of the car seat. Car seat bases have become popular, because they make it easy to quickly install and to remove the car seat without ever disturbing your infant.
Read more →
Sometimes you need a spot to place your baby when you can’t hold him or focus on him for a moment or two. These situations naturally arise during the course of every day, and it’s essential that you choose a safe place for your baby to play.
Read more →
Dressing baby appropriately at night can make her more comfortable, which may facilitate better sleep. The American Academy of Pediatrics provides recommendations for nighttime dressing to help reduce the potential for sudden infant death syndrome.
Read more →
The market has plenty of choices for infant formula: cow's-milk based formula, soy formula, organic or non-organic. Choosing the right formula for your baby requires communication with your pediatrician and a bit of trial and error.
Read more →
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends waiting until your infant is at least six months old to begin introducing solid foods. Solid food, in terms of feeding infants, refers to food of greater consistency than milk.
Read more →
While you may think your new baby will be born with fresh, smooth and perfect-looking skin, his skin will be sensitive, which makes it prone to many skin imperfections for the first few months of life.
Read more →
Breastfeeding is encouraged for at least the first six months of a baby's life, says the American Academy of Pediatrics. But when you feel that it is time to wean from breast milk to formula, remember to take it slowly and allow time for adjustment.
Read more →
Pacifiers do just that -- they pacify fussy babies, using the natural sucking instinct to sooth and comfort. More importantly, pacifier use helps reduce the risk of SIDS, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, when given during naps or bedtime, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Read more →
While nearly all mothers have heard the benefits of breastfeeding babies, most babies will at some point consume infant formula, either as a sole source of nutrition, or as a supplement. Baby formula is, in many ways, very similar to breast milk.
Read more →
Feeding your baby nothing but breast milk for the first six months can ensure that he receives beneficial nutrients to help protect him from digestive and respiratory illnesses, including colic, heart problems, kidney and ear infections, as well as tooth decay.
Read more →
Whether to offer your infant a pacifier or not is a personal decision since there are pros and cons to both sides of the pacifier argument. A pacifier helps soothe a baby's strong reflex to suck, it can help him fall asleep and it may help reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
Read more →
Sterilizing baby bottles, including nipples, nipple caps and rings, can help protect a baby’s health, according to the Ohio State University Department of Women & Infant Nursing. Because babies also put pacifiers in their mouths, the pacifiers need to be sterilized as well.
Read more →
In the early days of caring for a newborn, parents may be desperate for sleep. While getting that needed sleep is important, parents must ensure that their babies are in a safe sleeping space and position.
Read more →
The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) explains that pacifier use has both pros and cons. Pacifier use is not necessarily harmful, reports the Mayo Clinic, but there are potential negative effects on things like tooth development and feeding habits of older children.
Read more →
If you're lucky enough to have a baby girl with hair, the urge to do it up in hair bows or ties is nearly irresistible. Hair ties can damage your baby's hair, unless they're fairly loose. Unfortunately, if they're loose, she can pull them out of her hair and swallow or choke on them.
Read more →
Moses baskets, made from woven material, have great visual appeal. Named for the type of basket Moses' mother might have put him in to float down the river, these baskets are similar to a bassinet but often feature a handle for carrying.
Read more →
Any activity that requires excessive force can result in injuries to a baby. Throwing a baby up high in the air poses several risks -- from whipping his head to an unintentional fall. If you still want to play with your baby in this manner, it's much safer to gently toss him than throw him high into the air.
Read more →
Most babies begin to teethe when they are between 6 and 8 months old, but the process can begin as early as 3 months, according to the National Institutes of Health's website, MedlinePlus. Teething can be an uncomfortable time for your baby and result in mild to moderate irritability and screaming.
Read more →
Baby safety gates can be placed around your home to keep your little one safe from falling down the stairs and from getting into places he shouldn’t. Unfortunately, at a certain point, the gates will not keep your child contained and should be removed.
Read more →