Parenting success relies on understanding developmental benchmarks, managing maternal health during and after pregnancy, and implementing effective behavioral strategies for toddlers and teenagers.
Pain and cramping during pregnancy often causes expectant mothers to worry, although healthy pregnancies may include some abdominal pain and cramping. Previous abdominal surgeries, including C-sections, as well as your stage of pregnancy, can increase your likelihood of experiencing pelvic pain and cramping.
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Increased mucus drainage in toddlers could be the result of an allergy, a viral infection such as a cold or flu, or a bacterial infection, such as sinusitis. The mucus drainage may present as a runny nose or the mucus can drain down the back of the throat and cause a sore throat and coughing.
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A dry mouth during pregnancy is very common and may extend to a dry throat, as well. Fluctuations in hormones may cause other changes in your mouth and throat, such as excessive saliva, puffy or bleeding gums or a metallic taste. These symptoms are normal and more of a nuisance than a cause for alarm.
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A food allergy means your child's immune system is hypersensitive to a protein in a specific food. If your baby is allergic to bananas, his body will attack the food when it comes in contact with his digestive system, sending white blood cells to defend the body and kill the allergen.
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A baby's belly button may bleed a little in the days following birth. A few spots of blood is usually okay. However, if your baby's belly button keeps bleeding weeks after birth, bleeds heavily or shows signs of inflammation, then it may indicate another condition.
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Children reach many different milestones in the first couple years of life, with one of the most memorable being the ability to walk. Most children gain the ability to walk independently between the ages of 11 and 15 months. If your child is not walking by 18 months, his progress is considered delayed.
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Mucus lines the inside of the nasal passages, preventing germs and infection from entering your baby's nose. But when your infant is sick, a build-up of mucus in her nasal passages might make breathing and sleeping uncomfortable.
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Your 5-month-old baby will still need to nurse or bottle feed approximately six times per day. However, it's the ideal age to start introducing your baby to solid foods. For best results, it is imperative to expose your baby to a variety of safe, healthy foods that are not likely to upset her stomach.
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If your newborn is showing sign and symptoms of a cold, making sure he gets the proper care and treatment is a priority. One sign of a severe cold and chest congestion is a slight rattling in the chest -- this may also be referred to as wheezing.
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New parents want to ensure that their children are getting the proper nutrition. They also want to be sure their newborn has properly functioning intestines. For these reasons, many parents monitor the food intake and stool output of their newborn.
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While some people scar minimally, with nothing more than a thin line, others develop visible scar tissue that can take months or even years to settle down.
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Breast problems are common during lactation and occur at one time or another in most breastfeeding women. Most lumps that develop in the areola go away without medical intervention and do not interrupt the breastfeeding relationship.
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While most parents now know that babies shouldn't have raw honey, decisions about foods baked with honey are more complex. Raw honey, including pasteurized honey, can be contaminated with botulism spores.
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From your child's first scribbles to her carefully written school book reports, she goes through a series of developmental stages that help shape her handwriting. It takes time to remember which direction each letter and number is supposed to face, and it's common for children to write them backward from time to time.
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Ask any preschool teacher or pediatrician to list the top five concerns parents have, and food issues are often high on the list. Many toddlers and preschoolers eat slowly or show a disinterest in food.
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Newborn babies can contract viral infections including the common cold. Indeed, babies are typically more susceptible to catching a cold than children or adults, as their immune systems are not as developed. If you notice any cold symptoms in your infant, consult his pediatrician.
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Are you or aren't you? When you're trying to conceive, waiting for signs of pregnancy can be agonizing. Pregnancy tests can detect pregnancy before a missed period, but listening to and carefully monitoring your body can also give you an answer.
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Sleeping on your stomach puts pressure on your unborn baby. If it's early in your pregnancy or you're simply trying to conceive, you should try to get in the habit of sleeping on your side, so when you are further along, sleeping this way comes naturally.
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Family arguments over teenagers' music-listening choices are as old as disagreements over who washes the dishes or takes out the trash. Parents' musical tastes are often very different from those of their teenage children; however, music has the potential to affect emotions.
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An accurate gestational age gives your prenatal care provider a basis for measuring the baby's development and growth. He is better able to identify problems with your baby's development with this information.
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