Car Seat Safety

Basic Guidelines

Every state requires that infants and children ride buckled up. Using a car safety seat correctly can help prevent injuries to your infant.

A baby needs a safe car seat to go home from the hospital. Although you may think it is safer to hold your baby in your arms, IT IS NOT. An infant car seat should state that it complies with the Federal Vehicle Safety Standard 213.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that children ride in the rear-facing child safety seats for at least 2 years. New research shows toddlers are more than 5 times safer riding rear-facing in a convertible car safety seat until they reach the maximum height and weight recommendations for that particular model.

The “Best” car safety seat is one that fits your newborn and can be set up the right way for your car. You must use it EVERY time you put your baby in the car. It does not matter if it is the most expensive seat – if it is not installed properly, it may not protect your baby.

Infant-only seats may come with more than one harness slot. They have room for your baby to grow. In the rear-facing position, the harness should be in the slots at or below your baby’s shoulders. Check the car safety seat manufacturer’s instructions to be sure.

Safe Sleep

American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations on creating a safe sleep environment include:

• Place the baby on his or her back on a firm sleep surface such as a crib or bassinet with a tight-fitting sheet.
• Avoid use of soft bedding, including crib bumpers, blankets, pillows and soft toys. The crib should be bare.
• Share a bedroom with parents, but not the same sleeping surface, preferably until the baby turns 1 but at least for the first six months. Room-sharing decreases the risk of SIDS by as much as 50 percent.
• Be sure to share this information with babysitters, grandparents and other caregivers. It is also important for parents and all caregivers to take an infant CPR course.
• Avoid baby’s exposure to smoke, alcohol and illicit drugs.

Making your home safe for baby

Your baby is on the way, and there is a lot to think about. Besides making sure that you have baby furniture and clothing for your new son or daughter, you’ll want to check that your home is safe. These tips can help you cover all the safety bases:

• Check to see that smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors in your home are working
• Put emergency numbers, including poison control, near each phone
• Make sure your home or apartment number is easy to see so fire or rescue can locate you quickly in an emergency
• Make sure handrails are installed and secure in stairways
• Check that your blind cords and chains are out of reach by moving cribs, cots, and other furniture well away from windows

Breastfeeding My Baby

You should get all the facts about why breastfeeding is the best way to feed your baby. The benefits a baby receives from human milk will last his or her whole life.

For Baby:

• Lowers risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
• Protects against respiratory and diarrheal disease.
• Reduces ear infections.
• Decreases obesity later in childhood.
• Less likely to have insulin-dependent diabetes.
• Decreases risk of childhood cancer.
• Protects against allergies.

For Mother:

• Aids weight loss and helps uterus to return to pre-pregnancy size.
• Lowers risk of osteoporosis later in life.
• Reduces risk of breast, uterine, endometrial and ovarian cancer.
• Decreases insulin use in diabetic breastfeeding moms.

Formula-Feeding

When it comes to feeding and nourishing your baby, you may decide formula-feeding is the best option for you and your little one.

• Baby formula is safer and easier to use than ever. Always check the expiration date. If it’s expired, don’t buy or use it. Mix it right. Check the directions to see whether the formula needs to be mixed with water and if it does, follow the measurements precisely. Always toss leftovers. Bacteria from a baby’s saliva can multiply in the bottle, so always toss any leftover formula.
• Nestle your baby close to you, take your time and extend the feeding session by chatting, singing or cooing to your baby once the bottle is drained.
• Serve the bottle cold or at room temperature right from the start. It may come as a surprise, but there are no health benefits to heating up a bottle before a baby eats. It’s simply a matter of taste.
• If your baby ends up preferring bottles warm, use a bowl or pot of hot (not boiling) water or use a specially designed bottle warmer. Never heat formula in a microwave oven — the liquid may warm unevenly, or the container may remain cool while the formula has gotten hot enough to burn baby’s mouth or throat.

Signs Your Baby is Getting Enough to Eat

• At least 8 feedings in 24 hours
• Enough wet and dirty diapers for their age
• Active and alert with a strong cry
• Mouth and lips are wet and pink
• To make sure your baby is getting enough by tracking his feeding

If you feel your baby is not getting enough milk, contact your healthcare provider or lactation consultant Your baby may have a sleepy week or two and you may have a hard time keeping him interested in feeding. If he is very sleepy, try undressing him down to his diaper. The skin-to-skin contact may help keep him awake. You may need to rub the bottoms of his feet or back to keep him awake. You can also try to unwrap him, so he is not so cozy and warm, which can make him sleepy. Talk to your baby while you are nursing. This may also help keep him interested in finishing the feeding. Take cues from your baby; he will let you know what he needs.

Diaper Rash

What does Diaper Rash look like? If your child’s diaper area looks irritated and red, chances are its diaper rash.

Diaper Rash can be caused by the following:

• Wetness
• Chafing
• New Foods
• Bacterial or yeast infection
• Antibiotics

You should take your child to a doctor if the rash looks like it might be infected. Look for blisters, pus-filled pimples, oozing yellow patches or open sores. You should be able to clear the rash in three or four days. Most parents have to deal with diaper rash at some point.

How to treat diaper rash:

• Keep your child clean and dry
• Rinse the diaper area well at each diaper change
• Pat, don’t rub, your child’s skin dry
• Use an ointment that protects your child’s skin
• Put the diaper on loosely

Temperature

What kind of thermometer should I use?

If you think your baby has a fever, it’s important to know exactly what his temperature is, so you’ll need a good digital thermometer.

Taking your baby’s temperature rectally will give you the most accurate result, and the best tools for this are rectal thermometers, which are designed specifically for this purpose. Look for one with a flexible tip and a wide handle that won’t let you insert the thermometer more than an inch. Inserting it farther can perforate your child’s rectum.

More expensive options include temporal artery thermometers, which use an infrared scanner to measure a baby’s temperature with a simple swipe across the forehead, and tympanic (ear) thermometers, which can be trickier to use.

Whichever method you choose, don’t take your child’s temperature right after a bath, when his body temperature is likely to be temporarily elevated. Wait at least 20 minutes after bath time for an accurate reading. The same is true if your baby’s been swaddled.

Hygiene

BATH:

• Once the umbilical cord has fallen off, it is alright to bathe your baby
• If the umbilical cord hasn’t fallen off, give your baby a sponge bath
• During bath time, never leave your baby alone, not even for a few seconds
• Newborn babies should only be bathed 1 to 2 times a week. If you bathe them more, it can dry out their skin

DIAPER CHANGES:

• Prior to handling your newborn, you should wash your hands. Babies haven’t built up an immune system and can be susceptible to infection
• You can use baby wipes on your baby
• You should remove all stool and urine
• Air dry the area

Besides bathing and diapering, other baby care includes brushing teeth and gums and trimming nails

NAIL CARE:

• By trimming your baby’s fingernails and toenails frequently, you can prevent scratches
• To trim the nails, use a rounded nail scissors, being careful not to trim too close to the finger or toe
• It is a good idea to trim the nails when the baby is sleeping

Dental Hygiene starts before a baby’s first teeth grow. To help prevent plaque buildup, wipe down the infant’s gums with a gauze-wrapped finger after feedings to remove any food residue. This can be done until the first few teeth come in. Once the baby’s mouth fills with teeth, use a baby-sized toothbrush and a small bit of toothpaste.

LA LECHE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL

La Leche League International was formed in 1956, in Franklin Park, IL by a group of seven mothers who wanted to provide breastfeeding help and support to interested women. Two mothers, Mary White and Marian Tompson, were breastfeeding their children at a church picnic and many other women expressed interest, or told them how they had wanted to breastfeed but failed.
As LLLI has grown into an international organization, the primary focus has remained on the personal one-to-one sharing of information and encouragement that provides a new parent with the confidence they need to breastfeed their baby.
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