Health and Safety

It can be scary to bring home a tiny, helpless baby. You are afraid to handle them for fear that they might break; however, it won’t take long for that feeling to go away. The feeling that lasts however, is worrying over their health and concern for their safety. In fact, that worry will grow as they grow. It will help if you are prepared and know what to be concerned about and what to ignore.

Baby Monitor

Baby monitors are an incredibly important safety addition to any nursery. A baby monitor will allow you to keep an ever watchful eye on you little bundle of joy during the night time hours, or throughout the various naps during the day time. There are many different kinds of baby monitors available these days, and can be purchased at nearly any department store or baby specialty retailer.

Monitors will have different features, options, and ranges, so you will want to determine your specific needs before making a particular choice. This will be one item you want to have already on hand and set up before you bring baby home.

Baby monitors essentially function as a walkie-talkie that can be left on. One is mobile and may be carried with you, and the main base will be located in the child’s nursery or beside their crib. If the child wakes during the night, or is having a problem you will be able to hear them through the speaker on the monitor.

There are two basic kinds of baby monitors, although the options and features will vary between manufacturers. The first kind is audio only. These monitors will allow you to hear anything that is happening in your child’s room, or wherever you have chosen to set up the main base.

The second type of monitor includes visual with audio capabilities. These have a small camera located on the main base, and the mobile unit contains a screen that allows you… Read the rest

Posted in Health and Safety | Tagged | Leave a comment

Baby Gates

Shopping for baby gates is relatively low on the priority list for new or expecting parents, owing to the fact that they are generally not required for several months following the birth of a child. However, as many new parents learn, when it comes to selecting any product related to their children, there are an overwhelming number of options available.

Certification Standards.

Baby gates are certified through voluntary testing by the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA). It is surprising for many parents to learn that many baby related products do not actually undergo stringent levels of mandatory testing. The voluntary nature of the testing process leads to many large manufacturers unilaterally opting out of the process. Unfortunately, enacting an item recall in the event of a catastrophic failure is often more economically advantageous than redoing a product that fails to meet safety standards. A sticker bearing the JPMA mark of approval ensures that the selected item has undergone appropriate testing.

Stairs.

Any baby gate that is going to be positioned at the top of a staircase, no matter how seemingly small the staircase, should be more stringently examined than a traditional entryway based gate. The selected baby gate should have a stronger mounting system than a basic pressure mounted system, as well as a mechanism that only allows the gate to open in a single direction. Additionally, the gate should not have a bottom mounted trip; this can create a tremendous hazard for both parent and child.

Edges and… Read the rest

Posted in Health and Safety | Tagged | Leave a comment

Baby Health and Safety

The only way your baby has to tell you how they are feeling is by crying. The scary thing about that is that it has so many meanings that it can be difficult to know what it means at that specific time. Most pediatricians will tell you not to worry as long as the baby is not running a fever and is still eating. Their appetite is a gauge for many behaviors and illnesses.

Spitting up can be scary for many new parents, even though they know to expect it. There are occasions when a baby seems to spit up constantly and it looks like they lost their entire meal. However, as long as your baby acts fine otherwise, it’s nothing to worry about. They will outgrow it in time, but it may take longer than you expect. Many books will say that when they start eating solid foods, the spitting up will stop. However, that is not always the case. Some babies have been known to spit up occasionally until they are a year old; however, the frequency should be much less.

Diarrhea is another thing that pediatricians don’t worry about as long as the baby is not getting dehydrated. If you are changing multiple wet diapers during the day, you won’t have to be concerned about dehydration.

Many parents worry about their baby’s weight gain or lack of it. Speak of any concerns to your pediatrician, but if they aren’t concerned, neither should you. Not all babies… Read the rest

Posted in Health and Safety | Leave a comment