Infant Acid Reflux: Understanding, Coping and Managing by Melvin Finn

Acid reflux disorder is known to be affecting a very large fraction of the adult population, but unknown to many, even children and infants suffer from it. According to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse, more than half of all the babies ever born experience this condition during several of the starting months and this.

Infant acid reflux is a common thing to infants due to the immaturity of their young and digestive tract. The muscles that make up the area from the esophagus to the stomach, especially the barrier known as lower esophageal sphincter or LES is still underdeveloped. This is the main cause of the stomach acid and food regurgitation. But even with the large number of the infant population affected, most cases will be outgrown by the 12th to 18th month. There are also those who would be affected even throughout their childhood years.

Infant acid reflux would most likely be triggered after the infant has been fed, but regurgitation may occur every time the baby strains, cries or even coughs. The most classic symptom would be spitting up, refusal or irritability during feeding and unprogressive weight gain.

The condition generally does not cause any complications in the normal progression of the baby. However, when the infant acid reflux case is serious, already involving problems with the child’s development, then the parent should report the condition to a specialist. Severe cases may lead to symptoms such as abnormality in weight gain, breathing problems, spitting fluids and food that already amounts to more than two teaspoons at a time, has a hoarse voice, when the baby appears to be exhausted, the amount of waste excreted is lesser than normal (fewer wet diapers), and the regurgitated liquid is or brown or green color.

Because infant acid reflux is a disorder that affects digestion, one thing to look into when trying to avoid the symptoms being triggered would be the feeding habit. Having the baby to take milk or other food right for his age may be done by helping him maintain a slanted, if not upright position. This would enable gravity to aid in the natural mechanism of the baby’s digestion. Feeding can also be integrated with break times when the parent or carer of the baby would help him to burp. Another technique to implement would be trying to get the baby to feed at smaller amounts but more frequent intervals.

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Four Ways to Serve Organic Baby Food

With it's many benefits, organic baby food is becoming more accessible to busy moms. Organic food is free from harmful additives and pesticides that can harm your baby. It provides added nutrition and reduces the risk of developing food allergies. Regardless of your lifestyle and cooking style, you can find an organic option to serve your baby.

Organic baby food is easy to find - just look in the refrigerated section of your favorite grocery store. HomeMade Baby, sells freshly pureed organic fruits and vegetables in stores nationwide. You can also check your local yellow pages to find companies that will deliver fresh baby food directly to your front door.

Purchasing frozen organic baby food is super convenient. It allows you to only thaw the amount of food you need in order to avoid waste. The freezing process is a natural way to preserve the food's nutrients. Companies such as Happy Baby and Plum Organics sell frozen baby food in grocery stores.

If you cannot find organic food in your grocer's freezer section, purchase jarred organic baby food directly from the shelves. Because this food is processed at a high heat, it can lose some of its beneficial nutrients. However, jarred organic baby food is still free from sugar, salt and other preservatives, making it a more nutritious choice than non-organic food. You can find Earth's Best meals, cereals and snacks in most grocery stores.

Especially adventurous moms may want to make baby food at home. To get started, you will need a blender or grinder, ice cube trays, plastic wrap, freezer bags, and a skillet or saucepan.

Here are six simple steps to make your own organic baby food:

1. Purchase organic fruits and vegetables.

2. Wash your supplies in hot, soapy water in order to sterilize them.

3. Place peeled, cored and sliced fruit or veggies into a skillet with just enough water to cover them.

4. Steam the pieces until they are tender and puree them in the blender. Add water, if needed.

5. Place the puree in ice cube trays, and cover it in plastic wrap keep it fresh.

6. Place the tray in a ziplock bag, seal it and place it in the freezer within 48 hours.

Voila! You've just made the healthiest food available for your baby!

When freezing organic baby food, make sure you write the date and the name of the food on the bag so you can identify its contents and throw out any food that has been frozen longer than three months.

For more facts about organic baby food visit Organic Baby Resource.

Erika Jones is a mom, web publisher and freelance writer. To get organic baby tips delivered to your inbox, subscribe to her monthly newsletter.

You may republish this article on your blog, website or e-zine by providing credit to the author and providing a live link to Organic Baby Resource.

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Weaning Your Child From the Bottle

Weaning a child from the bottle can be a traumatic time for mommy...oh yeah and the baby too! Many times the bottle has become so much more than a drink of milk or juice, it is their comfort zone. It's what puts them to sleep at nap time or bedtime and what comforts them when they are upset and crying. Imagine having what comforts you the most just snatched away from you one day. For some of us if we could not have that morning cup of coffee our world would come crumbling down around us. For me life without any melted cheese sandwiches would require me to obtain some extensive therapy! Bottles have been a constant in our toddlers life, something they can count on when everything in this big world is changing daily right before their eyes. What a wonderfully confusing time it must be for them. So when you think about it, it is easy to understand how the bottle could have become an attachment. Great, so now that we understand it, what are we going to do about it?

Well ladies, the good news about this is that most toddlers can be persuaded to give up the bottle if you offer something in it's place. This should be a gradual process, as for some children it can be very upsetting. Start by decreasing the number of bottles you offer a day. Take your toddler with you to the store to buy big boy/girl cups and let him choose ones with fun cartoon characters. Allow them to take ownership which will increase their desire to drink out of the cup. Begin by offering your toddler a cup a lunch time instead of the bottle. Lunch time can be a fun time of eating and sharing with your child. Talk about how happy you are to see your big girl/boy using the cup. Toddlers love praise and reinforcement when they have done something right. After a couple of days of offering the bottle at lunch, try offering it at dinner time too.

As you replace the bottle for each meal do remember to allow days in between. Each time you replace the bottle with a cup you should allow time for more hugging and cuddling. Your toddler is reaching a huge milestone and needs to continue to feel secure even though his comforter(the bottle) will now longer be there.

When you finally are down to the last bottle of the day begin to put less and less milk in the bottle so your toddler spends less time drinking. Replace this with extra hugging and if your toddler is still thirsty offer the cup.

Now I know you are saying " this is all fine and dandy, but it just may not go that smoothly" Definitely all toddlers are different and while this may work for many, it will not work for all. Use your mommy radar, Is it really time for your child to give up the bottle? If you are finding you child to be extremely disturbed by you taking away the bottle maybe it is not yet time. Talk with your pediatrician about the timing and about the health of your child's gums and teeth. Maybe you will want to put water in your child's bottle instead of milk as a lot of toddlers of really attached to the sucking"comfort sucking" and not what is actually in the bottle.
Try different things as each child may respond different but most of all be patient and replace the bottle with plenty of love!

Written by Yvonne Kimmons, co-owner of http://www.LittleHandsBoutique.com Your Upscale Resale for Little Ladies and Gents! For more fun articles and advice on toddler issues please visit http://www.LittleHandsBoutique.blogspot.com

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Reasons Why You Should Breastfeed

The best first food for a baby is breast milk and it is the reason why breastfeeding is being encouraged in all over the world. No matter who you are, poor or rich and where you come from. There are benefits giving breast milk to your baby, what are they?

Breastfeeding is another way to build a strong bond with your baby. The skin contact that you are making and the warm cuddle that you give her will make her feel sense of security, warmth and comfort. The more often you do the breastfeeding the closer relationship you will have with your baby.

The breast-fed babies have fewer illnesses because human milk transfers to the infant a mother's antibodies to disease. About 80 percents of the cells in breast milk are macrophages, cells that kill bacteria, fungi and viruses. Breast-fed babies are protected, in varying degrees, from a number of illnesses, including pneumonia, botulism, bronchitis, staphylococcal infections, influenza, ear infections, and German measles.

Sucking at the breast promotes good jaw development. It is harder work to get milk out of a breast than a bottle, and the exercise strengthens the jaws and encourages the growth of straight, healthy teeth. When your baby doing breastfed she learns to control the flow of milk by sucking and stopping. With a bottle, the baby must constantly suck or react to the pressure of the nipple placed in the mouth.

On average, breastfed babies have fewer infections in their early life. In particular they have less: diarrhea and vomiting, chest infections, and ear infections compared to babies who are not breastfed. The main reason how it can be happen is because the antibodies and other proteins, which in the breast milk from, mother to baby. These help to protect against infection.

For more information about pregnancy and how to prepare your early parenthood, go to : www.ParentingInDetail.com

Yvonne Hanson is a mother and professional adviser, specialized on parenting area. She enjoys helping parents to raise their children, starting from the pregnancy period by giving valuable information.

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Is Crying it Out Harmful to an Infant?

Crying it Out: The Impact on Infants

Since the dawn of time humans have been caring for and raising children, seeking out the best way to nurture and provide for them. But in recent times what constitutes the "best way" has been fraught with controversy. Up until about 150-200 years ago in cultures all over the world, most families shared one sleeping room and frequently one bed. This was the only way to provide protection and nurturing for the infants. But as people became wealthier and were able to have homes with more rooms they began separating the parents from the children. Even then children generally slept together and nursing infants continued to share their parents' bed. It was a rare family who were able to afford enough space to separate each member of the family. Even today in most non European/American cultures the family bed is the norm rather than the exception. In the United States beginning about 100 years ago families started begin told co-sleeping would lead to sexual abuse, suffocating infants, fostering an unhealthy dependence on parents and spoiling the infant. It is unclear why people would develop such beliefs considering this was normal for thousands of years and is still the norm in most other cultures and even in many families in the United States.

About 150 years ago the Nestle Corporation began marketing a formula based on cow's milk aimed at replacing breast feeding. In short order the propaganda was convincing mothers that breast feeding was "primitive" and animalistic. Women in the scientific, modern world were "above" turning themselves into "cows" to nurse their infants. And so women, freed from the "chore" of nursing their infant felt freer to place the infant in a crib in another room, away from the parents. This gave rise to one of the most fundamental controversies in recent child raising history, how to handle infant night crying and sleeping through the night. Over the past 50 years or so hundreds of experts of various sorts have wadded in on the issue. The most prevalent school of thought in the 1950's and earlier was to avoid picking up an infant when it cried or "giving in" to its demands for attention because this would spoil the child and thwart their maturity process. Experts in the field, mostly male, who decided women who had been successfully raising children since the origins of our species no longer knew how to do their job, began promoting the idea a child must learn to comfort herself and teach herself to go to sleep without the help of a parent.

This advice demanded when it is time for an infant to go to sleep the parent should not nurse, feed or rock the baby to sleep but should put him to bed fully awake and then allow it to fall asleep without interference from the parent. If the baby begins to cry the parent should go in to check and make sure everything is ok but after that should not respond to the crying for at least 10 minutes and then should not do anything to comfort the still crying infant but only make sure he is still safe. After a while the infant will stop crying and go to sleep or will cry herself to sleep. Continue this pattern for several nights and soon the baby will go to sleep and stay asleep without interfering with the parent's evening and night. Although for most parents crying elicits an impulse to go to the infant providing comfort and nurture, after years of hearing from experts parents have stopped trusting their instincts and began believing they might irreparable harm their child if they respond to their crying at night. Frantic parents have been assured allowing their infants to "cry it out" at night is the only alternative to having spoiled, insecure and demanding children who are incapable of comforting themselves and growing into independent and mature individuals. They have been convinced it does no harm to the infant to be left alone in their crib, by themselves without their parent to give them comfort and is, in fact a necessary part of growing up. And so generations of children are being left to cry it out and learn to "comfort" themselves sans the safety and security of parents.

But is it really necessary to do this to get infants to sleep through the night, to grow into confident and well adjusted children, to learn to comfort themselves and become independent? Does this process really leave no lasting mark on the child so they are none the worse for the ordeal? Here is where opinions become polarized and parents wanting to do the best thing for their infants are caught in the middle of some very strong opinions.

On the side of the "cry it out" philosophy are a number of well known "authorities" who have written volumes on the subject. These people devised elaborate plans designed to encourage a parent to allow their infant to cry for increasing lengths of time. They are instructed to never pick up the child, talk, sing or otherwise try to comfort the crying infant but simply check on it and leave the room. This is allowed to go on for hours if necessary. Although these and other experts on the subject have spent years convincing parents their methods do not harm the child and in fact help parents through a necessary process, there is very little, if any, accurate and scientifically supported research on their claims. However, according to child development experts from a number of fields, "parents who put their children in a crib down the hall and expect them to stay there quietly until morning may be risking their child's emotional health. A child who does not receive warmth and reassurance when she asks for it can develop a range of attachment and trust disorders." (Dettwyler electronic article) Recently Harvard University confirmed these other scientists' and experts' opinions through detailed research releasing a study on this very subject. They examine the impact of allowing an infant to cry it out on the long term development of a baby. Their findings are very different than what parents have been lead to believe. In 2007 researchers at Harvard discovered infants who were left to cry it out for extended periods of time showed all the symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder. This research examines the impact of early separation of infants from their mothers by placing them in a separate room and then allowing them to cry themselves to sleep. "The effects of early separation cause changes in infant brains that makes future adults more susceptible to stress in their lives...Parents should recognize having their babies cry unnecessarily harms the baby permanently. It changes the nervous system so they're sensitive to future trauma and panic disorders." (Commons, Harvard Research article electronic version)

This research offers proof against the claims of advocates of the cry it out school that consistent response to their infants and co-sleeping does not lead to sexual abuse, over dependence or other psychological harm. There are less cases of abuse amongst families who practice this type of attachment parenting, children do not seem to go through bedtime anxiety or nightmare; they develop self esteem and security because their early needs for parental security are met and they become more independent as they grow older. (Flint Infant Security Scale Research)Further research shows a huge portion of brain development in infants occurs during their sleeping hours and their natural waking and sleeping rhythm allows for the ideal development of waking cognitive skills. When a child is force to cry these natural rhythms are interrupted. The infant begins engaging in deeper, stress induced sleep earlier in life with less time spent in the brain developing REM sleep. This slows down their cognitive development and can cause a lasting decease in their overall intelligence later in life. Additional research conducted on animals has shown although animals will adapt their behavior and cease crying out, their stress hormones such as Cortisol and physiological stimuli remain high.

Other scientists have been examining this phenomenon of forcing infants to sleep alone and endure extended periods of crying in order to become independent and self sufficient. In a winter, 1996 article in Mothering Magazine, James J. McKenna, Ph.D., an anthropologist and internationally-known expert on infant sleep summarizes his views on the anthropological relevance of family sleep sharing, noting that "...nighttime parent-infant co-sleeping during at least the first year of life is the universal, species-wide normative context for infant sleep, to which both parents and infants are biologically and psychosocially adapted...Solitary infant sleep is an exceedingly recent, novel and alien experience for the human infant." (McKenna, Mothering Magazine) Katherine Dettwyler, Ph.D., an award-winning anthropologist and co-editor of Breastfeeding: Biocultural Perspectives agrees with McKenna, claiming American attitudes about how and where a baby sleeps are unique. "Mothers who are co-sleeping still make up the majority of the world's parents. In other societies, it isn't viewed as expected or normal for a baby to sleep by himself."

Although the controversy continues, this in one area parents would do well to carefully look behind the claims of the popular parenting advice and into the reality of their claims that unresponsiveness to infant crying does no harm. What message is an infant receiving when its caretakers end up ignoring its only means of communication? What impact does it have on their ability to trust in their communication skills, their safety in the world, their security and the bond they have for someone who chooses not to attend their needs? Maybe next time people are lamenting the increasing of younger children becoming violent, angry and unattached and how adults are failing to form deep and lasting relationships we might consider how being abandoned as infants really is affecting people.

Resources
http://bottle-feeding-baby.com/the-history-of-formula-milk.php
http://www.fresnofamily.com/ap/familybed.htm
www.talaris.org/pdf/research/CIOPoster.pdf
Commons, Michael Dr. (2007). Harvard Gazette, Harvard University
Dettwyler, Katherine (1998). Breastfeeding: Biocultural Perspectives New York: Aldine Transaction
Gordon, McCall and Hill, Sheri (2005). Flint Infant Security Scale Research Antioch University Center on Infant Mental Health and Development
McKenna, James J. (1996). Mothering Magazine Electronic Version
Sears, William, (1999). Nighttime Parenting, New York: Plume

Dena Roberson Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dena_Roberson

Baby Care Tips That You Need to Know

Baby care is actually pleasurable but creates stress too among new parents. When you have a new born baby, it is obvious that you will have a tight time. You have to take proper care for the baby and you need to do your household chores too. You might have already heard a lot of tips for baby care, but you should understand that your baby is unique and you have to find out what works best for your baby.

1. Breastfeeding is very essential for a newborn. If for some reasons, you are not able to feed your baby you can go for bottle feeding. After every feed, you have to burp the baby. This ensures that the baby doesn't get gas since newborns are prone to get gas faster.

2. If your baby is more than a few weeks old and you want to get back to work, you cannot expect your baby to forget about breastfeeding. If you know that you will leave your child with a nurse, you need to make your baby accustomed to bottle feeding much before leaving your baby under the care of a nurse.

3. Many moms feel that bottle feeding prevents them from feeding the baby with breast milk. But this is not true. There are breast pumps and you can use them to store your milk for bottle feeding.

4. When you feed the baby with bottle, be cautious that you don't let the baby sleep with the bottle in his or her mouth, especially, when your baby has developed teeth, this practice will create cavities leading to dental problems.

5. Until your child starts moving and getting dirty, a bath two or three times per week is sufficient. However, you have to give sponge bath every time you change the diaper. Leaving the baby with dirty diapers invites infections and you need to avoid this completely.

6. While you take the baby for bath, keep everything including towel, soap and shampoo ready. Never leave your baby alone in the tub even for a minute. Also when you bathe the baby, close the ears with towel or covers so that water doesn't enter his or her ears.

7. While you take the baby in your arms, keep him or her close to your chest and make him or her feel that he or she is in secure hands. Cuddle your baby often and kiss him or her on his or her hands and toes gently to ensure bonding.

8. Always wash the baby's clothes separately. You can even buy a counter top washing machine for washing only the baby's clothes and diapers.

9. You should never miss immunization vaccines for your baby to avoid problems in the future. Note down the vaccination dates and set an alarm for them in your notepad.

10. Never shake the baby or give him or her sudden shocks to stop him or her from crying. These sudden activities will affect the physical and mental health of the baby.

Jasmine Tupniak
http://www.mybabycaresite.com
For more information and resources on baby and toddler care, visit http://www.mybabycaresite.com

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Baby Skin Care - Natural Organic Baby Skin Care

Baby's largest organ is sensitive and when it emerges from the protective cocoon of the womb, baby skin needs to adapt to its new environment. Luckily for us infant skin is highly adaptable, but has to overcome some common skin conditions. Some of these baby skin conditions, baby acne, cradle cap, heat rash and sunburn can be treated with basic regular baths complimented with natural, organic baby skin care products.

• Newborn baby skin care should begin with the knowledge that your baby skin loses moisture quickly, so there is no need to give baby a daily bath. It's best to give baths every other day to give sensitive skin time to retain adequate moisture.

• Umbilical cord care: Baby's umbilical cords usually falls off around the second or third week after birth and sometimes as early as the first week, so keep the area clean with rubbing alcohol and a cotton swab whenever you change to avoid infection from soiled diapers.

• Cradle cap: Use a gentle strokes and a soft brush to clean the scalp and apply a natural moisturizer like Calendula Cream to help keep the scalp clear of cradle cap. Avoid talcum powder as it absorbs the moisture from the baby's skin.

• Baby acne shows up after a few weeks and continues for a couple of months or more. Since this is a normal condition and goes away soon it's not necessary to treat these small bumps unless they become infected, just keep a close eye and maintain regular baby baths complemented by organic skin care treatments to keep baby skin from drying out.

• Heat Rash: Baby's new skin is learning to accommodate and live in its new surroundings. A cool bath and breathable fabric like organic Egyptian cotton clothing should help. Don't overdress in hot weather as this can exacerbate the heat rash condition.

• Keep baby away from direct sunlight for short or prolonged periods, protect skin with appropriate clothing and use adequate shade on your baby gear, such as car seats and strollers. When placing baby in the car seat put a large toy in your lap to remind you that baby is in the back seat.

Online Store Baby Gadgets and Gear is a great resource for organic baby skin care, especially if you are looking for natural baby products that are cool, modern, practical, organic and high tech.

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Potty Training Tips That Work

Every parent has heard this, "Mommy, I went poopy." Or, "Mommy, I had an accident." Potty training can be a challenge. If you are struggling with training your child my suggestion is to be consistent and never give up. Here are some great potty tips.

If your child understands that he/she is supposed to go on the potty stop using training pants. Training pants like Pull Ups and Easy Ups are just as absorbent as diapers. If your child has an accident in them he will not learn what it really feels like to go potty in his pants. This will make potty training even harder and he will think it is ok to go in his pants. I call this being lazy. Once your child starts going on the potty regularly purchase some big kid underwear for him. Make sure you have plenty on hand so you can wash them out when your child has an accident.

Don't scold or spank your child when she has an accident. Your child's bladder is still growing stronger. It might take a while for your child to be able to hold it for an extended period of time. She needs to learn that it is okay to have an accident. When your child feels how "yucky" it is in her panties this will help her to learn that she should tell you when she has to go potty before the accident happens. Some toddlers get so busy playing that they forget. Tell your child that you are disappointed that she didn't tell you. If you scold or spank her she will just get scared. This will make potty training even more challenging.

Be consistent. Until your child tells you when he has to go potty make him sit on the potty after meals, before and after nap time and especially right when he gets up in the morning. It might take him a while to be able to tell when he has to go potty. Constantly putting him on the potty will help him learn what it feels like when his bladder is full. Make sure you let day care or your child's babysitter know how often you put him on the potty.

Never give up. Potty training is a long process. Some children don't get it until they are at least three. If you start your child after she starts walking, and you stick with it you will have an easier time and say goodbye to diapers sooner.

Ms. Talbert is a mother of three and editor of Healthy Moms- Parenting, Health, Pregnancy and Women's Issues. She lives in Sacramento, CA with her family.

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Teaching Baby to Eat Solid Foods

When the time comes to introduce solid foods to your infant, mothers can fell a bit overwhelmed by the wealth of information and advice available on the Internet. Mothers can rest assured, there are quite a few truths amid thousands of voices and these truths will make the transition from liquids to solids, for your infant, all the easier.

Infants are ready for an introduction to solid foods between the ages of 4 and 6 months. This age is the same for both bottle and breast fed infants. It is important not to introduce solid foods before the age of 4 months in order to reduce the chance of food allergies.

Mothers will be able to gage when their baby is ready for solid foods, by watching your babies actions and movements during times other than feeding times. When infants have attained enough head control to hold the head steady in an upright position, are able to sit upright with support, have doubled their birth weight and show signs of curiosity when you eat solid foods, they are ready to try a little solid food on their own.

The little bits of food you introduce in the beginning of your infants transition will set the stage for future eating habits. It is important to introduce only one new food every 3 to 5 days. The wait time is important in the discovery process of possible food allergies. If a mother introduces more than one food at a time, there will be no definitive cause for a reaction. The first food to be introduced is most often rice cereal. In the beginning of the eating process, the baby will not want to eat large amounts of solid foods. This is common, do not worry. Eventually your baby will catch on to the eating process and move from rice cereal to vegetable and other foods with ease.

When introducing new foods to an infant, the foods should never have spices or additives, such as butter. A baby needs to taste the food only. Adding other ingredients can lead to over eating and excessive weight gain in later years.

Infants are born with the ability to stop eating when they are full. While this ability may cause parents to feed more than the traditional three times a day, it remains the healthy food choice for infants. Mothers will be able to tell when their infant is full when food is pushed out of the mouth over and over again or the infant turns the head to one side when they view the food.

As soon as the first day after introducing your infant to solid foods, there may be a change in stool appearance. This is a normal change. Stool may appear firm, change color and exhibit a foul smell. Welcome mothers, to the joy of normal poop. If your infant seems to be having trouble passing stool or the stool appears too hard, the cereal the baby is now eating could be causing constipation. Try adding some fruits or vegetables to the daily feeding schedule.

Introducing solid foods to your infant will be a joyous occasion. As a now active part of family meals, your infant will no doubt add laughter and happiness to the dining experience.

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