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New Parents

Preventing Iron-Deficiency Anemia

What is Iron-Deficiency Anemia? Iron-deficiency anemia is a condition that happens when there isn’t enough iron in the body. An infant or child with anemia has a lower number of red blood cells (RBCs), and RBCs contain hemoglobin (HEE-muh-glow-bin), a protein that carries oxygen throughout the body. The body needs iron to make hemoglobin. Without enough iron, less hemoglobin and fewer red blood cells are produced, which leads to anemia. Unlike some types of anemia, iron-deficiency anemia (also called “IDA”) can be prevented. It’s also relatively easy to treat with things like iron supplements and dietary changes. Preventing IDA Symptoms and Screenings for IDA As part of routine wellness, you should have your child screened for anemia at the 12-month and 24-month well-child visits. If your child is showing signs of iron-deficiency anemia, ask your pediatrician to screen your child for anemia. Common symptoms a child may exhibit include would be things like: […]

Breastfeeding Struggles: Anthony’s Story

“Knowing you have a provider like Dr. Brower in your corner will make all the difference.” — Anthony’s Mom, Lindsey As a first-time parent, I struggled a great deal with feeling capable and confident with breastfeeding my son [Anthony]. I was unsure about all of it — whether he was getting the nutrients he needed, whether breastfeeding was comfortable for him, and if there was anything I could be doing differently as a mom to make him feel fed and safe. While receiving postpartum care at the hospital, I was given a ton of support by a multitude of professionals. Nurses, lactation consultants and the hospital pediatrician all offered tips and tricks for how to support a good latch and know whether my baby was fed. The problem was, most of the information given was wildly different between providers, and at times conflicting with what I was told earlier in […]

Q&A: Infantile Spasms (IS)

Q&A: Infantile Spasms (IS)

Infantile spasms (IS) is a rare, but serious type of seizure associated with a unique, very abnormal brain wave pattern that can have a catastrophic effect on a young, developing brain.  What do these seizures look like? These seizures can be subtle and consist of repetitive movements occurring in clusters. These movements are brief and consist of head drops or head bobs with brief jerks followed by flexion or extension in the child’s extremities. The eyes may widen and roll up.  How are they different from sudden startles? These seizures typically occur in clusters of repetitive movements, often when the child is waking up from sleep. After these clusters, the child may cry or become irritable.  What are other symptoms that I may see? At times, the child may cease to make further developmental gains, or have regression in their developmental milestones. What age does Infantile Spasms tend to occur? At any […]

Breastfeeding and COVID

Breastfeeding and COVID-19

Breast milk is nature’s perfect food for a newborn. It contains the right amount of nutrients, immune-boosting antibodies, and is easily digested. Babies who are breastfed tend to have fewer bouts of diarrhea or constipation, less reflux, more protection against ear infections, pneumonia, and asthma, and a lower risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).  The benefits of breast milk seem to be endless. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends to start breastfeeding as early as one hour after birth and to continue exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months. They also recommend continuing breastfeeding even after solid foods are introduced, until at least 1 year of age.  Can You Breastfeeding If Positive for COVID-19? But what if you’ve tested positive for COVID-19? Is it safe to start or continue breastfeeding? While there are still so many unknowns when it comes to coronavirus, it’s widely known that you can spread COVID-19 to your infant through tiny […]

8 Must-Know Tips to Ensure Safe Sleep for Your Baby

8 Must-Know Tips to Ensure Safe Sleep for Your Baby

Much of a baby’s early life is spent sleeping. In fact, many newborns snooze 16 to 17 hours a day! It’s important that sleeping hours be just as safe as those spent awake. Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is a leading cause of death in infants 1 month to 1-year-old. Most of these SIDS deaths occur in the first six months of life. Here are the top tips to keep in mind to ensure that your baby’s sleep environment is as safe as possible. 1. Keep your baby in your bedroom – but not your bed. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends room-sharing (as in bedroom-sharing). This is when an infant sleeps in the same bedroom as their parents (but not the same bed) for at least their first six months. The reason sharing a bed (also called “bed-sharing”) is not recommended is that parents can accidentally roll onto […]

What You Could Miss If You Skip Your Child's Well Visit

What You Could Miss If You Skip Your Child’s Well Visit

Your family has been doing their part and staying home as much as possible to prevent and stop the spread of COVID-19. But messages can get confusing about whether you should take your child to their doctor for a pediatric well visit or check-up. Even during a pandemic, it’s important for kids to have their growth, development, and well-being tracked. What You Could Be Missing by Skipping Your Child’s Well Visit Physical Exam: A regular physical exam can help your doctor pick up hard-to-detect issues like high blood pressure, heart murmur, lumps and bumps, ear and hearing issues, and even cavities. Assessment of Growth: During a check-up, your healthcare provider will track height, weight, and BMI. These measurements can tell them if your child has any medical issues that impact growth. Assessment of Development: A development exam looks at parts of your child’s functioning, including things like reasoning and understanding, […]

The dangers of leaving kids in a hot car, powered by Nemours Children's Health System

Preventing Hot Car Death in Children

In 2018, a disturbing record was set in the U.S. – 52 children died as a result of being left inside a hot car. You may think a hot car death could never happen to you or your family. But most parents or caregivers who left a sleeping baby or child in a car did it unintentionally and unknowingly. You can ensure that a tragedy like this doesn’t happen by creating a plan to help you avoid distraction. The Dangers of Leaving Children in the Car The first thing to remember is that never, at any time, should you leave infants, children or someone who has special needs in a parked car. Even if you’ll only be gone a few minutes; even if the windows are cracked open; even if it’s not that hot outside. Conditions inside a hot, parked car form a type of greenhouse effect where the temperature […]

A Lifetime of Better Health Begins with Good Oral Health, Powered by Nemours Children's Health System

A Lifetime of Better Health Begins with Good Oral Health

When your child has good oral health, it sets them up for good health overall, and helps them with their wellness as they grow into adults. Gum disease is linked to many illnesses like heart disease, diabetes, respiratory disease, osteoporosis, and rheumatoid arthritis. Our mouths are an entryway for infection, and inflammation can let bacteria enter the bloodstream. Oral health affects your child’s speech, how they eat, and their ability to smile and show emotions. It also influences a kid’s self-esteem, academics and school attendance. Starting them off with healthy habits to care for their mouths is essential in preventing oral and other chronic illnesses in the future.  Protect Tiny Teeth As Soon As Possible Your baby’s teeth are hiding just beneath their gums as soon as they are born. Every baby is different, but usually the first teeth to appear are in the top and bottom front of their […]

Doctors, Including This One, Push for Baby Walker Ban, Powered by Nemours Children's Health System

Doctors, Including This One, Push for Baby Walker Ban

We’ve all seen them, maybe even used them at some point. The infant walker. Usually a round or square structure with a seat in the middle, the baby walker has “legs” with wheels, so baby can move around and also play with the many activities on the attached tray. They seem innocent, even helpful to baby’s development. But from 1990 to 2014, nearly 230,676 babies under 15 months old were treated in emergency departments for walker-related injuries. Risks of Baby Walker Use The number one risk from baby walkers is falling down stairs, followed by falling out of the walker. The majority of injuries are to the head and neck. But there are also other risks because while in the walker babies can reach for things that are normally too high—things like pot handles on stove tops or a tablecloth where there is hot coffee on a table. The concern […]

Car Seat Safety, Powered by Nemours Children's Health System

Car Seat Safety

As a parent, you want the very best for your children. One of the most important things you can do is make sure your kids are as safe and secure as possible while riding in your car. Keep Your Kids Buckled Up Every Time Parents and caregivers can keep children safer every time they ride in the car by doing the following: Know the proper way to use car seats, booster seats and seat belts. Use appropriate seats and seat belts with your children on every trip in the car, no matter how short. Set a good example by always using a seat belt yourself. A Car Seat Safety Guide There are many car seat and booster options available to parents and caregivers to use in protecting children while driving. Use this guide to help determine the best way to keep children safe in the car. Rear Facing Car Seat […]

Feeding your Infant - Breastfeeding and Formula Feeding, powered by Nemours Children's Health System

Feeding your Infant – Breastfeeding and Formula Feeding

Eat, poop, sleep, and repeat. As routine as these things may seem, we all know the struggles associated with parenting infants. Our job, as your friendly neighborhood dietitians, is to help guide you through that first part – feeding your infant. We are going to discuss, in a rather general sense, two primary feeding methods. To make a sometimes confusing topic a bit more relatable, I like to compare infant feeding to macaroni and cheese. You have your homemade mac-n-cheese and your pre-made mac-n-cheese. Both are delicious, and typically contain the same calories and nutrients, it’s just a matter of the resources available to you. Breastfeeding First, let’s talk about breastfeeding. Just like your homemade mac-n-cheese, breast milk is designed to specifically meet your family’s needs. Breast milk is unique to each woman as well each environment. That means, if you breastfeed (or pump) in day care, the milk will […]

Why newborns need a vitamin K shot , Powered by Nemours Children's Health System

Why Newborns Need a Vitamin K Shot

With ten tiny fingers and ten tiny toes, a newborn infant seems perfectly made. But the one thing a baby is not born with is enough vitamin K. For this reason, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) since 1961 has strongly recommended that all newborns receive a dose of vitamin K at birth. This has been the standard of care for infants since that time. However in the last few years, there has been a small, but alarming trend of parents who are opting to defer the injection at birth. Why Vitamin K? Vitamin K is a crucial vitamin that helps the body activate clotting factors, which can prevent bleeding. It does not pass in sufficient quantity to an infant during pregnancy, so every baby is born deficient. Most of the vitamin K we make in our bodies comes from the food we eat and from healthy bacteria in our […]

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