July 30, 2011
Filed under: Baby health — Alan @ 10:53 am
The many safety risks that exist in regard to burns are similar for both adults and children, but the latter are mostly unaware of what they must do to protect themselves. There are a number of different and simple ways you can protect both you and your child from dangerous burns.
The best way to prevent kitchen burns is to keep your child in their play pen or another safe spot away from the kitchen while cooking is taking place. If you do not want or cannot have your child outside the kitchen, there are still many things you can do to maintain their safety.
First you need to place right at the back of the counter all items that are hot including liquids, foods and cookware, that way your child will not be able to reach and pull or come in contact with any hot items. It is best to cook only on the burners on the back of the stove too, so your child does not run the risk of touching a front burner that may be very hot.
Do not walk close to your child when you have hot items in your hands because if you should spill something that is hot your child will be burnt if they are beside you. Time in the bathroom also has its risks of burns, with the most common being the hot water that is being used to fill the bath.
You need to constantly test the water temperature while filling it before your child should be allowed to enter the tub. You also need to stay with your child at all times while they are in the tub, not just because of the risk of drowning but also because they could turn on the hot water and scorch themselves.
Make sure you wait a minute or two after running the water before letting the child get in the bath since the tap may still be hot from drawing the water. There are a number of possible electrical devices that heat up in the bathroom that you need to make sure are not left on and are out of the child’s reach, like flat irons, curling irons and hair dryers.
Make sure if the worst happens and your child does get burned that you place the burned area in cool water as quickly as possible. This will provide quick relief and stop the burning. If the size of the burn is larger than a coin the child should be taken immediately to a doctor.
July 24, 2011
Filed under: baby development — Alan @ 9:26 am
As the long summer break approaches, the most important thing on a child’s mind is; what will I do this summer? Parents need to cater to that thought and also understand that each child is unique and different from the rest and needs to be treated as such. So it is important that you know the interests of each child, whether it is games, art or travelling.
This is important because when they are in school they all learn the same thing but what separate’s them is their interests apart from school and whether or not those interests were pushed along during their growing years. Because of this, the days of summer are the best time to practice and hone their skills whatever they may be.
Gardening is a fun activity for kids to do and it teaches them the importance of flora and gives them their first chance to see the beauty of nature and how to appreciate the environment.
Camping is a great activity for youngsters. You can teach them things about the wilderness and you can have them learn how to take photos of the beautiful scenery. Arts and Crafts are great way to fill a youngster’s free time. They can make one new craft a day and explore their creative side. There are loads of places to get craft books and guides to making crafts.
Sports are very important for kids because they learn to share, play as a team and learn how to compete against others their same age. Treasure Hunts are fun when you have the outdoor space. You can send them out looking for things with different clues hidden around the area.
Zoo visit are a great way to spend an afternoon or an entire day. The kids can learn new things about animals and it what their favorite animals were and the can also see how the mothers nurture their young.
Reading is great for kids because they go two to three months without being in a classroom setting and they can sometimes lose a bit of their skill and reading is another way to open a whole new world to them through their imagination.
July 15, 2011
Filed under: Baby health — Alan @ 8:01 am
When it comes to babies, hiccups it is nothing new. From time to time the majority of babies and adults have hiccups. Even babies still inside the mother’s womb can have a bout of hiccups. But as a new parent you should not let it bother you too much because it can and usually does happen to most babies.
When the muscle known as the diaphragm contracts hiccups happen and this muscle is essential for baby’s to breathe. Hiccups have been associated with feeding as well because most of the time while a baby eats they are swallowing a great deal of air and that can stimulate contractions in the diaphragm and cause the onset of hiccups. Also too much air in the baby’s stomach can cause the diaphragm to contract as well.
There are additional factors that are associated with hiccups and they include changes in temperature of the baby and GERD or gastro esophageal reflux disease. A rapid drop in the temperature in the body of your baby will cause contractions in the muscles leading to hiccups. GERD stimulates the diaphragm with the food that returns during the reflux actions.
Hiccups are not serious and you should not panic if your baby has long bouts with them because they will eventually stop. You can do many things to try and stop hiccups quickly one of those is to pat the back of your baby.
The patting motion will help to expel the stomach air and will also relax the baby. Others use sugar to stop hiccups. You can put a small amount of sugar on the tip of your baby’s tongue the notion is it stops the contraction of the diaphragm.
July 14, 2011
Filed under: Baby health — admin @ 12:58 pm
Dry skin, eczema, dermatitis and psoriasis are often thought to be skin conditions only affecting adults, but babies can get problem skin too. In fact, because baby skin is more sensitive, it’s even more susceptible to becoming dry.
Conventional treatments for problem skin can often contain harsh chemicals, steroids and antibiotics that are unsuitable for babies, but luckily a new natural alternative has launched in the UK that provides a gentle yet effective remedy.
A natural solution
Salcura is a 100% natural, chemical and paraben-free specialist skin care range specially formulated with natural anti-itch, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal ingredients. Unlike many other products that treat eczema, psoriasis, dermatitis, dry and itchy skin, Salcura products have the rare benefit of being suitable for newborn babies and pregnant women.
Containing sea buckthorn, manuka, Dead Sea minerals and tea tree oil, Salcura helps support the skin’s natural healing process by allowing skin to breathe. Commonly used paraffin based emollients actually form a layer over the skin, blocking the skin’s two-way membrane which is designed to both eliminate and absorb toxins.[i]
Unlike barrier creams and emollients, Salcura helps to improve the condition of new skin cells over time by nourishing the deeper layers of skin. This helps the skin become healthier and stronger as it reaches the surface layers.
Salcura products:
Salcura DermaSpray Gentle is suitable for babies under 12 months. If your baby is over one year, there is DermaSpray Intensive.
- Salcura DermaSprays help to provide relief from initial symptoms, but also manages skin conditions long term by nourishing the deeper layers of skin
- The spray allows application without touching or rubbing the skin, reducing the risk of spreading infection
Zeoderm cream
Zeoderm is suitable for babies over 1 years of age. The cream helps to sooth and restore very dry and damaged surface skin, ideally in conjunction with the DermaSpray products.
Availability
Salcura products are available at Boots and pharmacies across the UK and are also available online at www.salcuraskincare.com
You can also join the Salcura Facebook page to receive a free sample pack of Salcura products containing DermaSprays and Zeoderm moisturiser. Visit http://www.facebook.com/SalcuraNaturalSkinTherapy to get yours.
Ingredients
Sea Buckthorn is known as a ‘shot of nutrition’ and is a key anti-oxidant ingredient made from oil derived from the Sea Buckthorn berry. It contains omega 3, 6, 7 and 9 oils, DHA and vitamins which work to ease inflammation, eliminate bacteria, relieve pain, and promote regeneration of tissues.
Other ingredients include: Magnesium, Calcium, Zinc, Tea Tree Oil (anti-inflammatory), Manuka Oil, Sandalwood Oil, Rosalina Oil, Vitamin A, B Vitamins, plus more.
July 13, 2011
Filed under: Baby health — Alan @ 5:18 am
Measles, a contagious disease, infects the respiratory system and is caused by a virus. Known medically as Rubella the infection has symptoms such as cough, fever, red eyes, runny nose and rashes. Even though measles is a disease that is manageable it can also cause serious health problems if not immediately treated.
Measles are easily spread through breathing and via contact with fluids from the nose and mouth of the infected person. If you do not have a strong immunity against viruses such as these then there is a 92% chance of being infected. Fourteen days is the normal period of time for incubation and then following the presence of rash there is a period of nine days of infectivity.
A series of complications can also result from the virus like pneumonia, diarrhea, encephalitis, and corneal ulceration to scarring. But these complications often times happen more in adults than children.
The best way to treat the disease is to first get it diagnosed correctly and making sure that the symptoms are in fact measles and not just a measles like infection. In case there is someone that has an outbreak the best thing is stay away from the infected person and the areas where they are infected and immediately vaccinate all those that may be susceptible.
In infants vaccines are ideal from six to eleven months and a second vaccine between a year and 15 months. Babies are more susceptible to these since their immune systems have not fully developed yet. There is not a treatment that is designed specifically for the disease. Most cases recover naturally via supportive treatment and rest.
July 7, 2011
Filed under: New Born — Alan @ 10:38 am
One of the most life changing and happiest times of a woman’s life and definitely a life changing time is entering motherhood, even though it can also be challenging and quite stressful to say the least.
While many mums will feel anxious about the uncertainties and challenges that lie in front of them, constant worry or times of anxiety can have their detrimental effects and could greatly hurt the relationship between mum and her new baby.
Postpartum depression or severe baby blues (PPD) according to studies affects over 13% of mothers. This is caused by a large decrease in the amount of progesterone, estrogen and thyroid hormones that follow a child’s birth. Recognizing what the symptoms are and learning to understand the steps to overcome the depression can allow you to start to make that close-knit relationship with your newborn.
Those that suffer PPD often feel a loss of a connection or bond with their new baby. Have the thoughts ever occurred to you to hurt your baby or yourself? Are there suicidal thoughts and the feeling of increased loneliness and isolation? If the answer was yes to the questions you could be suffering from postpartum depression.
Some of the symptoms of the possible onset of postpartum depression include difficulty sleeping, loss of appetite, recurrent sadness, lost of interest in life, hopelessness, fatigue, guilt and frustration. These may develop at times into something even more serious with sufferers often finding themselves paranoid or frantic over even little things.
Always remember first and foremost that you are not alone. If you realize this suffering of severe baby blues you can start getting better by taking the necessary steps to combat the condition. Leaving it untreated with the hope it will just go away or get better will not help and will get worse before it gets better.
Your family, friends and spouse are always worried about your well being, do not be ashamed to seek support or confide in your loved ones, most of all the baby’s father. Tell him the problems you feel and let him play the major role in helping to combat and beat your depression.
To help cope there are a number of support groups, resources and services at your disposal. Look for a group that meets and its members are postpartum depression sufferers that way you will be with people that know what you are going through and can offer their help, opinions and ideas. At times it may feel difficult to share your thoughts with people that are strangers, but remember they have suffered or are suffering just what you are. Use the help of a group that has the same common goal in order to help get you through the emotional roller coaster of postpartum depression.
July 1, 2011
Filed under: Baby items — admin @ 1:59 pm
When it comes to choosing furniture for your home, you have to make sure that it can handle all the wear and tear of your family. One of the core pieces that you have to think about is your sofa. If you have young children, you should look for baby friendly sofas as they are designed to make them easy to clean and made so that they can handle rough treatment.
The first thing that you should look for when it comes to buying sofas is the type of material it uses. A lot of people want to go with leather but it can be advised against, depending on the situation. It is difficult to treat stains on leather and it can wear out faster than other materials. Leather can easily rip, crack, and the colour can really fade away if you have a lot of movement on it due to children.
Microfibre with sleeves that you can take off is a better option. You can wash the fibre and the sleeves with water and it is easier to get rid of set in stains. If you get one with sleeves, then you may also get it replaced if the manufacturer sells them separately. When buying microfibre, look at what kind of cleaning solutions are suited for the fabric as each manufacturer may recommend a different one.
The second thing you want to think about is colour. If you want something low maintenance, then it’s advised that you avoid light colours such as white, cream, and beige. Stains and dirt will be more visible on these colours so it is a better idea to go with darker ones. You’ll still be cleaning your sofa just not as often.
Just because you are going with a lighter coloured sofa doesn’t mean that the colour itself needs to be dark. There are different shades of blue, green, red, and other colours. There is a wide selection so you will likely find a colour that will complement the rest of your furniture.
Finally, you will want to go with a sofa that provides enough space. Rather than get a set that provides just enough space for your family, you will want some extra room so there’s less fighting and everyone is comfortable! This is something a lot of parents don’t think about but should be taken into consideration.
You’ll find that some sets offer significant discounts if you are buying bigger sofas and extra additions. So that means that you can still get a good deal on sofas even though you are spending more money on getting extra seats for your sofa sets.
So those are some ground ideas for baby and child friendly sofas. You have to remember that accidents are bound to happen so you want to think about this beforehand. Many people regret buying expensive sofas only to see them crack, rip, and fade within months as a result of their children’s spillage accidents and playing.
Article supplied by Sofas & Stuff (http://www.sofasandstuff.com/)
The many safety risks that exist in regard to burns are similar for both adults and children, but the latter are mostly unaware of what they must do to protect themselves. There are a number of different and simple ways you can protect both you and your child from dangerous burns.
