Dr. Zibners.com

I know you’ve all heard of colic but just so we are on the same page, “colic” in babies is unexplained crying for several hours a day, usually worse in the evening. Not to be confused with “colic” in horses which is a stomach ailment and is the number one natural killer of our equestrian friends. A lot of people think that colic in infants is also the result of a belly ache but most pediatricians disagree. Colic is probably best described as an immature brain freaking out. The evidence for this is that colicky babies respond to actions that imitate the conditions of the womb, such as rhythmic movement, tight swaddling and loud constant noise. What’s more, colic tends to go away around the same time (3-4 months) that a baby starts to hold its head up and be more social and act more like a real person and not a tiny baby.

I’ve been explaining colic to parents for years and trying to give them both sympathy and support and also real techniques to use to stop the crying. And now I’m living with it. Oh boy. Zoe will stop crying when I do all “the moves:” tight swaddle, binki, loud “sssshhhhhhing,” walking, jiggling and holding her on her side or belly. Okay so that is fine but what about when I need to put her down? Sometimes the baby swing turned all the way up will buy me 15 minutes. That is just enough time to get Eva her evening bath and into her crib. Then she starts her one hour of intermittent fussing and yelling while she fights sleep. So I run from one end of the apartment to the other, ssshhhing this kid, patting that one. It’s both frustrating and exhausting.

I have a new, deeper, respect for families with a fussy infant. What gets me through is a couple of things. Firstly, I know that this is temporary and it’s not because of anything I’ve done or not done. Secondly, I take help wherever I can get it. I try very hard to have a 2nd pair of hands at my house in the evening. I make sure that everyone has watched the Happiest Baby on The Block video and that they all understand that if they start to feel angry or frustrated, they need to put Zoe down and walk away. The only way colic is going to hurt a baby is if she is shaken or otherwise roughly handled out of frustration. Our new motto is: no one ever died from crying.

By the way, set your TIVO for March 11, Rachael Ray (should be on your local ABC affiliate). Yours truly will be making her daytime major network debut.

Dr. Lara Zibners, Mar 04, 2010

• Hide
• Permanent Link »
• Leave a Comment »
• Share This »

The American Academy of Pediatrics issued a policy statement this week on choking prevention, which includes a recommendation for the government to oversee food choking hazards. After all, they regulate non-food choking hazards such as toys and games, so why not food? The AAP also issued a request to the food industry for the redesign of foods that pose an exceptionally high choking risk for children. Among the worst offenders? Hotdogs top the list, followed by hard candies, popcorn, nuts, peanut butter, and anything hard, sticky or chewy. In other words, your toddler can bite but not chew, so carrot sticks, chunks of apple or hunks of cheese are all risky items. Now I completely understand the AAP’s position from one standpoint: if we label non-food items and have a system in place to quickly identify newly-emerging hazards, why don’t we do the same for edibles? It’s a bit ridiculous that a marble comes with a big warning label on it but a gumball is marketed towards children. A few years back, it was found that a particular chewy gel candy was responsible for several choking deaths in children but it took much longer to link the cases and have the product pulled from store shelves than it would have if the offending item had been, say, a mascara wand. Wouldn’t it make more sense to label the things that people actually intend to put in their kid’s mouth?

On the other hand, where do we draw the line? There is no piece of solid food that I can think of that a little one couldn’t at least partially choke on. If we label the most offensive choking risks (such as the hotdog which is the perfect size and shape to completely plug the airway and is nearly impossible to get back out before it’s too late), are we going to make parents complacent about other food items that may not be quite as risky but can still pose a hazard? Or should we slap a sign on door of your local Safeway declaring the entire place to be a danger zone? I really don’t know the answer to this but I am going to use this forum to remind you of the most dangerous choking risks in your kitchen and beseech you to take extra care when feeding your kiddo. Hotdogs should be sliced lengthwise and into small pieces. Grapes get cut in half or quarters. Anything that can’t be mushed with a little tongue shouldn’t be bigger than mini-bite-size. Things that are sticky or gummy can clog up the throat. Don’t let kids run around when eating (which, is by the way, possibly one of the greatest choking threats!). Cookie Monster feedings and speed contests are not appropriate at the dinner table. Just use your brains.

So until the government decides whether it wants to get involved or until Oscar Mayer decides to redesign the dog (into what, exactly, I don’t know), use common sense. You wouldn’t give your kid a cold beer at a barbeque, so why give him a hotdog? Some foods are just not a good idea for a little one unless they are sliced, mushed, peeled, chopped, diced or blended. Don’t be afraid to keep kid-unfriendly food out of your child’s way. More for you that way.

Dr. Lara Zibners, Feb 25, 2010

• Hide
• Permanent Link »
• Leave a Comment »
• Share This »