articles
Topic: Questions & Answsers
November 2009
Q. I’m hearing a lot about vitamin D these days. What are the recommendations?
Dr. Zibners' Answer:
I touched on this last week when I asked for help getting my little peanut to keep her vitamins down. The American Academy of Pediatrics recently updated their guidelines for vitamin D requirements in children. The new guidelines recommend that all kids get a minimum of 400 IU daily beginning within the first few days of life. Vitamin D is important for good bone growth and may play a role in the immune system. A child drinking a quart or more of vitamin D fortified milk or formula should be getting this much. However, all exclusive or partially breastfed infants should receive a supplement as should any infant not consuming enough vitamin D through his feeds. In addition, kids with a medical condition that may impair their ability to absorb vitamin D should probably get a little extra. Ask your pediatrician if your little one needs a supplement. Any standard infant vitamin should have the required 400 IU. You can also find specific vitamin D preparations for infants or a product such as Tri-vi-sol which has vitamins A,C and D. Now good luck getting it down the hatch and keeping it there!
Q. Is it okay to make my own baby food? I keep hearing that I’ll poison my baby.
Dr. Zibners' Answer:
Again, this one comes from my sister. My poor niece. Her mother isn’t a great cook. But that isn’t what’s important here. If you want to make your own baby food, for whatever reason, that is okay but there are a couple things to keep in mind. Firstly, whether you choose to prepare large batches of just single meals, cleanliness is next to Godliness. Use separate cutting boards for poultry, meat, and fruits and veg. Wash all utensils and knives thoroughly. Never put baby’s spoon directly into the prepared food but instead dole out small amounts into an individual serving bowl to decrease bacterial contamination. Make sure the consistency is correct for your baby’s developmental stage and that the foods are also appropriate. For example, honey and egg whites are best reserved for babies over 1 year of age. Also, some vegetables such as beets, spinach and collard greens can contain very high levels of nitrites which can be very dangerous for little ones. The commercial products are screened for nitrite levels but you can’t do that at home. In other words, just ask your pediatrician for a complete list of foods to avoid, use lots of soap and hot water, and have fun. Or just open a jar from the store. I’m really fine with either.
October 2009
I’d like to start using a baby sling to carry my baby but I’m worried about injuries. Are these
Thanks Beth for this timely question since I’ve been looking at slings, wraps and carriers for my own wee bundle. I looked up the reports and it appears that there have been about 20 reports of serious injury over the last 10 years from sling use. The majority of these injuries were either the result of falling out of the sling or from suffocation when the baby’s head is tucked down onto her chest and she can’t breathe. 2 serious injuries a year is 2 too many but still isn’t that alarming. I would say that if you choose to use a sling, make sure you read all the instructions (no matter how painful) and double check all the fasteners, loops and buckles. When the baby is in the sling, make sure her head isn’t pushed too far forward and that she can breathe without difficulty . Be confident that you can easily check on her, do so frequently in case she’s wiggled herself into an unsafe position, and take extra care not to walk into walls or trip on the sidewalk.
Q. My kid has an itchy rash that seems to move around. What is it?
Dr. Zibners' Answer:
A rash that moves is hives. That’s the hallmark sign and distinguishes hives from other types of rashes that might look similar. Red welts (which can look mighty impressive) appear all over but over a couple hours the individual spots might fade and move elsewhere. It’s a common misconception that hives are always an allergic reaction. In fact, there are lots of reasons a kid can get hives, including viral illnesses. Most of the time you can’t figure out what caused them so don’t worry about it. A kid who is having trouble breathing, swelling of the lips or tongue or is vomiting or acting confused needs to be seen immediately. But if they only seem to bother you or she’s just itchy, a dose of an antihistamine by mouth such as Benadryl is helpful. By the way, creams and lotions won’t do a thing. Hives are a reaction that starts inside the body, not in the skin.
Q. Will giving my kid formula make her sleep through the night?
Dr. Zibners' Answer:
Ah the great “feed it and it will sleep” debate. Actually, the only debate exists among parents. You’ll hear lots of advice to start solids or add formula to the breastmilk to get the baby to sleep longer. However, science doesn’t bear this out. True that formula is more difficult to digest than breastmilk and therefore babies need less frequent feedings through the day. However, there is no evidence that adding formula at night will change a baby’s inherent and learned sleep patterns. I’m not going to go into all the different techniques and philosophies out there but I did want to reassure you that if you are breastfeeding, don’t feel like you’re doing something wrong or are somehow inadequate.
connect
buy the book
reviews
"WHAT I LIKED: This book is written in a funny, down to earth way that doesn't make you feel like an idiot. I really would have appreciated something like this when my kids were really little and I freaked out over everything they put in their mouths. It has a scenario/question and answer format, with clear answers on when not to panic and when to call 911."
- Chic Book Chick
events
media
media
Find...
- tags:
- ear pain
- fever
- vomiting
- wheezing
- asthma
- dehydration
- bronchiolitis
- feeding
- foreign bodies
- sunburn
- cpr
- appendicitis
- travel
- deet
- sunscreen
- diarrhea
- constipation
- head injury
- stitches
- food allergy
- vaccines
- choking
- car seats
- otitis media
- seizure
- abdominal pain