Newborn Care Tips

Newborn Care: New Year Tip
Happy new years! With a new year comes a newborn in your life. In 2009, many families are still recovering from our economic situation. Based on what economists are saying, 2010 may also be difficult financially. Preparing for your newborn's arrival and caring for your newborn is expensive. Furniture, clothing, food and doctor visits - both obstetrics and pediatric, contribute to the expenses of new parents.

Start to consider the additional costs in your monthly budget. By planning ahead you will be more prepared for this new adventure, which will decrease the amount of stress new parents may encounter. It is also important to be aware, after the newborn arrives of your stress level as new parents. Different levels of stress are illustrated in my "Parental Comfort Zones", which are important to monitor for new parents. The key is to get parents of the newborn to be in a healthy "Zone" which will make the experience of newborn parenting more enjoyable.

Family and friend support is also essential. With a newborn on the way and after the newborn's delivery, it is important to reach out to family and friends who can be an instrumental support network in reducing stress of new parents. If you are able, 2010 is also a great time to give to those families in need. Newborn Care 101 is donating a portion of its proceeds of the newborn video to The American Academy of Pediatrics - Friends of Children Fund. Check out our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's) section for more information which will help reduce a new parent's stress.

Newborn Care Holiday Tip - December joys and hazards for newborns
One of the good things about the holidays is families getting together, especially with their children. However, if you have a newborn, you may be exposing your infant to a virus ranch. Toddlers and preschoolers, particularly those who are in childcare or nursery school, are often either just coming down with something, going through a viral infection or just getting over one. The problem is that they shed virus before and after you even know they are sick.

Newborn infants are not able to overcome infections as well as older children. If you go to family gatherings or have people to your home, minimize your newborn’s exposure to people. Insist that adults wash their hands and/or use a hand sanitizer before handling your newborn and keep small children at a distance. They can look but not touch. Check out our newborn vaccinations page for more information.

Newborn Care Fall Tip
By now you have probably been bombarded with information about the swine flu and seasonal flu. Alarmingly, about 50% of parents say they will not get their children immunized against the flu, although vaccination is recommended for anyone over 6 months.

If you have a newborn under 6 months, that child is at risk for the most serious complications of flu but cannot be immunized. Parents, siblings and other household members and caregivers must be immunized themselves to decrease the risk of any newborn or child under the age of 6 months from contracting the flu. You can get both seasonal and swine flu vaccinations at once. Your pediatrician, local health departments, drug stores and a variety of other venues can take care of it. Check out our newborn vaccinations page for more information.

Newborn Care Summer Tip
How do you care for a newborn during hot weather?
This is a question that frequently comes up in my practice during the summer months. Newborns can't regulate temperature like you and I can, so it is up to us to keep the newborns comfortable. Parents rarely under-dress their newborns and usually err on the side of dressing their newborns too warmly. A newborn should be dressed in the same amount of layers as you are dressed. This goes for both inside and outside. This is especially important during a newborn's sleep, as overheating during sleep can increase the incidence of SIDS. Another frequently asked question in my practice is whether or not a newborn needs water, in addition to its regular feeds during the hot weather. The answer is no. One of the largest components of breast milk and formula is water. If your newborn is urinating frequently, he or she is adequately hydrated and does not need excess fluid/water.

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