Feeding Guide And Growth Milestones

In light of all our topics on how much to feed, or how to do solids, how much... I did some researching for my First Year mommies, so they could get some better understanding on it, or even just different points of views to make into their own ideas.

Other sites to check out about Solids:

Feeding Suggestions for the First Year

http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com
http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/solids2.htm

http://www.kidsgrowth.com/resources/articl...ail.cfm?id=1340 this is a link to everything concerning feeding/breastfeeding and babies who spit up frequently.... VERY helpful.

If you do not want to buy jarred foods, and would prefer to make your own, these sites is informative...

http://www.babycenter.com/refcap/baby/baby...ng/1401482.html
http://www.babycenter.com/refcap/baby/baby...ng/1401482.html


[SIZE=12pt] :a_smil09: STARTING SOLID FOODS :a_smil09: [/SIZE]

The best time to begin using a spoon to feed your child is when your baby can sit with some support and move his head to participate in the feeding process. This time is usually between 4 and 6 months of age. Breast milk and commercial formulas meet all of your baby's nutritional needs until 4 to 6 months of age. Introducing strained foods earlier just makes feeding more complicated. Research has shown that in most cases solid foods won't help your baby sleep through the night. The only exceptions are those few breast-fed babies who are not getting enough calories or gaining enough weight.

TYPES OF SOLID FOODS:

CEREALS

Cereals are usually the first solid food added to your baby's diet. Generally these are introduced to formula-fed infants at 4 months of age and to breast-fed infants at 6 months of age.

Cereals should be fed with a small spoon and never given with formula in the baby's bottle. This is because an infant should be taught to differentiate between what he eats and what he drinks.

Start with rice cereal, which is less likely to cause allergies than other cereals. Barley and oatmeal may be tried 2 or 3 weeks later. A mixed cereal should be added to your baby's diet only after each kind of cereal in the mixed cereal has been separately introduced.


VEGETABLES AND FRUITS
Strained or pureed vegetables and fruits are the next solid foods introduced to your baby. The order in which you add vegetables and fruits to your baby's diet is not important. However, you should introduce only one new food at a time and no more than three new foods per week.


MEAT AND PROTEIN ALTERNATIVES
By 7 to 8 months of age your baby should be ready for strained or pureed meats and protein alternatives (such as beans, peas, lentils, cottage cheese, and yogurt).


POSSIBLY ALLERGENIC FOODS
Egg whites, wheat, peanut butter, fish, and orange juice may be more likely to cause allergies than other solid foods, but this is controversial. Avoid adding these foods to your baby's diet until 1 year of age, especially if your infant has other allergies.

SPOON FEEDING
Begin feeding your baby with a spoon at 4 to 6 months of age. Place food on the middle of the tongue. If you place it in front, your child will probably push it back at you. Some infants get off to a better start if you place the spoon between their lips and let them suck off the food.

Some children constantly bat at the spoon or try to hold it while you are trying to feed them. These children need to be distracted with finger foods or given another spoon to hold.

By the time they are 1 year old, most children want to try to feed themselves and can do so with finger foods. By 15 to 18 months of age, most children can feed themselves with a spoon and no longer need a parent's help to eat.

FINGER FOODS
Finger foods are small, bite-size pieces of soft foods. They can be introduced between 9 and 10 months of age or whenever your child develops a pincer grip.

Most babies love to feed themselves. Since most babies will not be able to feed themselves with a spoon until 15 months of age, finger foods keep them actively involved in the feeding process.

Good finger foods are dry cereals (Cheerios, Rice Krispies, etc.), slices of cheese, pieces of scrambled eggs, slices of canned fruit (peaches, pears, or pineapple), slices of soft fresh fruits (especially bananas), crackers, cookies, and breads.

This is a link to a site about different finger foods... it is helpful.

http://www.kidshealth.org/parent/food/infa...nger_foods.html

SNACKS
Once your baby goes to three meals a day, or eats at 5-hour intervals, he may need small snacks to tide him over between meals. Most babies begin this pattern between 6 and 9 months of age. The midmorning and midafternoon snack should be a nutritious, nonmilk food. Fruits and dry cereals are recommended. If your child is not hungry at mealtime, cut back on the snacks or eliminate them.

TABLE FOODS
Your child should be eating the same meals you eat by approximately 1 year of age. This assumes that your diet is well balanced and that you carefully dice any foods that would be difficult for your baby to chew. Avoid foods that he could choke on such as raw carrots, candy, peanuts or other nuts, and popcorn. (For more information, see Choking. )

IRON-RICH FOODS
Throughout our lives we need iron in our diet to prevent anemia. Certain foods are especially good sources of iron. Red meats, fish, and poultry are best. Some young children will only eat lunch meats, and the low-fat ones are fine. Adequate iron is also found in iron-enriched cereals, beans of all types, egg yolks, peanut butter, raisins, prune juice, sweet potatoes, and spinach.

VITAMINS
Added vitamins are not necessary after your child is 1 year old and is eating a balanced diet. If he's a picky eater, give him one chewable vitamin pill a week.

[SIZE=12pt]*** :itwins_boys: FORMULA FEEDING GUIDE :itwins: *** [/SIZE]

These are guidelines to the amount your baby may drink, but let your baby's appetite be your guide. Don't coax your baby to finish a bottle. If he/she seems hungry, feed him/her more often.

Age: 0-3 Months
Total Daily Amount: 24-32 ounces
Number of feedings per day: 5-7
Amount Per Feeding: 3-6 ounces

Age: 4-6 Months
Total Daily Amount: 32-36 ounces
Number of feedings per day: 4-5
Amount per feeding: 6-8 ounces

Age: 7-12 Months
Total Daily Amount: 20-30 Ounces
Number of Feedings per day: 3-4
Amount per feeding: 5-8 ounces

[SIZE=12pt]****Information for Breastfeeding moms****[/SIZE]

Does eating an extra 500 calories a day without gaining weight sound like a dream? For most people, it is. But for a special group — mothers who breast-feed their babies — it is a dream that can come true. But don't start dreaming about 500 calories worth of just anything. While a Breast-feeding diet allows for extra calories, those calories should come from nutritious foods. Both the mother's and the baby \'s health depend on the mother s choice of food.

Breast-feeding mothers can eat those extra calories because milk production requires so much energy. In fact, sometimes the energy demands of milk production are so high that even those 500 extra calories are not enough. Fortunately, most mothers can still meet these energy demands from fat stored during pregnancy.

While they are pregnant, women who eat a healthy diet and stay within the number of calories recommended by their doctors usually gain about eight to 10 pounds of fat. This may add about a third more body fat than the mother had before she became pregnant. The body sets in this supply of fat as insurance that calories will be available to produce enough milk after the baby is born.

Exactly how many calories should a Breast-feeding mother eat? The National Academy of Sciences recommends that a woman who is 5 feet 4 inches tall and weighs about 120 pounds eat 2,600 calories a day while nursing. This is in comparison to a recommended 2,400 calories a day while pregnant and 2,100 calories a day when neither pregnant or nursing.

Yet a mother can have a poor diet — either nutritionally inadequate or too low in calories, or both — and still produce enough milk for her baby. This is especially true during the first few months of Breast-feeding when the extra fat from pregnancy is available. But as those fat reserves are depleted, the amount of milk produced may decrease.

With a poor diet, any milk production will take its toll on the mother. Lack of protein may cause the breakdown of lean body tissue (muscle); not enough calcium could cause a loss of that important mineral from her bones. And because an inadequate diet can cause a decreased sense of well-being, there is a greater chance that a mother will give up Breast-feeding. As Julie Stock of the La Leche League, an international Breast-feeding support and educational organization, explains, a mother who is not t eating properly "simply is not in any shape to accept the stress of a tiny, nursing baby."

A mother should do everything she can to keep Breast-feeding her baby. Human milk is the ideal nourishment for human babies. Its protein content is particularly suited to a baby s metabolism, and the fat content is more easily absorbed and digested than the fats in cow s milk. Breast milk — because it contains antibodies from the mother — also can provide immunologic protection against certain diseases, infections and allergies. Formula can t do this.

A healthy breast-feeding diet is basically the same nutritionally sound and varied diet recommended during pregnancy. The main differences are in the needs for extra calories, fluids and certain vitamins.

Ten to 12 eight-ounce glasses of fluid per day preferably milk, fruit juices, or water — are necessary to make enough milk and prevent dehydration in the mother. Drinking something every time the baby nurses, in addition to drinking with meals, is one way to be sure to get enough.

Getting enough calcium requires special attention. Breast milk contains approximately 300 milligrams of calcium per liter. Since daily milk production averages 850 milliliters, approximately 250 milligrams of calcium are needed each day just for the breast milk. To ensure that the calcium for the breast milk is not t drawn from the mother s bones, which could contribute to osteoporosis (weakened bones) later in life, the National Academy of Sciences recommends 1,400 milligrams of calcium a day for Breast-feeding women.

A breast-feeding mother's need for iron is about the same as before she got pregnant. Iron loss from lactation is one-half to one milligram per day. Over a month, that amount adds up to approximately the same amount lost during a menstrual period. And menstruation frequently does not t resume until after Breast-feeding stops. However, many physicians recommend that a Breast-feeding mother take an iron supplement to replenish iron lost during pregnancy.

Although extra amounts of vitamins, such as A and C, are needed while Breast-feeding, a well-balanced diet should make supplements unnecessary. What makes up a well-balanced diet? The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends the following for breast-feeding mothers.

Dairy Products — These contain not only calcium, but also protein, fats, vitamins and other minerals. The diet of a breast-feeding woman should include five servings of milk or milk products every day. While milk is an excellent way to meet the requirements for liquids and calcium, there are plenty of other sources of calcium. One cup of yogurt, two cups of cottage cheese, or one-and-a-half ounces of cheese contain about the same amount of calcium as an eight-ounce glass of milk.

Protein Foods — Necessary for building muscle and other body tissue in both mother and baby, protein is found in animal products such as meat, fish, poultry, milk and eggs. Some vegetables also are good sources of protein. Four servings of protein should be part of the nursing mother s daily diet. For lean cooked meat, fish or poultry, without bones, two to three ounces is the usual serving size. Good sources of vegetable protein include dried beans such as kidney and lima (one cup), dried peas (one cup), and peanut butter (four tablespoons).

Fruits and Vegetables — Fruits and vegetables provideimportant vitamins, minerals and fiber. Breast-feeding mothers should have several servings daily of fruits and vegetables, at least one from each of three subgroups:

Foods rich in vitamin C include cantaloupe (serving size: half of a medium-sized melon) and strawberries (three-quarters of a cup) and, of course, citrus fruits such as oranges (one medium) and grapefruit (one half). Tomatoes, potatoes, and green peppers are also good sources of vitamin C.

The dark-green vegetables subgroup includes greens, asparagus and spinach. These vegetables are excellent sources of vitamin A, which is important to babies for bone growth, tooth formation, good vision, and resisting infections.

Dark-yellow fruits and vegetables are another good source of vitamin A. Examples of these are carrots (one-half cup per serving), sweet potatoes (one medium-sized), winter squash (one-half cup), and apricots (two medium-sized).

Breads and Cereals — Carbohydrates from breads and cereals are a quick and efficient source of energy. Grain products also supply essential vitamins and minerals for the development of a baby s muscles, nerves and brain cells. Products made from whole grains provide more fiber than refined grains. Good choices for one of the four servings of these foods needed every day include whole-wheat bread (one slice), oatmeal (one-half cup cooked), spaghetti (one-half cup cooked) and brown rice (one-half cup cooked).

Knowing what to eat is only part of the battle. The demands of a baby may leave a mother with very little time or energy for cooking. But there are plenty of healthy foods that are quick and convenient. Fruits such as apples and bananas are good choices. Other quick and nutritious foods include ready-to-eat cereal, a glass of milk, cheese, rice cakes, yogurt, and fresh vegetables.

Nursing mothers usually can eat most foods. (Some drugs and certain other substances must be avoided or used with caution.) If a nursing mother has to give up a certain food or group of foods (if she or her baby has an allergy, for example), she should be sure to eat other foods that have a similar nutrient content.

Physicians rarely recommend weight-loss diets to Breast-feeding mothers. Instead, until breast-feeding stops, the best thing to do is sit back and enjoy those extra calories.


[SIZE=12pt]**** :banana: Growth Milestones :banana: ****[/SIZE]

Every child is unique in his or her own way. Yet, there are certain similarities that children share with each other. With the help of many experts in the field, we have put together a collection of "Growth Milestones." This information is arranged in a sequence similar to a schedule of well-child examinations.

This collection is not intended to be read through like a novel. And it is not meant to take the place of discussions and consultations with your child’s doctor. Instead, we hope you will use them to get a better understanding of your child’s growth and development. Our goal in presenting this information is to make your job as parents a little easier.

Prenatal Interview -- Choosing a Doctor:
http://www.kidsgrowth.com/resources/articledetail.cfm?id=311

2 Weeks Appointment --
http://www.kidsgrowth.com/resources/articl...ail.cfm?id=1124

2 Month Appointment --
http://www.kidsgrowth.com/resources/articl...ail.cfm?id=1123

4 Month Appointment --
http://www.kidsgrowth.com/resources/articledetail.cfm?id=315

6 Month Appointment --
http://www.kidsgrowth.com/resources/articledetail.cfm?id=316

9 Month Appointment --
http://www.kidsgrowth.com/resources/articledetail.cfm?id=317

12 Month Appointment --
http://www.kidsgrowth.com/resources/articledetail.cfm?id=318

[SIZE=12pt]**** :blbl: Growth and Development :blbl: ****[/SIZE]

What should you expect as your child grows? Learn how to understand and deal with your child's changing body and mind from infancy through the teen years.

Here is a link to different articles on growth and developement, and what to expect at certain ages.

http://www.kidshealth.org/parent/growth/index.html

[SIZE=12pt]*** Physical Milestones, such as Rolling over, sitting, crawling, cruising and walking ***[/SIZE]

I recently did a survey in the parents club, and although I didn't get as many responses as I was hoping, I went ahead and figured up the results. So, here is when each person's child began doing each thing.

Rolling Over
1 Month- 1 Child had rolled over
2 Months - 7 Children rolled over
3 Months - 12 Children Rolled
4 Months - 14 Children Rolled
5 Months - 9 Children Rolled
6 Months - 6 Children Rolled
7 Months - 2 Children Rolled

*So most children will/should roll by atleast 7 months, and can begin as early as 1 month.

Sitting Up Unassited
2 Months - 2 Children sat up
3 Months - 1 Child Sat up
4 Months - 2 Children sat up
5 Months - 7 Children sat up
6 Months - 22 Children Sat up
7 Months - 6 Children sat up
8 Months - 5 Children sat up
9 Months - 6 Children sat up
10 Months - 3 Children sat up
12 Months - 1 Child was sitting

*So most children should be able to sit by 6 months, and can begin as early as 2 months.

Crawling
5 Months - 1 child was crawling
6 Months - 5 children were crawling
7 Months - 15 children were crawling
8 Months - 15 children were crawling
9 Months - 6 children were crawling
10 Months - 6 children were crawling
11 Months - 6 children were crawling
12 Months - 1 child was crawling

*So most can crawl by 7 months, and can begin as early as 5 months, or begin as late as 12 months.

Cruising
7 Months - 5 children were cruising
8 Months - 7 children were cruising
9 Months - 11 children were cruising
10 Months - 10 children were cruising
11 Months - 3 children were cruising
12 Months & up - 12 children were cruising

*So most could begin cruising by 9 months, but some could start as early as 7 months, or begin as late as 12 months and up.

Walking
8 Months - 1 child was walking
9 Months - 2 children were walking
10 Months - 6 children were walking
11 Months - 11 children were walking
12 Months - 8 children were walking
13 Months - 8 Children were walking
14 Months - 1 child was walking
15 Months & up - 10 children were walking

*So by 11 months most children had began walking, 1 started as early as 8 months, and a lot started as late as 15 months and up.

I think this just proves all children are different, and will begin their own milestones when ready.

 

[SIZE=12pt]**** Vision Milestones ****[/SIZE]

Milestones related to vision or seeing:
Birth

•poor eyesight
•infant will blink in response to bright light or touching eye
•eyes are sometimes uncoordinated, may look crossed-eyed
•able to stare at object if held 8 to 10 inches away
initially fixes eyes on a face or light then begins to follow a moving object

1 month

•looks at faces and pictures with contrasting black and white images
•can follow an object up to 90 degrees
•watches parent closely
•tears begin to form

2 to 3 months

•begins to be able to see an object as one image
•looks at hands
•follows light, faces, objects

4 to 5 months

•beginning to reach hands to objects, may bat at hanging object with hands
•can stare at a block
•recognizes bottle
•will look at self in mirror
•will look at own hand

5 to 7 months

•has full color vision, able to see at longer distances
•can pick up a toy that is dropped
•will turn head to see an object
•likes certain colors
•will touch image of self in mirror

7 to 11 months

•can stare at small objects
•begins to have depth perception
•plays peek-a-boo

11 to 12 months

•can watch objects that are moving fast

[SIZE=14pt]Hearing Developmental Checklist [/SIZE]

If your child is 0-3 Months old does he or she:

•Startle in response to loud sounds
•Turns their head to you when you speak
•Wake up at the sound of loud voices/sounds
•Respond to sounds, music, or voices
•Seem to know your voice and quiets down if crying
•Smile when spoken to

If your child is 3-6 Months old does he or she:

•Look upward or turn toward a new sound
•Respond to changes in tone of voice
•Enjoy shaking rattles or playing with toys that make sound
•Become scared by a loud voice
•Turn head or eyes toward a sound he can not see
•Change expressions at the sound of a voice or loud noise

If your child is 6-9 Months old does he or she:

•Turns more accurately to enviromental sounds
•Begins to understand a few words "bye-bye", "so-big"
•Starts to imitate some sounds
•Has started to babble
•Turn head towards soft sounds
•Say single (hard) consonants, like "dada"

If your child is 9-12 Months old does he or she:

•Turn quickly to a soft noisemaker
•Respond to his/her name
•Vary the pitch of his/her voice when babbling
•Make several different consonant sounds when babbling (m, p, b, g, etc.)
•Understand what "no" means
•Say "mama" and "dada" (but not specificly)

*If you answered no to two or more choices, please consult with your pedi or family Dr.

[SIZE=14pt]Common Concerns about Speech Development:[/SIZE]

"Why is my child not talking?" "Is my child talking clearly enough for his age?" "Will my child have problems learning to talk if we speak more than one language in our home?" Parents who are concerned about their child's speech development often ask questions like these.

First Things First
Some children are naturally late talkers, just as some are naturally early talkers. It's true that sometimes second- or third-born children start to talk later than their older siblings did. But, even so, they catch up with their peers by the time they are 5 years old.

Assess Hearing
Not hearing is a major obstacle to learning to talk. Have your baby's hearing checked on each visit, especially if your child has had multiple ear infections. Talk with your baby to see whether he or she pays attention to your voice.

Compare Each Child to Norms-Not Other Children
Comparing each child to the established norms for speech development is better than comparing him or her to other children. Most children follow a normal progression. They:


•Make sounds by 2 months.
•Respond to noises or voices by 4 months.
•Babble by 9 months.
•Say a few words by 1 year.
•Use short, simple sentences (2 or 3 words) by 2 ½ years.
•Say longer sentences (4 or 5 words) by 3 years.
•Tell a simple story by 4 years.

Reading to and Talking with Babies Encourages Them to Talk
Many parents want to know how to encourage talking in their children. Talking and reading to babies and young children are the two most important ingredients for stimulating a child to talk. Use clear words and phrases while doing daily activities. For example, you can say, "Let's walk over to the sofa. I want to get your Teddy Bear," or "Look, here comes grandma." Playing games such as peek-a-boo, singing along with music, repeating sounds and words that the baby says all encourage talking. Set aside time for reading, even to very young babies. Doing this helps establish reading as part of their daily care for their child. (For recommended books go to KidsGrowth Child Health's Book Review section.)

Baby Talk or Not to Baby Talk
Many parents wonder whether baby talk or "parentese" is OK to use. Research shows the higher pitch and slower rate of baby talk along with the emphasis placed on certain words actually gets the baby's attention. It's best to gradually stop baby talk and use normal tone and rhythm by the time a baby is 6 months old.

This article only touches on a portion of the concerns typically expressed by parents. In Part 2, we address additional speech development issues including common speech mistakes and the opportunities afforded by multi-lingual households.

Speech development is often a concern for parents. When you're asking questions such as "Is my child speaking clearly?" and "Is it OK that's he's exposed to two languages?" here are a few tips.

Concerns About Not Talking
Some toddlers just don't talk. If your child isn't talking, here are a few suggestions:


•Don't force children to talk and don't talk for them. Expect children to talk for themselves.
•Get children's attention before you talk to them. Face a child, speak clearly, use simple words and repeat what you say.
•Use rewards (praise, hugs and stickers) when a late talking child begins to talk more.
•Mistakes Are Part of Learning to Talk
•All kids make mistakes when they start to talk. The most common mistakes include:


•Using incorrect letter sounds, such as a "d" for "t"
•Mispronouncing words, such as saying "blankie" for "blanket" and
•Having trouble saying certain letters, such as not being able to sound out "sh," "w" and "th."
•Through practice, most children get it right. Remind parents to always use proper words and phrases, repeat a child's mispronounced word correctly and avoid teasing.

Hearing More Than One Language Helps a Child
Many people believe that babies who grow up in households where more than one language is spoken have difficulty learning to talk. Quite the contrary: instead they have the opportunity to learn the unique sounds (phonemes), rhythm and melodies of more than one language. This makes it easier for them to speak that language later in life, even if they haven't heard it for a long time. Babies who hear more than one language may combine the languages until about 3 years old. Afterward, they sort them out and speak the different languages well.

Dispel Other Myths About Late Talking
Some people think that late talking is a sign of laziness or a result of being one in a multiple birth. In addition, some people think that having tongue-tie, a condition in which the tissue that attaches the tongue to the bottom of the mouth is tighter and thicker than normal, causes speech delays. None of these cause speech problems.

Practice Makes Perfect and Then…
When children start to talk they often like to practice. They talk to everyone and everything. They may seem to be quiet only when they sleep.

References:
Hay WW Jr. et al., eds. (1999). Current Pediatric Diagnosis and Treatment, 14th ed. Norwalk, CT: Appleton and Lange.

Montgomery TR (1994). When "not talking" is the chief complaint. Contemporary Pediatrics, 11(September):49-70.

Shonkoff JP (1996). Language delay: Late talking to communication disorder. In Rudolph AM et al, eds., Rudolph's Pediatrics, pp. 124-128. Stamford, CT: Appleton & Lange.

Wang PP, Baron MA (1997) Language - A Code for Communicating. In Batshaw, ML,ed., Children With Disabilities pp. 275-292. 4th ed. Baltimore, Maryland: Paul H. Brooks Publishing Co.

Coplan J (1995). Normal speech and language development - An overview. Pediatrics in Review, 16(3):91-100.

Bashir AS, Stark RE, Graham JM (1992). Communication disorders. In MD Levine, WB Carey, AC Crocker, eds., pp. 557-561. Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics, 2nd Edition. Philadelphia, PA: W.B.Saunders Company.

 

Teething Information:

Fun quiz: How much do you know about teething?

Teething is a bit of a mystery, but we all survive

Teething can be blamed for many symptoms

No one can prove or disprove whether teething really causes an infant to have symptoms. Scientific studies are impossible to do. While there will probably always be mystery and debate about teething, there are some facts we do know. A baby will typically get his/her first tooth between 6 and 8 months of age, although the first teeth can appear as early as 3 months or as late as 15 months. The youngster will get another 19 teeth in the first two years--which means that they'll be spending an awful lot of their time teething! Typically, the bottom two central incisors arrive before the upper two, followed by the four lateral incisors (next to the central ones). The rest of baby teeth usually erupt in the following order: the first molars (a space away from the incisors), then the pointy cuspids, or canines (in the spaces next to the incisors) and, finally, the second molars. The child's teething is generally complete by age 3. Folklore asserts that early teething is associated with higher intelligence, and delayed teething signals later learning difficulties. There is little medical evidence to support either of these myths.

Teething begins at least three months before the tooth makes its half centimeter trip through the gums to the surface. The symptoms this journey causes will be the subject of debate among mothers, grandmothers and the medical profession for years to come. Some physicians feel that teething produces nothing but teeth! Others believe that tooth eruption can produce some minor disturbances: low-grade fever, crying, sleeping less peacefully, irritability, diarrhea, stuffy nose, facial or diaper rash, shaking their head back, pulling on their ears, and gnawing on just about anything they can get their mouth on, including their own hands. There are many different opinions about what symptoms teething really causes but very little scientific proof either way. The greatest danger of inaccurately ascribing various symptoms to teething is that parents might delay medical treatment of a serious illness.

Some parents will notice that their baby begins to drool around the age of 3 months, and assume that this signals the start of teething. This may not be the case! All babies start to drool around this age as the salivary glands become increasingly active and the child is unable to swallow all the saliva completely. Drooling is probably only related to teething by the fact that both originate in the mouth!

One thing is known for sure, never blame a fever of over 101 [degrees] F on teething. While recent studies have confirmed that tooth eruption can cause a low grade fever, the height of the temperature is not impressive. In addition, teething does not cause infections. Colds and other viral infections are only coincidentally related to teething because of the reduction in the infant’s antibody level that occurs at the same time teething starts.

A tooth doesn't have a smooth and steady ride through the gums. Since it moves in spurts, teething infants have good and bad days. Just before the tooth erupts, parents may notice that the gums become swollen and black and blue. And when the tooth finally cuts the surface of the gum, parents may notice a little bleeding. In some babies there are no outward signs of teething. They simply wake up one morning with a brand new tooth - a total surprise since there was no change in behavior.

Parents cannot prevent tooth eruption, but there are many things they can do to help their infant survive the teething experience. Furthermore, the degree of discomfort a baby experiences will even vary from one tooth to another. Since teething is sometimes more annoying than painful, try offering your baby distractions. For example, playing with crib toys, going for a walk in the park, listening to music, or a little extra cuddling may be all that is needed.

Parents can make their baby feel more comfortable by providing something to chew on. A teething ring filled with water and kept in the freezer overnight works great. Ice acts as a local anesthetic by directly numbing the baby's gums. In addition, the pressure seems to soothe the gums. Be sure to choose a safe toy made for this purpose. Avoid teething biscuits and other foods, such as crackers and pretzels. They can break into small pieces and can cause the baby to choke. Even a frozen bagel becomes a choking hazard when it defrosts.

Check with your child’s physician to see what they suggest for pain relief. Many pediatricians recommend over the counter gum numbing medications that contain a local anesthetic such as xylocaine or lidocaine. Well-meaning friends or relatives may advise the use of a pacifier dipped in whiskey or wine. Alcohol can be toxic if used repeatedly and offers only a short period of relief since it washes away when the baby swallows. It is better to use painkillers such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen to calm a teething baby. Remember, the pain associated with teething typically comes and goes and will often go away by itself.

Benjamin Spock’s "Baby and Child Care," the mainstay on advice of child rearing, offers some commonsense advice to parents. The best treatment of teething is time and patience. Just like other milestones in parenting, teething will have its difficult moments, but the child will survive and so will the parents.

Caring for your childrens teeth should start early