Pieces of Advice for New Parents
By Byron Cotton, M.D.
Reading Your Baby's Hunger and Fullness Cues
have a hard enough time knowing when they are full, so it can be
difficult for parents to gauge whether a baby, incapable of verbalizing
his needs, is hungry or not. Fortunately, babies are adept at self-regulating
their food intake with a little help from Mom and Dad. Byron Cotton,
M.D., pediatrician with the Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Decatur
Primary Care Center, recommends that parents of newborns begin with
a bottle containing three ounces of formula. If the child finishes
that bottle the parent may offer another half an ounce.
determine whether a baby is hungry or full, simply study the rate
at which they are suckling the bottle or breast. If the baby is
suckling vigorously, he is probably still hungry. If he suckles
less ardently he is probably full and just fulfilling his instinct
to suckle. In that case, a pacifier will help satisfy that instinct.
Cotton also recommends that newborn babies only be fed formula or
breast milk. Some parents serve water, which is not ideal because
water does not contain calories or electrolytes, both vital during
this stage of growth.
the mother will breast feed for a year or more following birth.
Breastfeeding has many substantial benefits for both parties involved.
In addition to passing along antibodies that develop the baby's
immune system, breastfeeding encourages bonding between mother and
much-appreciated benefit of breast feeding is that it helps mothers
lose weight because their metabolism speeds up to produce the breast
milk. Also, children who are breastfed tend to have fewer problems
with obesity throughout their life.
gems of advice for new parents:
1) Although they are often just trying to help, many older siblings
do not know how to pick up a baby or properly support his neck.
Teach your older children to only hold the baby while supervised
by an adult.
Sibling rivalry, often in the form of pinching and hitting, begins
immediately for many children. This is especially likely if the
older child is between the ages of one and three years old. Closely
monitor your children when they are together, and make sure that
older siblings are still paid attention
Crying babies up to six months old should be picked up. Usually,
they are hungry, wet, have a fever or another need for attention.
Always keep an eye on the baby's temperature because any fever above
normal is too high. If your baby is less than two months old and
has an oral fever above 98.6 degrees (rectal temperature is one
degree higher), take him to the pediatrician or emergency department
immediately. Remember that babies cannot regulate their body temperature
as well as adults, so make sure that they are appropriately dressed
to assess an accurate temperature. Dr. Cotton recommends that babies
wear one more layer of clothing than their parent.
Cotton, M.D. is a physician at the Children's Healthcare of Atlanta.
CHILDRENS HEALTHCARE OF ATLANTA
Childrens Healthcare of Atlanta, one of the leading pediatric
healthcare systems in the country, is a not-for-profit organization
that benefits from the generous philanthropic and volunteer support
of our community and state. With 430 licensed beds in two hospitals
and more than 400,000 annual patient visits, Childrens is
recognized for excellence in cardiac, cancer and transplant services,
as well as in many other pediatric specialties. To learn more about
Childrens Healthcare of Atlanta, visit the Web site at www.choa.org
or call 404-250-kids.