The birth of a baby is an exciting time. As a new parent, you are filled with hopes and dreams for your infant, and you want to do as much as you can to support her emotional and physical growth. By taking positive action in several important areas, you can encourage your infant's healthy development.
Consequently, it's important to expose children to a wide variety of stimuli to encourage their brain to develop appropriate neurons. Social skills are learned behaviors that affect a child's personality, ability to make friend...
Once the stump has fallen off, it's fine to give your baby regular baths in a small basin or tub. After a bath is an ideal time to take care of some of your baby's grooming needs. Store all of your baby grooming and bathing sup...
Bathing instructions are the same for boy and girl infants, except in terms of the genitals. Because a girl infant has folds of skin around her genitals, feces, diaper cream or other residue may collect within the folds. Clean ...
Bathing, diapering, feeding, doctor appointments and safety precautions constitute a significant amount of time during your baby's first year -- and are all necessary to ensure your baby thrives. Keeping your baby clean reduces...
Now that she is here, you my feel a little overwhelmed with your new responsibility. At this stage of parenting, your number 1 job is to meet your baby's basic needs, including food, warmth, love and first aid when needed, such...
The key to taking care of infants and children is to identify, understand, and then meet their needs. A child's needs are different depending on her age, health and personality. Planned Parenthood points out that there is a hie...
Infants who have undergone heart surgery in the hours after birth may also require a chest tube. Regardless of the reason for a chest tube, understanding how to care for an infant with a chest tube requires some effort and care...
The danger of post-maturity lies in the fact that the placenta, which supplies nutrients to the fetus, also ages. Small blood clots develop that interfere with delivery of nutrients to the fetus, who continues to grow. Medical ...
Women who are in good health and have supportive resources are more likely to have have strong pregnancies and are better equipped to care for their infants after delivery. Women who are supported in their roles as mothers have...
No matter how careful parents are, accidents can happen. As infants become more mobile, it is easier for them to acquire scrapes, bumps and bruises, even if they are being closely watched. A Canadian analysis designed to ident...
With a few supplies and a little knowledge, you can offer your infant a beginning that will encourage healthy brain development, positive emotional and physical growth. Significant time spent interacting, cuddling and offering ...
Some women experience the delivery of a postterm infant, or a baby that is born after 42 weeks of gestation, says Karla L. Luxner, author of "Delmar's Maternal-Infant Nursing Care Plans." Caring for a newborn who was born after...
Giving up your baby for adoption may be the right thing to do for both you and the child. When birth mothers don't make a final decision about adoption until the eleventh hour, cradle care for infants steps in and provides a te...
Kangaroo care can help your low birth weight baby thrive. Babies who participate in kangaroo care experience a decrease in time spent in the hospital, an increase in oxygen level and improvement in the parent-child bond, accord...
Sponge bathing is the safest way to keep your newborn clean until he loses his umbilical cord and his circumcision fully heals within one or two weeks after birth, according to the Children's Hospital Boston. Giving your baby a...
As the March of Dimes notes, when you're pregnant, every week counts, and when your baby is born earlier, he may have some health problems you hadn't anticipated. Making sure that you obtain the proper care for your near-term i...
Whether you have pet rabbits and one of them has babies, or you find wild baby rabbits and the mother has abandoned them or been killed, it can be a challenge to care for baby rabbits properly. Infant bunnies are fragile and ca...
Seventeen percent of U.S. children have developmental or behavioral disabilities, such as autism, intellectual disabilities and attention problems, and many children experience medical conditions and delays that affect their de...
A child's bellybutton is always cute and fun to tickle, but it does not start out so cute when they are newborns. It starts out as an umbilical cord stump, about 1 inch long and will eventually dry out and fall off. It is impor...
Now that he's been born, you realize how little you actually know; you may be wondering where you can find the most reliable infant care advice--your neighbor, whose children are all grown, your friend with a slightly older bab...
Nearly 40,000 children are hospitalized for burns each year in the United States, with half of these burns affecting infants and children under the age of four years, according to 2001 information from KeepKidsHealthy.com. Seco...
Proper oral care for infants can help prevent dental problems as your children get older, states the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. As soon as the first tooth erupts, it is at risk of decay. Be vigilant about keeping ...
First-time parents are thrust into a brand new world when they welcome a baby into their family. Learning to care for an infant can be a difficult experience since the little one is unable to vocalize any needs, wants, discomfo...
Caring for one's baby might seem like the most natural thing on earth, but parenting an infant is a 24-hour-a-day job. After nine months of anticipation, many new parents still have questions and concerns about the role they pl...
Nursing care of infants begins immediately after birth and progresses as a baby grows. Infants are not just small adults; they are patients with their own set of complex health issues. Nurses who work with infants have training...
Helping a baby to grow and develop properly can be tiring work. Above all, a baby's safety is the most important aspect when caring for an infant or toddler. Developing a bond, love and trust with a child when they are young is...
After nine months in the mother's uterus, a newborn's delicate skin is quite sensitive to his new environment. No longer is the little one in temperature-controlled, watery surroundings. He is now exposed to an environment wher...
It is of primary importance that you accommodate the disability of your disabled infant in his home environment, making any adjustments necessary. While it can be emotionally difficult as a parent, you should focus on providin...
When the baby reaches a body weight of 4 lbs., 6 oz., or when she can maintain her own body temperature in an open crib, she is ready for discharge from the neonatal intensive care unit, or NICU. Parents should take their prete...
Premature babies, even late preterm, often need more care than full-term babies. Feeding, maintaining body heat and even breathing may all require assistance at first. In addition, preemies are at risk for a variety of complica...
During the first year of life, it is fairly easy to keep your baby clean without giving him daily baths. If your baby enjoys bath time, there is no harm in frequent bathing as long as it does not irritate his skin. However, if ...
All babies are born with an umbilical cord, which is cut at birth to leave a stump that parents must care for until it falls off. While the drying and loss of the cord is generally uneventful, sometimes problems do occur. Paren...
Until now, hands on experience for your newborn's care has been shared with hospital staff, but home care is up to you and family members. Knowing what to expect and how to care for your infant will only strengthen your parenta...
There are as many as 750,000 infants born each year to mothers who used drugs or alcohol during pregnancy, according to the National Resource Center for Respite and Crisis Care Services. While most of these children will turn o...
The first few times that you bathe your newborn baby, you may feel some anxiety. The baby may not enjoy feeling cold from being wet and naked, and you may not enjoy the difficulty of maneuvering him safely to wash all areas of ...
An infant care plan is basically an agreement between parents and their child care provider that outlines how the child will be fed, disciplined and what the routine of a day should be. This is more often done for a nanny who i...
Babies come with a long list of instructions, lots of equipment and many demands. Just one gurgling greeting from your baby, however, can instantly erase the confusion and boost your confidence. Taking care of an infant involve...
Preparing to have a baby, or even to take care of a baby, is a challenging and scary time. It's even scarier if you've never had any experience with infants. It's natural to feel terrified, overwhelmed and hopeless all at the s...
Holding and carrying a newborn can be intimidating if you haven't done it before. A newborn can feel floppy, and his neck is fragile. Learning how to handle a newborn while feeding, dressing and bathing him is important. Once y...
No parent is perfect, and infants don't arrive with instructions. First-time fathers and mothers are often apprehensive when it comes to nurturing a baby. Teaching another person how to care for his child can be just as challen...
It is, however, a time in which stress and health issues are likely to arise. It is essential to keep the new mother and child healthy and happy. New mothers need the support of family and friends as they learn to care for thei...
Even though your child's baby teeth are temporary, you need to protect them just as you would his permanent teeth. Tooth decay that begins in the first months of life can have long-term effects on your child's oral health and d...
During the first year, your infant progresses from the newborn to the toddler stage. Your baby is already developing skills that will help her master walking, express herself and even strengthen the muscles that she will eventu...
Entrusting the care of your infant to another adult is difficult. Finding a quality child care situation takes time and research. High-quality infant care options fill up quickly, so start your search early. This allows plenty ...
In time, caring for your child will be second nature. The first few months, however, are often full of questions. Don't hesitate to call your baby's pediatrician or more experienced mothers for advice, but remember that you kno...
The world can be a dangerous place for infants and young children. As a parent, you can take precautions to protect your infant. The following information will help you create a safer environment for your infant so that you can...
Lip conditions can prevent infants from eating regularly or thoroughly, attempting to communicate or simply being able to relax. Consider the onset and duration of infant lip conditions to determine specific lifestyle causes an...
Boy children are born with a foreskin covering their entire penises. This loose layer of skin covers both the shaft and the head of the male organ. It is often removed shortly after birth due to religious or other parental reas...
Working parents often place their infants in child care centers or have a caretaker watch them. Hara Estroff Marano, a Psychology Today writer, reports that researchers have found effects on babies who are cared for by someone ...
New parents often find themselves overwhelmed with the job of caring for an infant. Fortunately, the care of an infant's face does not require a lot of work. The face needs to be protected and cleaned, and parents should watch ...
The key to survival is taking it all in stride and accepting it as another rite of passage into parenthood. In developing a few good habits parents can help babies establish healthy sleep patterns and overnight care can be quic...
This fragile new human being, after all, will depend on you for every need he has. Though your infant does not come with a handbook, there are many things you can learn to properly care for your baby.