Bath time can be fun for you and your baby but keep these safe bathing tips in mind:

Baby care

Whatever kind of baby bath you use, never, ever leave your baby unattended in the bath. Make sure that everyone who baths your baby follows this golden rule. Have everything you need for your bath ready in advance: towels, toiletries, clean nappy, pyjamas. If someone knocks at the door or the phone rings and you feel you must answer it, scoop him up in a towel and take him with you.

Never put your baby into a bath when the water is still running (the water temperature could change or the depth could become too high).

Put cold water in the bath first, then hot. This will reduce the risk of scalding your baby.

Make the family bath safe: put in a rubber bathmat and cover the taps.

Make sure the bath water is comfortably warm but not hot; about 38 degrees Centigrade / 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit has been shown to help babies to retain body heat.

For newborns and babies up to six months old, fill the bath with about five inches of water, or enough to allow your baby to settle in the water with his shoulders well covered. Never fill the bath more than waist-high (in sitting position) for older children.

Teach your child to sit in the bath at all times.

Many parents and babies love bath time some babies don’t. There’s no real need for a daily bath. It’s up to you how often you bathe your baby, and provided you wash off any obvious muck, your baby will be clean enough. Toddlers get dirtier and usually enjoy a daily bath. You don’t need to wash your baby’s or toddler’s hair every day; their hair produces very little oil, after the first few weeks, so once a week is plenty.

Use soaps, shampoos and bubble baths sparingly as overuse may cause your baby’s skin to become dry and sensitive. Choose a mild soap or baby bath product designed especially for babies. You may wish to alternate baths using cleansers with water-only baths. Avoid strong soaps or products designed for adult use.

Make sure you set your water heater to a maximum of 49 degrees C / 120 degrees F. A child can get scalded in less than a minute in water at 60 degrees C / 140 degrees F.

Do not allow your child to touch the taps. Even if he can’t turn them on now, he’ll be strong enough to do so soon and that could lead to serious injury.

Minimise body heat loss after the bath, which is particularly important in newborns, by keeping the room warm, wrapping your baby in a hooded towel and drying him immediately before putting his nappy on. Then wrap him in a dry towel or blanket again, and give him a cuddle for about ten minutes to help him keep warm. Once dressed, wrap him up again in a dry, warm blanket.

Never leave your child unattended. (Yes, it’s so important we listed it twice). Children can drown in less than an inch of water — and in less than 60 seconds.

The biggest challenge all new parents face is getting baby to sleep. A baby that has his days and nights mixed up or has colic and barely sleeps all day can make everyone in the family tired, cranky and sleep deprived.

Bottle Feeding Baby

Your bottle feeding baby faces different challenges from a breast feed baby. A bottle feeding baby can suffer from gas, colic and may not tolerate formula very well, requiring you to try different kinds until you find one your bottle feeding baby can digest easily.

A bottle feeding baby on formula may start sleeping through the night earlier than a breast fed baby if he does not suffer from gas or colic. The trick is to try and stretch the night feedings so that the baby does not expect to eat in the middle of the night and can last until morning for the next bottle.

Try this only with babies who are at least 8 or 9 pounds and a few weeks old. You might also want to consult with your pediatrician first.

What you want to do is make sure baby has a full bottle and fills up before bed. Make sure he or she is properly burped. Play some soothing lullabies and create a bedtime routine that may also include a short story or book. This should be done every night at the same time if possible.

After putting baby to sleep, leave the room and give your baby a chance to settle down and fall asleep on his own. He may cry for a few minutes. It is better to put an awake baby to bed than one who is sleeping.

If your baby cries out in the night, do not rush in. Wait about 10 minutes and see if he will fall back to sleep on his own. If not, go in and try and give your baby a pacifier. Pacifiers can work wonders for small babies, soothing them back to sleep. If your baby needs a diaper change, do that quickly and put baby back in the crib as soon as possible.

If your baby is crying and obviously hungry, try giving him some water in his bottle so he gets out of the habit of drinking formula in the night. If that does not work, try cutting down the amount of formula you give him each night.

You may even secretly feel guilty about not breast feeding your baby and wonder if that is the reason for your baby’s sleep problems. With all of the pressure new moms face these days to breast feed their babies, it is no wonder that may new moms feel guilty and embarrassed when they choose to bottle feed their babies.

Breast feeding, although best for baby, is not always possible, and new mothers should not feel guilty. The most important thing you can do for your new baby is to be a calm, happy mother. Your baby intuitively picks up on your moods and is directly affected when you are nervous, depressed or agitated. If breast feeding causes you to be frustrated and nervous, then it is not helpful for your baby. Your baby will become fussy and cranky and will not sleep well.

Relax and ignore what the media and other well meaning and some not so well meaning people may say when they see you bottle feeding your baby. It is your baby and your choice.

Bathing is an enjoyable time between you and your baby. Your new born baby during the first six weeks does not necessarily need a full bath every day. A soft wash cloth or cotton wool and some warm water will do to clean him up especially till the baby’s umbilical cord drops off. It is important not to get the belly button area wet, where the umbilical cord is still attached.

Once you start on the water bath routine, it is very good for your babies health if you massage him with any baby oil before bathing. This is practiced traditionally in some countries. It is a wonderful way to lavish your baby with the attention she needs and loves. This massage aids food absorption, promotes sleep, builds immunity and develops muscle tone and coordination.

Bathing Tips

* Until your baby’s navel has healed, do sponge baths (cleaning only the parts of your baby that really need attention-her hands, face, neck and diaper area).
* Make sure that you have everything ready before the bath so you will not have to leave your baby. Never ever leave the baby alone in the bath even for a second.
* Always test the water with your elbow, the water should feel just warm. The temperature felt by the hand may feel right, but may scald the delicate skin of the baby.
* If you use a baby bathtub, it will make bath time easier for you.

You will need

* Towel (two preferably, one for the head and the other for the body)
* Cotton balls
* If you want to massage your baby take ordinary baby oil or almond oil which is soothing to the skin. Instead of baby oil, you could use cooled paste of turmeric powder mixed with milk, boiled together provided your baby does not have an allergy.
* Baby Soap (instead of soap you can use green gram flour or besan flour)
* Foam Pad or rubber mat ( to lay on the bottom of the sink so that she won’t slip)

How to bathe your Baby

* Always clean the baby’s face first. Dip a cotton wool or wash cloth in warm water and squeeze out excess water. Wipe her eyes from the inside corner to the outside. Use a clean part of the washcloth or a separate piece of cotton for the other eye. Don’t use soap on her face.
* Again with another piece of cotton wool or washcloth wipe her ears- over and behind each year with the washcloth. Don’t try to wipe inside.
* Wash her body with a soapy cloth or in warm water in a tub. Lower him into the tub with his head supported on your arm and your hand holding her firmly around her shoulder and upper arm. Be sure to wash in between creases in her neck, arms and legs. Wash her bottom carefully from front to back. Hold her firmly with both hands while lifting her out of the water as she will be slippery.
* After her body is washed, wrap her in a dry towel on your lap and dry him thoroughly in between creases as well.
* Hold her head in one hand and supporting the back along your forearm like a football, pour water gently from the tub on the head and do not splash water on her face. Wash the hair and scalp using circular movements with a little soap or shampoo.
* Pat his head dry with a fresh towel.

Want your child to do better in exams? Well, a daily dose of fish oil could be of help, for a new study has revealed that it makes kids smarter.
Yes, researchers in Britain have carried out the study and found that children who take a dose of fish oil supplement on a regular basis could do better in their exams as it boosts their mind power.

They have based their findings on an analysis of over 3,000 students in Britain who took fish capsules everyday for a period of six months leading up to their exams. The results were compared with students who weren’t part of the program.

The research team found that pupils who took Omega-3 capsules in the year before their exams had better results than those who did not.

The children who continued taking the free supplements got two grades higher in their exams, an average of 17.7 points more, than those who did not take the pills. However, scientists have dismissed the experiment because it did not include a second group of children taking placebo pills.

Labels:kids’ performance, boost kids performance, children exam, fish oil

* Help your children develop good physical activity habits at an early age by setting a good example yourself. Practice heart-healthy habits.

* Limit television, movies, videos and computer games to less than two hours a day. Substitute the rest of leisure time with physical activity.

* Plan family outings and vacations that involve vigorous activities such as hiking, bicycling, skiing, swimming, etc.

* Give your children some household chores that require physical exertion, keeping in mind their levels of strength, coordination and maturity. Mowing lawns, raking leaves, scrubbing floors and taking out the garbage not only teach responsibility but also can be good exercise.

* Observe sports and activities your children like, and then find out about lessons and clubs. Some children thrive on team sports; others prefer individual activities. Some activities, like tennis and swimming, can be enjoyed for a lifetime and are much easier to learn during childhood.

* If it’s safe to walk or bike rather than drive, do so. Use stairs instead of elevators and escalators. Increase the distances you and your children walk.

* Stay involved in your child’s physical education classes at school. At daycare, make sure the kids exercise at least 20 minutes a day. Ask about frequency of classes and activity, class size, curriculum (instruction in lifetime fitness activities as well as team sports should be emphasized), physical fitness assessments, qualifications of the teacher (should hold appropriate certification in physical education and be an appropriate role model for students). Physical fitness should be measured at the beginning and end of each year, and goals should be established for each child. Encourage your school board to emphasize skills students can use for the rest of their lives.

* Discourage homework immediately after school to let children find some diversion from the structure of the school day. Kids should be active after school and before dinner.

* Choose fitness-oriented gifts – a jump rope, mini-trampoline, tennis racket, baseball bat, a youth membership at the local YMCA or YWCA. Select the gift with your child’s skills and interests in mind.

* Take advantage of your city’s recreation opportunities – from soccer leagues to fun runs. Check out the various camps or organizations like the Sierra Club that sponsor outdoor activities such as camping, hiking trips and bird watching.

* Free your infant from mechanical restraints as much as possible. Strollers and playpens are high on convenience but low on activity potential. Try to unleash your diapered dynamo whenever and wherever he or she can safely move around.

* When your children are bored, suggest something that gets them moving, like playing catch or building a snowman in the yard.

Labels:healthy children, baby care, heart-healthy children