Newborn Care Tips

The following paragraphs are only a few of the concerns that parents of newborns have about caring for their tiny baby. As always, common sense and a good pediatrician are the answer to many questions. New technology allows parents of newborns to share information, support, and stories via the Internet as well. Down through the ages, new parents have relied on other parents for help, support and guidance. Developing a circle of support for you and your newborn baby is an important way for you to have less stress and enjoy parenting your tiny infant more.

One concern for the parent of a new baby is Sudden Infants Death syndrome. SIDs is a rare syndrome where infants die for unknown reasons. SIDs occurs in babies between 2-4 months old. Male babies who were premature or had low birthrates more frequently die of SIDs than do other babies. Babies of African American or Native American descent also have a higher rate of dying from SIDs than do other babies. Babies whose parents expose them to drugs, alcohol or tobacco before birth and cigarette smoke after birth have a higher incidence of SIDs. And babies who sleep on their stomachs seem to die of SIDs more often.

As a matter of fact, since pediatricians started recommending that babies sleep on their backs, the rate of SIDs deaths has dropped dramatically. While researchers continue to search for the exact cause of SIDs, we do know that having a newborn sleep on their back is one of the best ways to prevent Sudden Infant Death syndrome from occurring.

Babies usually have their first check up with the pediatrician at two weeks old.

Make a list of questions you might have, and be sure they are answered. Breast fed babies tend to lose a little weight while the mother’s milk is coming in, so don’t worry too much about a little weight loss. The doctor who examines your newborn will ask you many questions and share any concerns that he or she may have about your baby’s development, immunizations, feeding, sleep issues or any other problems they may discover.

Babies eat every 2-4 hours. This means that 2-4 hours is about the longest you can expect to sleep at night. As long as your baby is eating, sleeping, and needing a diaper change regularly, he or she is probably fine. Usually a baby only cries if they are hungry or need a diaper change. If you feel your baby cries excessively, contact your physician for advice. Breast fed babies usually nurse more often than bottle fed babies do. They may also have fewer but larger bowel movements. This is normal. If your baby does not urinate at least 4 times a day, they may be dehydrated. If you want to breast feed your baby and have problems or questions, pediatricians and lactation specialists can help you breastfeed your baby successfully in most cases.