Handicaps in babies

The smaller the baby, the weaker is his hold on life. The immaturity of his brain leads to poor activity and lethargy. Breathing difficulties may cause blue spells. Your doctor may need to resuscitate him. His temperature-regulatory mechanism is inadequate. Subnormal temperature is seen in a majority of such babies and may prove fatal. At times, he may develop high fever too. In coordination in sucking and swallowing causes vomiting and choking. The capacity of the stomach is small and he can tolerate only very small amounts of feeds. Digestive upsets are common. As a result of poor tone of the muscles, abdominal distension is common. Since liver enzymes are rather immature in such a baby, blood bilirubin level is relatively high and stays high for a prolonged time. This will be apparent to the mother as a prolongation of the so-called physiological jaundice over a longer period. Also, high blood bilirubin is more likely to cause damage to his brain than in a healthy baby. Incidence of a particular type of congenital heart disease, patent ductus arteriosus, is higher in preterm babies. He is more prone to develop dehydration and ankle swelling. He may also develop many metabolic disturbances such as hypoglycemia, various nutritional deficiencies such as anemia.

Use of safety pins, Diaper liners and Protective pants

One must take exercise care when you put in the pin. Slip two fingers of your hand between the nappy and the baby’s skin so that the pin does not prick him. Also see that you buy good quality pins, the ones which do not open on their own. Also ensure that the sharp end of the safety pin is away from the infant’s body. All these precautions will help you to prevent accidental hurt to the baby. Diaper liners are of special help during traveling. The paper or treated cloth-made, if available, are certainly of help in protecting the nappy from getting wet. These are placed between baby’s skin and the nappy. There is no truth in the saying that these may harm the baby. Protective pants again are of very special help when you are traveling with the baby. They should not be too tight, should not be used in the presence of nappy rash, should be replaced frequently and should be sterilized in the same way as nappies. These pants are waterproof, made of either rubber or plastic and so it is better if the protective pants are not used when you are not traveling out with your baby.

When to change the nappy and nappy washing

You must change the nappy as soon as you know it is soiled. An exceptional baby may not care if he is wet but most of them become restless and cry. Do not rub the infant’s buttocks with the nappy. Wash it or clean it with cotton soaked in water or baby oil. Dry the area with powder before putting on another nappy. It is good to change the nappy before and after each and every feeding session. Before beginning to wash, remove the loose stools from the dirty nappies. It is a good idea to put the used diapers or nappies in a basin containing water and soap or detergent. It is not necessary to wash the nappies in special washing machine. A wash tub containing water and soap or a detergent will suffice. Repeat rinsing until the water becomes clear. Usually, two rinsing suffice. As an extra precaution, the thus-washed nappies may now be put in the Dettol solution for some 20 to 30 minutes. Squeeze the water out and let the nappies dry before finally ironing them. The use of Dettol helps to prevent occurrence of the so-called nappy or diaper rash, a troublesome problem in some babies.

Nappies and how to fold them

I know that there are two types of nappies available. One is cotton fabric nappies which are washable and ready for use again and again. The second type is the ready made disposable and sterile, available in the markets. You can use any of the two depending on your choice and circumstances. If you opt for first one, see that you buy soft but durable stuff. Frequent laundering will be possible only then.
There are 4 ways of folding a nappy. First is the triangle nappy. Here, fold the nappy into a triangle. Then, put the triangle under baby’s buttocks. One corner should lie between his legs. The other two corners should lie round the baby’s middle. Join the three corners with a safety pin in the front. Second is the oblong nappy in which there are two ends at the back. You should bring the corner of the front up between the legs and then join to the ends of the back with safety pins. Third, the so-called twisted nappy is more or less the same as an oblong nappy. But you are required to twist it before bringing up between the legs and then join the ends of the front with safety pins. In the fourth type, kite nappy, the sides of the nappy are so folded that it becomes wide on the top and narrow at the bottom. Using safety pins join the front and the back ends.

Using the Thermometer

Everyone knows that the thermometer is a device that is used to measures the body temperature. There are many ways of measuring the body temperature using a thermometer. When it comes to measuring the body temperature the procedure that is not preferred by many is the rectal temperature. The procedure for measuring rectal temperature is risky and painful. Unless one is experienced in this procedure it may hurt the rectum. Rectal temperature provided the most accurate body temperature. The mouth temperature procedure cannot be used in the case of new born and little older infants. The best and safest place to record baby’s temperature is the armpit (axilla) or the groin. What is more important is to keep the thermometer in place for at least 3 minutes. The so called half a minute and instant thermometers are misnomers. There are other kinds of medical thermometers such as the tympanic or ear thermometer that measures the temperature of the tympanum by infrared measurement, and the band thermometer that is applied to the patient's brow or forehead. A newer development is the temporal artery thermometer, which uses the infrared principle to accurately report a patient's temperature, with comparable accuracy to rectal thermometer.

Baby Clothing

Clothing is not only to cover the body but also to protect the body from extreme climatic conditions like cold and heat. Clothing also enhances the appearance of an individual. In the case of the new born, the baby has got to be kept rather warm but at same time not too warm. His garments should not make him sweat. Instead it should be soft and thin. Baby clothing should not be too tight as it will not allow free flow of air. Unfortunately, over clothing is practiced far too frequently, covering the baby with layers and layers of woolen clothing even in good weather. This is undesirable and such babies do not suck well. They also become drowsy and show failure to thrive and develop constipation. Over clothing also results in development of prickly heat rash. Woolen clothing is most advisable during very chill weather or during winter season only. Even then it is better to avoid woollies touching the neck and face of the baby. During summer, the best way to dress a baby is to make him wear a vest and a nappies. Avoid using synthetic material to dress up your baby because some babies may develop allergic reaction to the synthetic dress material. So it is best to use pure cotton dress material.

When to take your baby Outdoors and for Play

Recently, I overheard the mother of an overprotected 2 month old, priding in telling a host of women, “It’s the first time I have exposed him to the world outside our cosy room”. That is a wrong attitude. You should begin to take your baby, once he is a week old, outdoors for an hour or two everyday provided that the weather is conducive. Dress him adequately – neither too much nor too little. Just that he is going to stay out for his daytime nap(s) is not a good reason to wrap him with too many clothes. In order that he gets used to the sun, do expose him to sunlight. Avoid the glare of the sun falling on his eyes, however. Fresh air and sunlight is good for your baby. Once the baby is a week or two old, he should be put in pram after his morning feed or thereafter and taken out. This will not only do good to your baby but will also be an exercise for you The mother should find time to play with him. Even newborns enjoy playing. If you are going to keep him in the pram in the greenery of your lawn, make sure you have him protected from mosquitoes and other insects. A mosquito net may be required.