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Baby Bottle Toxic or Not?
Posted on
Saturday, October 20, 2007
by DSLR MASTER
Your baby's bottles may not be as safe as they seem. According to a new report from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, certain types of plastic bottles contain a potentially dangerous chemical called bisphenol A (BPA), which has been linked to a number of health conditions in animals, including early onset of puberty, increased diabetes risk, hyperactivity, and certain cancers. Freaked out a little? So were we. Because it can be downright scary and confusing to digest these health risks (especially amid conflicting statements from the plastics industry), we tapped expert researchers to understand the real deal. Here, answers to your major concerns:
Q. Why the sudden bad rap for bottles?
A. Here's what we know for sure: BPA is a hormone-disrupting chemical found in hard, clear plastic baby bottles; over time, it can seep into the containers and into your baby's milk. Here's what we don't know: "We haven't yet found definitive long-term health consequences in people," says Rebecca Roberts, PhD, an associate professor of biology at Ursinus College in Collegeville, Pennsylvania, who studies BPA. Yet there are enough tangible risks -- especially for young babies and children, because they're still developing -- to be concerned. "I'm a mom too, and I believe it's important to balance your lifestyle with what the science says," Roberts says. "I can't say that my kid lives a completely BPA-free life, but I can minimize her contact."
Q. How can I tell if the bottles we use contain BPA?
A. Flip them over, says Roberts. Often, polycarbonate plastics -- the ones that contain BPA -- are marked by the recycling symbols #7 or PC. But the absence of these marks is not a guarantee of safety -- if the bottle is hard and clear, check with the manufacturer to be sure.
Q. What can I do to reduce my baby's exposure?
A. Consider BPA-free alternatives, like glass or softer, cloudy-looking plastic bottles (check out our finds below). "And if you are using bottles made with BPA, try not to microwave them or put them in the dishwasher," says Roberts, since heat can break down the plastic and trigger the chemicals to leach more readily. Also, toss bottles when they start to look scratched -- another sign of plastic degrading. According to one recent report, BPA may leach after as few as 50 to100 washings.
Q. Are there any other sources of BPA that could affect my baby?
A. There is some evidence that BPA is found in the lining of metal cans, including ready-to-feed formula. "To lessen the risk, it's best to opt for powdered formula, which is usually not sold in metal cans," says Sonya Lunder, MPH, an analyst at the Environmental Working Group. In a paper separate from the NIEHS study, the Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit found detected some BPA in liquid formula packaged in steel cans from companies including Enfamil and Similac. (Even though powdered formula containers may look like they're metal, most are actually made from a very stiff paperboard material). But if you're not sure whether your container is safe, then hold a magnet up to it, says Lunder. "If it sticks, then the can is metal and you should try to avoid it."
Q. I'm pregnant. Should I be worried?
A. BPA isn't just a baby bottles issue, says Phillip Landrigan, MD, a Parents advisory board member and a professor of pediatrics and community and preventive medicine at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York. "The chemical can cross the placenta, so if you're exposed during pregnancy, there's a chance it can impact your developing fetus." The best ways to protect your health while you're expecting: Avoid heating and dishwashing food containers made from polycarbonate (flip the storage container and look for the recycling symbols #1, #2, or #5 instead -- all safer forms of plastic) and Nalgene water bottles. "Luckily, BPA is not everywhere," says Roberts. "And there are plastic alternatives that are totally fine for moms and babies to use."
posted by DSLR MASTER @ 10:09 AM
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Help for making sure baby gets better.
Posted on
Friday, October 19, 2007
by DSLR MASTER
Help for making sure baby gets better.
When you're giving medication to your baby, make sure to follow all of your doctor's directions as well as these additional safety tips:
Take the whole course of an antibiotic as prescribed, even if your child seems cured after a few days.
Don't reuse a prescription left over from a previous illness, even if you suspect it's another bout of the same sickness.
Measure medicine carefully -- even the difference of a mere milliliter can overdose a baby -- and use an appropriate dosing device rather than a kitchen spoon.
Don't call medicine "candy."
Don't forcibly squirt medicine down the back of your child's throat. A portion can get into the lungs, causing her to gag.
Call your doctor if the medicine doesn't seem to be working, your child's condition worsens, or you notice unexpected side effects.
posted by DSLR MASTER @ 12:16 AM
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Understanding Birth Defects
Posted on
Saturday, October 6, 2007
by DSLR MASTER
Understanding Birth Defects
The vast majority of babies born in this country are healthy. But if your child is one of the 3 in 100 infants born with a congenital (acquired after conception) or hereditary birth defect, how can you ensure her long-term health?
While some defects are treatable with drugs or surgery, it's usually your family's efforts to create a positive environment for your child that help minimize the disability.
First Steps
The first thing you should do if your child is diagnosed with a birth defect is get a second (or more) opinion. Start with your pediatrician or obstetrician, who can refer you to appropriate specialists. In addition to appointments with specialists, you should also keep up with regularly scheduled well-baby visits, because many birth defect complications can be treated through early detection and intervention.
Here are some of the most common birth defects in the U.S. and the impact they may have on your baby and you.
9 BIRTH DEFECTS AND TREATMENTS
FRAGILE X SYNDROME
SPINA BIFIDA
DOWN SYNDROME
BABY CLEFT LIP
PKUPHENYLKETONURIA
CLUBFOOT
SICKLE CELL DISEASE
INFANT CONGENITAL HEART DEFECTS
UNDEVELOPED LIMBS
posted by DSLR MASTER @ 4:16 PM
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Fragile X Syndrome
Posted on by DSLR MASTER
A Chromosomal Birth Defect
Prevalence:
Fragile X syndrome primarily affects males (1 in 1,500). Although 1 in 1,000 females is a carrier, only one in three shows outward signs of having the defect, including intellectual impairment. The range of retardation varies from mild to severe.
Symptoms:
The physical characteristics of Fragile X syndrome may include large ears, an elongated face, poor muscle tone, flat feet, large testicles, overcrowded teeth, cleft palate, heart problems, and autistic-like tendencies. Affected children may also suffer seizures.
However, many children with Fragile X syndrome appear to be physically normal at birth, so a diagnosis may not be made until the ages of 18 months and 2 years. At that time, a lack of language development coupled with other developmental delays usually prompts testing.
However, many children with Fragile X syndrome appear to be physically normal at birth, so a diagnosis may not be made until the ages of 18 months and 2 years. At that time, a lack of language development coupled with other developmental delays usually prompts testing.
Treatment:
As with Down syndrome, children with Fragile X syndrome can be expected to do most things that any young child can do, although they also generally learn these things later than unaffected children. And, as with most of these birth defects, early-intervention programs begun in infancy can help maximize the child's development.
posted by DSLR MASTER @ 4:10 PM
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Down Syndrome
Posted on by DSLR MASTER
Chromosomal Birth Defects
Two of the most common abnormalities, Down syndrome and Fragile X syndrome, are also frequent causes of mental retardation. Both can be diagnosed before birth. While neither defect is curable, early intervention allows a child to develop to his full potential.
Down Syndrome
Prevalence:
Though Down syndrome occurs in 1 in 800 births overall, the incidence is much higher in older mothers.
Symptoms:
A child with Down syndrome generally has characteristic physical features, including slanted eyes; small ears that fold over at the top; a small mouth, which makes the tongue appear larger; a small nose with a flattened nasal bridge; a short neck; and small hands with short fingers.
More than 50 percent of children with this defect have visual or hearing impairments. Ear infections, heart defects, and intestinal malformations are also common among children with this defect.
More than 50 percent of children with this defect have visual or hearing impairments. Ear infections, heart defects, and intestinal malformations are also common among children with this defect.
Though children with Down syndrome have some degree of mental retardation, most can be expected to do many of the same things that any young child can do -- including walking, talking, and being toilet trained -- although generally they learn how to do so later than unaffected children.
posted by DSLR MASTER @ 4:06 PM
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PKU(phenylketonuria)
Posted on by DSLR MASTER
A Biochemical Birth Defect
Prevalence:
PKU (phenylketonuria) is an inherited metabolic disorder that occurs in 1 in 15,000 births (less commonly among African-Americans and people of Jewish descent).
Detection:
All babies in the U.S. are tested for the disease soon after birth.
Symptoms:
A child with PKU is missing a crucial enzyme that breaks down a protein called phenylalanine that is found in many goods. If PKU is left untreated, this protein can rise to high concentrations in the body and cause mental retardation.
Treatment:
Children born with PKU can live a normal life if put on a strict diet. Usually started before the fourth week of life, this diet is low in foods that contain phenylalanine, including breast milk and cow's milk. Instead, an affected child must be fed a special formula.
As the baby gets older, however, she can eat certain vegetables, fruits, and grain products but usually must avoid cheese, meat, fish, and eggs. Regular blood tests of phenylalanine levels can help determine what an affected child can and can't eat.
As the baby gets older, however, she can eat certain vegetables, fruits, and grain products but usually must avoid cheese, meat, fish, and eggs. Regular blood tests of phenylalanine levels can help determine what an affected child can and can't eat.
posted by DSLR MASTER @ 3:48 PM
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Sickle-Cell Disease
Posted on
Friday, October 5, 2007
by DSLR MASTER
Biochemical Birth Defects
Sometimes certain substances essential to a baby's proper body functioning are either abnormal or completely absent. Without intervention, deficiencies like the following can be devastating (and often even fatal) because they affect many bodily systems.
Sickle-Cell Disease
Prevalence:
Sickle-cell disease occurs in around 1 in 625 births, mostly affecting African-Americans and Hispanics of Caribbean ancestry.
Detection: Because of its prevalence, 30 states require that newborns be given the blood test that detects the disorder.
Detection: Because of its prevalence, 30 states require that newborns be given the blood test that detects the disorder.
Symptoms:
The disease can cause debilitating bouts of pain and damage to vital organs and can sometimes be fatal. Sickle-cell disease affects the hemoglobin (a protein inside the red blood cells) in such a way that the cells become distorted: Instead of their normal, round shape, they look like bananas or sickles (hence the name).
These misformed cells then become trapped in and destroyed by the liver and spleen, resulting in anemia. In severe cases, an affected child may be pale, have shortness of breath, and tire easily. The episodes of pain, called crises, happen when the cells become stuck, blocking tiny blood vessels and cutting off the oxygen supply to various parts of the child's body.
Another complication of sickle-cell disease, noticeable mostly in infants and young children, is vulnerability to severe bacterial infections. Two weapons against this risk are immunization (the usual vaccines, as well as pneumonia and flu shots) and daily preventative penicillin treatments.
Treatment:
Although the disease can't be cured, a number of new therapies that reduce the severity and frequency of crises are being studied. Acupressure is very effective
posted by DSLR MASTER @ 5:55 PM
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baby Missing or Undeveloped Limbs
Posted on by DSLR MASTER
An Anatomical Abnormality
Causes:
Unfortunately, the cause of this birth defect is largely unknown. Some experts believe that maternal exposure during pregnancy to a chemical or virus that only mildly affects the mother might be possible causes.
Treatment:
When a child is born with a limb anomaly, the doctor refers the parents to an orthopedic specialist and a physical therapist. The child is then fitted with a prosthesis (artificial body part) as soon as possible so that he becomes comfortable with it early on.
He will also undergo intensive physical therapy so that he learns to use the prosthesis much as other children learn to control their body parts.
He will also undergo intensive physical therapy so that he learns to use the prosthesis much as other children learn to control their body parts.
posted by DSLR MASTER @ 5:51 PM
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Spina Bifida
Posted on by DSLR MASTER
An Anatomical Abnormality
Prevalence:
Spina bifida occurs in about 1 in 2,000 births, most frequently among Caucasians of European extraction.
Causes:
It's caused by a malformation of a neural tube (the embryonic structure that develops into the brain and spine) that prevents the backbone from closing completely during fetal development. Some cases of neural-tube defects can be detected through tests given to the mother during pregnancy. When one is suspected, the baby usually is delivered by cesarean section so specialists can be on hand during and after the birth.
Symptoms:
Spina bifida ranges in severity from practically harmless to causing leg paralysis and bladder- and bowel-control problems.
Treatment:
In the most severe cases, the baby is operated on within 48 hours of birth (or in-utero through a new technique that is not yet widely available). Parents then learn how to exercise the baby's legs and feet to prepare her for walking with leg braces and crutches. Some children will eventually need to use a wheelchair. The child will also work with specialists in orthopedics and urology.
posted by DSLR MASTER @ 5:48 PM
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Baby Cleft Lip or Palate
Posted on by DSLR MASTER
An Anatomical Abnormality
Prevalence:
Cleft lip or palate appears in about 1 in 700 Caucasian babies, more often among Asians and certain groups of Native Americans, and less frequently among African-Americans.
Causes: The exact cause is hard to determine, but it's likely that genetic and environmental factors interact to prevent either the hard palate (the roof of the mouth), the soft palate (the tissue at the back of the mouth), or the upper lip, all of which normally are split early in fetal development, from closing.
Causes: The exact cause is hard to determine, but it's likely that genetic and environmental factors interact to prevent either the hard palate (the roof of the mouth), the soft palate (the tissue at the back of the mouth), or the upper lip, all of which normally are split early in fetal development, from closing.
Symptoms:
The cleft can be mild (a notch on the upper lip) or severe (involving the lip, the floor of the nostril, and the dental arch). A child with a cleft palate usually needs a speech pathologist. Language development can be affected not only by the structure of the lip and palate but also by the side effects of middle-ear infections, which are common in babies and toddlers with this defect (probably because their ears don't drain properly).
Babies with a cleft palate may also need help with feeding. (Those with a cleft lip generally don't have problems in this area.) Because they have trouble sucking, they must be fed in a sitting position with a special bottle. Depending on the severity of the condition, mothers who breastfeed may have to express milk and bottlefeed baby until the cleft is repaired.
Treatment:
Surgical repair for a cleft lip should be done by about 3 months of age. Surgery to repair a cleft palate, which restores the partition between the nose and the mouth, is usually done later -- between 6 and 12 months of age -- to allow for some normal growth of the child's face.
Though follow-up treatment is sometimes necessary, repair of a cleft lip or palate almost always leaves the child with only minimal scarring and a face that looks like that of most other children.
Though follow-up treatment is sometimes necessary, repair of a cleft lip or palate almost always leaves the child with only minimal scarring and a face that looks like that of most other children.
posted by DSLR MASTER @ 5:44 PM
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Clubfoot
Posted on by DSLR MASTER
An Anatomical Abnormality
Prevalence: Clubfoot occurs in approximately 1 in 400 newborns -- affecting boys about twice as often as girls -- and includes several kinds of ankle and foot deformities. The exact cause of clubfoot isn't clear, but it's probably a combination of heredity and environmental factors that affect fetal growth.
Symptoms:
Clubfoot can be mild or severe and can affect one or both feet. Mild clubfoot is not painful and won't bother the baby until he begins to stand or talk.
Treatment:
For a mild case, treatment starts immediately after diagnosis and involves gently forcing the foot into the correct position and helping the child do special exercises.
Often, however, the baby needs more drastic treatment, such as plaster casts, bandaging with splints followed by time in special shoes, or surgery followed by exercises. The process may take three to six months, which checkups for several years after.
posted by DSLR MASTER @ 5:41 PM
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Infant Congenital Heart Defects
Posted on by DSLR MASTER
An Anatomical Abnormality
Prevalence: Congenital heart defects occur in about 1 in 110 births and have a variety of causes, including genetic abnormalities or a mistake during fetal development. Some may be so mild that they have no visible symptoms.
Detection: In such cases the doctor usually discovers the problem when she detects an abnormal heart sound -- called a murmur -- during a routine examination. Some murmurs are meaningless; further tests are usually required to determine whether your baby's is due to a heart defect.
Serious heart defects are outwardly detectable and, if left untreated, can cause congestive heart failure, in which the heart becomes incapable of pumping enough blood to the lungs or other parts of the body.
Symptoms:
Rapid heartbeat
Breathing difficulties
Feeding problems (which result in inadequate weight gain)
Swelling in the legs, abdomen, or about the eyes
Pale grey or bluish skin
Treatment: Most heart defects can be corrected or at least improved through surgery, drugs, or a mechanical aid like a pacemaker.
posted by DSLR MASTER @ 5:39 PM
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Infant Anemia
Posted on by DSLR MASTER
The most common cause of anemia in babies is iron deficiency. This usually can be corrected pretty easily with supplemental iron. Supplements are quite safe at that age, at the appropriate dose, which is about 3mg of iron per kg of body weight. The iron drops are usually given for about a month and then the blood test is repeated.
If the anemia isn't much better, it's time to consider reasons other than iron deficiency for his anemia. He may just have a normal hgb at that level, for instance, and not need any treatment at all.
If the anemia has improved, kids usually stay on the iron for another two months or so. He should also have a careful physical, if he did not have one recently, to be certain that his development is proceeding on course.
Iron in the diet is great, but forcing kids to eat, pushing them, or even coaxing them with fun airplane noises usually does not improve eating. Offer foods, but if he is happy, growing well, and making plenty of wet diapers, it's okay not to take much in the way of solids. Kids get most of their nutrition at that age from what they drink, not what they eat. The solids are mostly for the experience.
posted by DSLR MASTER @ 5:28 PM
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Baby Sleep Problems and Solutions 1
Posted on
Thursday, October 4, 2007
by DSLR MASTER
The Rocker
Sleep Scenario #1
My baby is 5 months old. I've always rocked her to sleep, but I'd like to be able to lay her down and have her fall asleep on her own. How can I make this happen without a lot of trauma and tears for either of us?
In order for a baby to transition from falling asleep while rocking in your arms to falling asleep on her own, she has to master two smaller skills -- the ability to fall asleep someplace other than in your arms, and the ability to fall asleep without being rocked, explains Ann Douglas, author of Sleep Solutions for Your Baby, Toddler, and Preschooler (Wiley).
If you aren't comfortable with making your baby learn to put herself to sleep "cold turkey," you can try substituting what Harvey Karp, MD, author of The Happiest Baby on the Block (Bantam) and an American Baby advisor, calls a new sleep association. From being inside your body, babies are born accustomed to drifting off to sleep amid noise, tactile stimulation, and rocking. Gradually replace rocking with white noise (you can play a CD), Dr. Karp recommends. If you play the sounds while you're rocking the baby to sleep for four or five consecutive nights, she will begin to create a new association with sleep, and her transition from falling asleep in your arms to falling asleep in the crib will be easier, Dr. Karp says. "The idea is to create other sleep associations that don't require your presence to help the baby fall asleep," he adds.
Be prepared for your baby to put up a big fuss the first few times you lay her down awake. Some sleep-training techniques instruct parents not to pick up a crying baby but to come into the room at set intervals (every five minutes, for example) and talk to her in a reassuring voice.
But that approach doesn't work for all babies or parents. Christine George, of Lansing, Michigan, tried that method with her 6-month-old, Kayleigh, but the crying didn't stop, even after 10 or 15 minutes. Instead, Kayleigh became more and more upset until she was screaming, red faced, and gagging. "After two nights of becoming almost as upset as my baby was," George says, "I decided that technique just wasn't going to work for me."
What did work? "We'd walk around the room with her for a few minutes until she was drowsy, and when we laid her in the crib, we'd gently bounce the mattress with one hand while pressing her belly with the other hand and saying 'Shhhh' for a minute or two until she fell asleep," George says. "After a while, we were able to do it without the hand on the belly, and then without the bounce, and finally we were able to lay her down awake and she'd fall asleep." The process took two weeks.
Remember that there's no one-size-fits-all approach, advises Claire Lerner, LCSW, an American Baby advisor and the director of parenting resources at Zero to Three, the National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families. "With some babies, you can pat them or just sit there so they can see you, but for a lot of babies that's just confusing," she says. But even if you choose to walk away from her bed, the crying isn't likely to last more than a few nights. "The more consistent you are, the quicker she'll learn," Lerner says.
posted by DSLR MASTER @ 2:27 PM
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