Antibiotics in meat: What you need to know

Should I be concerned about antibiotics in the meat I serve my baby?

Well, most experts say it's unlikely that you or your baby will be harmed in the immediate future by the practice of giving antibiotics to livestock. But it is something that you should be concerned about because of its potential threat to public health.

Many farmers who raise cows, chickens, and other livestock use antibiotics to treat animals that are sick or at a high risk of becoming sick. In addition to using antibiotics for treatment, though, some critics believe that the industry relies too heavily on antibiotics to fatten livestock and to compensate for unsanitary and crowded conditions in industrial-size farms — despite guidelines for antibiotic use, which specify that they be used judiciously

How can people be affected by the antibiotics that farmers use for animals?

The main concern isn't that the antibiotics will be transferred to you or your baby, but that they will increase the antibiotic resistance of bacteria that we all contend with. Experts warn that there are already many strains of bacteria that no longer respond to antibiotics.

Just as a child's taking antibiotics unnecessarily contributes to increased resistance in some strains of bacteria, overusing antibiotics in agriculture is contributing to the emergence of bacteria that are resistant to common antibiotics. The more an antibiotic is used, the more the bacteria will become resistant to it.

Also, if too little antibiotic is used (as is often the case when antibiotics are used on healthy animals), it won't kill all the bacteria — and the survivors can grow and multiply into resistant strains.

Some of these bacteria can spread to humans when proper handling and cooking procedures aren't followed. Bacteria can be consumed in meat that hasn't been heated to the proper temperature before serving, for example. And campylobacter (a bacteria found in the intestines of chickens) can be spread by handling raw chicken and not washing up afterward.

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Hand washing: Do's and don'ts

Hand washing is an easy way to prevent infection. Understand when to wash your hands, how to properly use hand sanitizer and how to get your children into the habit.

Frequent hand washing is one of the best ways to avoid getting sick and spreading illness. Hand washing requires only soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer — a cleanser that doesn't require water. Find out when and how to wash your hands properly.
When to wash your hands

As you touch people, surfaces and objects throughout the day, you accumulate germs on your hands. In turn, you can infect yourself with these germs by touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Although it's impossible to keep your hands germ-free, washing your hands frequently can help limit the transfer of bacteria, viruses and other microbes.

Always wash your hands before:

* Preparing food

* Eating

* Treating wounds or giving medicine

* Touching a sick or injured person

* Inserting or removing contact lenses

Always wash your hands after:

* Preparing food, especially raw meat or poultry

* Using the toilet

* Changing a diaper

* Touching an animal or animal toys, leashes or waste

* Blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing into your hands

* Treating wounds

* Touching a sick or injured person

* Handling garbage or something that could be contaminated, such as a cleaning cloth or soiled shoes

Of course, it's also important to wash your hands whenever they look dirty.
How to wash your hands

It's generally best to wash your hands with soap and water. Follow these simple steps:

* Wet your hands with running water.

* Apply liquid, bar or powder soap.

* Lather well.

* Rub your hands vigorously for at least 20 seconds. Remember to scrub all surfaces, including the backs of your hands, wrists, between your fingers and under your fingernails.

* Rinse well.

* Dry your hands with a clean or disposable towel or air dryer.

* If possible, use your towel to turn off the faucet.

Keep in mind that antibacterial soap is no more effective at killing germs than is regular soap. Using antibacterial soap may even lead to the development of bacteria that are resistant to the product's antimicrobial agents — making it harder to kill these germs in the future.

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Baby not sleeping properly?

A lot of young mothers are worried about their babies not sleeping through the night. And some have a lot of questions about a baby's sleep patterns.

Remember that a new born baby sleeps most of the time. But they usually don't sleep when we want them to. Your baby wakes up at night and cries, not because s/he has jet lag, not because s/he is a night owl, but because s/he does not know that its night! Simply put, it takes time for your baby to understand the concept of night and day. The good news: there are things you can do to program your new born.

Try feeding your baby in noisy and/or bright surroundings during the day. Make sure the room is well lit while you feed. During the night, keep your baby under softer lights and quieter surroundings and make sure the room is dimly lit while feeding.

Even when your baby sleeps during the day, keep the room well lit either naturally (open curtains and blinds to let sunlight through) or by artificial lighting. Normally you can expect your baby to sleep through the night by 6 to 7 weeks of age, though some manage it earlier. Feed your infant if s/he is hungry at night. You can change this habit by slowly feeding your baby to his/her full at night and giving short yet frequent feeds during the day.

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Oils for baby massage

Is it a good idea to use oil to massage my baby? Using an oil can make the whole experience of massage easier for you and more relaxing for your baby. Everyone seems to have an opinion on which oil is best for baby massage.

Some mums favour baby mineral oils, while others chose a particular vegetable oil. Some oils are thought to be more easily absorbed into skin. You may find massage easier with an oil that soaks in, or you may prefer one that stays more slippery on your baby's skin. It's up to you.

However, there are some oils or creams that it's best not to use, because they may irritate your baby's skin. These are:

• Mustard oil, because the way it's processed may mean it is contaminated with other seeds.
• Peanut oil, because, unless it's refined, the proteins it contains may trigger an allergic reaction on your baby's skin. It's hard to find pure, refined peanut oil.
• Aqueous cream, because it contains detergents that may irritate your baby's skin.

Vegetable oils that are high in linoleic acid may be kinder to your baby's skin. Linoleic acid is an essential fatty acid that helps to protect the barrier element of your baby's skin. Vegetable oils that usually contain high levels of linoleic acid include:

• safflower oil
• grapeseed oil

What if my baby has sensitive skin?
If your baby has eczema or broken skin, it's best not to use vegetable oils that are higher in another type of fatty acid, called oleic acid. These oils may be less kind to your baby's skin than vegetable oils rich in linoleic acid or baby mineral oils.

Oleic acid can make some layers of your baby's skin more permeable. This permeability could help oil and water be absorbed into your baby's skin. But permeability means the movement of moisture works both ways. So if your baby's skin is already dry and tender, the oleic acid could increase moisture loss from it.

Vegetable oils that usually contain high proportions of oleic acid include:

• olive oil
• high-oleic sunflower seed oil

If you check the label on vegetable oils, they don't tend to list the oleic or linoleic acid content. They do list the proportions of polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fats, though.

Vegetable oils that are higher in linoleic acid will be higher in polyunsaturated fats. Oils that are higher in oleic acid will be higher in monounsaturated fats.

Perfume-free baby mineral oils are another option if your baby has eczema or broken skin. Mineral oil is derived from petroleum. Petroleum-based skin softeners or moisturisers are effective and safe for treating skin problems such as eczema.

Mineral oils have also been shown to help protect premature babies' skin. The oils are thought to improve the barrier function of a premature baby's skin because they help to seal in and trap moisture. Mineral oils work particularly well for baby massage if you give your baby a bath and then massage her with the oil while her skin is still damp.

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Vomiting With Cough a Symptom of Asthma in Children

A team at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC, believes that posttussive emesis is a probable sign of asthma in children.

If that is the case, then treatment should be directed more toward airway management than toward suppression of cough, principal investigator Joseph Turbyville, MD, from the Department of Allergy and Immunology at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, told Medscape Allergy & Clinical Immunology during poster sessions here at the American Academy of Asthma, Allergy and Immunology (AAAAI) 2009 Annual Meeting.

The investigators distributed 780 questionnaires during a 2-week period to parents of children aged 2 to 17 years attending the pediatric and allergy clinics at Walter Reed. Questions pertained to age, sex, previous diagnosis of pertussis, frequency of respiratory infections, gastroesophageal reflux (GERD), and a prior diagnosis of asthma.

Five hundred questionnaires were returned and evaluations of 144 children were completed.

The prevalence of physician-diagnosed asthma was 23%, occurring in 33 children. Of those, 48% reported a history of posttussive emesis.

There were 37 children who had "surrogate markers suggestive of asthma," but had not been given a formal diagnosis. Surrogate markers included wheeze, chest tightness, recurrent respiratory infections and sinusitis, and nighttime cough. Posttussive emesis was reported in 49% of this group.

No evidence of asthma was seen in 74 children, of whom 11% reported a history of posttussive emesis.

Posttussive emesis, either with asthma or a suspicion of asthma, was significantly more prevalent than in children without asthma (P < .0005), Dr. Turbyville reported.

"We think it's a simple, mechanical thing," he explained. "There is a flattening of the diaphragm, which compromises the stomach and puts pressure on it, causing it to empty.

"Another possibility is that the airway obstruction pushes air into the esophagus. There is a significant obstruction at the tracheal-esophageal junction in these kids," he said.

"The mechanical explanation would also explain the link with GERD and obstructive sleep apnea," Dr. Turbyville added.

"Our finding, if it is confirmed, would lead us toward treatment with a long-acting beta-agonist and anti-inflammatory agents rather than an antitussive agent," Dr. Turbyville concluded. "The cough may signal asthma rather than a respiratory infection if the child is vomiting with it."

"These findings give us one more clue to think about when considering a diagnosis of asthma," Andy Nish, MD, an allergist with Allergy and Asthma Care Center in Gainesville, Georgia, commented in an interview with Medscape Allergy & Clinical Immunology after Dr. Turbyville's presentation.

"It can be hard to sort out a cough and whether it has segued into bronchospasm," Dr. Nish observed. "We have to look at the whole ball of wax...whether there is wheezing, chest tightness, if it increases on exercise or with stress, whether there is smoke exposure, and so on.

"We need to do a complete physical examination, with pulmonary function testing...listening to the lungs for wheezing or decreased airflow, checking changes in the inspiration/expiration ratio, peak flow changes, possibly a chest x-ray, and so on," he said.

"The presence of posttussive emesis should raise your level of suspicion, and you should conduct follow-up testing, specifically pulmonary function tests, sooner rather than later, if posttussive emesis is present," Dr. Nish advised.

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How to trim your baby's nails

Should I trim my baby's nails?

Yes. Your baby's nails may be softer and more pliable than yours, but make no mistake — they're sharp! A newborn has little control over his flailing limbs and can easily end up scratching his own face or yours.

Little fingernails grow so fast you may have to cut them several times a week. Toenails require less frequent trimming.

How do I trim my baby's nails without cutting his fingertips?

The best time to do this is while he's sleeping. (You may want to leave nail utensils in the car so you can do the job while your baby's asleep in his car seat.) Another good time is right after a bath, when your baby's nails are at their softest.

Make sure you have enough light to see what you're doing. Use a pair of baby scissors or clippers made especially for the purpose. Press the finger pad away from the nail to avoid nicking the skin, and keep a firm hold on your baby's hand as you clip.

Cut fingernails along the curve of the finger. Cut toenails straight across. Then use an emery board to smooth out any rough edges. In fact, if you're patient and your baby's nails aren't too long, you can skip clipping them altogether and simply file them to the right length with an emery board.

If you decide to give your baby a manicure while he's awake, get someone to help you hold him and keep him from wiggling too much while you work. Or have someone distract him so he'll let you hold his hand still for the clipping and filing.

Some parents bite their baby's nails into shape, but if you do, you run the risk of introducing germs from your mouth into any little cut your baby may have on his finger. You also won't be able to see what you're doing, and you'll find that your baby's finger is minute compared to your teeth! Still, some parents rely on this method.

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Giving your baby a bath

Time it right: Don't give your baby a real bath until the umbilical cord stump falls off. Sponge baths are okay until then.

Gather supplies: A baby tub (or just the sink), a washcloth or two, cotton balls (optional), baby soap, a towel, and a fresh diaper.

Get ready: Heat the room if it's chilly, and run an inch or two of warm water (about 90 degrees Fahrenheit) into the tub or sink

Take the plunge: Undress your baby and gradually place her in the tub on her back. Support her head and neck with one hand.

Keep her comfy: Gently pour cupfuls of water over your baby's body throughout the bath so she doesn't get cold.

Clean all over: Use a washcloth, cotton balls, or your hand to gently wash your baby's face and body. No need to scrub or use much soap.

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The Dos and Don’ts – Newborn Baby Care -Pictures

Here are some dos and don’ts when it comes to caring for the baby! Becoming a good parent means much more than knowing a lot about babies.

Ask pediatric doctors or nurses what it was like for them to be new parents. They will tell you that all their knowledge about babies was not enough to keep them from being overwhelmed by their own babies.

All new parents feel the same way. All new parents work at knowing, understanding, and loving their babies.

If you want to learn all about your new born baby care, and be able to respond to his/her needs appropriately – it is going to take a lot of your time.

In case you are a young mother or father, having difficulties in putting the baby to sleep or feeding him, these instructions are the clearest you can get.



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The first looks of your New Born Baby

Few newborns look picture perfect at birth. They have many variations in normal appearance - from color of the skin to its texture to the shape of the head. Some of these differences are just temporary, part of the physical adjustments a baby goes through. Mentally, mostly all babies are awake and alert during the first few hours after birth.

Physical appearance:

Head
The head may look pointed due of pressure during birth. It would become normal in two weeks. When you touch on the top of your baby's head, you can feel a soft spot. This is the part where the bones of the skull have not joined together. It becomes normal when your child is 16-18months.

Skin
You will find little marks, spots and rashes, red or greenish blue on the skin of your new born baby. This is completely normal and some babies may have more than others. Skin may be peeling on the hands and feet and some babies may have noticeable downy body hair. But all these will disappear on their own accord.

Hands and Feet
The fingernails of the baby seems long at birth. The legs look bowed as he had been lying curled in the womb.

Eyes
The eyes may look as if they are squinting. This is very common in the first months. Puffy or blood shot eyes should be checked by the doctor.

Nose
The nose may appear flat as the bone hasn't yet fully developed.

Genitals
Most of the babies genitals look large. There may have a milky discharge from the breasts and sometimes blood or discharge from the vagina in a baby girl. This is because of an infusion of mother's hormones from the placenta, just before birth. This is perfectly normal and will soon disappear.

Mental Ability :
Mostly all babies are awake and alert during the first few hours after birth. They are attracted to human sights especially faces and human sounds. They have a grasp reflex and sucking reflex. If an object is placed in his palm he involuntarily clenches his fists around it, likewise if the newborn is placed near his mothers breast, the baby will seek the nipple and begin to suck. Babies can see now, although objects may be blurred.

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Site is 'Netflix for baby clothes'

Plum has not only a great idea, but a great motto: "Think of us as the Netflix for baby clothes," and that pretty much sums up the website's mission: Rent baby clothes — but no, not ones that have been super-pooped in — and return them when you're done.

Here's how it works: The relatively new site is a subscription-based baby boutique of sorts, carrying brands like Egg Baby, Kate Quinn Organics, Petit Bateau and Tea Collection. For $16 a month, you can rent two outfits; $29 a month for four; and $49 a month for seven.

"You can send them back anytime you'd like within three months. We'll send you a new bundle," the site says. Also promised: "Our bundles are always freshly laundered in 7th Generation laundry products, the greenest and healthiest on the market, and we pack them with a little sachet of organic lavender to keep them smelling lovely."

Stain issues? "We're moms and we know how it goes: accidents happen. Send them back with the bundle. We'll either donate them to foster care, or use the fabric that's still in great shape in hand-crafted baby gifts. No charge to you!"

Outfits ship via regular mail, with one "free round-trip" a month included in a subscription.

Caroline O'Connor, the brains behind Plum, writes on the site that she had a few inspirations for the idea:

'There's got to be a better way,' I thought, while sifting through piles of gifts and hand-me-downs. My first baby is due in October, and amidst the excitement I wondered how I'll ever handle all this ... stuff. The idea for Plum was born as I explained to my husband the ideal solution: If someone could drop matched bundles of my favorite brands at my door in the right sizes, already laundered with organic products. Then I thought: "Good grief, why isn't someone already doing this?" I decided that someone could be me.

And, her own mother is a foster care mom for infants: "The babies who come to her are as young as just a few days old. They may stay for a few weeks or a few months. Not only does she want the best for the babies in her care, she buys them clothes so that they have something when they leave her care." Of course, O'Connor says, "There are thousands of other foster parents like her around the country."

Baby clothes that "just can't be saved — moms, you know what I mean — we use scraps from to create gifts onesies." O'Connor says all proceeds from the sales go to Foster Care Alumni of America, "which helps foster kids successfully transition into adulthood."

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Relax! The Zsa Zsa-baby thing won't happen

You probably saw the headlines Thursday about 94-year-old actress Zsa Zsa Gabor becoming a mother. Sounds like a miracle of modern science, right?

Wrong. There are a bunch of significant problems with the whole scenario that make it, in the end, just another sensational Hollywood tale that won't actually happen.

First off, while Gabor's husband says he'll spend about $100,000 for the couple to have a child, it won't be biologically connected to the actress. In fact, while some women are today having children in their 40s and 50s, there exists no technology to make a child that is the biological offspring of a 94-year-old woman.

Prince Frederic von Anhalt told CNN he is finding an egg donor and a surrogate for the purposes of artificial insemination. Theoretically, that means his sperm would fertilize the donor's eggs and then one or two resulting embryos would be implanted into a surrogate. Current guidelines suggest that the combined age of two biological parents shouldn't be above 100; if 67-year-old von Anhalt is the father, the egg donor will have to be under 34. He could alternatively use an anonymous sperm donor.

But it's not as simple as that. Dr. Dan Shapiro of Reproductive Biologic Associates of Atlanta says von Anhalt and Gabor's public desire to have a child would not be considered a legitimate reason to go through with this procedure, given the circumstances. Gabor has suffered significant health problems

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Study: Antibiotics have little impact on child ear infections

Giving children antibiotics for ear infections does little to speed their recovery while raising the risk of some side effects, according to a study published Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical organization.

The study found that 80 out of 100 otherwise healthy children would recover from an acute ear infection within a few days if given medication only to relieve pain or fevers. If all 100 were given antibiotics instead, 92 would be better in the same period, said Dr. Tumaini Coker, the study's lead author.

"But we would also expect three to 10 kids to develop rash and five to 10 to develop diarrhea," said Coker, a pediatrician at Mattel Children's Hospital at the University of California-Los Angeles.

Coker noted that the increased number of children in the study who benefited from treatment with antibiotics was similar to the number that could be expected to get side effects from the antibiotic treatment.

"Clinicians and parents need to know the benefits and side effects on how to manage their child's ear infection," Coker said.

Health Insurance for Children

In today’s Patient Money column, Lesley Alderman writes about the various ways parents can find health coverage for their children, even if they think they can’t afford it.

Children in families with incomes of up to $44,100 (for a family of four) are likely to be eligible for some kind of government health insurance. In states where the cost of living is high, the income limits are even greater. In New York State, the cutoff for a family of four is $88,200; in New Jersey, it is $77,175.

The news is good for children, but it could be better. Almost 10 percent of children, or seven million of them, still do not have insurance. According to a recent report published in the journal Health Affairs, 4.7 million of those uninsured children are eligible for government coverage.

Baby care

A healthy birth and enlargement weight is good for your baby. The average birth weight for a typical toddler will be boys (3.2-3.6kg or 7-8lb), girls (3-3.5kg or 6 3/4lb -7 3/4lb) and the average height may be boys (48-52cm) and girls (48-51cm).

After trailing some of her birth weight during the first days after birth, your baby will establish to grow gradually. By the focus of her first month, she will perhaps be gaining about 0.5 to 1 ounce per day. After the first month, weight gain may be 1.5 to 2 pounds and length may augment 1 to 1.5 inches per month. These are just averages; as long as your baby is staying on her own growth curve, you should have no concern about her progress.

Your pediatrician will determine her weight, length, and head circumference once a month and plot your baby's own growth path on a chart, so any growth troubles can be spotted early. All babies grow at different rate. There is no need to worry if your baby has periods of slow growth interspersed with spurts but if two successive measurements seem low, check with your pediatrician.

At 3 months, the 'emblematic' baby weighs 13 pounds and measures 24 inches. But don't worry if your baby is smaller or larger. Babies, like adults, vary in size and shape. In fact, the 'average' weight for a 3-month-old can range from 9 to 16pounds and the average length from 22 to 25 inches.