Tips for Taking the Best Newborn Baby Pictures

Chances are that everything baby is doing is fascinating to you right now, and you want to capture each wonderful moment, each new expression, and keep it for posterity. However, taking baby pictures can be tricky and here are some tips and tricks that will help you take the best newborn baby photos:


1. Pick a good quality but uncomplicated camera that you quickly switch on and just point and shoot.

You don’t want to be bothering with complicated lenses, and adjusting apertures and so on, because by that time baby will have moved on to doing something else and you will have lost that moment you wanted to capture.

2. Take plenty of pictures; with modern digital cameras you can always delete and edit what you don’t want later.

3. Set the stage so to speak. Spread out a nice blanket and keep some favorite items close at hand, which may interest baby and elicit interesting expressions and adorably toothless smiles.

Dress baby in your favorite togs and perhaps a jaunty cap to complete the picture.

4. Make sure baby is well rested, fed, burped and freshly changed to make sure that you have baby in the best possible mood and inclined to pose, in a manner of speaking.

Also make sure that baby is clean; you don’t want spit up stains to show up on the dress or dried drool to be evident in the pictures.

5. Take pictures of baby as he or she is sleeping. Sleeping babies can make for some enchanting pictures and you have the time to really compose your shot.

6. It is best if the baby’s most favorite person is taking the photo – babies tend to smile and react and coo and gurgle most with a care giver or mother, say; so if possible they should take the picture, so that baby is looking straight at them and therefore the camera as the picture is being taken.

7. Don’t try too hard to make baby ‘pose’ – rather just make it a kind of play session and get baby interested and involved in the process.

Then just be ready for the sidelong glance, the wide grin, the puzzled frown and a range of other expression that baby will naturally offer you.

8. Meal times are another great time to take pictures. Make sure that you capture that distasteful look on the face when baby tastes something new, and unfamiliar, capture the fun she has as she tries to feed herself and the mess that she makes as well!

9. Don’t be afraid of taking close ups of baby’s face; these can make some of the most cherished baby pictures if you get them right.

Practice with different angles and make sure the light is right and then work by trial and error to get the best shots.

10. After you take the pictures, you can try and experiment with various computer applications to create different effects – you can create a sepia tint for the picture, or make it monochrome (black and white), give a sketched effect and amuse yourself with other effects!

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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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70,000 children infected by HIV in India

An estimated 70,000 children are infected with HIV in the country and the ailment is caused to most of them by parent-to-child-transmission (PTCT), according to a recent finding by the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO).

Participants of a UNICEF-state AIDS Prevention and Control Society seminar in Kolkata said, quoting NACO estimates, that a small proportion of these children are infected by unsafe injections and blood transfusions.

"UNICEF supports the government in its effort to halt and reverse the HIV/AIDS outbreak in India to reduce the transmission of HIV from infected mothers to their children," the country chief of UNICEF, HIV and AIDS, Ivonne Camaroni told on the sidelines of the seminar on Thursday.

With 21,000 children infected every year through PTCT, the UNICEF wanted to provide strategic supplies of drugs and commodities, improve the capacity of staff by developing innovative communication approaches for prevention and care and helping to improve monitoring and reporting systems.

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A Child's Promise: Dental problems disrupt education, life

Dental caries (tooth decay) is the number one untreated disease in children, five times more common than asthma. Each year, 52 million school hours are missed due to dental-related issues. Untreated tooth decay leads to problems with learning, sleeping, eating and growing. Nearly 80 percent of childhood tooth decay occurs in 20 percent of children. Nationwide, 30 to 50 percent of 4- and 5-year-olds in Head Start already have tooth decay. Surprisingly, the number of children getting cavities is increasing; low-income individuals are disproportionately affected by dental disease and most do not have access to dental care. Common barriers to obtaining dental services include:
1. Lack of information regarding the importance of early dental care. A child needs to see a dentist by age one, with six-month check-ups and cleanings. Instead, some parents seek dental care only when their child is in pain. At that point, several teeth may be involved and treatment is more complex.

2. Out of date contact information. Routine dental appointments are scheduled months in advance. When the family address or phone changes, parents do not receive reminder calls or letters and miss their appointments.

3. Lack of access to dental care for individuals, ages 19 to 21. Dental needs for qualifying children are covered comprehensively by MO HealthNet (Missouri Medicaid) through age 19, or age 21 for those with certain special needs. After that, everyone must carry private dental insurance or pay out of pocket. Although several safety-net dental clinics offer a discount through sliding fee programs, dental care cost is still out of reach for many in this age group. No adult dental benefits are provided unless a covered person is blind, pregnant, or in a nursing home.

Locally, several community organizations are addressing this problem. Jordan Valley Dental Clinic and Mobile Unit partners with area organizations to ensure regular dental care for children. The Tooth Truck, part of the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile, visits Springfield schools to provide services to children with the greatest needs. Missouri Mission of Mercy, a program of the Missouri Dental Association and the Greater Springfield Dental Society, will host a free dental clinic in September 2011 for patients of all ages who cannot otherwise afford care.

Below are tips for parents who want to ensure better dental care for children:

1. Take your children to see a dentist by age one or soon after their first tooth erupts. Many dental issues can be resolved quickly if caught early enough. The dentist can also provide information on appropriate bottle and sippy cup use and good nutrition habits.

2. Make sure your children have regular six-month check-ups and cleanings and fluoride applications as needed.

3. Help your children brush their teeth until they can write in cursive. Until then, children do not have the small muscle control to brush as carefully as needed.

4. Provide current contact information to your dental and medical health providers.

5. Set a good example of good oral care by brushing and flossing your own teeth daily.

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Kids Watching Hours of TV at Home-Based Daycare

A recent study published today about home-based day care reported that about 70% of the programs use television daily. The study found that among preschool-aged children, those in home-based day cares watched TV for 2.4 hours per day on average, compared to 24 minutes in larger childcare centers. Toddlers watched an average of 1.6 hours in home care and about 6 minutes in centers. That is certainly not what many parents have signed up for!

The figures come from a telephone survey of licensed child care programs in Michigan, Washington, Florida and Massachusetts.

For more information about the study, logon to msnbc.com.

Little Things, huge Impact

Little things can have a huge impact on growing kids, affecting their psychological, cognitive and social developments.

Kids tend to imitate their parents all the time, and this dynamic plays a big role in their development. What is familiar, weird, right, wrong, acceptable, impolite, etc, will be a reflection of their frame of references.

Even little things such as how our attitude fluctuates with our emotions, can affect a child’s behavior. If you are mad and tries to control your kid by raising your voice (yelling), it can be interpreted in their little minds as an effective way to intimidate and control others.

Cognitive development can also be hugely improved by parents and childcare providers with proper stimulation. The word “Cognitive” comes from the Latin root “cognoscere” meaning “to become acquainted with”, “to come to know”. Talking to them, explaining the reasoning behind actions, situations and problems can help them understand the world, and learn the “cause and effect” rule. Allowing kids to communicate their points of view brings confidence and develops their thought process.

This is our golden opportunity to maximize their development, taking it to the best possible direction!

Bouncy Love

If you have kids, chances are you are a huge fan of bouncer chairs. What a great invention!

It is one gear that will buy you at least one hour of peace and rest a day. I’m yet to see a baby or young toddler that doesn’t get completely entertained in one of those for at least an hour. It is a bit noisy, but you just can’t have everything!

Someone gave us as a baby shower present. I confess that we didn’t have the slightest idea that it even existed until that moment. Since the first minute we put Lukas on it, it was like magic, he loved it. We didn’t even put batteries in the chair. He bounced himself by kicking it with his heels.

The toys hanging are very amusing, and for some reason the bouncy movement makes him very drowsy. It is an hour of self-entertainment, and an extra-hour of nap. As a bonus, the dog also gets quite amused….

God bless its creator!

Making your Own Toys

Young kids love playing with different materials. That is a great opportunity to develop their creativity, and teach them their first lessons about renewable resources!

Large boxes, fabric, non-toxic glue and paint are ideal elements to have fun with. Ok, I’m far from being creative in arts with my hands, but just the experience is already worth it! A large box, cut on both sides can turn into a fun tunnel! A long and colored piece of fabric with different patterns becomes a little play field. An empty plastic container with coins inside can make interesting noises. Even a bunch of nylon sponges with different colors may turn into a puppet, which all toddlers love to play with!

Learning how to transform materials into creative pieces is a great skill to have for life. Wait until they are teenagers to buy them elaborate gifts, when they are definitely more demanding. Toddlers have fun with anything different that allows them to explorer forms and colors

Foodie Gadgets

Busy moms know how difficult it is to come up with healthy meals for their kids. Making them eat a variety of veggies, carbs, proteins and minerals is definitely a challenge. I've always been very committed with not only the quality of nutrients but also the development of Lukas' taste for great food! Being as international as we are, I want him to appreciate fine and simple ingredients. Trying new dishes and spices from different cultures is key!

Can you tell that I'm a foodie? Boy, I love great meals! The pleasant experience of going to farmers' markets in different countries tells me a lot about the country and the lifestyle. Coming from an Italian family made me very appreciative of the ritual of preparing and consuming meals..... I recall countless family events that evolved around the kitchen table!

I found that feeding my one year old organic homemade food meets my objectives. It is actually very easy. I freeze mashed veggies, chicken, fish, grains, etc in trays appropriate for food, they are similar to a covered ice tray. For each meal I defrost 4 or 5 different cubes, making sure the ideal nutritional combination is achieved.
It is a lot fresher than jar food, and the taste, a lot better!

Hand mixer and covered ice trays, another set of great tools for busy moms!