Help for Five Common Infant Problems
After you have eliminated the obvious things such as wet or dirty diaper and hunger you check baby’s surroundings and find nothing amiss. Your thoughts may then go to internal reasons. Is my baby sick? Is my baby in pain? You may even go on to tell yourself you are a horrible parent but mostly likely that is not the case. There are many common ailments that can leave children cranky and unable to sleep or comfort themselves. Here are the five most common conditions and what you can do to help.
Colic
Almost every parent fears the word “colic”. Babies cry because they can’t communicate with words. When is crying a sign of something more? That all depends on the baby. Colic is a word that is used when a baby is well fed, clean and dry yet still cries for extended periods of time without any obvious reason. Colic often gets worse in the evening hours and can go on into the night.
Any sort of discomfort can cause bouts of colic. Baby may be having troubles with gas. They may be still trying to adjust to life outside the womb. Digestion troubles can lead to colic as well as the presence of caffeine in a nursing mother’s milk.
There are a few tricks you can try to calm baby down. A big mistake parent’s make is thinking that baby needs quiet. Life in the womb is quite loud. Babies in the womb are used to the sounds of mom’s heartbeat as well as the muted noises of the everyday outside world. The absence of these noises may become unsettling to them.
My little one didn’t have huge problems with colic but she had her moments. Quite often a car ride would soothe her to sleep. We also had a CD with lullabies on it that contained the sound of a heartbeat. You can also try vacuuming, running the dryer or a white noise machine. A simple fan can also produce a pleasing noise for your baby but make sure the air is not blowing directly on the baby.
Not only are babies accustomed to the noises of the uterus they are also used to the closed in space. The freer movement of their limbs after birth may startle babies. Try swaddling. Swaddling is wrapping the baby snuggly within a blanket that simulates the confines of the uterus. Your nurse or midwife can show you how to do this before you even leave the hospital.
If you are concerned your baby may have gas issues, use an over the counter gas relief medication that is made for infants. We used catnip and fennel we purchased from an herbal store. It worked wonders! Be sure to talk to your pediatrician before using this or any medication on your baby.
Diaper Rash
Most babies have a bout or two of diaper rash no matter how diligent you are about changing their diaper. It most often occurs when babies are allowed to remain in soiled diapers longer than necessary.
Rashes can range from slightly red skin to blistering and peeling skin. The key to clearing up the rash is to keep the area as dry as possible. Gently and thoroughly clean the area and always use talcum powder when changing the diaper. The powder will help draw the moisture away from the skin. You can even try letting baby go diaper free for a spell but be prepared to clean up some messes.
If you are using cloth diapers you may want to consider switching to disposable until the rash clears. The disposable diaper is better at pulling the moisture away from the skin. You can return to cloth as soon as it heals.
There are many over the counter lotions you can buy to alleviate the problem. A & D Ointment and Desitin are two common ones that both seem to work well. Not only do they form a wetness barrier, they also help soothe the pain a rash may be causing.
If a rash will not go away or seems to be getting worse despite your best efforts take your little one in to see your pediatrician.
Cradle Cap
Cradle cap appears as an almost white crust on your baby’s scalp. It looks a lot like adult dandruff but is much more visible due to the small amount of hair your baby is sporting. Cradle cap is not a sign of poor hygiene, it’s caused by the over production of sebum. Sebum is the natural oil your body produces to moisturize and waterproof your skin. Most babies grow out of this naturally by their first birthday.
Many moms use baby or olive oil to soften the excess skin and then they gently remove as much as possible after bath time. Don’t use too much pressure or you will further irritate your baby’s skin.
Acid Reflux
This condition is often hard to diagnose. It can cause long bouts of crying and can be mistaken for colic. Acid reflux happens to babies in the same way it happens in adults. The opening of the stomach does not remain closed after a feeding and stomach acids can creep back up the esophagus causing your baby pain. If you’ve ever had heartburn you know how painful this can be for an adult, imagine how this must feel for a baby.
Babies with reflux don’t often spit up. Instead they make very wet burps, stop feeding with signs of distress and will arch their back while they are experiencing pain. These aren’t exactly strong signals and it may take you a bit to figure out what is wrong.
There are a few things you can do to help alleviate some of the discomfort of acid reflux. Do your best to keep baby in the upright position. This may be hard but do your best to keep the head a little higher than the rest of the body while feeding and while baby is sleeping. Frequent feedings can make the problem worse so try to space them out. If you suspect acid reflux see your pediatrician as soon as you can. There may be medications that can help your baby.
Irregular Bowels
Most infants have a bowel movement up to eight times a day. You will quickly get used to the frequency and color of your baby’s stools. When there is a problem you may notice they are going less and the stools are coming out very hard or they are entirely too runny.
For constipation you should gently rub the babies tummy to stimulate the bowels into moving. A warm bath may help as well. If this seems painful to your baby you may want to consult with your pediatrician.
For runny stools that go on longer than a few diaper changes you may want to consider your baby may be sick. Look for other signs of illness such as fever, listlessness, and lack of interest in eating. If you suspect illness and your baby has a high fever seek medical treatment.
