LilSugar

Five Easy Teething Ring Alternatives

LilSugar — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 06:00:24 -0800

Some teething tots want to chomp down on just about anything except the teething rings mama was expecting to work wonders. If the little one refuses the plastic teethers, check out the slideshow for five alternatives for easing her pain and keeping a soon-to-be toothy grin on her face.

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What Do You Know About Head Injuries in Children?

LilSugar — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 08:00:00 -0700

Kids are notorious for bumping their heads, especially the smaller ones who are just learning to crawl and walk. A welt on your tot's noggin is scary and unsightly, but usually calls for nothing more than a little TLC from mama. Take the quiz to see if you know what to do if your child bumps his or her head.

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Feeding Time Line For Baby's First Year

LilSugar — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 07:00:20 -0700

Feeding a baby is one of the most natural, yet complicated parts of being a new parent. Constant fears often lurk in mama's head: Is my baby hungry? Am I feeding her enough? When do I start spooning out solids? Should she be drinking regular milk yet? Am I feeding her too much?

Parenting is a tough business, but luckily we've compiled this quick little time line of age-appropriate food from the day you bring your newborn home from the hospital until she blows out the candle on her first birthday.

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10 Ways to Encourage Babies to Develop Language Skills

LilSugar — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 10:00:21 -0700

Was your lil one born with the gift to gab? It may seem that way in the early months when a child babbles away incessantly, even if no one can quite make out what they are saying. Soon after birth babies begin picking up on the words and sounds they hear, and from the early stage, their language development skills are growing. Parents and caregivers can encourage these skills by speaking directly to their children and using words and phrases that babies understand. Check out our 10 tips for aiding the development of language in tots.

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Lil Tip: Prepare Your Bathroom For Visitors

LilSugar — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 11:30:04 -0700

Baby's born and mama's home from the hospital, so let the welcoming brigade begin. While her kitchen may be stocked with treats and beverages to keep guests' bellies full, the better place to maintain may be the bathroom!

Before allowing friends and family to visit with a newborn, many mamas require them to thoroughly wash up, especially during this particularly bad flu season. Fancy soaps and pretty linens may liven up the bathroom, but some anti-bacterial soap and paper towels that can be immediately thrown away are better options when it comes to preventing the spread of germs. What precautions did you take to prevent the spread of germs once your lil one arrived?

What Do You Know About Separation Anxiety?

LilSugar — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 08:00:52 -0700

Separation anxiety takes a toll on parents and their children. Working moms and dads hate to leave a child in distress, while stay-at-home moms and dads can't even go into the next room without bringing on the waterworks. Luckily for most wee ones the fear of being apart from their parents is temporary, and seems to disappear just as quickly as it came. Take the quiz to see how much you know about separation anxiety.

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How Well Do You Know Infant Dehydration?

LilSugar — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 14:30:09 -0700

It takes a lot of fluid to keep a tiny baby healthy, and infants are more prone to dehydration than older children and adults. Fortunately most cases of infant dehydration are moderate and easily remedied as long as you know the signs. Take the quiz to see how well you know dehydration in babies.

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Eight Illnesses Doctors May Overlook in Babies

LilSugar — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 08:00:18 -0700

We consider our pediatricians to be experts when it comes to caring for our wee ones. We don't hesitate to call them in the middle of the night when our babies have unexplained fevers or aren't acting like themselves. Because children under the age of two cannot always communicate what is bothering them, the doctors can only treat the symptoms we can describe, often overlooking some serious, but treatable illnesses. Children's Health recently identified the most common medical conditions missed by pediatricians, and we have delved into them here.

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Is Mom's Weight to Blame For Baby's Heart Conditions?

LilSugar — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 06:00:42 -0700

Women with hopes of becoming moms have yet another reason to watch their weight. Unlike previous studies that provided women with weight-gain guidelines based on their pre-pregnancy weights, the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology is reporting that overweight women are more likely to produce babies with congenital heart defects.

According to the study of mothers of 6,440 babies born with the heart defects, those who were overweight, but not obese, prior to becoming pregnant were 16 percent more likely to birth a baby with the defect. Those who were severely obese were 31 percent more likely to do so. While the study does not necessarily show a direct link between weight and the medical condition, the association is considered to be strong.

Do studies like this one affect the way you live your life?

SIDS Campaign Resulting in Many Flat Heads

LilSugar — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 08:00:16 -0700

Back to sleep! The anti-SIDS slogan, which was introduced in 1994, is so ingrained in most moms that they don't give it a second thought when putting their wee ones down for some shut-eye. Though the campaign is credited with preventing 2,000 additional SIDS cases each year for the past 15 years, doctors have determined that one in 40 will develop a flat head.

According to The Journal of Craniofacial Surgery, flat head syndrome can lead to more ear infections, which, in turn, can result in language disorders and learning disabilities. The researchers have seen a 49 to 54 percent increase in these types of ear infections. If a baby appears to develop a flat head, special helmets can help reshape the skull. To see some of our tips for keeping your tot's head round, just click here.

Did your lil one develop a flat head due to sleeping on his back?