To Swaddle or Not to Swaddle…That is the Question

To Swaddle or Not to Swaddle…That is the Question

I don’t know if I would have made it out of the newborn period with any of my three children without swaddling.  It was like magic for my kiddos…as soon as the last piece of velcro was fastened and they were picked up for a gentle swinging and shushing session, they were asleep.  Swaddling is something that I often discuss at newborn visits as a great way to calm down a fussy baby, so you can imagine my surprise to see the headlines this week stating “Swaddling may increase the risks of SIDS.”  Should parents run to immediately get rid of those swaddle blankets? Not so fast. The greatest increase SIDS risk was in those infants who were swaddled and placed to sleep on their side or stomach or in older swaddled infants. The headline came after a study which will be published in the June edition of Pediatrics looked into the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and swaddling (click here to see the full article).  This present study evaluated data from 4 previous studies that were conducted between 1998-2006 in 3 areas of the world: England in the UK, Tasmania in Australia, and Chicago, Illinois here in the US.  The outcome of this analysis showed that the risk of SIDS was much higher in infants who were swaddled and placed on their side or on their stomach to sleep, and the risk of SIDS in swaddled infants increased with the age of the infant.  Swaddling, while not clearly defined in this article, generally means wrapping of a baby from the shoulders down with a blanket of...
Teasing out Teething – Part 2: What’s a Parent to Do?

Teasing out Teething – Part 2: What’s a Parent to Do?

As I discussed in my first post in this teething series (click here if you missed it), teething is a normal part of development, and there are no “absolute” symptoms of teething that every child will experience.  But for the purposes of this article, let’s say you can see the telltale swelling on your little one’s gum line, they’ve started drooling and trying to gnaw through every object in sight, and, therefore, you feel pretty sure that one of those pearly whites is about ready to come bursting through.  Although I know that teething advice is a dime a dozen and everybody has their “foolproof remedy”, bear with me as I share some sound advice as a pediatrician and as a mommy with 3 kiddos-worth of experience with how to deal with the emergence of first teeth. The first thing to have in your teething arsenal are soft teething toys or teething rings.  One of my favorite toys that we purchased for Mr. L (our youngest son) is this teething toy from Bright Stars.  It’s designed with little “legs” that are made to simulate baby’s fingers (which is probably their typical teething “toy” of choice), it’s quite choke-proof, and it’s made of a material that’s hardy and is easy to clean.  If you are using those more classic teething rings with a coolable liquid inside,do a quick check to make sure there are no holes in the plastic or latex containing the liquid, especially the longer your child is chewing on them.  And while cooling them down helps to soothe the gums, you will want to keep these in...
Your Probiotic Shopping List

Your Probiotic Shopping List

    If you checked in at TheMommyDoctor.com last week, then hopefully you had the chance to read my description of pre- and probiotics (click here to check it out). If you have been perusing the grocery or health food store aisles for some of these products, you have probably noticed that there are lots of products out there. “So which one should I buy?” you may be wondering. Well, today I will share with you a few of my favorite products for keeping those little tummies (and maybe big tummies, too) happy and healthy.   “So which one should I buy?” you may be wondering. Let’s start with the product I like the most for infants. It is called Gerber Soothe or BioGaia ProTectis drops. These products contain the probiotic Lactobacillus reuteri which has been shown in several studies to be beneficial especially in the setting of reducing infant colic symptoms. One study, in particular, that was published in the journal Pediatrics, was a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (i.e. the “best” type of study, from my pediatrician perspective) looking at breastfed infants with colic and the use of this probiotic. A significantly higher number of those in the study who received the L. reuteri were found to be responders, meaning a 50% reduction in crying time, by day 7 of the trial as compared to those who received placebo drops. In practice, I typically recommend Gerber Soothe drops and BioGaia especially in young infants who have fussiness that seems to be associated with gas and especially when that gas is particularly “smelly.” The recommended dose for these products is 5...
Wait…how do I get the snot from his nose??!!

Wait…how do I get the snot from his nose??!!

  With colder temperatures settling in, runny noses and nasal congestion are about to become the norm at our house.  For my first “favorite product” I want to tell you about the most amazing nasal suction device that I have found!  Or should I say, my husband found.  He brought this little gem home when my oldest was about 4 months old, and I looked at him like he must be crazy.  It is called NoseFrida the Snotsucker…no really, that’s the name.   Rather than those bulb suctions that you get from the hospital or that come in the baby “first aid kit” that have to go WAY up the nose, the NoseFrida sits just at the opening to the nose and creates a “vacuum” if you will.  Now here is the part where everyone gets a bit squeamish and gives me the look like “you must be kidding me”…you then use the mouthpiece to suck the snot out! Yes, I know what your first thought is…I love my child, but I do not want to purposely get their snot into my mouth.  I will assure you, if used properly, there is no way that the snot will reach anywhere close to your mouth. However, you will be smiling from ear to ear when you see just how much mucus you can obtain from one child’s nose, and although probably screaming during the process, your child will thank you as well!  And by the way, this is a great time to remind you to always use saline before trying to suction a nose!   This amazing product can be found...
When Your Baby is Sick (from “Baby Grand” @ Woman’s Hospital)

When Your Baby is Sick (from “Baby Grand” @ Woman’s Hospital)

I was honored to have the opportunity to participate in Woman’s Hospital Baby Grand Extravaganza this morning!  I really enjoyed getting to “meet and greet” with many expectant parents, and it was great to teach the class “When Your Baby is Sick.”   I have included my presentation below for those that are interested. As always, please let me know any questions or comments you might have!...