My baby's health

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My Baby’s health

An expecting mother would strictly keep up to the routine visits to her obstetrician and adhere to the best nutritional advice, to ensure that she sails through her pregnancy smoothly with a healthy baby.

No sooner the baby is born she would be confronted with these:-

What is the importance of breast milk?
How can I build up my baby’s immunity?
Is that dose of vaccine really essential for my baby’s health?
What if my baby is born with a medical problem?
Should the baby be rushed to her doctor now?

Stay well informed and well learned about the different aspects that play a pivotal role in your baby’s health. This will aid you to get acquainted with the facts in a better way.

Infant Immunity

Babies do possess some innate immunity, as their mothers’ infection preventing antibodies are passed on to them through their Umbilical Cord. But this immunity needs to be further strengthened so that it can shield the baby from various infections and illnesses in later life.

Importance of mother’s milk:- Breast milk has all the essential nutrients required by the baby during the first four to six months of life as compared to commercial infant formulae. It contains immunoglobulin, lysozymes and bifidus factor which help fight infections. Thus, breast-fed babies as opposed to artificially fed infants have fewer incidences of diarrhoea and respiratory tract infections. So newborn babies should be exclusively breastfed for at least six months and refrained from being fed on any kind of infant formula and complementary feeds.
Immunization:- It also becomes important to ensure a timely shot of vaccinations to your baby as per the recommended Immunization schedule. In sync with the baby’s healthcare personnel, make sure that she receives the necessary immunizations before her second birthday thereby guarding her against all the major childhood illnesses.

Baby with a Medical Problem
It is imperative to understand that the possibility of your baby being born with a medical problem cannot be completely overlooked. A first examination of the baby at the hospital would certainly involve the following:-

Assessing the growth parameters like length, head circumference and weight since birth.
Physical examination of the baby to check for any abnormalities of the organ function.
Checking for the normal functioning of the baby’s reflexes, hearing and vision.
A close discussion getting in to knowing of how your baby is taken to breastfeeding, her sleep patterns and bowel movements.
The doctor would also recommend the necessary screening tests to detect the presence of any major inborn illnesses or medical problem, if he suspects through the observed symptoms.

If the screening tests reveal that your baby is suffering from a medical problem, she would be required to be transferred to a neonatal unit for additional care and detailed investigation. By talking to the nurse or your doctor, you could find out ways to store the breast milk. A breast pump would be ideally suitable for this purpose. The breast milk would then be defreezed and given to the baby when her condition improves.

By speaking to the baby’s health care provider, take a closer insight in to knowing more about the birth defects and accompanying medical problems. Comprehend them, as this would ease in dealing and taking care of such babies with lesser anxiety.

Visit to your Baby’s Doctor

Babies cry to communicate their needs. It could be that a soiled diaper is adding to her discomfort or she has not been fed since a long time. However a peculiar distinct cry that usually lasts for an unusual period of time indicates a medical problem, necessitating immediate help from the baby’s doctor.
A major amount of an infant time is spent in sleeping through the day. You would normally find them to be awake, while being nursed. But noticing them to be excessively drowsy and disinterested during their feeds should not be ignored.
An infection of the Umbilical Cord where in the stump becomes red or gets filled with pus could also lengthen the incessant spells of your baby’s cry. Report to your baby’s doctor immediately.
It is usually observed that the tear ducts of an infant’s eye open on their own, but in some cases they remain clogged shedding the mucous membrane surrounding the eyes. With the white discharge crusting up on the baby’s eyes, keeping the eyelids open can also become a difficult task for them. Since there is a danger of the baby contracting a severe eye infection, a detailed examination by the doctor is needed.