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Archive for the ‘Babies’ Category

by Joseph Stutzman

Watching your child grow and develop into an adult is one of the most exciting parts of being a parent. It may seem like the first year of a baby’s life brings the most milestones, but there are still plenty of new adventures to be had as the baby becomes a toddler.

At the age of twelve months, the baby will typically begin to exercise more muscles as he or she develops and refines his or her fine motor skills. As a result, children at this age tend to push, pull, or throw any object that crosses their path. It is important for parents to remember that these are not acts of defiance but rather attempts to play and engage with those around them. One-year-olds also enjoy creating sounds by banging objects together and exploring their surrounding world.

As the twelve-month-old begins to exert more independence, it is important for parents to establish a firm sense of routine. For instance, getting the child to bed at the same time every night is very important for creating consistency. Reading a bedtime story or taking a bath might be part of this nighttime routine.

Children at this age also begin to use spoons and other utensils to feed themselves. This is an important milestone and yet another step in the direction of independence. After one year of age, parents can also begin introducing new foods to their child’s diet. These foods, which are off-limits to infants under the age of one, include cow’s milk, honey, eggs, peanuts, shellfish, wheat, and citrus fruits. Some pediatricians will recommend introducing these foods slowly to avoid the risk of allergies.

By twelve months of age, the child should also be able to answer simple questions. With each passing day, he or she should be further developing his or her language skills. This makes for an exciting time as parents watch their one-year-old grow into a walking, talking, and increasingly dependent little person.

Along with being a proud father, Joseph enjoys writing and gardening. One of his favorite web sites is Garden Harvest Supply, which offers tomato plants, and herb plants for sale.

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by Rachel Paxton

So your baby was exposed to chicken pox? Unfortunately all you can do is wait it out and see what happens. Children get vaccinated for the chicken pox when they are 12 months old, so babies 12 months and under are very vulnerable to getting the chicken pox.

You may or may not know that shingles is caused by the same virus that causes chicken pox. If you come into contact with an adult who has shingles, your baby is at risk for getting chicken pox.

To be exposed to chicken pox, your baby had to have come into contact with an actual sore or lesion of someone who has the chicken pox or shingles. This may be hard to determine, but it is passed by physical contact.

If you think your baby has been exposed to the chicken pox or shingles, call your pediatrician’s office and see what they recommend. I was told that it takes 14-21 days for the virus to show symptoms, so that is how long you have to wait to see if your baby has the chicken pox. After that time if your baby gets a fever and small red bumps, then he or she probably has the chicken pox. The nurse told me that the fever comes first, and then the bumps. Your child is contagious as soon as he or she contracts a fever. This is when they should not be exposed to other children until the virus runs its course.

Just because your baby has been exposed does not mean he or she will get the virus. Just keep a close eye on your baby for the next couple of weeks. Make sure your baby gets the chicken pox immunization when he or she is 12 months old. If you have nursed your baby, your baby is less likely to contract chicken pox because when you nurse your baby, he or she receives your immunities (if you have already had the chicken pox). If your baby does get the chicken pox, don’t fret. Hopefully it will be a light case and pass quickly!