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By Melida Cohen
New parents face many problems and issues that they are
expected to understand and deal with immediately.
Unfortunately, newborns do not come with an instruction book
so
here are a few topics that you may need to know about.
Bathing your baby: Until your baby’s umbilical cord falls off
one to two weeks after their birth, only give her sponge
baths.
A cotton ball or cotton swab dampened with alcohol can help to
dry the umbilical stump or follow your pediatrician’s
directions. After the stump falls off, you can give him a bath
in a sink or shallow tub.
Caesarian delivery: A caesarian is usually performed to make
delivery safer for you or your baby. C-sections can be done
for
many different reasons including stalled labor, complicated
labor, problems with the baby that may make delivery
difficult,
or other problems. It does not matter if you deliver vaginally
or by a caesarian section, you are still a mother with a
beautiful new blessing.
Circumcision: Many doctors agree that there may be some
benefit
to circumcision, but it may not be absolutely necessary. It
may
help to lower the risk of urinary tract infections and
eliminates just about any chance of penile cancer.
Circumcision
does not cause long-term emotional problems for your child.
Crib death (SIDS): Many studies have been done regarding SIDS.
Although the cause of SIDS has not been definitely defined,
there are some correlations that have been made between SIDS
and the following things:
Male babies are more likely to die from SIDS than females
Prematurity makes it more likely
Minority children are affected by it more often than
non-minorities
More children of young, single mothers die from it
Children who live in a home with one or more smokers are more
likely to be affected
Some people say that sleeping with your baby can reduce the
risk of SIDS, but the American Academy of Pediatrics disagree
with this statement and go on to say that there is a greater
risk of SIDS in babies who co-sleep.
Back sleeping is what most pediatricians recommend for babies
to decrease the SIDS risk. The reason for this is widely
debated between health experts. If you have concerns, talk to
your pediatrician.
About The Author: Melida Cohen is author of "Baby's First
Year:
Everything You Should Know but probably don't," She is a
mother
to 3 children. Her goal is to empower new moms and mothers to
be. Visit www.CareForMyBaby.com to get a free copy of
her baby care newsletter or visit her blog
www.CareForMyBabyBlog.blogspot.com to chat with her and
other new moms.
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