Swaddling is well described as a soothing technique to calm your child and promote better sleep. Because newborns have an immature nervous system with active startle reflexes, swaddling prevents infants from frequent awakenings during sleep, thus lengthening their naps and nighttime sleep.
Harvey Karp, M.D., FAAP, endorses swaddling in his book, The Happiest Baby on the Block. He has been an outspoken advocate for safe swaddling as he touts the five S’s—swaddling, side/stomach position (The AAP and others recommend babies always be placed on their backs to sleep), swinging, shushing and sucking—for calming fussy babies. “If we can reduce crying and increase sleep, that is a good thing,” he said.
Wow! What an introduction to motherhood! I felt like I had survived boot camp by the time my daughter was 6 weeks old. Breastfeeding may be the single best gift you can give your child, but it is also one of your first big challenges. If you take anything from this post, I urge you not to get discouraged. If you are still reading this, you obviously have dedicated yourself to learning about breastfeeding. For that, you should be congratulated!
Going to the park or playground? Make sure to consider the condition of the equipment. A recent study by the AAP of playgrounds in Chicago showed one third to one half failed safety inspections1. The inspection included age appropriate design, ground surfacing, equipment maintenance and physical environment.
Vacation is a time to relax with your family, right? But getting there can be stressful. Our advice nurses receive many questions prior to traveling. Some common ones:
We have a specially trained staff of registered nurses and pediatric medical assistants to answer many of your childcare and medical questions. Their training is based on the Pediatric Telephone Protocols developed by Dr. Barton Schmitt, a renowned pediatrician with over 100 books and articles to his credit. With these protocols our Advice Nurses can address feeding problems, colds, flu, constipation, breathing problems and a variety of other issues. They work closely with our doctors to assure that your concerns are resolved.