articles
Q. Can I stick Motrin in my kid’s bottle?
Dr. Zibners' Answer:
This is a good one that showed up this week. One fine mom out there wants to know if it is okay to mix the baby’s dose of pain and fever reducer into the milk. I don’t know why a baby would turn up its nose at yummy orange syrup, but apparently this kid isn’t into it. What I will say is that it is still going to work but the baby has to finish the whole bottle or else he won’t get the whole dose. If you are absolutely sure he will, then fine. But I can’t ever guarantee that my kids are going to drink every drop and if he leaves any behind, you won’t know how much he got. So instead, if he’s picky, try putting a little milk in the nipple, then squirting in the medicine when he’s drinking, the quickly pouring a little milk topper in. Once it’s gone, he can finish the rest of his bottle.
Jet Set Babies Wear Wings
My sister found these great Urban Babies books and my children are definitely the Jet Set Babies. Eva is a great flier and Zoe hasn’t been up as often but demonstrated a great affinity for the air on her first flight. However, that doesn’t mean that I didn’t have a slight degree of angst about yesterday’s endeavor: we brought the babies home to London from New York. It actually went shockingly smoothly. At least according to my husband. The man who took a 4 hour nap on the flight. But no matter how great they did, yesterday was like every day as a parent: I learned a thing or two.
Firstly, did you know that there is a limit to how many babies can be on an airplane? That’s for safety reasons but the gate manager at Virgin Atlantic told us that last weekend they had 16 (really?!?) babies on the flight and the limit is 12 so 4 families were told they couldn’t fly. I can’t imagine packing up and hauling everyone to the airport only to find out I can’t go because it’s a baby convention. So make sure you let the airline know when you book that you’re bringing a little one, even if she is going to sit on your lap the whole flight.
Secondly, we had arranged special bassinets for the flight. Even if we’d wanted to get the girls their own seats, we wouldn’t be able to use our car seats because this airline is not regulated by the FAA since it is a British carrier. So based on the size and weight of my munchkins, they were booked for bassinets rather than the airline’s child seats. Of course when we checked in we were told that there are no bassinets on the plane. Since months ago. Thanks booking agent. Once again, call your airline before flying and find out exactly what they have and what you can use as far as supplemental restraints.
Thirdly, I learned that people can be really nice to families with babies. The folks at Virgin blocked off some extra seats around us because the plane was quite empty. Then they put their child seat on one for Eva. Zoe was too little but she got a special infant belt on my lap. We had an extra place to lay them out when we needed to stretch and there was no one around to offend when it was diaper time so I didn’t have to cram myself into the airplane potty with a squirming child. It might be worth trying to travel at a time less frequented if you are going somewhere with a tot is what I learned.
And of course, let me mention that I did not medicate either kid because they are too little. Sometimes toddlers will get a dose of antihistamine from a well-intentioned parent before a flight in the hopes they’ll get knocked out but there are kids who have the opposite reaction and go nuts so think about whether you want to be locked in a steel tube with a crazy monkey before you do that. I tried to get both babies to eat on the way up and the way down to pop their ears. And I carried a stash of wipes to clean off the germs left behind by grabby flight attendants and cooing strangers. So now I’m home, trying to teach Eva that she has a new internal clock. Let’s see how that goes…
Shoot ‘em up, cowboy!
Yesterday I almost wished I had little blindfolds to put over my children’s faces as I lined them up at the pediatrician’s office. One left leg. One right leg. Second left leg. Second right leg. The guilt was nearly indescribable as I saw each of them first look at me with a trusting smile and then watched as their faces registered shock, then horror. Their howls of pain made me feel sick and I actually broke into a sweat. Oh vaccine day. Why must we always hurt the ones we love?
(Sappy mommy now becomes hardened professional) Because it’s the right thing to do. My children get their shots, every single one, as early as the schedule allows. I believe in the power of vaccination and have a deep respect for their life-saving powers. I have taken care of children who have suffered greatly because either they or someone in their community were not immunized. I watched a family spend days, then weeks, sitting by the bed of a little girl who nearly died from tetanus. I have put a breathing tube down the throat of a baby who was too young for a pertussis (whooping cough) shot and was exposed by an unaware adult whose immunity had lapsed. I’ve seen a child spend first time in the ICU, then weeks in rehab because of chicken pox.
So now Eva is all caught up until she turns 1. And Zoe is at least partly protected from some types of meningitis, bone infections, liver failure and dehydration. That is what I kept reminding myself yesterday when I had to soak Zoe in a warm tub to calm her down in the middle of the day, trying not to look at her little red, swollen thigh. But then she zonked out, slept a straight 12 hours, even skipping dinner, drained a bottle at 4 am and this morning is probably the happiest and cutest I’ve ever seen her. Well worth it, I’d say.
Does your kid eat quarters?!
Hey kids! I got a notice that the TLC series, “Your Kid Ate What?” is seeking stories for upcoming episodes. Basically, they want to hear from you if your kid ate something that wasn’t food (like a rock, a barbie shoe or your diamond cufflinks) and required medical attention as a result. If you have such a story or know someone who does, you can get more info at: http://tlc.discovery.com/tv/your-kid-ate-what/casting-call.html
I will apologize now to my sister and niece. I thought I was doing a good thing by keeping them out of the ER when Olivia ate that rock/cement/foil thingy. She drank. She ate. She was breathing fine. She stayed home. Now I’m worried they’ll be upset that they lost their one chance at fame. Or infamy.
Naturally I’d rather there not be any need for emergency treatment for kids who get into things that aren’t food. On the other hand, not only does it make for great TV, but it’s a chance to educate people and maybe save another family from the pain and stress of an ER visit, so good for TLC!
Those slings!
Well I have to say something, don’t I? It’s on the front page of CNN.com. “Grieving mothers blame baby slings for infant deaths.” The long and the short of it is that Infantino has voluntarily recalled 2 of its slings, the “SlingRider” and “Wendy Bellissimo” baby slings after 3 infants died.
My heart goes out to these mothers who thought they were bonding with their babies and instead wound up living out every parent’s worst nightmare. But I would like to quickly point out that the blame should not entirely be laid at the feet of one company. These 3 deaths were 3 of 14 deaths that occurred in sling-style infant carriers. The risk seems to be greatest for infants under 4 months and that makes perfect sense when you consider that infants younger than this don’t have the same degree of head control as an older baby, nor do they have the strength to push clear if their little nose or mouth becomes obstructed.
Therefore, before you either panic because you’ve bought a recalled sling or become complacent because you think your sling is not a safety issue, I’d like to remind you that there is a risk with all types of infant carriers, particularly the sling type. With any type of carrier, it is important that the baby’s head never be tucked down onto his chest and that his nose and mouth remain free from obstruction. The baby should always be visible to the wearer and checked on frequently. So what does this mean for me? My children hate riding “sling” style and my 2 herniated lumbar discs now prevent me from lugging my two chubbos around town on my chest. Eva is now in a “backpack” style ride where she can sit up and see the world. She gets a hat and sunglasses, is safety strapped in place and I carry a small mirror with me so I can see her face when I narrowly avoid whacking her head on a doorframe. In other words, always be careful, no matter how you transport your children!
connect
buy the book
reviews
"WHAT I LIKED: This book is written in a funny, down to earth way that doesn't make you feel like an idiot. I really would have appreciated something like this when my kids were really little and I freaked out over everything they put in their mouths. It has a scenario/question and answer format, with clear answers on when not to panic and when to call 911."
- Chic Book Chick
events
media
media
Find...
- tags:
- ear pain
- dehydration
- bronchiolitis
- feeding
- fever
- vomiting
- wheezing
- asthma
- otitis media
- seizure
- abdominal pain
- foreign bodies
- sunburn
- cpr
- appendicitis
- travel
- deet
- sunscreen
- diarrhea
- constipation
- head injury
- stitches
- food allergy
- vaccines
- choking
- car seats