articles
Topic: Questions & Answsers
April 2010
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.
March 2010
Q. I’ve got a germy 2 year old and a newborn! What do I do?
Dr. Zibners' Answer:
Here you all are listening to me preach about keeping our new family members germ free and how a baby under 3 months old with a fever is automatically going to the doctor. But then real life butts in and sometimes there is no way to avoid exposing your little one. The stinker of it is that by the time we realize we (and/or our crusty nosed little darling) are sick, we’ve probably already exposed the most vulnerable members of our family. So shipping your toddler off to Grandma’s might reduce the risk that the new baby will get sick or it might just mean that Grandma, little SnotNose and the rest of the family are stressed and inconvenienced and you still wind up with your newborn in the ER.
Q. How often should I bathe my baby?
Dr. Zibners' Answer:
This is a good one because it’s just one more example of where my training and my reality don’t agree. My kids get a bath most days. For Eva, it’s part of her “bedtime routine” and for Zoe it’s part of her “stop screaming, kid, you’re driving me nuts” evening plan. But medically speaking, they really only need to go into the tub 2 to 3 times a week. After all, neither or them attends aerobics class or works in construction so they aren’t really that dirty. Bathing too often can dry out or irritate their skin. A quick face-butt swipe with a damp cloth once a day should be enough. However, if your little one likes her bath time, like mine do, then try to stick to just plain water and reserve the shampoo and soap for a couple times a week or when you find dried spit up in her neck folds or poop up his back. Then you might want to give her a good rubdown with a thick cream or emollient (such as Vaseline or Aquaphor) to help seal in the moisture when he comes out of the tub. But if you’re too tired, don’t worry about skipping her bath tonight.
Q. How long can I swaddle my baby?
Dr. Zibners' Answer:
Ooh this is a good one since Eva seems to spend most of her day with her arms pinned to her sides. She’s so high-strung that sometimes the only way to get her to calm down is a quick, tight swaddle. I’m not looking forward to the day coming very soon when I can’t let her sleep that way though. Once a baby is able to roll over, it’s time for the swaddle to go bye-bye. You can use a blanket sleeper, but the arms need to be free so that she can push her face away from the mattress and side of the crib. If she rolls while swaddled, she may not be able to free her nose and mouth. Of course, as long as you are holding her, she can stay wrapped tightly until she is through adolescence! If she remains the drama queen that she is, I envision many evenings wrapping a beach towel around my 15 year-old and telling her to get ahold of herself.
Q. Can I give my baby chamomile tea to make her stop crying?
Dr. Zibners' Answer:
This is just one of the many suggestions I’ve received in the last couple weeks to deal with my screaming bundle of joy. Chamomile tea has been used for centuries to soothe tummies and calm babies. Of course, I’ve just convinced you that colic probably has nothing to do with a sore tummy so there isn’t any great reason to think tea should work. Then again, aside from the risk of an allergic reaction or inadvertent lead or chemical poisoning from tea acquired from a less-than-reputable source, it probably won’t hurt if given in small (a teaspoon) doses. There actually are a couple studies suggesting that it might calm a cranky baby but the scientific jury is still out on this one. If you really want to try it, please check with your pediatrician first to make sure you aren’t causing any harm. As for us, however, we are going to stick with good old fashioned earplugs and a tincture of time.
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