This is the second part of an article that answers the most common questions parents ask after they go home with their newborn. My 2-week-old has a small amount of milk coming from his nipples. Is this normal? Male and female infants both get swollen breasts in the first few weeks after birth—this is due to the effect of maternal hormones on their breast tissue. A … [Read more...] about Common Questions About Newborns—Part II
Common Questions About Newborns—Part I
Heading home with a newborn raises lots of questions and worries in new parents. Here are answers to some of the most common questions I get asked in my office. My 3-week-old is stuffy all the time and sneezes a lot. Isn’t he too young to have a cold? Although your 2-week-old is not too young to have a cold, the chances are he doesn’t. Babies have to breathe through … [Read more...] about Common Questions About Newborns—Part I
Should You Give Your Child Fever Medicine Before a Doctor’s Visit?
Parents frequently avoid giving their children fever medicine before a sick visit because they’re afraid it will compromise the doctor’s medical evaluation. In reality, giving a child something to lower her fever before a visit usually makes it easier for doctors to determine what’s going on. Fever medicine isn’t strong enough to mask symptoms, but has the potential to … [Read more...] about Should You Give Your Child Fever Medicine Before a Doctor’s Visit?
The Blue Rubber Item You Get After Birth is Not a Nasal Aspirator
After a baby is born, a nurse puts a blue rubber aspirator in his bassinet. Parents commonly take this item home and use it to clean mucus from their baby’s nose. You should know, however, that this device is not a nasal aspirator. Instead, the hospital nurses use it to suck saliva or mucus out of a baby’s mouth after he spits up. The reason it should not be used in the nose is … [Read more...] about The Blue Rubber Item You Get After Birth is Not a Nasal Aspirator
Stuffy Babies Do Not Usually Have Colds
In the first few months of life, babies are obligate nose breathers. This means that they have to breathe through their noses. By the time babies are three to six months of age, they are able to breath through their mouths, but most still prefer nasal breathing. Because babies breathe through their noses, they make all sorts of noise—snurgles, snorts, and other sounds that … [Read more...] about Stuffy Babies Do Not Usually Have Colds