by Ashley Brady

Your baby's cold can be just as hard on you as it is on her. To keep your baby's infection and discomfort from getting worse, make sure she gets enough rest and liquids like formula if she's less than 4 months old or breast milk. Babies who are a little older can have some water and by 6 months they can have juice as well.

Try squeezing some over the counter saline solution drops into each nostril to relieve congestion, then after a few moments remove the mucus and liquid by suctioning with a rubber bulb syringe. This works well about fifteen minutes prior to a feeding if it's difficult for your baby to breathe nasally while nursing. A bit of petroleum jelly to the outside of your baby's nostrils can help reduce irritation.

Sitting with you in a steamy bathroom while the hot water's on in the shower for about 15 minutes, or using a cool-mist vaporizer or humidifier to increase the moisture in your baby's room should also help provide some relief for her. Also providing additional comfort is a hot bath.

If you try to sleep at a slight incline, postnasal drip can be relieved. But using pillows in her crib just to accomplish this is a bad idea because the risk of suffocation is too great. You may want to allow her to sleep in her car seat in a slightly upright position or place a couple of rolled up towels between the crib springs and mattresses.

At the first sign of illness in a infant of under 3 months old, contact your pediatrician especially if your baby has a cold or has a fever of 100.4 degrees. Guidelines about what constitutes a fever in older infants can be given to you by your pediatrician. If baby's symptoms don't improve within five to seven days, her cough worsens, she's wheezing or gasping (possible pneumonia or respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV), or tugs at her ear (possible ear infection), your pediatrician should also be notified immediately.

For more information on coughs and cold in babies and young children, check out the articles we have published over the last two years.

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by Damian Papworth

Are you ready to be a father? The first year is always the toughest. It's incredibly challenging; but the rewards are well worth it. So, just what does it take to be the best dad you can be? If you're worried about navigating the ins and outs of fatherhood, don't. It may be hard at first, but a little love and care go a long way.

Of course, there are some incredibly hands on, practicable things you ought to know as a new father. Babies obviously aren't simply cute creatures who will be easy to handle. They cry an awful lot. In fact, babies may be finicky. They may cry for hours on end and often, at first especially, it can be hard to decipher the reasons why.

Babies sob and snivel for a huge variety of reasons. When you're a fresh, out of the box parent, so to speak, it can be quite difficult to figure out what to do and how to make it all better. It's times like that when you can feel overwhelmed and also unworthy of being a father. But don't let things like that get you down. It's all natural. Simply try your best; hold your child, comfort her (or him). Don't get caught up on all the rules.

There are no firm, set terms that are the be all and end all of parenting. There's no golden rule that will help you to become the best parent ever.

Being a good father simply takes some effort and a whole lot of TLC. Even if you're clueless or tend to be the more hands-off type, you can still become the father of the year with some practice.

The first few months are probably some of the toughest you'll know. Both you and your partner will be knackered. A new mother has a lot of work to do, what with feeding and tending to the new baby; but that doesn't mean that she has all the knowledge nor does it mean that she should bear the brunt of the work.

The most crucial aspect of being a father is to engage in team work. Don't simply hand off tasks that you don't know how to handle to your partner. Even if she offers to take up for your slack, hang in there, try to do it yourself. Most likely, both of you will be pretty clueless in the beginning, so take this initial period as a time for both of you to explore the joys of parenthood.

There will be a fair amount of fretting and worrying; taking care of a new baby is hard work, and it can be doubly stressing if it's your first time. Although you won't be perfect, everything takes practice, after all, don't let that fact overwhelm you.

Simply get involved. Don't sit out on the sidelines. Always make time for your children.

Spending quality time with your newborn child is crucial to developing a healthy relationship later on.

Damian Papworth is a dedicated father and husband. He recently took his wife shopping for women's shoes. He found some great information here on women's running shoes.

by Tiffany Windhurst

We all think our home is safe for our children, but until you get on your child's level you can't be sure. Even before your baby begins to crawl, walk and climb you should start looking for hazards. The best way to determine what may harm your baby is to get on the floor and crawl around at a toddler's level.

Some general things to look for are cords on blinds, chemicals in low cabinets, outlets, sharp edges on furniture, small toys or jewelry within a child's reach, and things to climb. There are lots of devices on the market today that you can use to protect your child against these hazards. However, nothing replaces proper supervision of your baby and child.

Chemicals and other toxic substances should be placed out of the reach of your child or cabinet safety locks should be installed. You can purchase specially made soft bumpers to place on the edges of sharp furniture, or simply tape a wadded cloth on the corners. Cords on blinds should hang individually or be rolled up out of baby's reach. You can also get child safety locks for drawers. Tall furniture that can be climbed should be anchored to wall to prevent it being pulled over on the child.

You should also make sure the areas where your child plays are kept picked up free of small objects. Cords for appliances should not hang down off counter within your child's reach. Keep handles on pots turned toward the wall to prevent accidental spilling. Sharp objects like knives and forks should be kept out of reach.

Your child's safety is very important and parents should take all the necessary precautions to prevent injury. A child does not know what will harm him and what will not, he is constantly learning and everything looks fun to him. You can never prevent every injury or protect against all hazards, but using common sense will prevent most injuries.

Learn more about baby shower centerpieces at our baby health care website.

by Tiffany Windhurst

Babies, toddlers and young children are constantly learning. A toddler, one to three years old, is learning to feed himself, to walk, to sleep on his own, to use the big boy potty, to play with other children, and assert his independence is some ways.

Basically, children are trying to figure out where they fit in the family, and where they fit in the bigger community as well. While a normal part of growing up, this can scary for the toddler, as well as the parents. Realizing how a child develops between ages one and three will help you understand his behavior and help you relate better to him.

Children love to play games, even when you as the parent don't realize you're playing a game. Children learn through games and discovering new things. Children ages 1 - 3 generally have short attention spans and will easily move from one activity to another all through the day. Organized games should be age appropriate and have fairly simple rules. Giving children some small responsibilities at these ages, which are age appropriate, will help them find a role in the family. It's never too early for children to learn simple chores like picking up toys when play is finished.

Toddlers will also begin asserting their independence by defying mom and dad. Often this defiance results in screaming, crying, and a very upset little boy or girl. It's important for parents to continue to show authority and stick to their guns. Giving in to fits only reinforces the behavior in the child, and tells the child that with enough crying he or she gets the desired outcome.

Gentle discipline (not punishment), lots of encouragement, and overflowing unconditional love are important at all stages of a child's life, but especially while the toddler is learning to relate to you, other family members, and society as a whole.

As watching long hours of television every day has become more common all around the world, it has raised some serious questions about the healthiness of spending too much time in front of the television. One of the main concerns is about babies who watch television; is there a limit that should be placed on how much they can watch?

It's been suggested by many experts that babies shouldn't watch television at all, but many infants are still allowed to watch it. Take a look at the video section in your local chain store and you'll see lots of videos targeted at babies.

The huge market for television shows for babies was only brought about because of the demand for it. Parents quickly realized that babies enjoy television and that they can become engrossed in it. The question still remains though: how much TV should a baby be allowed to view before it's considered unhealthy?

There are many factors that contribute to whether or not babies should be allowed to watch television. Before you discuss the amount of television a baby should watch, you should first consider the type of programming. Some shows completely fail to provide any kind of useful entertainment, such as cartoons.

Thankfully, there are many educational videos for babies as well. These programs can teach infants new skills that will benefit them throughout life. Some popular options include programs that teach babies how to read, speak another language, or recognize sign language.

In fact, it hasn't been proven that television is harmful to babies under two years old as long as the time spent watching television is controlled and the programs are educational. Many parents feel that their children have grown intellectually through educational programs for babies.

Even beneficial television shows don't provide a quality substitute for the interaction between parents and babies. Still, they can be useful when a parent just needs to get a few things done while the baby stays occupied with a television show. It's really something that a baby can expand his or her mind while the parent takes care of things around the house.

Of course, a baby's exposure TV should always be carefully monitored. Babies should watch no more than an hour of television in a day, with this time preferably split up between two half-hour segments.

The babies who are most harmed by television are the ones who are allowed to sit in front of the set all day. As with many things in life, moderation is the way to go.

author Arthur Goldberry - editing Les Scammell

Many parents are concerned about how to teach their baby to walk. It seems to come naturally, and in a way it does. However, there are things you can do to prepare your baby for walking.

You know, babies don't just wake up one day and start walking. There is a natural progression from rolling over, sitting up, scooting, crawling, and then pulling up to walk. If you want to teach your baby how to walk, it will depend on how he/she masters those steps. It should also be remembered that some babies skip steps, or seem to take sometime to progress from one to the next - in most cases, this is normal.

Once your baby has become mobile, providing a safe environment in your home is very important. If you're going to teach your baby how to walk, you need to inspect your home for dangers in order to prevent your child from getting hurt on sharp corners, stairs, and ledges etc.

You could also be tempted to buy a walker from the store. They are great playthings but they do not teach your baby to walk. Some specialists believe they hold your baby back. Occasional use of a walker is harmless, so don't leave your baby in it for hours.

You may also be tempted to buy your baby the perfect pair of shoes when you're teaching him/her to walk. Recent research suggests that babies actually learn to walk better when they're not wearing shoes. Here's a little known tidbit - babies are born without kneecaps. It is not until they are around 12 months that knee caps start to form. So initially, baby will be trying to walk without those knee caps and shoes can put pressure on the knees. When baby first starts to walk, watch them, they will be on tip toes rather than flat feet. Shoes interfere with this and so slow down the child's ability to learn to walk.

So save your money and teach your baby to walk without those pretty little shoes. If you want your child to wear shoes, just be aware that they won't make it easier for your baby to walk. Follow a few simple rules of thumb. When you teach your baby to walk, you must make sure that his shoes are going to help instead of hurt. Try looking for shoes that have soles that are flat and flexible. Pass up the high-tops and go for a shoe that allows your baby's ankle to move. You should frequently check your baby's shoe size if you want to make sure he/she hasn't outgrown them.

When it comes to teaching your baby how to walk, one of the most important things you can do is encourage their every achievement. Balance and coordination can be developed by playing physical games and toys that promote dexterity. Toys that allow your baby to push or pull are excellent to teach your baby to walk. You can also play by kicking and throwing balls. With the help of these activities, your baby can also achieve balance and eye-hand coordination.

Just have fun! Enjoy the process and try not to push your baby too hard.

by Tanner Messy

When people imagine a sleeping infant, they think of a baby sound asleep without the slightest hint of stirring. While babies do sometimes sleep this peacefully, they often don't. Their slumber is punctuated by periodic snorts, rocking, pauses between breaths, and even knocking their heads repeatedly against their cribs. Many new moms and dads are understandably concerned when they witness such things.

These and other activities are common with sleeping infants, and seldom signal a reason to worry. That said, it's worth learning why they occur, and when you should call your doctor. Below, we'll describe a few behaviors your baby might display while sleeping, and help you identify whether they indicate a problem.

Moving Back And Forth

Some infants rock when they sleep. You'll notice them swaying moving back and forth, as if keeping time with a metronome. Babies often do this because the motion is soothing to them. When they sleep, it occurs naturally.

There's no need for concern unless your little one begins to rock back and forth aggressively; even then, it's rarely a problem. Tighten the screws on her crib each morning, however, since her constant movement may loosen them.

Light, Steady Snoring

Infants often snore for the same reasons adults snore, including a restricted passageway through their noses. If you hear your little one snoring lightly, and doing so steadily, the cause is likely a congested nose. On the other hand, if your baby's snoring is erratic, or she does it aggressively, have your doctor examine her air passages. She could be battling obstructive sleep apnea.

Grinding Teeth

Known as bruxism, a lot of babies grind their teeth while sleeping once their first few teeth come in. This typically occurs at six months. The grinding can persist for years. It sounds worse than it is. Teeth, even those of a baby, are incredibly strong. A few years of grinding will rarely damage them, or cause them to become worn (though it can happen). Nor does the activity cause pain for babies.

When you take your little one to her first dental appointment (usually by twelve months), mention the grinding to the dentist. He or she can examine your baby's teeth for signs of damage.

Hitting Their Heads Against Their Cribs

Of all sleep behaviors, this is the one that most startles new moms and dads. While their babies are sleeping, many of them hit their foreheads or the backs of their heads against the sides of their cribs. They do so gently, so there is seldom need for concern. This does little to console new parents, however.

It is estimated that one in five infants routinely hit their heads while they sleep. Boys are much more likely to engage in the behavior than girls. If you notice your little one banging her head while she sleeps, have your doctor examine her. While problems are rare, and the behavior is usually harmless, it's better to make certain.

Heavily Perspiring

Many babies sweat while they slumber. They don't form a light sheen of perspiration - their sweating is copious. It's common and usually happens when they're sleeping at their deepest point during the night.

Keep watch over your little one to identify additional signs that may indicate a health problem. For example, if she is sweating and having difficulty breathing, she may have an infection. If the temperature in her room is relatively low, yet she still sweats heavily, her sweating might indicate a problem that could lead to SIDS. Sweating rarely implies anything is wrong with your infant. However, as with a baby who hits her head while sleeping, it is better to make sure.

Don't be alarmed if your little one displays any of the behaviors described above while she sleeps. Keep a wary eye on her, and call your doctor if you suspect a lingering problem. Realize, however, that babies often sleep fitfully.

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by Diego Armando

Although it is rare for breast cancer to strike younger women, the fact remains that all women are at risk. And for those of childbearing age, the first sign and symptoms of breast cancer leading to a diagnosis can not only be upsetting and unexpected, but complicated as well.

Developing breast cancer at a younger age-in a woman's 40s, 30s, even 20s-will mean making important and difficult decisions about one's life and future perhaps much sooner than originally expected.

One concern is developing breast cancer during pregnancy, which although rare, can still occur. In this case, the treatment chosen will not only affect the patient and her body, but the growing baby inside her as well. It will depend on what stage of pregnancy she is in (first, second or third trimester) and what stage her cancer is in-such as whether or not it's advanced.

Most pregnant women can have treatment for their breast cancer without affecting the baby. But some might be advised by their obstetrician or health-care practitioner-or even decide themselves-to terminate the pregnancy, more so if the pregnancy is in its earlier stages, in order to receive certain treatments that would be too risky otherwise. But it is essential to remember that it is a woman's own decision-it is not medically necessary to terminate a pregnancy if the expectant mother is diagnosed with breast cancer. All it does is limit treatment options. Breast cancer itself will not affect the fetus-only certain tests and treatments will.

Generally speaking, tamoxifen, chemotherapy, radiation, and other drug-related therapies are avoided if the woman is pregnant because of their associated risks with birth defects. Tamoxifen, especially, is considered very unsafe because it is a hormonal therapy and is never recommended if the woman is pregnant or planning on conceiving.

Surgery-either a lumpectomy or mastectomy-is the most common and preferred method of treatment for breast cancer in pregnant women.

Another concern is whether or not breast cancer survivors can or should go on to have children after treatment and recovery. It's a very controversial issue with firm advocates on both sides of the debate.

There are two main questions here, for both the medical and health community and breast cancer survivors wanting their own children:

1) Do certain breast cancer treatments affect fertility?; and
2) Is it actually considered safe to conceive and carry a baby to term following breast cancer and breast cancer treatments?

As far as fertility goes, there is no definite answer here. For chemotherapy, it depends on the age and what specific drug was used-some affect fertility more than others. And taking tamoxifen after chemotherapy to prevent recurrence is not recommended if the woman desires to become pregnant right away. Although tamoxifen is sometimes used as a fertility treatment, there is evidence to suggest that it damages developing embryos, and therefore is not considered safe to use.

Many doctors caution these women to wait several years to ensure receiving the best breast cancer treatment possible and to go past the point of the biggest threat of breast cancer recurrence. But some women decide to go ahead and have babies anyway, since it's so important to them.

Footnote: Always check with your health professionals before making any decisions. As time passes medical breakthroughs may make the information in this article irrelevant.

by Mary Roadings

Most babies have baby colic during their first year. It is something common to many toddlers, however doctors still can't pinpoint what is the actual cause. They do agree though that many times an upset stomach can often lead to colic, which makes the baby feel bloated as gas is gathered in the intestines. This gas needs to be let out and the best way to do it is by baby massage.

When the child has colic, he or she tends to cry a lot due to the strong pain felt. Many times parents experience a strong sense of panic because of this constant crying as they have no idea what to do, how to help their kid. And often times the cure is really a proper baby massage that stops the crying right away, it's that simple really.

One of the best ways to help your child get relief from stomach pains and colic is by learning how to do baby massage. This will relax the stomach muscles and will stop those nasty spasms that tend to come and go. The baby will be able to pass wind which is accumulated in the intestines.

For massage, use natural oils for best results. Avoid doing the massage right after feeding as this will upset the stomach and cause more pain. Lay your palm flat on the stomach and go clockwise in circling motions a few times over the abdomen. Then use your hand to make a circle around the belly button after which use your fingertips to do the same thing. Finally use again your flat palm to go around the stomach in a clockwise direction as a last exercise.

Next take the legs and do a bit of bicycle exercise with them, one after another one. This will push the wind from the intestines and stomach. After that stretch the legs with an easy pressure applied and then wobble the legs a bit. This will finally eliminate the last wind from the stomach for best results

by Neil Taylor

Growing up is something that, if we're being honest, starts at conception. In almost no time at all a baby goes from a ball of rapidly dividing cells to the beginnings of a human being with rudimentary lungs, a brain and a pumping heart. There are only forty weeks from conception to independent life. Even after birth the changes happen quickly-personalities and decision making seem to happen almost at once. You probably already know a little bit about babies-things like diaper changes and how long it takes babies to begin speaking are pretty common knowledge. Here are some interesting tidbits and trivia about infants that you might have fun learning.

Early childhood development is an amazing subject. Learning about the way a baby goes from his infancy to manhood will astound you. The fact is that there is a lot more to a baby that initially meets the eye. Babies are far more complex than people think. They have their own sets of wants and needs that must be met to ensure that they develop properly. There is a lot more to infancy than meets the eye. Being a parent is easier if you understand what is going on as your child grows from baby to small kid to teenager and onward.

Did you know that babies are not good at perceiving the differences in colors very well? A baby's eyes are still developing when she is born and the synapses between and her eyes and her brain are not yet mature. This is one of the reasons why babies respond better to primary colors whey they are used in a room or on toys. Bold and bright colors like reds and greens and blues or even white and black are the easiest colors for babies to see. In the eyes of a baby, a lot of pastel colors look pretty much the same.

A baby is not born with a solid skull. This is why it is so important for adults to be careful when handling a newborn's head. The "soft spot" is soft for a reason and not being careful around it could cause quite a bit of damage to your child's development! You will be glad to know that the soft spot stops being so sensitive and soft within a few months. It can take as long as a year and a half for the frontal plates of your baby's skull to harden, so don't assume that the worst is over when the soft spot calcifies together. Most babies have the ability to recognize different types of music before they are born. Different songs can be recognized by the time an infant is thirty four weeks along. That means that this happens more than a month before the baby is born! Some women say that they will sometimes feel their babies moving to the rhythm of some music. So music appreciation really does happen "even before you were born"! Isn't that amazing?

Most babies are born knowing instinctively how to swim and how to hold their breath. This is also something that your baby will rapidly forget as well. This is one of the reasons many experts are in favor of women having water births. Swimming from the womb into life is supposed to make the transition of being born less traumatic for the infant. These experts say that being born into water helps ease the transition of birth and makes it less traumatic than the process they'd face by being born in a "traditional" hospital birth.

You know about babies growing tails right? It is absolutely true! In addition to immediately beginning to build major organs, your baby will also start to form a tail during the first few weeks after conception.

While we all know that babies cry to signal distress or the need for some form of attention, you might not know that a baby does not cry tears until he or she is a few weeks old. When a person gets stressed he or she secretes a hormone that is only found in tears. This is one of the reasons that stress makes people cry: the body forces the stress induced hormones out of the body to calm itself down. Babies are not able to make this hormone before they are born. It can take some infants a few weeks to begin producing this hormone and real tears. It takes other babies a few months to begin producing the hormone and crying real tears. Babies are really fun to learn about. We have yet to figure out just how quickly babies learn and by what process they retain those things. There is, however, a universal consensus on just how wonderful it is to watch babies grow up: they change every single day!

There are vast quantities of facts about babies that most people are unaware of. Early childhood development is amazing. Learning what is going on with your baby as he grows up will make the process even more rewarding.