Your Guide to Avoiding Outdated Child Care Tips
Parenting advice changes over time, so if you’re a new parent, you might be dodging your parents’ weird advice. Or, if you are an absolute know-it-all about parenting, some predator might try to tell you that things are different now. Here’s everything that has changed and why, according to pediatricians and safety experts.
Baby bumpers are a bad idea.
Bumpers are cushions that attach to the handrails of your crib. They became popular because it seemed like a good idea to protect children from banging their heads against solid wood or metal railings, and because in those days the railings of the crib were farther apart and parents feared that the child might fall out or get stuck between them. rails.
But after investigating bumper-related deaths, the American Association of Pediatricians (AAP) concluded that bumpers weren’t worth the risk : kids were choking or getting stuck between bumpers and mattresses.
Go to a baby store, however, and you’ll often find that cribs are overflowing with matching patchwork quilts, soft fabrics, and bumpers. Bumper manufacturers continue to sell them, citing “recent research” on their safety, which turned out to be commissioned by the bumper manufacturers themselves . So yes, bumpers are for sale, they often come with bedding sets and maybe look cute and cozy. But that doesn’t mean it’s a good idea to use them. I would trust the pediatricians there to bumper manufacturers.
Babies sleep on their backs (for a good reason)
We currently put babies to sleep on their backs to reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). This recommendation was published in the Sleep Again campaign that began in 1994, so most people who have become grandparents now hear them for the first time. And in many cases they answer: “What? We put you to sleep on your stomach and you did great! “
And it’s true, but some babies didn’t do well. For example, out of every 1000 newborns in 1988, 1.4 died from SIDS. Now that parents are more aware of the condition and more than 75% go to bed on their backs, the number of deaths from SIDS is less than half of what it was before.
Following recommendations can be frustrating because babies often sleep better on their stomachs. And it’s a tough transition for grandparents because they’ve probably been told that it’s dangerous for babies to sleep on their backs. At the time , it was feared that babies might choke on spitting up, but it turned out that the fears were unfounded .
However, safe sleep is about more than putting babies on their backs. The rest of the safe sleep tips can help prevent all sorts of awful things you don’t want to think about , such as choking. Some of the key recommendations , in addition to sleeping on your back and avoiding bumpers, are as follows:
- Use a firm mattress, nothing soft or soft.
- Do not let your child get too hot (watch out for sweating and redness on the cheeks).
- Consider using a pacifier ( it seems to help ).
- Do not place blankets, pillows, or stuffed animals in the crib.
Checking every ten seconds to see if the baby is breathing is not one of the necessary steps, but we know you will do it anyway .
Solid food for six month olds
By six months, give or take, the baby will be ready to eat “solid” foods — in other words, foods that are not breast milk or formula. Your child’s digestive system is not ready for new types of food before.
Older guidelines sometimes suggested introducing solids earlier. Some parents still try to introduce solid food before four months because they think it will help their baby gain weight faster, or because they want their baby to sleep through the night. This rarely works, but more importantly, it looks like it puts the child at greater risk for asthma, diabetes, and obesity .
Some people in the “great-great-grandfathers” generation may even suggest putting finely ground baby porridge in a baby bottle at an early age, but this is definitely outdated advice . Some experts have previously recommended starting solid foods within days or weeks of birth , sometimes citing the belief that formula and breast milk are lacking essential vitamins and minerals. This was true of formula at the time — it was iron-free — but it is not true of formula today and has never been true of breast milk.
The correct age for introducing solid food depends on the child. The World Health Organization says 6 months is the right age to start , but some babies may be ready earlier. (One of my sons brushed bread off the table at 5 months, chewed with his gums and swallowed like a champion.) Some guidelines suggest “4 to 6 months,” but that doesn’t mean you have to wait with a spoon. and a jar of baby food when the baby is four months old.
Instead, organizations such as the AAP recommend watching for developmental cues : A child who is ready to eat solid food will seem interested in putting food in his mouth, swallow it rather than letting it drip on his chin, and be strong enough to sit up or even though would keep my head sitting on a high chair.
By the way, water goes along with solid food: it is also not recommended for up to six months, even on hot days. Babies get the water they need from breast milk or formula, and drinking water at such a young age can even harm their kidneys .
Peanut butter and other allergenic foods are fair game
For some time there was a taboo on feeding very young children with “allergenic” foods. The theory was that early consumption of peanut butter, for example, could increase the likelihood of a child’s peanut allergy. But it turns out that the opposite is also true: you should introduce them at about the same time as other solid products , and introduce them into circulation after 6 months . Putting them off can increase the likelihood of allergies.
Commonly allergenic foods are dairy products, eggs, soy, wheat, peanuts and tree nuts, as well as fish and shellfish. The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology recommends a little more caution with these products than with older standards. This means introducing these foods one at a time, trying other solid foods, and doing this at home so that if your child does have an allergy, you don’t try to deal with it in the middle of a restaurant. This tip is for children who are not at high risk of allergies. If you have any reason to believe that your child may be allergic – for example, if his brother or sister has allergies – talk to your doctor before giving this food.
Much more immunizations, for the better
At a two-month visit, my daughter was protected from eight different diseases, and thanks to the combination vaccines, they received a total of three needles. It is true that children are getting more pictures today than before, but don’t think for a moment that there are “too many.” Consider this statistic from the AAP review of whether vaccines can suppress a child’s immune system (spoiler: no):
Although we are giving children more vaccines now, the actual amount of antigens they receive has decreased. Whereas previously one smallpox vaccine contained about 200 proteins, now the 11 commonly recommended vaccines contain a total of less than 130 proteins.
The recommended vaccine schedule may sound a bit random, but it is actually designed to ensure that each vaccine is given to your child at the earliest age at which they can safely receive it. Some vaccines are either too dangerous or ineffective if the child gets them too early. But once the vaccine is safe, it is recommended that you get it as soon as possible so that the child is not vulnerable for longer than necessary. The AAP explains the logic behind the schedule and why “alternate” schedules that increase the interval between vaccines simply create risk without benefit .
The rules for car seats have become stricter
If you remember riding in the front seat as a child, sorry – the front seat is only for children 12 and older. There are other changes as well. Here are the current guidelines :
- Infants should sit in a rear-facing car seat for as long as possible, at least up to 2 years of age . Yes, they may have to sit with their legs crooked. They will live.
- As soon as they grow out of this seat, children should sit on the seat facing forward with a harness and harness for as long as this seat can support them.
- From now until the age of 12, they must sit in a child seat. Young children will need a booster with a backrest to keep the seat belt secure.
All of these changes are, of course, in the interest of safety. The big problem with the front seats is the airbags ; they can injure a child in an accident (especially a child sitting facing backwards). If your car has only a front seat, look for a switch that will deactivate the airbag.
Activity centers are safer than pedestrians
Riding on wheels is like a fun way to keep your toddler entertained when he can barely walk. But the baby can have a lot of trouble in the walker : the children overturned, fell down the stairs, and managed to get to the hot ovens.
The AAP has called for a ban on all types of wheeled baby walkers, but they are still in stores. They have some safety features that the older walkers did not have, such as brakes that apply if they start rolling off a ledge. They’re also wider than a standard doorway, so you can keep your baby locked up even if they manage to get the walker to move fast enough to close the baby doors.
With these changes, as well as supervised and good child protection, walkers aren’t exactly deadly traps. Pediatricians do not like them anyway, citing fears that they may delay the development of the child . Instead of walkers, AAP and other safety groups recommend stationary activity centers (Exersaucer is one of the brands), which allow children to stand, bounce and turn while they stay in one place.
The changes in infant care guidelines may seem frustratingly arbitrary, but they reflect our changing understanding of what is best for children and what is safer for them. Some of these changes, such as car seats and vaccines, may even save your child’s life. So consider embracing the new rules, even though they say the only person who likes change is a wet baby.