Frequently Asked Questions

 Q  When is the right time to find a pediatrician for baby?

 A   It’s a good idea to select the doctor who will care for your baby before your baby’s birth. This gives you the opportunity to interview various doctors and visit their practices before you make a final decision. It’s wise to make an appointment for an interview 3 to 4 weeks before your baby’s due date. You never know – he or she could come early!

 Q  How should we pick a pediatrician?

 A    In our book, we list more than 20 specific questions you might want to ask potential pediatricians. To get started, ask about medical qualifications and training as well as office hours and emergency care availability. You should also inquire about the training of the supporting staff, the people who will be on call when your doctor is not available.

 Q  How should I care for what’s left of my baby’s umbilical cord after we get home from the hospital?

 A   Almost every baby goes home from the hospital with a stump of umbilical cord still attached to her body. It takes from 7 to 10 days for it to heal and fall off. Until then, keep the area clean and dry to promote healing. When you change baby’s diaper, wipe the cord with a cotton ball dipped in alcohol. Fold baby’s diaper top down to make sure it doesn’t rub against the stump. Change baby as soon as she is wet to further reduce irritation.

 Q  How often should a newborn eat?

 A   Most newborns eat every 3 to 4 hours, although some feed as often as every 2 hours. At times, a baby needs to feed more often than usual, such as during periods of growth. A baby is usually the best judge of how much she needs to eat at each feeding. She’ll usually turn away from the nipple (mother or bottle) when she’s full.

 Q  Should I swaddle my baby in the early weeks of life?

 A   Before birth, your baby was in a pretty tight environment, with little room to move. When he’s born, the lack of confinement may make him feel a little insecure. Swaddling – wrapping baby snugly in a soft blanket – can help if he seems discontented. It can help make him feel secure and comfort him. In fact, research shows that swaddled babies don’t startle as easily as babies who are not swaddled. Swaddling also helps a baby sleep well on his back. He may wake up less often and sleep longer when he is swaddled.

 Q  I know that a newborn can’t see all that well but he hear?

 A   Your baby hears most noises in the first few weeks as echoes, not distinct sounds. However, she hears voices; she recognizes her mother’s voice at or shortly after birth and will soon recognize the voices of other people around her. Speak to her often, about everything, to help develop her hearing and help her begin to relate to language.

 Q  Should babies sleep on their backs or on their stomachs?

 A   You may be given the advice by a relative, friend or someone else to put baby on her tummy so she’ll sleep better. We now know that “back is better.” Put your baby to sleep on her back every time you put her down. Research has shown that with a healthy, full-term baby, sleeping on her back lowers the chance she will have problems, especially SIDS.

 Q  Does baby’s eye color always change after birth?

 A   A baby’s true eye color isn’t evident until about 6 months old.

 Q  What’s the best way to treat diaper rash?

 A   A diaper rash occurs because skin in irritated from contact with urine and feces. To treat baby’s diaper rash, thoroughly clean the irritated area with mild soap and warm water when you change her. Do this with as little rubbing as possible. Avoid baby wipes because they may contain alcohol. Then let her “air dry” for a while. Exposing her skin to the air helps. Apply a soothing ointment, such as petroleum jelly or zinc oxide, to the area to protect skin from further irritation. Change your baby as soon as she is wet again.

 Q  Should I give my baby water?

 A   Until baby begins eating solids, don’t give her extra water. Breast milk and formula contain enough water for babies who haven’t started solids. Once baby starts eating solids, 1 or 2 ounces of water each day is OK.

 Q  Are plastic nipples and pacifiers safe?

 A   Some concern has been raised in the past about the plastic used in bottle nipples and pacifiers; some parents wonder if they contain DINP (phthalate), a toxic chemical. Rest assured, no products on the market today contain phthalate. Nipples and pacifiers are all made of silicone or latex. Those that contained phthalate were removed from shelves in 1998.

 Q  Will feeding baby solids help him sleep through the night?

 A   Some people mistakenly believe that a baby needs solids to help him sleep through the night. Not so! And until your baby is at least 4 or 5 months old, he should not be given anything except breast milk or formula. Solid food offers no nutritional advantage, and it does not help baby sleep longer. In fact, feeding your baby cereal or other solids before the fourth or fifth month could actually cause him stomach distress. That could defeat the purpose of helping him sleep through the night!

 Q  When do most babies sleep through the night?

 A   At about 11 weeks, most babies are starting to sleep through the night. However, keep in mind that “all night” is defined by most pediatricians as not waking up between midnight and 5 AM. Most people don’t consider this an entire night, but if you’ve been sleep deprived since baby’s birth, even this amount of time can be a cause for celebration!

 Q  How can I help encourage my baby to sleep through the night?

 A   You can help a baby sleep for longer periods of time by feeding her more frequently during the day and waking her up if she naps longer than 3 hours. Also, try to establish a bedtime routine so that she’ll better recognize the signal that it’s time to go to sleep.

 Q  Does music make babies smarter?

 A   Some people believe that a child who listens to classical music may grow up to be smarter and to do better in math. Recent studies have debunked this idea. Researchers state that there is no correlation between listening to classical music and a baby’s brain development. However, the soothing sounds of classical music might help clam and settle a restless baby. Listening to classical music could be enjoyment for both you and baby!

 Q  When should I introduce solid foods to baby’s diet?

 A   Before baby can begin eating solid foods, she needs to be able to control her head and neck muscles. She also needs to be able to move her tongue back and forth. These two skills help her avoid choking. Most babies do not achieve these skills until they are between four and six months old.

 Q  What should be the first solid food I introduce to baby’s diet?

 A   Most pediatricians recommend you start baby on rice or oat cereal made especially for babies. You can mix the dry cereal with breast milk or formula. When you start out, make cereal very thin, and then thicken it as baby gets used to it. If you breastfeed baby, another food you can begin with is mashed bananas. They are sweet, like breast milk, and are less likely to cause food allergies. If you bottle-fed baby, she is used to blander tasting formula, so mix formula with dry cereal.

 Q  When can I start to use sunblock on my baby?

 A   Don’t use sunscreen or sunblock on baby until he’s at least 6 months old. In the meantime, keep him out of the sun whenever you can, under an umbrella or completely dressed to avoid sun exposure.

 Q  What can I do to help my baby when she’s teething?

 A   If you’re fairly certain that your baby is teething, “cold” seems to offer some relief. Let baby chew on something cold, like a chilled plastic teething ring. Cold drinks or chilled food may also help but don’t offer frozen foods, such as a piece of frozen banana. Small pieces could lead to choking. Let baby chew on other foods that are fairly hard, such as baby teething biscuits or crackers. Massage baby’s gums with your clean fingers. Rub on gum-numbing medication. It can be purchased over the counter but don’t overuse it. One thing you should never do is rub liquor on baby’s gums!

 Q  What are the most common allergy-causing foods?

 A   Nuts and nut products (including peanut butter), egg whites, citrus fruits, citrus juices, strawberries, shellfish and chocolate are the most common allergy-causing foods. You should avoid feeding baby these foods for her first year. Thereafter, introduce them slowly and only one at a time so that you can determine the source of an allergic reaction if baby has one.

 Q  Should we buy a baby walker to help our son walk?

 A   Contrary to popular opinion, a baby walker won’t help baby learn to walk. He does use his legs to propel himself in a walker but propelling himself forward doesn’t strengthen the muscles he’ll need to use for walking. Some researchers believe that using a baby walker can actually delay a baby’s motor development.

 Q  Can feeding baby yogurt help prevent diarrhea?

 A   “Good” bacteria in the intestine is a plus for a baby. Too much “bad” bacteria can cause diarrhea. Findings suggest that if a baby has some yogurt in her diet on a regular basis, it may help keep harmful bacteria from growing, thus helping to prevent diarrhea. You don’t have to feed her large amounts of yogurt to get this benefit. A few teaspoons of plain (not flavored or sweetened) yogurt might be beneficial for her.

 Q  Do babies need to wear shoes?

 A   When your little one is steady on his feet (leaning of standing on his own), it’s time to buy real shoes for when he’s trying to walk around outside. However, most pediatricians recommend baby practice walking in his bare feet when he’s in the house. Walking barefoot helps strengthen foot muscles. Bare feet also allow baby’s foot to spread, increasing ground contact. And the bare arch forms a suction that helps the foot grip. When baby’s wearing shoes, his foot can’t do these things.