Author: Splash Creative

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is the leading cause of injury death in babies. Following the American Academy of Pediatrics’ sleep safety guidelines can significantly reduce the risk of SIDS. In this blog, we cover these guidelines and tips to ensure a safe sleep environment for your infant. 

 

The AAP recommends putting babies on their backs on a firm and flat surface without any soft bedding, like pillows, blankets, and stuffed toys. Soft bedding and inclined sleeper products can cause accidental suffocation and should be avoided. Instead, it’s best to use a fitted sheet and keep everything else out of your baby’s crib. A great reference to use for finding a safe crib or bassinet is Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Their website also provides updates on product recalls. 

 

Babies should not sleep on their stomachs as this increases their risk of SIDS. Research indicates that SIDS might be caused by defects in the part of the brain that controls breathing and waking up. When your baby is lying down on their stomach, they will sleep more deeply and may not wake up when they need oxygen. It’s also important to avoid the side position as your baby may roll onto their stomach. Some premature babies in NICU might need to be placed on their stomachs, but this should be done only temporarily under physician guidance. Once they’re stable, they should be placed on their backs so they become accustomed to sleeping in this position. After 12 months of age, babies can sleep safely on their stomachs. 

 

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends avoiding bed sharing. If you have twins or multiples, they should sleep in separate cribs and never together. Additionally, babies should not be allowed to routinely sleep in car seats, strollers, infant carriers, or swings. If your baby does fall asleep in any of these products, it’s important to move them to a firm sleep surface as soon as possible. 

 

Another way to ensure that your baby stays safe is to keep their environment free of any exposure to nicotine. Never smoke or allow anyone else to smoke around your baby. Secondhand smoke increases the risk of SIDS as it can impair your baby’s breathing. You’ll also want to avoid letting your baby’s sleep environment get too warm as overheating is a risk factor for SIDS. Check for any signs of overheating like flushed skin or sweating. The best temperature for your baby’s room is normal room temperature. Sharing a room with your baby can make monitoring their environment and sleep easier and has been known to reduce the risk of SIDS by 50%. 

 

Some parents have questions about whether or not it’s safe to swaddle their infant. Swaddling is safe as long as you follow key guidelines. Babies should not be swaddled tightly nor should weighted blankets be used. Use a thin blanket instead and spread it out flat with one corner folded down. Then, place your baby face-up on the blanket so that they’re still sleeping on their back as they should and place their head above the folded corner. Wrap the left corner of the blanket over their body, tucking it between their right arm and their right side. The right arm should then be tucked and the right corner of the blanket should be folded over their body and under their left side. Then, fold the bottom of the blanket loosely and tuck it under one side of them. If your baby looks like they might roll over, stop swaddling right away.  At night, preferably use a zippered or velcro sleep sack.

 

If you have any questions or concerns about sleep safety or your baby’s health, contact our office. 

Whether your child is going through their “terrible twos” or simply expressing their frustration through temper tantrums, it can be stressful to deal with as a parent. But knowing how to handle tantrums and outbursts from your child can make things easier for your family. Firstly, it’s important to understand why tantrums happen. Tantrums and meltdowns are triggered by certain emotions such as discomfort, overwhelm, or anger. Toddlers throw tantrums as a way to communicate how they feel because they do not have the words yet to articulate themselves. So instead, they might scream, cry, or throw things. 

 

During a tantrum, it’s important for you as a parent or caregiver to remain calm. Children are likely going to match your behavior and if you raise your voice, they are likely to yell and be even louder. Speaking to them calmly can help your child calm down and ease their temper. It might be tempting sometimes to give in to your child when they’re having a meltdown, but this only reinforces their behavior. Your child will learn that by throwing a tantrum, they can get what they want. What might be more effective instead is to offer them a small level of control. For example, say it’s time for your child to stop playing a game because they need to eat dinner and take their bath. If they get upset, firmly let them know that their time limit is up, but perhaps offer them a choice on whether to take their bath before or after dinner so that they can have some say in their situation. Another great strategy to use is to offer a distraction. Outbursts are usually triggered by a situation happening currently. Giving your child something else to focus on or even changing their environment by moving them to a different room can make a difference.     

 

Even though it might seem like a good idea in the moment, avoid trying to reason with your child during a tantrum or meltdown. Your child is upset and is not in a place where they’re ready to take a rational viewpoint. Wait until they’ve calmed down and get their behavior under control before discussing what happened. Once your child is calm, they’ll have an easier time learning how they can better communicate, work through their problems, and accept that they can’t always get their way.

 

To prevent your child from continuing to express themselves through outbursts, provide negative consequences for their behavior. This could be simply ignoring their tantrum until they’ve stopped so that your child learns that throwing a fit is not going to get your attention. You can also put them on a timeout or take certain privileges away from them so that they understand that tantrums will lead to undesired outcomes. And when your child is behaving well, make sure to give them praise to reinforce the positive behavior. Let your child know when you feel proud of them and how their behavior serves as an example on how to act. Pointing out good behaviors is just as important as pointing out negative behaviors. 

 

If none of these strategies work and you believe your child’s behavior is out of control or not improving, call our office. Certain behavioral issues may need to be examined and our pediatrician can provide guidance. 

Kid loves playtime and feel joy while playing! But the benefits of play go beyond just having fun. Play teaches children important skills to help them develop and thrive. By playing, children learn planning, organization, creativity, how to build relationships with their peers, how to get along with others, and how to regulate their emotions. They also develop language, mathematical, reasoning, and problem-solving skills. Play can also help kids practice concentration and build longer attention spans.

 

The essential life skills developed by play evolve over time and as a parent or caregiver, you can promote healthy play habits in your children. Firstly, it’s important to keep a safe play environment and teach your child not to engage in any aggressive behavior. This can take some time to master as conflicts can rise between kids playing together. But, it’s an opportunity for your child to learn how to solve problems and cooperate with their peers. You can guide them by teaching them how to view things from others’ perspectives and practice empathy. As children begin to master these abilities, they also learn how to form friendships.

 

Play activities should be selected based on the child’s age. For infants, starting tummy time is beneficial as it strengthens their neck, back, and shoulder muscles and advances their sensory, visual, and motor development – all of which will be important for them when they learn how to crawl. There are many ways to engage in play with your baby such as movement activities like using puppets which help babies develop visual skills, and using rattle toys which can grow your child’s reflexes as they reach out to grab them. It also helps them explore sounds. 

 

During the toddler years, you can enhance your child’s understanding of shapes, colors, and textures by giving them toys like blocks and puzzles. As they get a little older, provide them with opportunities for make-believe play. For example, they can pretend to bake something in a toy kitchenette or play doctor with their dolls. Make-believe play introduces kids to life concepts, helps them explore multiple perspectives, and stimulates their imagination and creativity.

 

Be careful of not letting your child spend too much time using screen devices, including video games. Balance media use with activities like sports, board games, playing with toys, or engaging in make-believe and role-playing. It’s important for kids to get real-life interactions and to also get physical activity when they play sport games or other recreational hobbies.

 

Play is not only beneficial for children’s development in life skills and their physical health, but it also improves mental health. Play can reduce stress and anxiety as it releases the endorphins in the body, which boost mood. It can help your child get in touch with their feelings by providing an opportunity for kids to express their emotions when they might not have the words to explain. It’s why it’s often used as a practice in therapy. 

 

Encouraging your children to play will have a significant impact on their growth, development, and physical and mental health. It’s one of the best ways to ensure that your child grows up into healthy, happy, successful, and empathetic adults.