by Cherie Stirewalt

The crying – oh, the crying. A colicky baby can really drive you to the edge. Failed attempts to soothe her crying may leave you wondering if you are cut out to be a parent after all. But, don’t worry, you are. You just need to arm yourself with some tools to battle each colic-crying outburst.

But, first, let’s define why your colic baby cries.

The most popular theory from scientists lately is an underdeveloped and immature nervous system. I know all women who have given birth can attest to the fact that a baby has a big head. Right?

Wrong. Actually, a baby’s head isn’t big enough to house a brain that is mature enough to have all the survival tools a human infant needs. Their brain is only the size of an apple. The birth canal cannot handle a bigger head (thank God). So, when a baby is born, the only inherent survival skills are sneezing, sucking, swallowing and….CRYING!

Most babies (80%, that is) are capable of crying for a reason, and then calming themselves down. These are usually what I call “the good sleepers” or “easy babies”. They are awake for awhile to learn and accept stimuli. Then they sleep to recover and awake to take in more stimuli.

Unfortunately, a colicky baby is usually NOT a “good sleeper” or an “easy baby”. They are high-maintenance. Their nervous system is overloaded with all the sights and sounds of a new world. And by about dinner time, they’ve had it. The crying begins. Once they start crying, they lack the mechanism to calm themselves down. In my experience, most mothers with colicky infants tell the same story. Their baby fights going to sleep. They won’t take a nap. They won’t stay asleep once they do finally go to sleep. These poor babies never take the time to recover from all the stimuli they have taken in over the course of a day.

So this is where you, as a parent, step in. Reduce the environmental stimuli and recreate the feeling your baby had while in the womb.

Remember, in the womb, your baby was packed in tightly. It was dark. It was warm. And the prominent sound she heard was the “whoosh” of blood flowing through the placenta. This “whoosh” is a little louder than the noise of a vacuum cleaner running.

However, there are other items you might have around the house that can lull your over stimulated colic baby to sleep. Most babies can be soothed by rhythmic, monotonous, low-pitched, humming sound that repeats at 60-70 pulses per minute. Here are 10 such items for you to try:

1. A shower running
2. A fan
3. A running dishwasher
4. A running washing machine
5. A very loud, ticking clock
6. A bathroom fan turned on with the light off
7. A metronome set a 60 beats per minute
8. A radio tuned to static
9. A tv tuned to static
10. Smooth jazz or easy listening stations

While listening to these rhythmic sounds, it is best to lower the lights, and make your baby comfortable. Remember, we are trying to recreate the feeling of being in the womb.

Finally, it is true what you read. Baby colic does eventually come to an end. As your baby grows, and their brains increase in size, all of the circuits mature and they learn the survival tools necessary to cope. It only takes about three to six months. In the meantime, when you feel a crying outburst about to happen, turn off the lights…and turn on all your household appliances.

Just kidding!

About the Author
Cherie is the webmaster of www.colic-baby-bootcamp.com and specializes in teaching parents methods for handling a baby with colic. Article Source: EzineArticles.com/?expert=Cherie_Stirewalt.

by Caron B. Goode

From the moment a pregnant woman intuitively strokes her growing belly, a bond forms. In response to this gentle massage, the unborn child will move her arms, legs, and head. This exchange of movement and the mutual feelings it evokes initiates a bond between mother and child. Bonds, such as this, that start with touch can be one of the strongest and most influential for infants and children of all ages.

For infants, touch is their primary sense. It is how they experience and respond to their environment and their caregivers. Countless studies have proven that for infants, touch is essential to growth and well being. According to Frederick Leboyer, French obstetrician and author of Loving Hands-The Traditional Art of Baby Massage, “Being touched and caressed, massaged, is food for the infant. Food as necessary as minerals, vitamins and proteins.”

The link between touch, growth, and bonding begins in the womb. In the embryo there is a layer of cells called the extoderm. These cells produce both the skin and the nervous system. This physiological connection is the foundation through which the embryo experiences life. Touch and movement provide the growing child with awareness and the innate knowledge that she is alive. This awareness will follow her through birth and into the world where touch will continue to play a key role in her development.

Developmentally, touch is crucial to brain growth and the cultivation of coping skills. The ability to cope with stress begins in infancy. Touch contributes to this by encouraging the brain to integrate nerve impulses. This helps create neurological, chemical, emotional, and cognitive patterns that reduce the harmful effects of stress. An infant experiences stress when she is hungry, wet, under/over stimulated, or in need of physical contact. When a parent answers her cries with comfort and loving touch, she learns to trust her feelings and the messages her body is sending. She also learns to trust and experience the emotional bond she shares with her caregiver. When comforting touch and a secure loving bond is combined with empathy, the child learns to accept and calm herself. This is the first step towards regulating her emotions and developing resilience.

Successful infant bonding begins with touch. Touch is soothing and a natural way of showing love. When a child is in need or disoriented due to stress, movement or action combined with touch helps her regain balance. If this action emphatically answers the child’s need without imposing the parent’s perception, then the child learns to trust herself. She feels safe within her body and her environment. These responses are the building blocks for how the child will connect with the world and handle adversity. Also important to infant bonding are expressions of positive emotion and love. The child who has smiling, cooing parents feels a positive connection with them. She knows and feels their love. This connection is often takes the form of intense mutual emotional engagement. Examples of this include staring into her parent’s eyes or enjoying a ritual such as bath time or massage. These periods are essential to the bonding process. Likewise, breaking these connections paves the path for integrating stress. When there is a reduction in emotional arousal, such as bedtime, a child learns to trust. She learns to trust that when she needs her parents, they will be there to reconnect with her. Sarah’s story illustrates the ebb and flow of connection, reconnection, and trust.

Sarah’s Story
After giving birth to her daughter Sarah, Helen instinctively places the child on her chest. She rubs Sarah’s back and kisses her cheek. The comfort of these gestures helps calm Sarah. After a few minutes, her father, Tim, scoops her into his arms and begins stroking her legs. With gentle and loving touch, Sarah is welcomed into this world. Upon their arrival home, Sarah’s parents continue to offer her comforting touch and loving looks. Her mother and father stare into her tiny face; only too happy to share the joy they feel. Their happiness is transferred to Sarah and she feels their love.

Several weeks go by, and all the while Sarah is rocked, cuddled, nursed, and fawned over. During this time, Sarah and her parents establish a sense of communication. By reading her cues, Tim and Helen are able to anticipate Sarah’s needs. At eight weeks of age, Sarah is able to focus and lock eyes with her mother. Throughout the day, mother and child share quiet moments staring into each other’s eyes. More often than not, Sarah is the one who breaks the connection. She signals that the moment is over by turning her head, moving her arms or kicking her legs. At this point, Helen turns her concentration elsewhere. She talks to Tim, answers the phone or attends to household chores.

From time to time, Helen and Tim become distracted and do not realize that Sarah is in need. Her cries let them know that she wants attention. These cries bring Tim and Helen back to Sarah. They intuitively use touch to calm her until her needs are met. By touching and responding with empathy, her parents give Sarah a sense of safety and security. By consistently attending to Sarah in this way, they help her establish a foundation on which her future coping skills will be built.

About the Author
Dr. Caron B. Goode is the founder of the Academy for Coaching Parents International, a training and certification program for parent coaches. In addition to duties with the academy, Goode is the founder of the website InspiredParenting.net, and the author of ten books, the most recent of which is Nurture Your Child’s Gift: Inspired Parenting and Help Kids Cope with Stress & Trauma. For more information on The Academy for Coaching Parents International or to sign up for academy announcements, visit www.acpi.biz.

By Heidi Ayarbe

“Sleep like a baby.” The person who thought of this saying obviously never had children!

Babies are active sleepers. Their eyes move; they squint; they moan; they gurgle; they smile; they mumble and grumble. This is normal and expected. You’ll understand why by reading on!

Instead of using non-REM and REM for children, doctors and scientists categorize the two as quiet and active sleep. Scientists believe that active sleep patterns develop in children even before they are born in the 6 th or 7 th month of pregnancy and quiet sleep patterns develop in the 7 th and 8 th months of pregnancy. (This is interesting to note for premature children and their sleep problems). They also note that in the uterus, during an active cycle, babies practice breathing, whereas in quiet sleep, they do not. The older the infant gets the less active sleep she needs. It appears, then, that active sleep is vital, so perhaps that’s why so much importance is placed on active sleep in the uterus and, as you’ll see, the first few months of life.

Infants’ sleep patterns and cycles differ greatly from those of adults. Infants spent about 50% of their time in active sleep while premature infants spend 80% of their time in active sleep (as opposed to 20-25% in adults). The other 50% are spent in quiet sleep, but it’s not as deep as an adult’s. Infants don’t reach stages III and IV of quiet sleep like adults do. Also, when infants are in their quiet sleep, their brain waves aren’t a steady flow of waves but short bursts.

Infants’ sleep cycles usually last 50 minutes (unlike the 90 minutes of an adult). In their first few months of life, infants will often slip directly into active sleep – something that adults never do. Another difference between infants’ sleep patterns and adults is that infants have sleep patterns that last throughout the 24-hour period. These are called polyphasic sleep periods. Can you imagine a functioning adult drifting off to sleep every 50 to 100 minutes? Adults have one sleep period that lasts about 8 hours.

By the time an infant is three months old, she will have developed all four stages of quiet sleep, and by the time she is six months old, she will spend most of her time (70%) in quiet sleep, coming closer to an adult’s bio-rhythms. It won’t be until your child is a toddler, though, that she will almost match an adult’s sleep habits. Interestingly, people of advanced age go back down to three sleeping stages, not experiencing Stage IV or sleep.

Have you noticed that your child, after just an hour of sleep, often stirs and is restless? This is because she has probably just completed one cycle and is coming out of quiet sleep. Adults do it every night. We wake up, pull up the covers, turn around, and adjust the pillow .. whatever. But if somebody came to our side and said, “Hey, do you need something?” we might totally wake up and have trouble getting back to sleep.

Because we’re so in tuned to our children (especially new parents), we sometimes rush to their bed, wondering why they’re waking. Most children will grumble, move around and get back to sleep – if left to return to sleep. At this stage in sleep, sleep terrors and sleep walking may happen as well (covered in Chapters 8 and 9). In that case, your child might need your aid. Again, though, a child arousing after about an hour is natural. By understanding this, you can understand that your child can be left to fall back to sleep. Especially when you know for the first few years of life, this will be happening a lot!

©www.sleepbabysecrets.com

“New Book Reveals Breakthrough Baby Sleep Secrets Frustrated Parents Must Know To Practically Guarantee Your Child Sleeps Peacefully Almost Every Single Night!”

About the Author:
Heidi Ayarbe is the author of the award-winning book “Sweet Dreams”. To check out her website that’s jam packed with baby sleep secrets, visit http://www.sleepbabysecrets.com/baby-sleep.htm

Before 12 Months
It seems like it would be so much easier, as your baby gets older, to just give him a bottle or sippy cup full of cow’s milk from the fridge. For formula feeding moms not only is it easier, but much cheaper. However, your doctor tells you not too. This brings up the question, why is cow’s milk bad for your baby?

Breast milk and formula are specifically designed to be sensitive for your baby’s belly. Cow’s milk has certain proteins in it that breast milk and formula do not have. A baby’s digestive system is not capable of processing these proteins, and the lack of processing can make your baby sick. Cow’s milk also has a large amount of sodium, potassium and chloride that can be hard on your baby’s kidneys.

During your baby’s first year, it is important that he get the right amount of vitamin E, zinc, iron and other vitamins and minerals that cow’s milk does not have. These vitamins are found naturally in breast milk and are added to formula. Cow’s milk could lead to an iron deficiency in your baby and in some rare cases cause internal bleeding. It can also lead to dairy allergies as your baby gets older.

There is no doubt that cow’s milk can be more convenient that formula, but until your baby turns a year you should steer clear of giving him cow’s milk.

After 12 Months
Once your baby hits his first birthday and has his one year well-check, if your pediatrician gives the ok for you to give your baby cow’s milk, there are a lot of benefits to your baby. In most cases, for that second year of life, you will be told to give your baby whole, vitamin D milk. It is because this milk has the highest concentrate of vitamins that your baby still needs to grow. A great source of calcium, phosphorus, vitamin A, and magnesium, whole milk will help your baby’s bones and teeth grow and become strong.

Now that your baby’s digestive system has matured, milk will give him the protein that he needs to run and play during the day. Calcium is important to a baby’s future health because it can help prevent later cases of certain types of cancer, high blood pressure, stroke and other medical emergencies later in life.

If Your Baby Won’t Switch
If you are lucky your baby will make the switch to cow’s milk smoothly and easily. If you are not lucky, your baby may fight the change. This could happen for any number of reasons. Milk has a different texture, temperature, color and taste from the breast milk or formula that you have been feeding your baby, and your baby may not want to adjust. If this happens try making it a gradual process. Try giving your baby cow’s milk straight from a sippy cup, instead of through a bottle. Also, try mixing cow’s milk and your breast milk or formula, slowly increasing the amount of cow’s milk, until it is only cow’s milk. If he won’t take it through a sippy cup, try spoon feeding it to him, or mixing it in with cereal and other baby food until he gets used to the taste.

To insure that your baby is as healthy as possible, ask your pediatrician about what he recommends when it comes to giving your baby cow’s milk. If you feel that your baby is not taking to cow’s milk well, then speak with your pediatrician to see if he thinks there is a problem, or has any suggestions for you to try.

By Bridget Messino

Our children are probably the biggest clutter creators we have in our homes — even more so than the dreaded paper flow. It starts out innocently, when we find out we are expecting; then the purchasing frenzy swings into high gear and does not let up until, well, let’s just say many years down the road.

The clutter begins on the highly anticipated homecoming day when our counter tops fill quickly with samples and instructions from the hospital. The bottles of formula, diapers, blankets and wipes all begin to take root on the counters and any and all other flat surfaces. You can kiss that nesting mode goodbye and say hello to survival mode!

Stage 1: Infant Organization

Obviously, organizing for an infant is the sole responsibility of the parent. The main areas for infant organization are:

• the changing table
• the diaper bag

The nursery’s changing table is a great place to start with simple organizing techniques. Divide the shelves below the changing surface with baskets; fill one with diapers and wipes, one with crib bedding and blankets, one with onesies and socks, etc. Baskets are a great accessory for the nursery because they are portable, lightweight and decorative. They are also readily available everywhere from discount stores to high-end decorating stores.

Next, the diaper bag can be your best friend when stocked and organized properly. Take some time before your next outing and take inventory of your contents. Diaper bags today have all these great little dividers and compartments for storing all your stuff. Upon returning from your outing re-stock and refresh your bag, so you will be ready for the next time you go visiting.

Stage 2: Toddler-Preschool Organization

Organizing this active group can be a challenge, but there are several organizing exercises in which you can involve your child, including putting away:

• books
• videos
• toys

The clear plastic containers that you can find all over these days are great kid-friendly storage solutions. Try labeling each one with a picture of its contents to make for easy cleanup for those little non-readers (store advertisements and catalogs are a great picture source, as well as printing pictures from internet sites).

Baskets are also great for storing their favorite books and videotapes, though you might want to store them out of reach to prevent them from constantly being dumped out on the floor! Little hands can manipulate a basket with much more confidence than a tightly stuffed bookshelf. Lastly, designate an area in your home for the toys. It is important for your child to understand that their toys have a place and need to make their way back there before bedtime.

Stage 3: School Age Organization

By this time, your kids are busy with many of their own activities and all the required “stuff” that goes with it. As frustrating as it may be the tenth time you have to remind your child to put away their belongings or straighten up their shelves, do not give in to the temptation to just do it yourself. This is a critical time period for developing life-long habit and you will both gain from a little patience and consistency.

Encourage your children to keep a calendar of their activities and after school commitments. Display a master family calendar, so everyone is informed and no one is left ride-less or out of the loop.

Laundry at this stage of parenting can become quite an overwhelming task. Invest in basket-sorter hampers for the kids’ laundry; your kids are quite capable at this age of sorting their dirty clothes by color. The pre-sort saves you time on laundry day.

Stage 4: High School and Beyond

Keep up the encouragement — these young adults have a lot on their minds and schedules. This can be an extremely stressful time with the college applications, spring break plans, graduations, not to mention a full course load and endless extra-curricular activities. Good time management skills are critical to maintaining these over-extended calendars. Paired with time management skills, organizational skills will help create a smooth transition to whatever path your children choose (restocking the diaper bag now seems like a cinch, doesn’t it?).

Rest assured that all your hard work building a good organizing foundation will remain with your children throughout their adult life. Who knows — maybe they will win the lottery one day and know exactly where they filed their winning ticket because they were raised in a home that stressed organization, and to show their gratitude share the prize with mom and dad.

Copyright 2004
Bridget Messino

About the author:
Bridget Messino is a Professional Organizer and co-owner of Clutter Free Living, Inc. Her work frequently appears on many Internet sites and on her own organizing site Clutter Free Living as well as in her monthly Home Organizing Newsletter How to Be Clutter Free. Subscribe to the FREE monthly e-newsletter by sending a blank e-mail to cflnews-subscribe@topica.email-publisher.com

With so many different car seats out there, how do you choose the one that is right for your baby? Once you choose the kind that is right for your baby, then you have to decide how much you are going to spend on that car seat as there are as many price options as there are style choices.

5-Point Harness vs. 3-Point Harness
All car seat styles come with different choices on the harness that holds your baby in. Some are 5-point, which means that the straps come from five directions, meeting to buckle in the center. Straps go from between the legs, one on each side of the leg, and down from the shoulders to securely hold your baby in his seat. Others are 3-point harnesses which have straps down the shoulders and between the legs meeting in the middle. This is found very rarely on infant car seats, and more frequently on infant/toddler and convertible car seats which may include a bar that crosses over the baby’s lap.

Infant Car seats
Infant car seats are small car seats designed mainly to do double duty as a car seat and a way to carry your infant around before he is big enough to sit up in a stroller or grocery cart on his own. They have a base that you can strap in your car and the car seat itself will come out of the base making it easily movable. Most of these have a length weight limit of 26 inches and 22 pounds, although some will actually be 20 pounds. There are now a small number of infant car seats on the market however that will fit babies until they are 32 inches and 30 pounds. Since many babies are big babies and will see 22 pounds before their first birthday, these new car seats are a great way to save money while easily keeping your baby facing backwards in the car for the mandatory first year.

Convertible Car seats
Also known as infant/toddler car seat, this car seat is a way many parents save money and kill two birds with one stone. Convertible car seats are not removable from cars for the purpose of walking around, so when you get out of the car you have to un-strap your baby as well, leaving the car seat behind. However, some parents who choose to use slings, snuglis, buggies or other carriers for their babies, don’t mind this. If you start off with a convertible car seat when your baby is a newborn, it is one less expense you have to deal with during your baby’s first year of life, and one less baby item you have to store in your garage. Convertible car seats normally have a minimum weight of 5lbs, and have a maximum weight of anywhere between 40-100 pounds. Many states now have laws stating that your child must be in a car seat or booster seat till they are 60-80 pounds, so before you decide which convertible car seat to buy, you should check out your states laws on car seats.

Booster Seats
Booster seats are great for older kids who may have outgrown their convertible car seat; however they are not good for infants and toddlers. You should always look at the minimum weight and height restrictions on booster seats before you put your child in them. Most of them are set for 40 pounds. You can also get convertible car seats that turn into a booster seat, making it that much easier on your budget down the road.

By Heather Owens

When we picture a baby, we tend to have a stereotyped image of a pink, glowing little face that is almost overwhelmingly cute. The last thing we think about is pimples. And yet, the reality is that infant acne occurs on the faces of many babies. Usually it starts between three and four weeks of age, but sometimes it can even be present in newborns.

It can be a little distressing for the parents to see little red bumps all over their precious baby’s face, but the good news is that infant acne is temporary, and doesn’t require any treatment. However, it can stick around for a little while, and may only disappear gradually. It’s quite possible that infant acne may come and go spasmodically until the baby is six months old.

I remember very well when my daughter broke out in infant acne at the tender age of three months. Her previously cute and adorable face was dotted with little red bumps, and even a good collection of whiteheads. I found it quite distressing, and so asked my doctor to tell me more about infant acne.

The doctor was very patient and helpful, and explained a lot more about this skin condition. I hadn’t realised that the baby still had hormones in her system, that had crossed over while I was carrying her, via the placenta. Infant acne is to a great extent visible evidence of the hormones still being active, but it also shows that the baby is in the process of working the hormones out of her system for good.

In many ways, the baby’s skin is simply going through a cleansing process, as the baby’s system cleanses itself of the unwanted hormones. Different babies respond in different ways (many of them you wouldn’t even be aware of), and one way is infant acne. It’s all part of a natural process in the baby’s system, and there’s really nothing we, as parents, can do to stop it. In fact, it’s important to let the process continue to the end, otherwise the baby’s system may struggle to remove all the excess hormones.

Unfortunately many parents think that infant acne is caused by dirty or oily skin, and so wash baby’s face more frequently to get it clean. This is actually one of the worst things you can do, as frequent washing may well result in the skin becoming inflamed. So remember that it’s hormones, not oil or dirt, that’s the problem. Detergents, milk and spit-up can make acne worse, so although you don’t want to overwash the baby, it’s important to mop up any spills quickly. Use a mild detergent, and make sure baby’s face is always uncovered. Even your baby’s favorite blanket can aggravate infant acne, if it’s been washed in a strong detergent and is constantly held against the face.

All of this can seem a little disheartening, particularly if you are keen on photographing your baby’s gorgeously cute smile with your camera at every opportunity. If your baby gets infant acne, you can expect to have that beautiful smile surround by little red dots for up to six months. But it’s not worth worrying about – who’s going to look at the acne when your baby’s smile will completely outshine it?

About the Author:
Discover heaps more great parenting tips and techniques at Info About Baby You can sign up for a FREE Baby Tips newsletter at Baby Tips Newsletter. The author’s book about babies is available at Baby’s First Year.

by Declan Tobin

There are many types of car seats available on the market today. In order to be able to make an informed decision it is best to check out car seat manufacturers. You can also check any consumer guide for information on recalls, seats that have been crash tested, the best type of restraint systems for your child. Before that even starts be aware of the fact that there are many types of car seats. The choice you make will be based on your prior research and your child’s needs. A note of caution: before you purchase a car seat check the manufacture’s recommendations and be sure the seat is compatible with your vehicle.

One type of car seat is the infant only car seat. This seat comes with a detachable base, comes with higher weight and height limits, harness slots that will help to change the seat from rear facing to front facing. The multiple slots can be adjusted to fit your baby. They also have handles that can be folded down while the child is in the car. They can be raised to make carrying your baby easier.

Convertible car seats are bigger and heavier and may not be appropriate for some newborns. The reclining position and ease of adjusting the harness are important assets. A convertible seat can be used rear facing for most newborns and front facing for older babies over twenty pounds. The American Pediatric Association recommends a child stay rear facing until s/he reaches the maximum weight and height listed by the manufacturer. The straps and are adjustable to a child’s size, the seat should be moved to the proper position for the weight and height of your baby. The seat belt should be threaded through the seat belt path.

Forward facing seats cannot be used in the rear facing position. They are only for children over a year old and over twenty pounds. They can be used with either a lap only or lap/shoulder belt system.

Combination seats also cannot be used in the rear facing position and are also only for babies over a year and over twenty pounds. It has an internal harness for children whose weight is between forty and fifty pounds. It can convert to a belt position booster seat by removing the harness for larger children. They can be used with lap only or lap/shoulder belts.

Booster seats come in different types. Some come with shield boosters that are padded bars that lock into position much like the handlebars on carnival rides. There are booster seats that come with a high back to support your child as s/he rides in a car. Some booster car seats are built into vans and some cars. Check with your vehicle manufacturer to be sure the seat will accommodate your child’s size. There are travel vests that attach to the seats with lap only belts.

Now that you know the types of car seats, there are things that must be considered in order to ensure the safety of your baby. Is the seat safe? How did it fare in crash testing? Is the restraint system easy to manipulate? If they are difficult to buckle your child in or remove him from the seat your child’s safety could be compromised. In an accident, a sudden stop, or quick swerve will the seat hold your child? If the seat moves in any way in these situations your baby could be at risk. The car seat should attach snugly to the seat if properly installed. With seats that have multiple belt slots to accommodate your child be sure you use the right one. The belt should be at your child’s shoulder level or just above.

Most newer car seats come with the LATCH (lower anchor and tethers for children) system. Installation is supposed to be easier but they are difficult to use and are not always safe. Parents complain that upon installing seats with this system there is too much slack, the seats have a tendency to move or slide out of position. In an emergency situation this could have seriously disastrous results. A company has created a tool called Mighty Tite that is used to pull in the slack and it has been safety tested and is recommended.

As previously stated check consumer guides and online sites for recalls. This is especially important if you have a used car seat. If you purchase your seat second-hand you need to inspect it thoroughly. Check that all belts and buckles are in good shape and working as recommended. Make sure the belts aren’t frayed or the buckles cracked. Check the frame for any breaks or gaps that your little one could get fingers stuck in or that are sharp. If you find such things don’t use the seat until you can get it repaired or replaced. If the seat comes with removable covers it is suggested that you remove them and wash them well. If it doesn’t have cloth covering you might want to buy some. A vinyl seat, could in the summer, burn your little one’s tender skin. In a desperate attempt to remedy this when my own child was an infant, I found a large towel and cut holes in it and place it on the seat so that anywhere my son’s skin would meet the seat, it was protected at least with the towel. If you are really creative you could make your own.

Be practical in purchasing your car seat. If you have an infant buy a seat that will convert to a front facing seat as your child grows. Infant seats also come with a base that remains installed while you are able to remove a sleeping child from the car without disturbing him too much. Some such infant seats can also attach to a stroller frame. This multi-use seat is practical and will save all the bending and unbuckling and buckling of seat belts and then stroller belts. The internal harness keeps your child appropriately restrained.

Let’s go over some important considerations in purchasing car seats. Keep in mind compatibility with your vehicle’s specifications. Check for recalls and safety testing- how did the seat fare in these situations? Is it the proper seat for the size of your child? Can the seat be converted from a rear and front facing seat – it is more economical to buy a convertible seat. Is the installation easy or does the seat seem to move around in the belt system? There is a tool called Mighty Tite that can take up any slack and make the seat secure in its position, thus enhancing your baby’s safety. Choose carefully and choose wisely, you are carrying very precious cargo.

About the Author:
Declan Tobin is a successful freelance writer providing tips and advice for consumers purchasing Baby Products, Baby Crib Bedding and Baby Strollers. His numerous articles offer tips and valuable insight on baby products.

“Can it be true?” many people wonder and many parents are asking. SIDS takes the life of approximately one baby born in every two thousand births every year and is one of the most mysterious childhood diseases that can affect infants. While the instances of SIDS is down since the “Back to Sleep” campaign began in the 90’s, it is still feared and brings the most questions of “why” to a new parents mouth when they go to check on their baby and their baby is no longer breathing.

Now it seems as if scientists have discovered a possible cause of SIDS that involves more than just a baby sleeping on their stomach or back. There are new tests that link a brain abnormality to some babies who have died of SIDS. It involves the part of the brain that controls breathing, arousal and other essential parts of awakening for a baby.

The abnormality is found in the base of the brain stem involving cells that creates the chemical serotonin. Serotonin transmits messages between the brain and nerve cells, and helps to tell the body when to breathe, as well as helping control blood pressure and body temperature. It is thought that when a baby has an abnormality in these cells they are not as quick to respond and it is not as easy to do things like turn their head when they are asleep which is where the increase of SIDS while babies sleep on their belly appears.

It is assumed that when a baby sleeps face down or is covered by blankets that they breathe back in exhaled carbon dioxide that they have just breathed out. Normally this would trigger the nerve cells in the brain stem and stimulate the respiratory and arousal areas of the brain to help the baby turn their head or uncover themselves. When the abnormality is present babies nerves are not triggered and they can then not adjust so that they can breathe clean air. It is thought that too much carbon dioxide in their system causes their little bodies to shut down.

The finding of this new possible cause of SIDS in babies is a huge encouragement to parents and experts around the country. Once a definite cause of SIDS is discovered then it will be possible for tests showing who is at risk to be created and a possible cure to be discovered for this terrible aspect of parenthood. Not having the fear of your baby dying while you sleep would surely help many parents, and babies sleep better and feel more rested in the long run.