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Small babies produce more heat than adults. Their body temperature increases in the first months and peaks, around the sixth month, at 99.5, after which it starts to decrease gradually. During the first year, you should avoid exposing the baby to extreme heat or cold. Doctors recommend maintaining room temperature between 68 and 72 degrees during this time, avoiding letting the baby become overheated. The rule of thumb for this age, as well as for smaller infants, is to dress your baby no more or less heavily than you dress yourself for a given outdoor temperature. The exception: Babies should wear hats in cool (not just cold) weather, and a sun hat is a must to protect a baby's delicate skin and scalp from burning ultraviolet rays. By the age of four or five months, the infection-fighting antibodies with which babies are born have diminished. Thus, a number of babies get their first colds during these months, particularly if they have older siblings or are exposed to other childre...
Bath time can be an enjoyable time for you and your baby. At this age, you can continue to use a small baby tub or graduate into the big bathtub. Be extremely careful, though. Place a rubber mat in the bottom of the tub, and keep the water level no deeper than four inches. Test the water temperature by placing a few drops on your forearm; it should feel lukewarm. When the tub is ready, place the baby in the water on her back. Keep one arm behind the baby's head and neck, holding on to her shoulder, and use the other hand for washing. Baths should last no more than three or four minutes. Be sure to have a towel waiting and be extremely careful lifting your wet, slippery infant out of the tub. Some three-to six-month-olds do not like bathing in a tub. For these babies, a modified washup can often take the place of a full bath. With a washcloth, you can clean the baby's hands, neck, underarms, trunk, arms, and diaper area....
As babies become more active in their exploration, you must take additional safety precautions. Be sure to: ? Keep one hand on the baby whenever you are changing diapers on a changing table. Never leave a baby unattended on a changing table or bed, since babies can easily roll off. ? Make sure the crib sides are always locked. ? Use safety straps when you put the baby into an infant seat, swing, or stroller. ? Remove mobiles and similar toys from the crib as soon as the baby is able to push up on the forearms. An active baby can easily become entangled in a mobile or start mouthing dangerous, small parts. ? Never suspend a pacifier or toy around the baby's neck with a string or ribbon. The string may get caught on part of the crib, stroller, or playpen and strangle the baby. Sleeping Through The Night Regardless of their sleep patterns, all babies go through several sleep cycles, waking at least one or two times each night. As they get older and feel hungry le...
The end of the day, when parents return from work and siblings come home from school, can be a high-stress time for everyone, including a baby. The key to a smooth transition at this time of day is to follow a routine and keep things simple. Frequently, one parent takes over baby care while the other prepares the evening meal. If the parents haven't seen the baby all day, the reunion can be pretty exciting and, sometimes, overstimulating for the baby. General fussiness, long bouts of crying, and difficulty getting down for the night are frequent results. To avoid this unpleasantness, look for signals that your baby may be getting frazzled and try to adjust your approach accordingly. Watch for yawning, fidgeting, flushing or mottling of the skin, and reluctance to look you in the eye and smile. If the baby shows any of these signs, tone down the environment, cutting out excess noise and activity. Some babies, of course, are more adaptable than others and actually seem to thrive on e...
Afternoon And Evening
If the day has been busy or the baby is out of sorts for one reason or another, she may still get fussy in the late afternoon, although true colic (long periods of crying, particularly in the late afternoon and early evening) should be a thing of the past. If your child is in day care, the ride home may be calming or may increase the fussiness. A grumbling three- to six-month-old may want to be held and played with, but the problem is just as likely to be overstimulation, in which case fewer lights, less noise, and less activity should be soothing. During this period of the day, it's best to keep things simple. Start dinner at a leisurely pace while the baby watches from an infant seat or mechanical swing. Alternatively, play soft music while you carry the baby gently from room to room, pointing out interesting objects. If the baby seems reasonably calm, bring out a few toys and enjoy a play session on the floor. Watch for signs of fatigue yawning, glazing of the eyes, and fretfuln...