At birth, most babies who have been carried full term weigh between 5 and 10 pounds. It is not always a cause for concern if a baby falls outside of this weight range, as there are many factors that contribute to the size of the baby such as the size of the mother’s uterus. However, some babies who have a …
What is the Treatment and Long Term Effects of Intraventricular Hemorrhage (IVH)?
Intraventricular Hemorrhage (IVH) is a type of bleeding in the brain that is mostly likely to occur in babies who are born before 32 weeks of pregnancy. Most intraventricular hemorrhages occur in the first week of life. What are the symptoms of IVH? If your baby has this condition, his or her symptoms could include: Paleness Breathing problems Weak heart …
What are the Signs, Causes and Treatments of Failure to Thrive (FTT)?
Failure to thrive (FTT) is a medical term given to a baby or toddler with poor weight gain and physical growth failure over an extended period of time. Failure to thrive does not imply abnormal intellectual, social, or emotional development. What are the Signs of Failure to Thrive? Failure to thrive is a weight consistently below the 3rd to the …
What is Cerebral Palsy?
Cerebral Palsy is the term used to describe any one of a number of neurological disorders that appear in infancy or early childhood, and permanently affect body movement and muscle coordination, but don’t worsen over time. Even though cerebral palsy affects muscle movement, it isn’t caused by problems in the muscles or nerves. It is caused by abnormalities in parts …
What is Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)?
ADHD, one of the most common neurobehavioral childhood disorders, stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. A child with this diagnosis demonstrates significant difficulty with attention, hyperactivity and/or impulsivity. This disorder may impact a child’s ability to perform at school, complete everyday tasks, and interact with peers and adults. There are 3 subtypes of ADHD, and you can read more about …
Medical Causes for Feeding Problems in Children
What are the causes of Feeding Problems? There are many factors which can contribute to problems feeding. They can be medical, environmental, behavioral, nutritional, sensory related, oral-motor related, or due to a child’s particular diagnosis which may encompass a few of the previously mentioned. Some Medical Causes of Feeding Problems Are: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD): A condition often caused when …
The Importance of Breastfeeding for Babies (& Mothers!)
Pediatricians recommend breast milk for baby’s health. A mother’s milk has just the right amount of fat, sugar, water, and protein that is needed for a baby’s growth and development. Most babies find it easier to digest breast milk than they do formula. The antibodies in breast milk have been proven to help protect infants from bacteria and viruses. This helps …
Detecting Hearing Loss in Infants and Toddlers
In 1993, the National Institute of Health made a recommendation that all babies have their hearing tested between birth and three months of age. By 1999, 20 states had implemented laws encouraging newborn hearing screenings and 12 states passed laws requiring them. Today, 10 years later, 30 states plus Guam, Puerto Rico and Washington, DC provide for the establishment of …
What is Self Regulation and How To Help a Child to Learn Self Regulation
What is the Definition of Self Regulation? The term “self-regulation” is used to refer to a range of characteristics and abilities. A child with self -regulatory skills is able to focus his attention, control his emotions and manage his thinking, behavior and feelings. Adults are very good at multitasking, but children are not. An adult can be cooking dinner, talking …
Q&A: How Much Weight Should a 5 Month Old Bear on Her Legs?
My daughter is 5.5 months old. She was 5 weeks premature. My concern is how much weight she should be bearing on her legs. Recently if you hold her up she will take just a little weight; her knees will then buckle if you continue to hold her up and she will push down to straighten her legs but she …