6. Find time to relax
Make the time to relax. It's normal to worry, feel sad, or feel anxious while you're pregnant. But chronic stress and tension, with Dad or Mum, can put your baby at risk of developing asthma, heart disease and diabetes. Unwind for you and your baby's health.7. Watch Baby's fever
Believe it or not, the more fevers a child has in the first year of life, the LESS likely they are to develop allergies. If you're baby is lethargic, vomiting repeatedly or not drinking any fluids, or if there's fever that doesn't respond to medication for more than 24 hours, see a doctor. You should ALWAYS take a baby who is under three months to a doctor if there's fever.
8. Give fluids and use a humidifier for colds
In recent studies, over-the-counter cough syrups didn't perform any better than placebos. Babies responded better and faster to drinking lots of fluids and using a cool-mist room humidifier. If Baby's symptoms get worse or persist, see a doctor.
9. Follow up with jaundice
Jaundice usually isn't serious and most babies get over it in a week or so. But in rare cases it can cause brain damage. If your baby has jaundice at birth, see a pediatrician in the first three to five days of life.
10. Give Baby plenty of iron
Make sure your baby's formula has iron in it. Don't be afraid to feed Baby pureed meat early on in life. Babies who are iron deficient as infants, even when the deficiency is taken care of right away, score lower on cognitive and motor tests.
2005-04-05