Designed from your baby’s point of view, this bath allows your baby to sit in a natural upright position and keeps your baby warm and relaxed in the bath. Babies love this tub. Parents love it too because it is easy to use, comforting and secure for your baby.

*European style keeps baby happy during bath time
*No PVC or BPA
*Easy storage - keep all your bath gear in stylish tub when not in use
*When baby outgrows it, the new uses are endless: hamper, toy basket, or anything else you can think of.
*Can be recycled!
*Keeps water in the tub, not all over the place

The Spa Baby European Style Tub will begin shipping during the last week of May.  Pre-order yours today!

I just bought a fantastic new (well, new to me) board game for my pediatric practice that I absolutely love!  It’s called Balloon Lagoon and it’s from the Cranium family of games.  It’s billed as “The Four-in-One Carnival Game for Kids!” and is recommended for children five years and older.  Balloon Lagoon has already won the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Best Toy Award.  Kids LOVE this game; my clients ask to play it week after week.

The object of the game is to gather as many balloons as possible by winning carnival themed games.  At “Letter Lake,” a fishing pole is used to “fish” for letters needed to spell the selected word from a word book. This is great for literacy development.  I incorporate speech-sound work/phonics by having the child tell me what sound each letter makes.  Then there is the “Frog Pond” which is great for fine motor development and eye-hand coordination.  Kids have to hop flip-frogs back into their pond using their finger tips.  In “Tumble Tides” a picture is chosen from a flipbook and then four wheels must be spun to find the matching combination.  My favorite is the “Snack Hut,” a Yahtzee type game that requires reasoning, problem solving and quick thinking.  All of these games are timed by a great carnival tune that starts when you activate the merry-go-round.

The game is well made, with lots of attention to detail.  The Cranium folks have really captured the spirit of a carnival.  Balloon Lagoon will challenge your child’s linguistic, cognitive and fine motor skills.  They’ll be having so much fun that they won’t even know they’re learning.  By the way, you’ll have a blast, too!

You can find it at most retail stores that carry children’s games.  You can also visit their website at www.cranium.com.

April 22nd marks the 38th anniversary of the modern environmental movement that began in 1970, when 20 million participants across the United States gathered at colleges, universities, primary schools and community centers in peaceful demonstration for environmental reform. According to organizers at the Earth Day Network, it is now the largest international secular holiday in the world with a half billion celebrants annually. With immanent climate change at the forefront of today’s global environmental consciousness, Earth Day’s call to attention is more important than ever.

Earth Day Network, the non-profit organization created by the original founders of Earth Day in 1970, and the Green Apple Festival are presenting for the first time Hands On Earth Day events in partnership with Hands On Network. For Earth Day 2008, seven schools in Atlanta, Buffalo, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Phoenix, and Portland, will receive healthier and sustainable learning environments. Hands On Earth Day has enlisted the support of hundreds of volunteers from the surrounding communities and schools. The greening projects will included: energy audits; refurbishment of existing buildings; installation of energy-efficient products, bike racks and recycling containers; as well as creation of gardens, eco-murals and new outdoor classroom space.

For information on how to get involved, visit www.handsonnetwork.org or ww2.earthday.net

Part of me feels bad even writing that!  Like we don’t have enough on our plates as parents.  Now we’re supposed to have “goals”?  Will it never end?  Perhaps there is a less business like word for them but yes, we need to have parenting goals.  I am not talking about “I want little Suzy to go to Harvard and become a leading medical researcher who cures cancer” but more along the lines of “What type of person do I hope Jimmy grows up to be?”  What characteristics do you hope your child will possess as an adult?  And are your parenting choices fostering or hindering them?

We are all faced with challenging parenting decisions but if you have clear answers to those questions you will be able to sort to the right choice for your family with greater ease.  It will also give you a big picture reason to be patient when your precious little one is wearing on your last nerve.  With my son, it is important to both his father and me that he grow up with a great sense of curiosity.  Because of that we try to let him openly explore his world and only intervene when he is in danger.  More often than not that translates into a little boy who is into everything, which has its obvious challenges, but because we are clear on what type of adult we hope he will be we are willing to deal with the extra parenting work that will hopefully nurture his curiosity.  So take some time to get clear on your goals and use them as the sieve to shake your parenting style through to make sure you are on the right track.

So your baby is finally ready for the world of solid food? This is an exciting time to introduce a variety of first foods to a palate that is virtually a blank canvas. While you’ll likely face some challenges along the way, it will be a fun adventure for your baby.

Making your own baby food is actually quite easy. Many parents like to go this route because it assures them that they are giving their babies the freshest, best-quality ingredients. Also, you can make large quantities at one time and can freeze for later.

Don’t be intimidated to roll up your sleeves and give it a try. I’ve included basic recipes and resources below to help you get started.

First Fruit Puree

-You may use sweet apples or ripe pears.

1.    Peel and core your apples or pears.
2.    Chop into small pieces and place in a heavy-bottomed saucepan with a little water.
3.    Cover and cook on low heat until fruit is tender. Or steam the fruit over the water for the same amount of time.
4.    Blend the fruit to a smooth puree. Add a little apple juice, boiled water or water from the pan to the puree.
5.    Serve lukewarm and freeze remaining amount in an ice cube tray.

-You may also mash a raw banana, avocado or half of a papaya and puree with a little breast milk or formula. Note that these raw fruit purees do not freeze as well.

First Vegetable Puree

-For the first vegetable puree, you may use sweet potatoes, potatoes, butternut squash or pumpkin.

1.    Boil water in a pot on your stove top.
2.    Chop vegetables into small pieces and place in a steamer or colander over boiling water.
3.    Cook for 15 – 20 minutes.
4.    Blend vegetables into a puree using some of the liquid from the steamer or the pan.
5.    Serve to baby lukewarm.
6.    Pour the remaining puree into an ice-cube tray and freeze.

Source: “First Meals” by Annabel Karmel.

“Eat Your Greens” Puree

1/2 Cup Sweet Potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/2 Cup Baby Carrots, chopped
1/2 Cup Green Beans, ends removed
1/2 Cup Broccoli Florets
1/2 Cup Peas, fresh or frozen
1. Put sweet potatoes and carrots in a steamer over boiling water, cover and cook for 2 minutes.
2. Add remaining ingredients and steam for another 3 minutes or until fork tender.
3. Put in a food processor and puree.
4. Serve.

Source: Weelicious blog

Book Resources:
“First Meals” by Annabel Karmel
“Super Baby Food” by Ruth Yaron
“Homemade Baby Food Pure and Simple: Your Complete Guide to Preparing Easy, Nutritious, and Delicious Meals for Your Baby and Toddler” by Connie Linardakis and Constantina Linardakis

Web Resources:
Weelicious blog
WholesomeBabyFood.com
FreshBaby.com
“Making Baby Food” video by Parents TV

For the busy, working parent who wants to serve homemade baby food but just doesn’t have the time, there are new homemade baby companies popping up across the country or are readily available in your local Whole Foods. Visit these sites for more information:
Homemadebaby.com
HappyBabyFood.com
YummySpoonfulls.com
BabyCubes.com
BohemianBaby.com

For elementary and middle school aged kids, leading a life full of physical activity isn’t only about doing jumping jacks during P.E. class or even going to Little League practice twice a week. It is also about keeping your body moving and incorporating that added physical action as an accepted and enjoyable part of everyday lifestyle.

Here a few tips that can keep tweens moving their bodies, and some of them can be fun:

•        “Hey Mom, can you take me to the store?” Do your kids live in a community where it is feasible to walk to a few of their favorite destinations? If so, encourage your child to use those feet more often. If they have time to play video games for hours and hours, they can cut down that time a bit and use the extra time to walk either alone or with a friend.

•        Summer jobs for extra money: During the summer, your child can learn personal responsibility, budgeting, entrepreneurship and begin to appreciate the value of the dollar by engaging in a physically demanding summer job like mowing lawns, weeding gardens, shoveling snow, washing windows or cleaning garages.

•        Bow wow! Dog walking is a fun yet physical activity. Your child can do it as part of his/her daily chores or could volunteer to help out an elderly neighbor. In fact, starting a little dog walking service is a way to earn some pocket money year round.

•        “I’ll race ya to the top!” The next time you are in a building that requires you to go up to the third, fourth or fifth floor, challenge your daughter or son to take the stairs while you take the elevator and see who can make it there more quickly. Maybe even offer a small reward if he / she wins the race.

•        A cooler alternative to video games. Video games are “cool” with kids, but unfortunately the only physical activity are those digits of theirs tapping on a keyboard or moving around a joystick. Why not suggest something just as cool, such as in-line skating or skateboarding. Just make sure to your child is equipped with a helmet and the proper pads for knees, wrists, and elbows. In the case of inline skating, this can be a great family activity. It’s fun, physical and easy to learn no matter what your age.

•        What about a family bike ride? Everyone likes to get outdoors on a nice day, especially on the weekends. What a great way to bond with your kids and everyone gets in some terrific exercise.

•        So you think you can dance? Let’s see your stuff! Crank up some energetic music and get that booty to shake and shimmer.

•        Hoop it up with some round ball. How about a game of one-on-one with your kid? Play some 21, or maybe a game of HORSE. Basketball is one of those sports that can require a lot of running, shuffling, and overall movement. Try scheduling a game of one-on-one on a specific week night every week after work and school. Set it up as a best of seven series and decide on a fun prize for the winner.

Ringworm is not caused by a worm at all, but rather is a fungal infection related to the same family of organisms responsible for athlete’s foot.

Years ago ringworm was believed to be caused by an actual worm, as it has a thin, round, raised border like the creepy, crawler you see in the garden!  It can occur anywhere on the body.  It usually first appears as red raised patches or a scaly round patch.  Only as it grows, may it take on a more ring-like appearance, consisting of  an active red raised border with a smooth center.  When it occurs on the scalp, it can even make your hair fall out.

Ringworm can be itchy and uncomfortable, but is rarely dangerous.  It is contagious, however, often passing between family members sharing hats, combs and brushes, or from contact with pets.

Treatment for ringworm includes an over-the-counter anti-fungal cream, such as one containing tolnaftate, miconazole or clotrimazole.  These should be applied two to three times a day, with gradual resolution beginning within one week. If you do not see results within a few weeks of treatment, consult your pediatrician for a prescription strength cream.  When ringworm is on the scalp, oral anti-fungal medication often must be used.  Medicated shampoos may have use in this circumstance as well.   Thorough treatment includes treating any affected family members or pets as well.

Routing Out Ringworm
-    avoid direct contact with affected individuals or pets
-    treat with an anti-fungal cream, available over-the counter or by prescription
-    in severe or prolonged cases, or if the scalp is involved, talk to your doctor about oral medication or shampoos
-    treat all affected family members and pets to avoid re-infection

Maybe it really is the monster living under the bed or the bogeyman lurking just behind the closet door, but nighttime can be scary. With all that creeping and crawling going on, how do you make sure your little one gets a good night’s rest?

Avoiding nighttime fears completely may be impossible, but here are some tips to put your child more at ease.
- stick to a good bedtime routine to help kids wind down physically and emotionally
- monitor their daytime TV watching, video games, etc to make sure they are age-appropriate. Excessive violence or scary situations can increase your child’s anxiety when they’re alone and in the dark.
- leave a nightlight on or the bedroom door cracked open.

Your baby’s diet for the first four months will consist mostly of your breast milk or formula. But when the time comes to introduce your child to solid foods, you’ll undoubtedly have questions.

Since this is a whole new stage of feeding, we will provide you with some helpful tips and some information to help answer your questions. First, let’s talk about the perfect time to bring solid food into you child’s life?

Is my child ready to eat solid food?

You can start any time between 4 and 6 months if your baby is ready. Until then breast milk or formula provides all the calories and nourishment your baby needs. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) states that exclusive breastfeeding is sufficient to support optimal growth and development for approximately the first 6 months of life. Your baby’s digestive tract is still developing for the first 4 months of life and solid foods should not be introduced. It is best to wait until your baby is ready for solids or closer to six months of age so you can also reduce the risk of choking or an allergic reaction, asthma, and eczema.

Related:

Feeding Your Baby - 4 to 6 months
Feeding Your Baby – 6 to 8 months
Feeding Your Baby – 8 to 10 months
Feeding Your Baby – 10 to 12 months

I am sure that many of you have been hearing about the new “Super Bug” called MRSA.  MRSA stands for Methicillin- resistant Staphylococcus Aureus.  It is a huge name, for a tiny bacteria that is on the rise.  It was once limited to individuals that were hospitalized, in a nursing home, or had a weak immune system.  However, now we see MRSA in healthy children and adults almost weekly.

MRSA is a variant of the bacteria Staph Aureus, which normally lives on our skin.  The problem with MRSA is that is it quite resistant to most typical antibiotics, which can make it difficult to treat.  Many MRSA infections start as small pimples anywhere on the body.  However, these pimples can turn into larger and larger pimples called abscesses, which often need to be drained.  More worrisome is that MRSA can lead to more serious infections, including pneumonia, infections of the bone, and can even infect the bloodstream and lead to death.  This is of course very rare.

So, how do you know as a parent if a regular pimple on your child’s body is MRSA?

In my office I have a rule of five for parents:
#1 Lots of redness surrounding the pimple and very warm to touch
#2 Very swollen and painful
#3 Full of pus or draining pus/fluid
#4 Getting worse with each passing day
#5 Concurrent fevers, chills, body aches or any other systemic symptoms

If any of your typical pimples, meet the above criteria, please see your doctor as soon as possible.  The only way for us to know if the infection is MRSA, is to send a culture, or a sample of the pus to the laboratory.  While waiting for results, your doctor will likely place your child on an oral antibiotic such as Bactrim or Clindamycin.

In my practice, when I see a child with MRSA, along with the oral antibiotic, I use a topical antibiotic or ointment as well.  I have the parent place small amounts of this ointment in the nose (I know it sounds strange), twice a day for 2 weeks, as this can help prevent reoccurrences because MRSA can sometimes live in children’s noses.

References:
http://pediatrics.about.com/od/mrsa/a/mrsa_symptoms.htm