How to care for your sick baby – Plus a Giveaway.

With so many books on the market talking about how to care for a newborn, it’s hard to know which ones to read and trust. While most books tend to focus on a specific topic like Sleeping, behavioural issues and so on, it’s hard to come by a book that is more generalized yet helpful for all topics that are important to parents of a newborn. After reading several of these books when my oldest son Kyle was born, I came to realize that I’m better off just taking pieces of advice from each book based on whatever worked best for me, my husband and kids.

However, I have recently come across a book, Baby Care Basics, that is well rounded, nonjudgmental and full of accurate and relevant information about a wide range of topics! The book really acts as a complete baby guide. It’s categorized by topics that occur in a chronological order in a baby’s first year of life. The book was written in collaboration by three Doctors from SickKids Hospital in Toronto, one of the most highly regarded hospital institutions in Canada and around the world. The book covers topics ranging from planning for a baby, a baby’s first few days, feeding, teething, playtime, safety and sleep. But what I found most useful is the chapter detailing how to take care of your sick baby.

Whenever I go on any parent forums on Facebook, the majority of questions sound something like this: “My Kid’s fever is high, should I go to the emergency?” or “What’s this rash on my daughter’s skin?” Not surprisingly, seeing your child sick is probably one of the most troubling and difficult issues to deal with as a parent, especially when your child is a newborn baby that can’t express or communicate their feelings. You often feel so helpless for your child and wish so badly that you can take away their pain if you could.  I’m fortunate to have a father-in-law and a brother who are Doctors who I can call up whenever I have a concern. However, I don’t want to call when something happens at 2AM. Luckily, Baby Care Basics provides lots of guidance and support on how to care for your sick baby. Here are some of the ways you can help your sick child:

FEVER

The best way to manage a baby is to firstly, comfort and cool your baby. Remove heavy clothes and allow body heat to escape. However, don’t bath your baby in cold water. Provide your baby food frequently and administer over-the-counter medication to provide comfort such as Acetaminophen and ibuprofen which can be ordered here. If your baby is less than 3 months old and these symptoms occur, make sure to seek medical attention immediately and before you administer any medication.

WHEEZING

“Wheezing is a whistling or sighing noise made by air-passing through narrowed small air passages in the lungs.” If your baby is exhibiting signs of wheezing, take them to be checked out by a physician immediately to determine what caused it and to receive the appropriate treatment. In most cases, infants wheeze due to bronchiolitis. However, repeated episodes of wheezing may be a sign of asthma.

CONSTIPATION

You can help you child pass their stools more easily and more frequently by making some simple dietary changes such as “substituting barley for rice cereal and adding 1 to 2 ounces of prunes to the diet.” If this doesn’t appear to help, you can ask your physician for a prescription to Polyethylene glycol 3350 or Lactulose.

RASHES

Eczema

While there are no specific treatments to prevent eczema, you can help manage your baby’s symptoms. Avoid irritants to the skin like bubble baths, harsh soaps or using fabric softener. There are several over the counter moisturizers that are gentle and especially formulated for a baby’s skin. You can also keep the skin lubricated with petroleum jelly to trap the moisture in. If an area is particularly inflamed, ask your doctor if they would recommend the use of topical steroid creams or ointments.

Diaper Rash

You can treat your infant’s diaper rash by making simple changes like changing their diaper frequently and gently cleansing the area with a cloth soaked in warm water. At every change, make sure to apply a diaper cream that contains zinc oxide as a layer of barrier between the skin and diaper. If the rash doesn’t improve within a few days, consult your physician  as you might need to apply a mild topical steroid ointment as well.

EAR INFECTIONS

If your child is older than 2 years, the ear infection should resolve on its own within a few days without any treatment. However, for younger kids, an oral antibiotic may be prescribed. To keep your child comfortable, you can give them acetaminophen or ibuprofen.

These are only some of the symptoms covered in this great chapter and you can read in more detail about how to treat other illnesses like coughs, vomiting, stomach flu, rashes and so on. There’s also a whole section that covers how to give your baby medication and red flags to be alert for when your baby exhibits any sickness. The book, which retails for $19.95, is available on either Amazon or through Robert Rose Inc.

GIVEAWAY    

I’m giving away a prize pack valued at approximately $50 that includes the Baby Care Basics book and a few products that will help you treat your sick baby, courtesy of Well.ca.  Contest is open to all Canadians. Enter the giveaway via Rafflecopter (please give it a few seconds to load).  Contest ends Tuesday September 29, 2015.

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