Baby Care Blog

whooping cough photo provided compliments of amyvangsgard.com

A news story was published regarding an outbreak of the whooping cough which started in the pediatric ward of a childrens hospital in the boston area. A young baby was diagnosed with the whopping cough ailment initially and before long it was determined that the disease had spread among three dozen of the hospital's own employees.

Later tests which were done to substantiate the initial whooping cough lab results came up inconclusive. Those infected all showed the signs and symptoms typically associated with the whooping cough. The baby that initially tested positive for the upper respiratory infection with had a persistent cough, running nose, and sneezing. Health officials were baffled when the second round of tests came up showing no signs of the whooping cough virus which is commonly known as pertussis; and to be honest we were baffled too.

We were baffled because this winter our own toddler came down with the same symptoms and she had to be hospitalized. Even after she was released the symptoms still persisted. In our community we have come in contact with so many people that have complained of having a horrible cough that has lasted... not for days... not for weeks... but for up to an entire month!

Another ironic thing is that no one is calling this whooping cough... even more ironic to me is that this has not gotten more wide spread media attention. I find this very ironic given the severity of this disease and the toll that it can take on young infant babies. At times the cough can get so violent that it has the potential to shatter bones in the rib cage... this clearly is not a virus that should be left unchecked.

Students are being hit by this in some parts of the U.S. as well. In one Nevada community an entire high school has been rocked this winter by the whooping cough disease. Only four whooping cough cases were confirmed but half of the school kids did not come to school fearing an out break.

Typically babies will get the vaccine to prevent pertussis in 5 stages. The shot is given to the infants during there 2,4,6, and 15-18 months. The final shot will be given between the ages of 4-6. The challenge is that this vaccination only reduces the risk of getting the disease and it wears off once the child grows into their teenage years. There are some new vaccines that are coming on the market for teenagers and adults though.

If you want more information about the whooping cough we suggest that you check out this site on whooping cough http://www.whoopingcough.net/index.htm

Have you seen any symptoms of whooping cough in your community this winter? If so please give your experiences here... we'd really like to hear from you!

Posted by John at 3:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

During this Earth Day Weekend The los Angeles Convention Center will be host to the first Natural Parenting and Family Expo. The event is the brain child of Kathy Arnos. Kathy is a California-based mother, author and producer who recognized a need for guidance and education in the community for creating more balanced lifestyles.

Kathy is the author of the complete teething guide and Bach flowers for children. The Expo is sponsored by many notable and reputable organizations such as The Whole Foods Markets grocery chain and Organic Family to name a few. You can find a complete list of their sponsors here: Natural Expo Sponsors

Kathy is committed to helping families find a natural alternative to caring for the medical and emotional needs that both children and families have. This expo is on the cusp and cutting edge of providing a unique networking forum where families seeking natural solutions can interact and share their ideas. This expo will provide a special opportunity for families wanting to follow natural parenting to develop community amongst themselves.

It is our hope that The momentum built from this event will continue to build as the particpants reach out to each other. This will hopefully lead to the establishment of think tanks and institutions that will further make the public aware of the many natural parenting options that are available for them.

If you are in the Los Angeles area this weekend and are interested in attending the Natural Parenting and Family Expo you can visit their information page here: Visitor Information

For further networking after the event you can also reach Kathy arnos directly via her website at: http://www.spiritdancepublishing.com/

Posted by John at 12:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

In certain parts of the United states home prices have started to soar. For families that are just starting out this can be a bit of a problem. Most mothers like the idea of having a nice affordable home for their baby and family. Raising an infant in a nice stable environment has many benefits for both the child and the family. Having a family home in the United states has been touted as the "american dream" in some circles. But with home prices beginning to rise, is the american dream becoming a nightmare for those families who are struggling to make ends meet? It is true that there are affordable family homes in some parts of the U.S. It is also true that in some places the home prices are so high that mothers and fathers have made the tough decision to temporarily put their dream of homeownership on hold.

Is your family in a situation where you are raising an infant and you want find a nice affordable home in a decent neighborhood to raise your child? If so, there are other options than traditional home buying and you may want to look into them. For example, you may want to consider purchasing a manufactured home as an alternative way of finding affordable housing for your family. There are many nice mobile home parks which you can find in various parts of the U.S. This is an option that you may want to consider for you and your baby.

There are Pro's and Con's to having a manufactured home just like there are for buying a regular home. The price of a modular home or manufactured home may be a lot lower than what you'd pay for a regular home. Consider your options, and see what happens....

Do you have a mobile home? Have you raised your family in a modular home? Are you just starting a new family or are you looking for a new home for you and your baby? If so, let us know your thoughts about mobile or modular homes. Your experiences could help some one else... make a post and let us know what you think.

Posted by John at 1:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Here is an article on an infant condition called cradle cap. It was contributed by a site dedicated to dandruff

In some little baby infants there is a dandruff like condition which is called cradle cap.This condition is similar to that of dandruff and it occurs in young babies. Here is some information about how cradle cap is caused... older adults are constantly regenerating new hair skin cells at approximately or near the same rate at which they are losing their old dry hair skin cells. In many of the adults that have a healthy scalp condition, the old skin will just fall off and really don't even notice the process.

However with babies and young infants, the new hair skin cells may grow much faster on their scalp than they can fall off. This is the start of Cradle Cap. Cradle Cap usually will leave a dandruff like layer of somewhat crusty, extra skin. Cradle cap is a crusting and scaling rash and it is found in the hair of young babies may look somewhat similar to dandruff. The cradle cap condition will usually start at 3 months of age. The cradle cap condition will usually will disappear by the time the child is 1 year of age.

Cradle cap, can be treated in this way... rub a small amount of olive oil or a similar type of baby oil onto the infected scalp area of your baby infants scalp. Then wait several minutes to give the oil a chance to loosen and soften the dandruff like scales. One this has happened you should be able to easily brush them away.

You can find more information on cradle cap by clicking onto this dandruff link.

Posted by John at 1:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (9) | TrackBacks (0)