Baby Care. Providing the Proper Environment

Providing the proper environment. A baby's surroundings should be clean, safe, and cheerful. Room temperatures should be carefully regulated so that a room is neither too warm nor too cool. In addition, babies old enough to move about need room to play. But beyond these simple requirements, physical surroundings alone do little to influence an infant's development. The people responsible for a baby's care—and the attention and stimulation that these people provide—are by far the most important part of the baby's environment.

Babies require much love and affection. They need to be held and soothed when they are disturbed or hurt, and they need to be treated at all times with respect and understanding. Parents help their baby develop a sense of trust and security if they respond to the baby's needs faithfully and confidently. On the other hand, parents who are anxious or nervous may communicate these feelings to a child.

Love also includes discipline—the setting of certain limits on behavior. Children grow up with fewer personal problems if they learn at an early age that some types of behavior are not permitted. Discipline should be firm but just Harsh discipline may do as much harm to a baby's development as no discipline at all. A child should never be beaten or shaken.

Feeding procedures. The mother's breast milk is the best food for babies during the first few months after birth. But a milk-derived formula is an acceptable substitute. Babies usually stop feeding when they have had enough. If they take too much milk at a feeding, they will probably spit part of it up. They may also spit up part of a feeding if gas bubbles form in the stomach. To help release the bubbles, the baby should be held upright against the shoulder. The baby's back should be patted firmly, in a practice called burping.

Breast-feeding is the natural method of providing milk for a baby. In some countries, it is also the most common method. Mother's milk contains all the nourishment that most babies need. Mother's milk also contains substances that help protect the baby from various diseases and infections. A doctor may prescribe added amounts of certain vitamins and minerals for a breastfed older infant to ensure an adequate supply.

Bottle-feeding. Homemade or commercially prepared formulas can be substituted for mother's milk. Both types are usually made from pasteurized cow's milk. But cow's milk differs from mother's milk in several ways. For example, it has more protein and less sugar than mother's milk. In preparing the formula, sugar and water are therefore added to cow's milk to make it as much like mother's milk as possible.

Most commercial formulas come ready to use in liquid form. Some commercial formulas come in powdered form. A person simply adds water. But formulas prepared in this way, as well as the bottles and nipples, must be sterilized by boiling. Special soybean formulas are available for babies who have an allergy to milk.

Vitamins and iron. Unlike mother's milk, cow's milk lacks vitamin C. Bottle-fed babies must therefore have vitamin C added to their diet. Mother's milk and cow's milk contain vitamins A and D. But doctors often prescribe extra amounts of these vitamins for both breastfed and bottle-fed infants to ensure an adequate supply. Doctors may also prescribe added iron in an infant's diet after the first three or four months.

Vitamins are given to a baby in the form of drops or as part of the formula. Many commercially prepared formulas are vitamin enriched. Iron may be given in the form of drops. But it is also present in iron-fortified cereals and in some of the other solid foods a baby may be fed after about the second month.

Spoon-feeding introduces babies to their first solid foods and may begin after about the second month. But milk is a baby's most important food during the first several months after birth

Solid foods. After 2 to 3 months of age, most babies begin to make chewing motions and improve their ability to swallow. They can then be fed solid foods for the first time. But the food must be soft and mushy so that the baby can chew and swallow it easily. Such foods include cooked cereals and various fruits and vegetables that have been pureed. Pureed foods are cooked until soft and then processed in an electric blender or pushed through a strainer or sieve. Such foods may be prepared at home or bought already prepared. To avoid accidents, babies should always be fed with a small spoon rather than with a fork.

By the age of 5 or 6 months, most infants enjoy foods that require more chewing. Although babies have few or no teeth at this age, they can chew with their gums. Many parents add such foods as crackers and pureed meats to the baby's diet at this time. After about 9 months of age, a baby can begin to eat most of the same foods that other family members eat. But the food must be mashed or cut in very small pieces so that the baby will not choke on the food. By the age of 18 months, most babies can feed themselves with a spoon.

Feeding schedules. Most babies require five or six feedings a day until they are about 3 months old. They can then go on four feedings daily. After they are 5 or 6 months old, most babies can go on a schedule of three meals a day with between-meal snacks. But infants differ greatly in how often they need to be fed. Instead of following a strict feeding schedule, many mothers arrange the feedings according to the times when the baby shows signs of being hungry. An infant ordinarily becomes hungry at about the same times every day. Babies may thus establish their own feeding schedule.

Weaning. At about 6 months of age, a baby may be ready for weaning—that is, learning to do without milk from the breast or bottle. Babies differ in their readiness for weaning. Some children do not show a willingness to give up breast- or bottle-feeding until they are 18 months of age or older. A mother should wean her child over a period of several weeks or months. In preparation for weaning, she may encourage the baby to drink milk from a cup. Most babies can learn to drink from a cup by the time they are 6 or 7 months old.

Sleeping conditions. Babies sleep up to 23 hours a day during the first month after birth. Their need for sleep then gradually decreases.

For safety and comfort, a baby should sleep in a specially designed crib. Most cribs have barred sides that can be lowered and raised by an adult. Babies should be kept covered in their crib to avoid chills. Most infants like to lie on their stomach or back with their head turned toward the lightest part of the room.

By about 3 months of age, most infants begin to have a restless, wakeful period each day. They may then squirm and cry a little for exercise. It may help at such times to put the baby in a playpen near other members of the family. After a short play period, the baby may be fed, changed, and put back in bed. Parents should not be disturbed if a baby cries for a short while before falling asleep again.

By the age of 18 months, most babies need about 14 hours of sleep daily, including an afternoon nap. Some babies need less sleep than others do and may lie awake for a while during their normal time for sleeping.

Crying usually means that a baby feels hungry, needs a diaper change, or is uncomfortable, tired, or neglected. Babies ordinarily stop crying when the condition is corrected. Feeding, diaper changing, or cuddling is all that an infant needs in most cases. Parents should consult a physician if they cannot find the cause of an infant's crying within a reasonable length of time.