点击显示 收起
Baby’s on the way and it seems there are dozens of newborn care “must-haves” on your long list.
At the top are modern necessities like infant seats, baby strollers, and cribs of course, but what else do you need to take care of your newborn?
Can You Boost Your Child’s Intelligence?
Aside from genetics, what influences your child's IQ? Clearly, good nutrition, protection from toxins, and plenty of playtime and exercise can nurture a child's intelligence. But can you really build a smarter child? Many child development experts now focus less on measuring a child's IQ than on helping children reach their full intellectual potential -- but without adding too much pressure. WebMD talked with pediatric experts about how a child's intelligence develops. None is touting the...
Read the Can You Boost Your Child’s Intelligence? article > >
To find out, WebMD went to the pros -- pediatricians as well as new moms and dads in WebMD’s parenting community -- and asked them what items they found indispensable for newborn care.
From baby carriers to cameras, here’s a simple list of baby gear that got the thumbs up from new parents -- and a few items that didn’t make the grade.
Along with a safe car seat and a great crib, two baby care basics are diapers and a diaper bag. The question is, what kind, and how many?
Newborns need a bath two or three times a week, says the American Medication Association. The AMA recommends sponge baths only for baby’s first two weeks, until the umbilical cord falls off. Bathing items that topped the list of moms and the experts include:
Lots of parents forgo a special baby tub and instead share a bath with baby. Though you can use mild adult soaps in those instances, products made for infants are best in the early months to avoid irritation, Shu tells WebMD. “When in doubt, talk to your pediatrician.”
When babies are young, “You really don’t need a lot” in the way of medicines or products, says Shu. Recommendations include:
Two items you don’t want in your newborn’s medicine cabinet include products containing aspirin, and cough or cold medicine.
Aspirin in children has been associated with Reye’s syndrome, a life-threatening disease. Especially do not use aspirin in children and teenagers who have or who are recovering from flu symptoms or chickenpox. Studies also suggest that cold and cough medicines aren’t effective for young children and may have potentially dangerous side-effects.
The take-home message from Shu: “Don’t self-treat children when they’re newborn -- now is when you really need the help of a knowledgeable pediatrician.”
The best time to make the decision on breastfeeding or bottle feeding is before your baby is born, say the experts. But no matter which you choose, you’re going to need baby bottles -- to store pumped breast milk or formula. Recommended:
And to make feeding time even easier, breastfeeding and bottle-feeding parents rave about nursing pillows, which can also cradle baby while sleeping.
Babies need sleep. Lots of sleep. Whether you choose a crib with all the bells and whistles or place baby in a simple cradle near your bed, experts are unanimous on one thing: To reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), always place your baby on his or her back when putting them down to sleep.
When stocking baby’s nursery, pediatricians and new parents on WebMD suggest:
What about pillows? For safety reasons, pediatrician and American Academy of Pediatrics spokesperson Laura Jana, MD, suggests keeping all pillows out of your newborn’s bed -- and cautions parents about the risk of pillows in the "family bed" as well. When in doubt, keep it out.
To help new parents get things done around the house, or around town, “must-haves” for some moms and dads include:
Those first weeks will be a busy time for you and baby. Moms and dads were pretty unanimous when it comes to what kinds of clothes and incidentals you need once your newborn comes home:
Lots of parents advise against getting too many newborn-sized clothes as baby won’t use them for very long. Clothes they can wear a bit big can be more convenient in the long run.
And because you and the baby won’t be traveling much the first month or so, many parents suggest foregoing newborn shoes, hats and mittens, opting instead for swaddling blankets to keep baby warm.
While it’s great knowing which items make newborn care easier, it’s also good to know what may be a waste of time -- and money. Some baby gear new parents on WebMD message boards sounded off about included:
Newborn care shouldn’t be a mad rush to get everything ready. It’s impossible to know beforehand what your little one will really need, says Shu. That’s why lots of new moms say to take it slow.
And really “the best thing to have on hand when the baby comes home is dad,” sums up Mel Lanham, mom to eight-week-old Keegan. Shu echoes her. When it comes to taking care of your newborn, “less is more.”