Sleep and newborn

May 13th, 2012 admin

 

Sleep and newborn

The average newborn sleeps for 16 to 20 hours a day. Newborn babies don’t know the difference between day and night yet and their tiny stomachs don’t hold enough breast milk or formula to keep them satisfied for very long. They need food every few hours, no matter what time of day or night it is. The early weeks are worst. Your baby’s doing a random, round-the-clock waking and dozing thing, and often has a distinct aversion to sleeping anywhere other than your arms. Mostly babies don’t stay asleep for more than two to four hours at a time, day or night, during the first few weeks of life.

Not everyone agrees with this strategy, however. Some parents choose to rock or nurse their babies to sleep because they believe it’s normal and natural, because they enjoy it and their baby is thriving and sleeping well, or simply because nothing else seems to work.  Many experts agree that there are benefits of a baby sharing the same bed with mother and/or father (also called co-sleeping). Often, it can make breastfeeding easier in the early weeks. Often, it comes with risks such as accidental smothering or crushing. If your newborn is breastfed, she may smell her mother’s milk supply next to her and wake more often for a feed. This means she may continue feeding every three hours at night for some time. Also, the longer she sleeps with you, the harder it may be to convince her to eventually sleep in her own bed. These parents expect to get up with their baby several times during the night to help him get back to sleep. If your baby has a medical condition, there may be an exception to these recommendations. Your baby’s doctor can best advise you on the right sleep position for your little one. Watch for changes in your baby’s sleep pattern. If your baby has been sleeping consistently, and suddenly is waking, there may be a problem such as an ear infection. Some sleep disturbances are simply due to changes in development or because of overstimulation.

Signs of sleep readiness in newborn

Always keep sleep safety in mind. Do not place anything in the crib or bassinet that may interfere with your baby’s breathing; this includes plush toys, pillows, blankets, and bumper pads. Many pediatricians recommend that parents shouldn’t let a newborn sleep longer than three or four hours without feeding, and the vast majority of babies wake far more frequently than that.  Your baby may show signs of being ready for sleep when you see the following signs:

  • Rubbing eyes
  • Yawning
  • Jerky movements
  • Looking away
  • Fussing
  • Grimacing

It is important to ensure that your baby has a safe sleeping environment.  Sleep is the time when your baby will be left on their own and you may well be asleep yourself and less responsive to noises that your baby may make. Your goal should be to try to establish a sleep pattern when it’s possible. If your baby dozes right after a feed, don’t wake her just so you can put her back to sleep.

 

 

 

Posted in Child Health Tags: No Comments »

How to increase breast milk supply?

May 13th, 2012 admin

How to increase breast milk supply?

The first thing to determine is whether your supply is really low or not. It’s important to note that the feel of the breast, the behavior of your baby, the frequency of nursing, the sensation of let-down, or the amount you pump are not valid ways to determine if you have enough milk for your baby. Some mothers have unrealistic expectations, and feel that if their baby isn’t on a three hour schedule, or sleeping through the night by six weeks, they must not have enough milk. There is a tendency for a nursing mother to blame everything on her breast milk for example, if the baby spits up or is gassy, it must be something she ate, if he has a day when he feeds more often than usual, it must be because she doesn’t have enough milk. In order to understand how to increase your milk supply it is important to understand how the process of milk production works.  You may have heard that breast milk supply is based on supply and demand, but milk production isn’t initially based on supply and demand.  After you give birth, hormones in your body tell your breasts to start making milk. . Try to relax when you nurse and not rush. During  nursing time period your body doesn’t know exactly how much milk your baby will need.  This is the best time to establish a good milk supply.

Be careful not to get into the habit of attributing everything your baby does to nursing. All babies, formula or breastfed, have some laid back, easy days, and some fussy and cranky days. Often, your baby’s behavior is not related to breastfeeding at all. Sometimes a mom finds herself needing to maintain a supply in order to nurse through a pregnancy. In some cases mom finds that the supply and demand system works out nicely and they have no problems nursing right through pregnancy.

Here are 20 basic ways to boost breast milk supply

  1. Breastfeed frequently. Frequent breastfeeding is the number one key to boosting your milk supply. The first and simplest way to increase milk supply is to nurse your baby more often.  The extra stimulation will signal your body to increase milk supply to meet the demand.  If you are wanting to boost your supply try nursing your baby every 60-90 minutes from beginning of nursing to beginning of next nursing.
  2. Offer both breasts at every feeding.
  3. Make sure baby nurses long enough to empty your breast when she nurses.
  4. Eat oatmeal. Some mothers believe oatmeal helps boost milk supply.
  5. Allow your baby to cluster feed. Cluster feeding is when a baby breastfeeds several times during a short period of time. Babies often cluster feed in the evenings before they go to sleep. Try switch nursing. Nurse on one breast, if baby gets tired of nursing switch to the other breast, and continue switching breasts until both breasts are empty or baby will no longer suck.
  6. Breastfeed at night. Night feedings are great for boosting milk supply.
  7. Drink plenty of water, especially right before you nurse.
  8. Make sure baby is latching on well. Try more than one technique to get your baby latched on. Avoid artificial nipples.
  9. Get support from breastfeeding mothers.
  10. Get lots of skin to skin contact with her baby.
  11. Don’t sleep on your stomach at night. This may compress your breasts and hinder your supply.
  12. Let your baby comfort nurse even if you don’t hear her swallowing.
  13. Massage your breast in quadrants while you’re pumping.
  14. Eat a healthy diet with plenty of protein.
  15. Don’t diet while you are breastfeeding.
  16. Avoid taking birth control pills while you are breastfeeding if possible.
  17. Don’t smoke.
  18. Limit how much caffeine you drink.
  19. Avoid supplementing if at all possible.
  20. Mothers must resting adequately

Remember that any amount of breast milk your baby gets from you is good for her. Don’t schedule feedings. Follow your baby’s hunger cues for feeding. Breast-feeding’s benefits include increased immunity for baby and decreased risk of breast and ovarian cancer for mothers. It is important for you to take care of yourself.

Posted in Child Health Tags: , No Comments »

Low milk supply

May 13th, 2012 admin

 

Low milk supply

There are many things that can cause a breast feeding mothers to worry about their milk supply decreasing and milk is not produce or breasts are dried . As the body adjusts to the supply and demand of the child, and as the child itself becomes more proficient at nursing, a woman’s breasts will appear to stop producing enough milk. Almost all mothers go through a period of questioning whether their milk supply is adequate, especially when they begin breastfeeding. However, there are times when a woman’s milk supply will decrease on its own. Many women think their milk supply is low when it isn’t. This can happen if you lose the feeling of fullness in your breasts or if milk stops leaking from your nipples.  Stresses are a common factor of diminished supply. A nursing mother who becomes pregnant may find her milk supply decreasing as her body switches its attention to feeding the new fetus.

But these are actually signs that your body has adjusted to your baby’s feeding requirements. A baby going through a growth spurt may also want more milk than usual, and his more frequent feedings may leave your breasts less full than they have been. Concern about low milk supply is the number one reason mothers give for discontinuing breastfeeding. In most cases, either the baby is getting plenty of milk or the mom’s low supply can be corrected. In some cases, though, a low milk supply can put a baby at risk for malnutrition. So it’s important to get it checked out. The first few weeks after giving birth are a critical time for establishing the breast milk supply for mothers. During this time, frequent, thorough emptying of the breasts sets and controls the level of milk production. This process depends upon a physically healthy mother and a robust baby.

Causes of low milk supply

Low breast milk supply is a common breastfeeding problem for mothers.  Some maternal conditions may delay or affect the amount of early milk production.  An inadequate or low supply of breast milk can result from a variety of causes. Some of these conditions include:

  • Stressful delivery
  • Cesarean delivery
  • Hormonal disorders (polycystic ovarian syndrome, thyroid disease, uncontrolled diabetes)
  • Excessive loss of blood during delivery or anemia
  • Maternal infection or illness
  •  Previous invasive chest or breast surgery, or a history of unusual breast development
  •  Pregnancy Induced Hypertension (PIH)
  • The use of certain medications
  • Smoking

Nursing is a supply & demand process. Avoid supplementing or interruption of breastfeeding if at all possible. Milk supply is produced as your baby nurses, and the amount that he/she removes lets your body know how much milk is required. Every supplement (of formula, juice or water) that your baby receives means that your body gets the signal to produce that much less milk supply. If you are one of those mothers who fall into the very small group of those who can’t produce enough milk no matter what you do, you can always combine breast and formula feedings. Any amount of breast milk that your baby receives provides nutritional and immunological benefits.

Posted in Child Health Tags: No Comments »

Sarcoidosis

May 13th, 2012 admin

 

Sarcoidosis

Sarcoidosis is a disease in which inflammation occurs in the lymph nodes, lungs, liver, skin, eyes, or other tissues of the body.  In sarcoidosis, tiny clumps of abnormal tissue (granulomas) form in certain organs of the body. Granulomas are clusters of immune cells. Normally, your immune system defends your body against foreign or harmful substances. For example, it sends special cells to protect organs that are in danger. The disease can appear suddenly and disappear or in some cases it can develop gradually and go on to produce symptoms that come and go, sometimes for a lifetime. As sarcoidosis progresses, microscopic lumps of a specific form of inflammation, called granulomas, appear in the affected tissues. In the majority of cases, these granulomas clear up, either with or without treatment. These cells release chemicals that recruit other cells to isolate and destroy the harmful substance. Inflammation occurs during this process. Once the harmful substance is gone, the cells and the inflammation go away. In the few cases where the granulomas do not heal and disappear, the tissues tend to remain inflamed and become scarred (fibrotic).

The disease can affect almost any organ of the body, but it most commonly affects the lungs. If many granulomas form in an organ, they can affect how the organ works. This can cause signs and symptoms. Signs and symptoms vary depending on which organs are affected and severity of the disease. Many people who have sarcoidosis have no signs or symptoms or mild ones.

Possible causes of sarcoidosis include:

  • Extreme immune response to infection
  • High sensitivity to environmental factors
  • Genetic factors

Anyone can get sarcoidosis. It occurs in all races and in both sexes. Nevertheless, the risk is greater if you are a young black adult, especially a black woman, or of Scandinavian, German, Irish, or Puerto Rican origin. In people who have sarcoidosis, the inflammation doesn’t go away. Sarcoidosis can affect any organ in your body. However, it’s more likely to affect some organs than others. The disease usually starts in the lungs, skin, and/or lymph nodes (especially the lymph nodes in your chest). Instead, some of the immune system cells cluster to form lumps called granulomas in various organs in your body. No one knows why. We now know that it is a common chronic illness that appears all over the world. Indeed, it is the most common of the scarring lung disorders and occurs often enough in the United States for Congress to have declared a national Sarcoidosis Awareness Day in 1990.

Posted in Diseases Tags: No Comments »

Lymphoma

May 13th, 2012 admin

 

Lymphoma 

Lymphoma is a type of cancer that affects the cells that play a role in the immune system and primarily represents cells involved in the lymphatic system of the body. Lymphoma is a cancer of the lymphocytes, a type of cell that forms part of the immune system. Typically, lymphoma is present as a solid tumor of lymphoid cells. The lymphatic system is part of the immune system provide immunity against infection. It consists of a network of vessels that carry a fluid called lymph, similar to the way that the network of blood vessels carry blood throughout the body. Lymph contains white blood cells called lymphocytes. The lymphatic system helps the body’s immune system to filter out bacteria, viruses, and other unwanted substances. The lymphatic system includes the lymph nodes (which are sometimes called glands), thymus, spleen, tonsils, adenoids, and bone marrow, as well as the channels (called lymphatics or lymph vessels) that connect them. Lymphocytes attack a variety of infectious agents as well as many cells in the precancerous stages of development. There are many types of lymphoma. One type is called Hodgkin disease. The rest are called non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Hodgkin’s lymphoma

Hodgkin’s lymphoma is a cancer of lymph tissue found in the lymph nodes, spleen, liver, bone marrow, and other sites. The first sign of Hodgin’s lymphoma is often a swollen lymph node, cause is not known. Hodgkin’s lymphoma is most common among people ages 15 – 35 and 50 – 70. There are several different subtypes of Hodgkin lymphoma, based on how the cancerous tissue looks under a microscope. The disease can spread to nearby lymph nodes. Later it may spread to the spleen, liver, bone marrow, or other organs.

Non-Hodgkin lymphomas

Many different subtypes of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma exist. Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma is more common than the other general type of Hodgkin lymphoma. The most common non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma subtypes include diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and follicular lymphoma. Non-Hodgkin lymphomas begin when a type of white blood cell, called a T cell or B cell, becomes abnormal. The cell divides again and again, making more and more abnormal cells. These abnormal cells can spread to almost any other part of the body. Most of the time, doctors can’t determine why a person gets non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma can cause many symptoms, included as:

  • Swollen, painless lymph nodes in the neck, armpits or groin
  • Pain, swelling or a feeling of fullness in the abdomen
  • Coughing, trouble breathing or chest pain
  • Unexplained weight loss
  • Soaking night sweats
  • Fever
  • Weakness and tiredness that don’t go away
  • Coughing, trouble breathing or chest pain

Both Hodgkin’s disease (HD) and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) begin in lymphatic tissues and can invade other organs of the body. However, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma is much less predictable than Hodgkin’s lymphoma and is more likely to spread to areas beyond the lymph nodes. Treatment might involve chemotherapy and in some cases radiotherapy and/or bone marrow transplantation. The treatment can be curable depending on the histology, type, and stage of the disease. These malignant cells often originate in lymph nodes, presenting as an enlargement of the node (a tumor). It can also affect other organs in which case it is referred to as extranodal lymphoma. Extranodal sites include the skin, brain, bowels and bone. Lymphomas are closely related to lymphoid leukemias, which also originate in lymphocytes but typically involve only circulating blood and the bone marrow (where blood cells are generated in a process termed haematopoesis) and do not usually form static tumors. There are many types of lymphomas, and in turn, lymphomas are a part of the broad group of diseases called hematological neoplasms.

Posted in Diseases Tags: No Comments »
« Older Entries