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Baby Food Recipes, News and Information
For all the latest baby food news, updates to nutrition guidelines, product recalls, great new baby food recipes, hints, tips and more!
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December 4, 2006 13:02 - Communicate With Your Baby
Tomorrow is National Communicate With Your Baby Day in the US - a special day set up to encourage parents to use sign language to communicate with their babies before they can speak!
Once considered "faddy", baby sign language has really caught on, with many parents discovering the benefits of creating an avenue of communication between themselves and their babies! It has become so popular that many daycare providers in the US are routinely signing with the infants in their care - and some parents have added this to their list of requirements when looking for a childcare provider.
The ability to communicate with your baby offers many benefits - the biggest undoubtedly being a greater harmony between parent and child, meaning less tantrums and frustration.
You can begin to sign with your baby at any age, although babies tend to be more receptive to the signs from around 6 months of age. Wendy Jensen has produced an excellent e-book - Sign Language For Babies And Beyond - for helping parents teach their babies to sign. This downloadable book discusses how the use of baby sign has been linked to a higher IQ in children and addresses many parents fears that using sign language may delay their children's speech development, by showing that the opposite is true. It also includes information about signing to music and highlights the benefits of using sign language with special needs children or those with speech delays.
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December 5, 2006 13:33 - Broccoli Soup For Baby
Today's recipe - a simple broccoli soup for baby - is very simple to prepare and nutritious.
Broccoli is a close relative of cauliflower and is a member of the cabbage family. It can make some babies gassy/windy, so although the ingredients contained in this broccoli soup recipe are suitable for infants from 6 months, you may wish to delay giving it until your baby is older if he tends to suffer from gas/wind.
Broccoli Soup For Baby
2oz onion, diced 1tsp olive oil 10 fl oz homemade chicken stock 12oz broccoli florets dash of curry powder (optional) 1 bay leaf pinch basil 4oz natural yogurt tiny pinch of nutmeg
Cook the onions in the oil until transparent and set aside. Boil the broccoli in the stock until tender. Add the onions, curry powder (if using), the bay leaf and basil to the broccoli. Simmer uncovered for around 10 to 15 mins. Meanwhile, put the yogurt into a bowl. When the soup mixture is ready, pour it slowly into the yogurt, stirring vigorously. Return the mixture to the pot and heat through gently. Sprinkle with nutmeg and serve, or puree first if necessary.
Christmas is coming - so don't forget to visit our Christmas baby food page for lots of tips and meal ideas...
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December 6, 2006 14:44 - Should Baby Eat Food He Dropped On The Floor?
Your baby has just dropped yet another cracker on the floor and you're tempted to just brush it off and give it back to him. But is it safe to do that?
The answer to this really depends on where you are at the time. If you're at home, then it shouldn't cause any problems - after all, your baby will chew toys that have been on the floor, with no ill effects. A dry floor isn't particularly rife with germs anyway - and your baby has been exposed to those few germs many times before. If you are out and about, at a friend's home or even the supermarket, the risk from germs on the floor is still pretty insignificant, although most of us would be less likely to return baby's food to him if we're not sure just what was on that floor before he got there!
But you do need to take care outdoors, or if the floor inside is wet or damp.
Bacteria thrive in damp conditions, so you should never allow your baby to eat any food that has been dropped on any damp surface or into a puddle. By the same token, you should throw any half-eaten food away, because the bacteria from your baby's saliva will multiply rapidly on the food and make it unsafe to eat.
When outside the home, particularly in a public park, there is the risk that an animal may have urinated or defecated in the area your baby has dropped his food or bottle. Throw any dropped food away and, if possible, replace any dropped items like toys or pacifiers. Otherwise, wipe them thoroughly with wet wipes.
Read on for information about how to safely prepare and store your baby's food at home...
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December 7, 2006 13:04 - The Hidden Dangers Of Your Christmas Decorations
Decorating your home for Christmas is great fun... but when you have a young baby, you need to take care that you're not exposing him to any unforseen dangers.
The Christmas tree. Evergreen trees can aggravate breathing disorders - if your baby has any breathing difficulties, then an artificial tree would be better. Make sure your tree is on a stable base and tie the top of it to a hook on the wall, to prevent it toppling on to your baby. Pine needles can present a choking hazard, so be sure to clean up dropped needles regularly and keep the tree watered to prevent excess dropping. If possible, use a gate around the tree to stop your child touching it (in the US, we recommend the Configure Gate) - some parents even recommend putting the tree itself into a playpen!
Mistletoe is deadly if eaten and you should not have it in your home at all if you have young children. Also, beware if you are visiting friends who may have mistletoe in their homes.
Streamers, tinsel, garlands, glass ornaments, baubles and dreidels all pose choking hazards and - if placed on the tree - can help your baby pull the tree over. Make sure these items are out of baby's reach.
Angel hair is made from spun glass. It can cause eye and skin irritation and - if swallowed - can cause internal bleeding. It's best avoided altogether if you have a young child.
Gifts under the tree need to be checked for dangers such as elasticated ribbons, loose bows etc - and remember that the gifts themselves could contain hazardous objects like batteries, magnets, perfumes etc.
Holly is mildly poisonous and should be kept out of baby's reach.
Tree lights present a multitude of hazards, from electric shocks caused by faulty wiring to choking hazards from bulbs etc. Wrap your lights around the trunk of the tree so your baby can't reach them and turn them off when you go to bed at night.
Snow spray should not be used if your baby suffers from any breathing difficulties.
Poinsettia is poisonous if swallowed in large quantities and even a small amount can cause irritation to your baby's mouth. Keep any of these plants out of your baby's reach.
Click below for more tips, recipes and advice for baby's first Christmas...
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December 9, 2006 15:15 - Infant Car Seat Warning
A small study in New Zealand has shown that babies can experience serious breathing difficulties if left to take long naps in car safety seats.
Experts found that nine infants experienced oxygen desaturation and secondary central apnea whilst sleeping in infant car seats, possibly caused by their heads drooping forward. This can happen if a baby's head is in the wrong position at the outset, but is also due to the fact that very young babies have poor head control because their muscles haven't properly developed.
Authors of the report are anxious that parents do not stop using infant car seats and point out how they reduce injuries and fatalities in car accidents - but they want parents to be aware of the potential problems caused by poor positioning of the head during sleep.
For more information, click below to read the full report.
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December 10, 2006 13:40 - Undigested Food In Baby's Stools
Some parents become concerned about changes in their babies' stools once they start solid foods - so are these changes anything to worry about?
Changes in bowel movements are probably most noticeable to parents of breastfed babies, whose stools were previously smooth, yellow and relatively sweet smelling. Once solid foods are introduced, the stools tend to take on the colour and even the texture of the foods that were eaten - so lots of sweet potatoes may result in orange poo, for example! Sometimes, foods that are more difficult for your baby to digest (such as pea hulls) or foods that an older baby may not have chewed very well will appear in his stools. This is common and no cause for concern, although we always recommending checking with your doctor to be sure.
But if your baby is also experiencing any of the following signs, he may be experiencing an allergic reaction or intolerance to a particular food
mucus in the stools
loose stools
excess gas/wind
If you suspect a reaction to a particular food, make a note of any foods that your child has eaten and discuss your worries with his doctor.
Click the link below for information about dealing with constipation in babies.
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