Consider in Caring for an Infant

Being responsible parents is one of the delightful moments in the lives of any couples. Moreover, the joyous moments often increase with the arrival of an infant in the family as the parents look forward to bringing up the baby in an ethical manner.  An effective baby care definitely will always pose some challenges too. Improper handling of the baby can be dangerous and can alter the entire life of the infant. It is therefore safe to say that mishandling the baby could cause him/her to be vulnerable to health hazards and probably diseases.

On the other hand, effective care of the infant improves the health and makes him/her appear pleasant as well as promoting the baby’s immune system against opportunistic illnesses. In cases one lacks instructional manual, it is obvious to be anxious about how the provision of proper and effective care of babies can be undertaken (Friedman, 2007). The following five important issues will be observed as important facets in infant care.

The Five Important Issues

One of the most significant issues is feeding of the baby. Many babies communicate through crying. When infants cry, they could be suggesting many things. For example, being hungry, feeling discomfort, excess stimulation, being bored, in need of something and being lonely. For the first six months in the lifespan of a baby, breast- feeding (mother’s milk) is sole food that is recommended by medical practitioners (Sears, 2011).  It is the best food for infants since it carries no cholesterol and also defends them against infections allergies. If the mother’s milk does not apply, then the immediate option is bottle-feeding. Babies get ready to commence eating solids between 5 and 6 months.

Infants are naturally born with an ability to suck their mothers’ breast milk or the baby bottle. In case the mother dies during delivery, a nurse may be hired to care for the baby though this is not very common in many developed nations. As infants come up, supplements are added to their food. Majority of parents go for already packed babies’ food to compliment breast feeding while others design their normal meals for the infant’s diet. Moreover, a one-year old baby can be given a cow’s whole milk but milk with lower fat should be avoided until he/she is two to three years old.

The second significant issue isbathing. The baby having been fed should be given a good bath. Bathing an infant can prove to be a very disturbing experience as he/she may not be really for the idea but with time they can get used to it. Parents, especially mothers are therefore advised to get acquainted with the basics of baby bathing.

The Frequency of Baby Bath

It is necessary to bath an infant at least twice in a day. Therefore, special parts of the body like the face, neck and armpits should be given attention and dry-cleaned. Moreover, a mother should select times which she is most likely to be uninterrupted to bath her baby. Some parents choose to do so in the morning times when the baby is active while some go for mid-day or evening. It’s all about preference. The elements used for the bath are baby troughs, warm water, soft sponge, baby soap and towel.

Soft sponge however is used until the umbilical cord naturally falls. During baby bath, safety is very paramount. Keep on holding the baby with a single hand and don’t leave him/her all alone in the water! The hair may or may not be washed and finally the baby should be wrapped with a dry towel.

The third significant issue is sleep of the infant. Sleep or lack of sleep is an important aspect of baby care. The quality and duration of an infant’s sleep impacts everybody at home. A normal baby expresses his/her need to sleep by screams and cries. Good parents therefore shall have been well versed with these signs of infant’s sleep and ignore the thought that the baby could be ailing. Besides, they should also know how to respond when they have been woken up by the cries of the child.

For How Long Should An Infant Sleep?

This is dependent on the child’s age. Particular charts that enlist the duration of a child’s sleep may culminate to difficulties when personal differences are not addressed. The numbers enlisted are notably researched for big groups of children with varying ages. There’s no standard number of hours required by all infants of particular ages. In addition, sleep is needed for the infant’s well being (Sears, 2003). When grownups are fatigued for instance, it is marked by less energy whereas children become sensitive with manifestations of extremism in behavior.

Most infants sleep prerequisites lie within hours that allow parents to easily predict the pattern of sleep on the basis of their ages. However, every child has a unique way of life with different needs of sleep.

The fourth issue is medication of the baby. Infants are generally more sensitive to medicines than grownups. This could be so because they still have low immunity and reaction to the same. In essence, there are distinctions between medicines for children and those meant for infants. It’s also significant to be aware of the age group your infant falls and thereby prescribe the medicine accordingly for most effective treatment.

Parents should know that medication of children is more or less cumbersome. It’s more concentrated on than an equal medicine intended for children. This therefore implies that careful attention should be given to the dosage and parents should usually apply the prescription that comes together with the package. Medicines for infants are usually in liquid state since they still do not posses teeth to crush tablets. They are many times accompanied by measuring dropper so as to enhance usage (Jana, 2010). I addition, they are normally more expensive than the ones for children.

In cases where a child is born of HIV/ AIDS virus, the parents should attend clinic and receive proper instruction on how the infant should get along with the situation. There are probably many children that have being successfully raised despite being HIV+. Remember that children are God-given and are the future of our nations. Therefore, we should not allow them to pass on due to lack of proper medication.

The Following Are the Parental Medication Tips

Firstly, give only medicines which have been prescribed and therefore approved by the doctor. Secondly, investigate the prescriptions with the medical practitioner. Thirdly, use the dosage device that accompanied the medicine other than use of local table or tea spoons. Lastly, take note of all medicines you give the baby and also ensure that various medicines do not have similar components in them.

The final issue during infant’s care is travelling.Almost all airlines prohibit infants who are seven days old to travel by domestic air and two weeks old by international airlines. Unless stated otherwise, infants who are two weeks old and below are not supposed to travel by any form of transport system. If this is done, then it could culminate into severe sickness of the baby and eventually develop serious implications which may lead to an infant’s death. In fact, parents are encouraged to stay indoors with the baby until after the first six weeks from birth.

If the parent would want to travel together with the infant after six weeks, it is safe but certain precautions should be put in place. For example, we have the baby’s safety seat which must be looked into both in car and air travels. Similarly, at the time of the actual flight, usually air pressure inside the airplane is lower than that outside. The infant’s doctor may suggest that supplemental oxygen be carried for the baby to curb respiratory problems. In other circumstances, the doctor can suggest that the travel be halted until the baby attains the age of one year. Feeding of the baby and medication are viable during the flight because the journey could be longer and the baby may get hungry (Friedman, 2007).

Baby care is a very important subject for many young parents and should not be overlooked. There are many other important aspects or issues to consider during baby care but the above mentioned ones are key and outstand. An effective baby care will pose certain questions that must just be addressed. Any caring parents, to begin with, will ensure that the baby has to been well fed. After feeding, bathing is significant for the child and thereafter followed by a good sleep. In addition, proper and effective medication is necessary for the infant’s physical development. Indeed safety travels are also good for a baby. If all parents will embrace and execute the above five discussed issues, then our nations will come up with children who are generally good and healthy in all aspects.