Baby Care: First Year

Lesson 8: Health: Keeping Your Baby Well

Home Care for Common Problems

You can adequately treat many common illnesses at home.

Fever: Fever is her body's normal response to an infection. You should worry more about how sick she seems than on how high her fever is, unless it reaches 107 degrees Fahrenheit (41.7 degrees Celsius). Always report fever to the doctor if your baby is under three months.

Your baby's normal body temperature varies from 97 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit (36 to 37.8 degrees Celsius). Her daily temperature can fluctuate by one to one and one-half degrees above and below normal. Generally, a rectal temperature over 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8 degrees Celsius) in the morning, or over 101 degrees Fahrenheit (38.8 degrees Celsius) in the afternoon, indicates a fever. Her forehead feels hot, her breathing is faster with hot breath, and she may sweat. Rectal thermometers are most accurate for determining your baby's temperature. (See page 598 in The Baby Book for temperature-taking methods.)

To reduce her temperature, give acetaminophen, remove some or all of her clothing, give her a lukewarm bath, give fluids, and liquid food. (See pages 603 and 604 in The Baby Book for more information on acetaminophen.) Keep her cool, but not so cold she shivers. Shivering raises her temperature.

Cold: This upper respiratory infection is caused by viral or bacterial germs infecting the lining of your baby's breathing passages and bronchi. Her body responds by developing a runny nose, coughing, and sneezing.

To treat a cold, keep secretions moving so bacteria doesn't breed. Clear your baby's nose, give her extra fluids, and run a vaporizer while she sleeps. (See page 610 in The Baby Book for instructions for clearing your baby's nose.) If you don't have a vaporizer, hold your baby in the bathroom while the hot shower steams up the room. The ideal humidity for her sleeping room is between 30 and 50 percent. (See page 611 in The Baby Book for information on the difference between a humidifier and a vaporizer.)

(See pages 612 and 613 in The Baby Book for information on the use of medicines.)

Her cold should get better over three to five days. Call the doctor if it doesn't, if your baby seems really sick, or if she develops eye discharge.

(See pages 615 to 618 in The Baby Book for more information on coughs.)

Inhalant Allergies: Allergies can seem like a cold, but they are caused most commonly by pollens, animal dander, molds, or dust. (See page 387 in The Baby Book for information on the differences between colds and allergies.)

Pollens may be the cause of your baby's allergy symptoms if they occur seasonally. To reduce her symptoms, keep your baby indoors on windy days and away from weedy and flowery fields during pollen season. Bathe her and wash her hair before bed, and keep the windows closed in her sleeping room. Don't hang her bedding and clothing outside to dry because they will catch pollens.

Animal dander, your pet's shed skin, may be the cause of your baby's allergies if her symptoms occur when she plays with your pet. Keep her and your pet apart, especially when indoors, as much as is necessary to clear up her symptoms.

Molds, the spores of plants, may be the cause of your baby's allergies if her syptoms occur when she is near dark, cool, damp places such as cellars, closets, attics, piles of clothing, damp carpet, or shower curtains and stalls. The use of a humidifier can also promote mold growth. To reduce your baby's symptoms, air out and clean mold sites, remove damp carpet and wallpaper, and clean drapery and wallpaper when a humidifier is in use.

The excrement of dust mites that live among dust in warm, humid environments may be the cause of your baby's allergies if her symptoms occur around carpets, bedding, upholstered furniture, or anywhere else that flakes of shed human skin collect. Minimize dust to clear up your baby's symptoms. (See pages 638 and 639 in The Baby Book for information on allergy-proofing your baby's bedroom.)

Ear Infections: When germs enter your baby's nose and throat, they can spread to her inner ear through her eustachian tube. Fluid can get trapped in the inner ear, and can cause infection, pressure, and pain. Signs that your baby has developed an infection include thick nasal secretions, eye and ear drainage, sleep pattern changes, irritability, crying, sudden worsening of a cold, and refusal to lie flat. Relieve her pain by squirting a few drops of warm vegetable or olive oil into her sore ear. Prevent ear infections by breastfeeding, avoiding allergens and dairy products, feeding her in an upright position (not necessary when breastfeeding), and treating colds early. (See pages 622 and 623 in The Baby Book for information on preventive antibiotic treatment and surgical intervention.)

Diarrhea: These liquid stools are most commonly caused by an intestinal infection called gastroenteritis. Diarrhea stools are frequent, green, watery, muscousy, foul smelling, and explosive. They often cause a red rash around the anus. While your baby has diarrhea, give her extra fluids to prevent dehydration, and reduce or eliminate any new foods or potential irritating foods such as dairy products, juices, and high-fat foods.

Constipation: These compact and difficult to pass stools may tear your baby's rectum and cause blood streaks on her stool. If she is formula-fed, give her an extra bottle of water each day because formula is more concentrated than breast milk. Try other formulas to see if they are easier on stools. Avoid constipating foods such as white rice, rice cereal, bananas, apples, cooked carrots, and dairy products. For older babies, add fiber foods such as whole grains, bran cereals, legumes, and vegetables such as peas and broccoli. (See page 636 in The Baby Book for information on the use of glycerin suppositories, laxatives, and enema.)

(See pages 642 to 651 in The Baby Book to view a chart of childhood illnesses and their home and medical treatments.)

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