Parent Extremis

Earlier this year the news story broke announcing that Melamine had been found in infant formula made and sold in China. The result was over 50,000 ill babies and sadly, a few dead babies. Melamine is a chemical with many uses, among which is the ability to appear as a protein when dangerously and illegally mixed into food substances.

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says there is NO SAFE LEVEL of Melamine in infant formula. A contradiction indeed, they are also telling parents not to overreact or change their baby’s diet at this time. The levels found are extremely low, however, you be the judge. The FDA has established a section of their website for Melamine information.

Yahoo! Reports from the Associated Press:

According to FDA data for tests of 77 infant formula samples, a trace concentration of melamine was detected in one product — Mead Johnson’s Infant Formula Powder, Enfamil LIPIL with Iron. An FDA spreadsheet shows two tests were conducted on the Enfamil, with readings of 0.137 and 0.14 parts per million.

Three tests of Nestle’s Good Start Supreme Infant Formula with Iron detected an average of 0.247 parts per million of cyanuric acid, a melamine byproduct.

The FDA said last month that the toxicity of cyanuric acid is under study, but that meanwhile it is “prudent” to assume that its potency is equal to that of melamine.

And while the FDA said tests of 18 samples of formula made by Abbott Laboratories, including its Similac brand, did not detect melamine, spokesman Colin McBean said some company tests did find the chemical. He did not identify the specific product or the number of positive tests.

Questions and Answers to you questions about Melamine. What is Melamine? What do I do if I think my infant formula contains Melamine? Melamine Information? Symptoms of Melamine poisoning?

Enfamil released a statement today saying that the FDA testing was inaccurate.

Have you gotten a flu shot yet? Have you gotten one for your children? The Flu is more dangerous for children than a common cold. When they are under the age of five influenza can frequently send children to the hospital for dangerously high fevers and dehydration. Complications occur most often in children younger than two. Children with asthma and diabetes are at especially high risk for complications. The CDC reports that during the 2007-2008 flu season, 86 children died from flu-related complications.

You do not have to get the flu.

There is a vaccine. You have to get vaccinated every year for a new strain of flu. The virus mutates from year to year and that is why a vaccine from last year won’t protect you this flu season. The CDC recommends that all children over the age of six months get a flu vaccine.

The first time a child under the age of nine gets a flu vaccine he will need two doses of vaccine given at least 28 days apart or more. The first dose “primes the immune system and the second dose provides actual protection. My own pediatrician explained to me that young children have immature immune systems and in order to have complete immunity to the flu virus, they need two doses of vaccine.

The sooner you get vaccinated each year the better. If you find it is November or even December you can still get a vaccine. The peak of flu season isn’t until later in the winter. It’s never too late. Get the vaccine. You can get it at your doctor’s office or even more easily at a local grocery store pharmacy or local drug store flu clinic.

SOURCE

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) in conjunction with Carter’s are advising parents that their clothing with tag-less heat transfered labels are causing rashes in some children. A small percentage of babies and children have developed rashes on their upper back and neck. The affected clothing was manufactured in various countries and sold at Carter’s stores and other retail chains as well.

The clothing that is causing this rash is associated with the Carter’s Fall 2007 line of clothing. It uses a label on the inside back of the garment that has a raised surface with a solid background. This advisory does not apply to the current product lines that use a label with a stenciled background. See the photo below for an image of the label.

If your child develops a rash stop wearing the garment and if the rash persists contact your pediatrician. Some doctors will recommend applying a little bit of anti-itch cream or a moisturizing cream like Aquaphor.

These labels are safe and are not the ones included in this advisory.

Babies and young children are also very susceptible to rashes and a variety of skin conditions including baby acne, eczema and impetigo.

Babies and children have very delicate skin and soon after birth it is common for them to get minor rashes and bumps on their skin that don’t offend them.  However, more severe rashes and allergies are also all too common and require diet modification and sometimes antibiotics.  If you aren’t sure what is appearing on your baby or child’s skin you should see your pediatrician for a diagnosis.

Wow! Here we are nine months old and just finally getting around to baby’s first cold. Me? I have been sick since Saturday morning so we’re going on a week-long cold for me at this point. Noah didn’t get a runny nose until very late Tuesday night. It was so sad really, to see usually smiley face all covered in sniffling, drippy snot.

Once I had been sick for a few days and continued of course to nurse him I was prepared and fully armed to care for a potentially sick baby. Ironically, we had been at the doctor on Monday for his nine-month well-baby check-up.

Recent controversy aside, it is usually best to let a cold run its course without the use of symptom-treating over-the-counter medications. Most doctors will recommend for adults, extra rest and sleep, increased fluids (water, hot tea, juice) and Tylenol for a low fever and general malaise.

For babies older than two months you should always contact your pediatrician for the baby’s first cold as the doctor may want to see them to rule out any other illness. But, you should take an occasional temperature to make sure that any fever is low, as that is just the body fighting the germs. Fevers higher than 100 (one hundred degrees Fahrenheit) are cause for more worry and you should visit the doctor.

For babies and toddlers who have a common head cold, the following is suggested:

Saline nose spray, infant Tylenol, the use of a cool mist humidifier, extra fluids (water, breast milk, formula), rest, a warm bath is relaxing and sitting in a steamy bathroom while the shower runs is also good for loosening chest and nasal congestion.

Teething is a bit of a mystery for us first time parents. I have been convinced that Noah was teething since he was about a week and a half old so clearly, my observations are not to be trusted. Fast forward to NOW, Noah is seven months (32 weeks) and I suspect a tooth is just about on the horizon.

Teething is a bit of a gray area at this time because I can’t tell which tooth might be coming in first. Most babies get the two bottom teeth first, although I have known plenty of babies who get five teeth on top and then no others for months on end.

Teething can begin as early as three months or as late as a year. The averages are around … seven months.

Some common symptoms of teething are:
* biting hands or anything that comes near their mouths
* crying out in yelps of pain
* drooling
* runny nose or congestion from drooling
* “smokers’ cough” from the drool going down the back of the throat
* spitting or throwing up from drool going into the stomach
* “drool stool,” which is shards of drool in the poop (I know, and it’s truly stunning when you see it)Moxie says it’s true!)
* rash around the mouth
* rash around the anus
* acidic poop (sometimes you can even smell the difference) and a burned monkey-butt look after pooping
* tugging or pulling at the ears
* not wanting to nurse
* biting while nursing
* flash fevers (fevers that come out of nowhere, don’t last, and are gone in 30 minutes to an hour)

Teething remedies will be discussed in a later post …

Noah has had a fever for three days now. I first noticed on Wednesday evening when I was holding him. He just, felt warm. I tried to take an ear temperature but its really too hard to get the ear probe into such a tiny little ear. Anyway, the temperature came back at like, 94 degrees. BAH.

Next up, rectal thermometer.

100.5

I really didn’t panic. I really didn’t freak out about my little baby, my little preshus newborn really, a two month and four week old baby.

Fever can be really dangerous in a young infant. Infections can spread rapidly and get out of hand much quicker than in an adult body. Therefore, we mobilized for a visit to the pediatrician. for some blood work and a urine culture. My poor little baby was stuck with needles and catheters all day. I’m not the kind of mother who cries at the notion of her baby getting a needle prick but just the same, it isn’t easy watching his face turn BEET RED with pain before he let out a wail of massive proportions.

Twenty fours hours later:
Positive: All labs are clear. No sign on infection. No UTI.
Negative: Noah still has a fever. 101, before the Tylenol.
Positive: He is acting fine. Totally unphased. And last night, he slept for eight hours straight.

The most common reason for fever in an infant is an upper respiratory infection, a urinary tract infection or a mild virus. Fever isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The body naturally raises its temperature to fight offending germs. A small, controlled fever is a good thing. It shows the body is working to fight off possible infection. However, a fever can be dangerous at high levels and you should always contact a doctor to rule out serious medical issues.