Post by Naomi Tripi http://tripibabytips.blogspot.com/

For most bumps and bruises a kiss will do. For fevers, coughs and colds a visit to the Pediatrician might be in order. But how do you know when a symptom that your little bug collector has is more serious than the rest? Well, besides the obvious things, like gushing blood or getting bitten by a snake, here are a few more subtle symptoms you should watch out for.

1. Refuses to use an arm or leg.
As your little gymnast grows his bones will to solidify and thicken. suddenly one day a fall from a bed could snap a bone that just days before would have been able to bend and spring back. So if your child does break a bone, you might not know it right away. Some kids show pain very vocally, while some will keep it to themselves. However, if your little one is limping, crawling or suddenly left-handed all the time it’s time to go get it checked out. A broken bone that is left unset can not only heal improperly and leave a child unable to develop normally but it can sometimes damage other tissue including nerves and blood vessels. So if you have a strong suspicion that your little boy has a broken bone, don’t let it go for a few days, head straight in to the hospital for an x-ray.

2. Redness from a bug bite begins to travel up the arm.
Most bug bites, even spider bites will be itchy but ultimately harmless. Of course if your child shows evidence of an allergic reaction you should rush to the hospital right away, but if they just have an itchy bump most of the time it will go away after a day or two. There is an exception to this rule though. Sometimes a bite will develop an infection. The skin does not have to be broken for this to happen, and though there might be a low-level fever it might not be high enough that you would notice. The danger with infection is that it would enter your little entomologists bloodstream and travel to her vital organs. However, as long as you keep an eye on the bite it is easy to tell if this is happening. If an infection is traveling up an arm or leg, you will see a bright red line leading from the bite. Some infections travel faster than others, so as soon as you notice the stripe, get moving!

3. Absence of urine, or urine that smells like solid waste.
After the first 6 months or so most parents start to lose track of how often their baby is peeing. However, it is very important that you keep a habit of making sure that your little toilet-paper sculptor has gone pee at least once a day. If you notice that it has been about 24 hours since the last wee-wee, watch carefully to see if there are any wet diapers or potties over the next 12 or so hours if there are not, take your baby in. Also, if you begin to notice that your child’s urine smells just like a poopy diaper this is another alarming indication that there might be something very wrong with his kidneys, bladder or digestive tract and a trip to the hospital is in order.

4. If your child is extremely lethargic.
Now when you think lethargic, you might just think sleepy. Well, what I mean when I say lethargic is if your child is so sleepy that you can put her in a cold bath and she will barely open her eyes for a few seconds. This type of lethargy can be a symptom of quite a few majorly dangerous problems. Whether there is a problem with your doodle-bug’s blood sugar or some type of pressure on her brain you want to get the worst possibilities ruled out fast.

5. Inability to keep solid food down over an 8 hour period.
Many viruses and colds can cause your child to vomit. However, no matter what the reason, if your little wall artist can’t keep solids down over a fairly long period, chances are that he is in danger of becoming dehydrated. There are many very serious reasons that a child could be vomiting, as well as thousands more that are nothing to worry about. However, if your little one goes too long without taking in any solids, even if he can keep down fluids it is important that you have him checked out. Remember that often fluids will be expelled along with solids when your child throws up, and the serious things that could be causing this type of reaction, which could be anything from an allergic reaction to an obstruction of some kind need to be caught early to prevent serious complications.

I know that most parents who read this are going to feel immediately freaked out, but keep in mind, that most children will probably never have any of these things happen. The purpose of this post is to give you more things to keep an eye out for in the worst cases. Too often if a parent does not know that a certain symptom can be serious it can be left to cause more serious damage before it is eventually discovered and sorted out. If you have found these tips helpful, please forward them to any new and expecting parents that you know. Questions, comments and suggestions are always welcome. Happy parenting!

By: Naomi Tripi

http://tripibabytips.blogspot.com

As babies grow and develop, they will be able to play with, and learn from new toys. But as any parent who has visited Toys “R” Us knows, there are hundreds of different toys to choose from for any age. Though many toys are labeled with an indication of the age range that they are appropriate for, it is difficult to know which ones are going to be the most fun and educational for your little wiggle-bug. These are the kinds of toys that I have had the most success with for babies ages 3-6 months. Although, if something looks fun to you, your baby will probably appreciate it too.

1. Toys with lights.
Your baby is probably enjoying a new found control over his hands right now, and he is looking to grab a hold of some new and exciting things. Toys that light up when your baby hits, kicks or shakes them are not only fun, the help spur the next big development: recognizing cause-and-effect. There are battery powered rattles that light up, some hand held toys that need to be pulled on to light up and many that light up if your baby takes a swat at them while laying in the baby gym. Any of these that are in your price range and look fun to you will be great for your baby.

2. Musical toys.
It is a truth of baby toys that you will rarely, if ever, find a toy that lights up which does not also play music. However, there are some musical toys that do not light up. A little piano, a caterpillar that plays songs when you touch his feet or a stuffed animal that sings songs when it is snuggled or grabbed are fun choices if you want to separate the two types of stimulation. Music of any kind has been shown to very beneficial for babies, but especially classical, and most especially Mozart, so even if you don’t get musical toys, getting in the habit of regularly playing some classical music in the play area is a great idea. I do not recommend the “Baby Einstein” DVD series however. A very recent study showed no improved mental functions from watching them, and a marked lag in social development from lack of parental face time among babies who did view the DVD’s regularly.

3. A baby-safe photo album.
One of the first things your baby learns is to recognize facial structures, and one of the next things is to be able to tell one face from another. Giving your baby a safe, flexible photo album is a great way for your baby to enjoy these new-found skills and to stimulate the next social skill: facial memory. Being able to see different faces on a fairly regular basis is one thing that helps to reduce the frequency and intensity of stranger anxiety. It is a great idea to fill the album with pictures of friends and family, as well as pictures of you and your little diaper model. Having a variety of faces, both familiar and those seen less often, will prompt your baby to associate the same positive and comfortable emotions she experiences when looking at you with all of the faces in the album.

4. A bouncy seat or an exersaucer.
I will admit right off the bat that most infant physical therapists will disagree with me on this one. Before your baby can crawl putting weight on his feet will stimulate both the urge to stand and the muscles that he will be using to keep his balance while erect, but most infant physical therapists place such a strong emphasis on crawling before walking that they would not recommend putting your baby in an exersaucer until after he has started crawling. I still do recommend these play structures for babies because, in my opinion, the interactive and independent play behaviors that are stimulated outweigh the worry that it might discourage crawling. If your baby is getting an appropriate amount of tummy-time, and is developing the skill to roll over, there is no need to be worried about them playing in an upright position. When a baby is always oriented tummy down on the floor, it is hard to use toys effectively because they need to use their hands to hold themselves up. I have seen so many babies become frustrated with this aspect of tummy time, and after a while, they don’t want to have tummy time at all. However, if after a long and productive session of tummy time you notice that your little blankie surfer is getting frustrated, a bouncy chair or exersaucer (the “circle o’ fun!” as my friends Beth and Brad called it) makes a great place for your baby to take a break while still being entertained.

5. Cloth baby books.
Cloth baby books are the best thing since board books! They crinkle, squeak and jingle. They have flaps that cannot be ripped off, and baby saliva wont cause them to crumble into millions of tiny choking hazards. You might still have board books, but it is best to keep them out of your little librarian’s reach unless she is sitting in your lap. Cloth books, on the other hand are good for reading time and for independent play time. One of the best features is that they lay flat on the floor, making tummy time more fun. And, when your baby gets tired of playing with one part of the book, you can just turn the page for a whole new selection of fun. This kind of toy stimulates tummy time, fine motor coordination, image recognition and cause-and-effect relationships. These awesome toys/books are one of my top recommendations for new parents.

Armed with these tips, your next trip to the toy store should be a lot easier. Don’t be too quick to throw out old toys though, some baby toys will still be fun for your little goof-ball when he is two years old! A good strategy for keeping your baby from losing interest in his toys is to periodically take about a quarter of the toys in your baby’s play area away and store them out of sight for about 2-4 weeks. Then, when he begins to lose interest in the toys he has, trade out the toys for the ones he seems to be getting used to. With fewer toys around you will be able to tell more easily if there are certain toys that your little firefly just doesn’t use anymore and you can give them away or donate them to charity. If you have found these tips helpful, I hope you will forward them to any new or expecting parents you know. Questions, comments and suggestions are always welcome. Happy parenting!