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Care and Safety of Your Baby

Your Baby's Sleeping Habits

In the first 4 weeks of life, your baby may sleep as many as 20 hours every day. She may seldom be awake for longer than 25 to 30 minutes at a time. Sleeping is very important for a baby; you'll soon realize what kind of sleep schedule is best for your infant. The wisest thing you can do as a parent is to establish a routine to help your baby develop healthy sleeping habits. The list below may give you some helpful hints to do this.

• Wait until your baby is tired to put her to bed.
• Develop a regular, predictable bedtime routine.
• Offer baby a pacifier or her thumb.
• Don't put your baby to bed with a bottle!
• Never leave your baby alone on a waterbed.
• Limit daytime naps to a few hours each.
• Don't overstimulate the baby when you get up for nighttime feedings.
• By day, let baby nap in a lighted area, with some noise. At night, put baby in a very quiet, dark room to sleep.
• Keep baby up during the day by talking and singing to her or providing other stimulation.
• Place baby on her side or back every time you put her to bed.

Sleep patterns may develop differently for bottlefed babies and breastfed babies. Bottlefed babies may sleep longer at night as they mature. Breastfed infants may not shift to longer sleep patterns until about the time they are weaned.

Place a baby on her side or back when putting her down to sleep. This position greatly reduces the incidence of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome). Other safe sleeping tips include making sure the mattress is safe and in good repair. Crib slats should be no farther apart than 2-3/8 inches. Don't use comforters, pillows or cushions that are soft, with loosely filled surfaces. They could interfere with baby's breathing. Avoid a waterbed crib mattress because it can trap baby and suffocate her.

Sleep patterns may develop differently for bottlefed and breastfed babies. Bottlefed babies often sleep longer at night as they mature. Breastfed infants don't usually shift to longer sleep patterns until they are weaned.

Taking Care of Baby

You probably have other questions about how to care for your new baby. Some of these tips below may help.

• It isn't that difficult to deal with the stump of the umbilical cord. It will fall off 7 to 10 days after birth. Until it does, clean your baby with sponge baths.
• To remove sleepers from your baby's eyes, use a cotton ball moistened with clean water. Place the cotton ball at the inner corner of the eye, and wipe vertically down the nose.
• Never put anything into your baby's nose. If you need to remove dried nasal secretions, gently wipe around the nose. Dried nasal secretions are usually sneezed out.
• Never probe in your baby's ears with any object! Earwax is there for a purpose. It's OK to clean around the outside of the ears with a soft washcloth, but don't put anything inside your baby's ears.
• You will probably have to decide between cloth and disposable diapers. Your decision depends on your lifestyle, your budget and your baby. Disposable diapers are very convenient. You don't need pins or plastic pants, and you never have to wash them. On the other hand, cloth diapers can be used many times. Some styles don't need pins or plastic pants. You will need adequate washing and drying facilities, or you may choose a diaper service. Many people use a combination of disposable and cloth diapers.

Car Restraints—For the Safety of Your Child

Keep your baby buckled up in a car seat every time you travel by car. One study showed that more than 30 deaths a year occur to unrestrained infants going home from the hospital! Every time your baby rides in the car, she should be restrained in an approved child safety-restraint seat. In an accident, an unrestrained child becomes a missilelike object in a car. The force of a crash can literally pull a child out of an adult's arms!

All states now have laws that govern safety-restraint systems. Call your local hospital or police department, and ask for information. Many hospitals won't let you take baby home if she is not going to ride in an approved safety-restraint seat. Many hospitals have loaner car seats you can borrow until you get your own.

The safest spot for baby in a car is in the middle of the back seat. In this position, baby is more protected in the event of a side collision. Manufacturers recommend not putting the car seat in the front seat if you have a passenger-side air bag. If the bag inflates, it can knock the car seat around and injure baby. Making Home Safe for Baby

It's important to make your house safe for your new baby. You may not think this is important when your baby is so small, but it is. There are many things you can do to protect your baby from the first day you bring her home.

You cannot babyproof your house, but you can make it safer. Accidents can and do (and will!) happen, so make your baby's environment as safe as you can make it. Keep in mind the following:

• Crib slats should be no farther than 2-3/8 inches (6cm) apart.
• Be sure the mattress fits securely.
• Keep the crib away from windows, wall decorations, heating units, climbable furniture, blind and drapery cords, and other possible dangers.
• Never use a pillow in a crib, your baby doesn't need one. It could also suffocate her.
• Keep the dropside up and locked when baby is in the crib.
• Keep mobiles and other crib toys out of baby's reach. You may have to remove them as baby grows older.
• Never hang a pacifier or any other object around baby's neck.
• Never leave a baby alone in the water, even if it's only a few inches deep. A baby can drown in as little as 1 inch of water.
• Never leave baby unattended on a sofa, chair, changing table or any other surface above the floor.
• Never put an infant seat on the counter or a table.
• Always use safety straps with baby equipment.
• Never hold or carry your baby while you're cooking, drinking a hot beverage or smoking a cigarette.
• If you warm formula or heat baby food in the microwave, shake the bottle or stir the food before serving to avoid any hot spots.
• Don't hang anything on stroller handles; the extra weight could cause the stroller to tip over.
• Always put your baby in a car seat. Be sure the car seat meets federal safety guidelines and is properly installed.
• Keep stairs and other areas well lit.
• Use nonslip mats in the tub and on the bathroom floor to help prevent falls.
• Install antiscald devices in tubs and showers.