Myth 4: Teething causes ...
fever, diarrhea, vomiting or diaper rashes. Not true. Teething may cause some fussiness and nightwakenings in some children, but if your child has other symptoms, especially a high fever, then you should look for another cause, such as a viral infection, which are very common during the time that children's teeth are coming in. Your child's first teeth will begin coming in between three and sixteen months (usually around six months). The two bottom front teeth will be the first to come in and this will be followed by the four upper teeth in four to eight weeks. Your child will continue to get new teeth until he has all twenty of his primary teeth when he is three years old, with most children getting about four new teeth every four months. In most children teething only causes increased drooling and a desire to chew on hard things, but in some it does cause mild pain and irritability and the gums may become swollen and tender. To help this you can vigorously massage the area for a few minutes or let him chew on a smooth, hard teething ring. Although most children do not need teething gels or treatment with acetaminophen or ibuprofen for pain, you can use them if necessary.Myth 5: You must boil your water before preparing your infant's bottle of formula.
This one is actually controversial. Boiling the water when preparing infant formula was universally recommended and was then thought to be unnessesary. In 1993, an outbreak of cyclosporiasis from contaminated water in Milwaukee prompted officials to again recommend that water be boiled when preparing infant formula.If you live in a city with sanitized water and you are preparing bottles one at a time, then boiling water or sterilizing the bottles and nipples probably isn't necessary. You can use this water out of the tap and bottles can be washed in hot soapy water or in the dishwasher. If you are not convinced that your water supply is safe or if you are using well water, then you should boil the water for five minutes before preparing formula.
Myth 6: Giving your infant cereal will help him to sleep through the night.
This is one of the most common myths that just isn't true. When your child begins to sleep through the night has more to do with his development and having a good bedtime routine where he learns to fall asleep on his own, and not on how hungry or full he is. And remember that many children do not begin to sleep though the night until they are about 3-4 months old.Breast milk or infant formula supplies all of your baby's nutritional needs for at least the first 4 to 6 months of life, so don't be in a rush to start solid baby foods. Starting solids too early can cause your baby to develop food allergies. Your baby's intestinal tract is not as fully developed during the first few months and introducing solids at this time can be too much to handle. Another reason for not giving solid foods earlier than 4 to 6 months is unintentional overfeeding, since younger babies can not offer you signals when they are full, such as turning away or showing disinterest. A third reason for holding off on solids is your baby's inability to swallow solids correctly before 4 to 6 months of age and this can potentially cause choking.
Myth 7: Colic is caused by -
It is not known what causes colic, but it is not usually thought to be from abdominal pain, formula allergies, the iron in infant formula or gas. It is known that normal babies have a fussy period toward the end of the day that begins when they are two to three weeks old and that this may be their way of 'blowing off steam' or dealing with the normal stimulus of their day. It may be that babies with colic are more sensitive to this normal everyday stimulation. It is also known that babies with colic do not have more difficult temperaments and are not more hypersensitive as they grow older.Colic is a common problem, affecting 10-25% of all newborns. It is defined as recurrent inconsolable crying in a healthy and well-fed infant. It usually begins at about two to three weeks of age, is at its worst at six weeks of age and then gradually improves and finally resolves on its own by three to four months. The most common symptoms of colic are the sudden onset of screaming and crying that can last for more than two to three hours at a time. Babies with colic will often seem as if they are in pain and are difficult to console. While crying they will usually pass a lot of gas, draw up their legs and their abdomen may seem hard or distended. Most babies with colic have one or two episodes of this type of crying each day. In between these episodes they usually act fine.
