As many of you already know, hearing the news that you will soon become a grandparent is quite a joyous occasion.  You feel happiness, excitement and pride for your child and have great anticipation for what the future will hold for them.  You help them prepare for their soon-to-arrive bundle of joy and share the knowledge you’ve gained through your parenting experiences with them.

Upon reflecting on my own conversations with my children, I came upon a great article entitled “New Rules for Being a Grandparent” by Pediatrician Marta Markman, M.D.  The article sheds light on parenting as it pertains to the 21st century.  I’ve included some important excerpts below.

Safety is a top priority when considering even the basic needs of a grandchild. The most important way to create a safe environment for your grandchild is to educate yourself. You must familiarize yourself with the most up-to-date techniques for child caring, as well as any new or modernized equipment that may not have been available in the past. Some of the most common and essential adjustments include:

Nutrition: In the past, babies were put on solid foods as soon as possible. It is now recommended that infants be kept on formula until they are at least a year old. Due to an increase in the presence of food allergies among children, new foods should be introduced by giving the same vegetable or fruit for at least three consecutive days to determine if an allergic reaction occurs.

Immunizations: Babies need 20 immunizations during their first two years. These include older vaccines like measles, mumps and rubella; as well as newer immunizations such as hepatitis B, chickenpox and Prevnar, which prevents infections that cause pneumonia and meningitis.

Medicine: Baby aspirins have been replaced with acetaminophen to treat children with a fever. Giving baby aspirin to a child with a fever may cause a serious illness called Reye’s syndrome. The old home remedy of rubbing whiskey on the gums of a child is also dangerous, as it’s found to be poisonous.

Sleeping position: Infants must be put to sleep on their backs, not on their stomachs as many grandparents were taught to do years ago with their own children. Putting infants on their backs helps reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), the leading cause of death among infants that claims the lives of about 2,500 each year in the United States.

Cribs: Today’s cribs are designed with slats that are close enough together to prevent any entrapment of the baby. Make sure the crib has a firm, flat mattress and remove any loose blankets. The exclusion of blankets and soft bedding decreases the risk of suffocation and SIDS.

Car seats: Infants should be placed in rear-facing car seats in the back seat until they are one year old and 22 pounds. All children should remain in the back seat until they are 12 years old. Be sure to purchase an up-to-date seat because older car seats no longer meet the requirements of today’s safety standards.

Baby monitors: This modern item is designed as a listening device to hear the baby while you are in another room. Monitors are also available in a video format so you can not only hear but see the baby while they are sleeping.

Childproofing: While children in the past were free to roam, homes today are rigged with safety precautions. Putting up baby gates, covering electrical sockets and locking cabinets are just a few ways to make your home child friendly.

Keep your little ones safe!

In celebration of National Baby Safety Month, we thought we’d share this baby safety plan prepared by Lisa Carter and Lori Margues for FamilyResources.com.

To view the entire 30-day plan, click here.

September 16: Stroller check. If your stroller is collapsible, be sure latches are secure before putting baby in. Always check that your child’s arms are out of the way when reversing handle directions so they won’t get pinched. Be sure to use that safety strap. Don’t hang overloaded or heavy bags on the handle of the stroller, this may cause it to tip over.

September 17: Review your cooking habits. Are you using the back burners first and turning the pot handles to the back of the stove? Use the back burners for frying and boiling foods.

September 18: Talk to your children about stove and oven safety. Teach them they are hot and never to touch them.

September 19: If you have an unused freezer or refrigerator stored in your garage or yard, have it removed. Be sure to store it with the door towards the wall until it’s gone. Children can climb inside and suffocate.

September 20: How are the latches on your cupboards holding up? Have any broken off and need to be replaced?

September 21: Can you name the 12 most common choking foods for kids under five? *Answers listed at the end.

September 22: Don’t leave toddlers alone while eating, if they begin to choke you need to be nearby to assist.

September 23: Get a piggy bank: this is a great place to put coins so they don’t end up on the floor, in the couch cushions and then baby’s mouth.

September 24: Flush old/expired prescriptions and medications down the toilet. Be sure that medications are placed up high where little ones can not get access to them, keeping in mind that they can climb. Don’t call medication “candy.” They are unable to discern the difference.

September 25: Never leave your child unattended in the bathtub. If the phone rings, let the machine get it, or bring a cordless phone into the bathroom with you. Wait until baby can sit alone to give baths in the tub. It’s easier in the sink until then. Check that the hot water heater is not set any higher than 120 degrees.

September 26: Do a quick survey of your yard every time the kids are going out to play. Is there any yard equipment that they have access to? Trimmers, lawnmowers, etc. cause injury to children every year.

September 27: Check the cords on your miniblinds and draperies. These have caused many strangulations among young children. Be sure they are tied up or cut off and kept out of your child’s reach. The loop of the cord should break apart if you slide your hand between the two cords.

September 28: Bolt bookshelves to the walls. Climbing little ones can bring the entire unit toppling over on them.

September 29: Enroll in an infant/child CPR and first aid class. This will be a valuable investment of your time.

September 30: Get down on your hands and knees and crawl through your house. See what your child is seeing. Have you missed anything?

*Answers to 21: Common choking foods for children under five years: Popcorn, hot dogs, chunks of meat, raisins, ice cubes, chunky peanut butter, peanuts (nuts of any kind), hard candy, grapes, raw carrots, potato chips and corn chips.

Checklist from Pediatrician Dr. Jennifer Shu

When you get up and go with your new baby, you’ll want to keep essential supplies close at hand for all but the shortest excursions.  Technically, all you really need in a diaper bag are diapers and a few wipes, but most parents find it helpful to include some other tricks of the parenting trade, especially if you’ll be out long enough to span a meal or naptime.  You can even make your own checklist to be sure you don’t leave home without something you’ll miss.

o        Diaper bag, backpack or other container

o        Diapers

o        Baby wipes

o        Diaper ointment

o        Diaper changing pad - You can get disposable ones, use a vinyl reusable version or just bring a small towel.

o        Food/drink - This may include a bottle or sippy cup, water, formula/breastmilk, and/or snacks for you and baby.

o        Change of clothes - Definitely for your newborn, but quite possibly for yourself as well.

o        Plastic bags to hold dirty diapers after changes

o        Sun protection (sunscreen or sunblock, hat, sunglasses)

o        Camera to capture those special moments.  Never again will you say “I wish I had brought my camera!”

Upon returning from your excursion, restock your diaper bag right away so that it’ll be ready to grab the next time you head out.

About Dr. Jennifer Shu
Jennifer Shu, MD, is a pediatrician, author and mother in Atlanta. Her passion is educating parents on all topics relating to children. Dr. Shu is editor-in-chief of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ (AAP) Baby & Child Health and co-author of the award-winning books Heading Home with Your Newborn and Food Fights, both published by the AAP.

An enthusiastic and experienced writer and public speaker, Dr. Shu is a medical expert on CNNHealth.com, a member of the Parents magazine Board of Advisors and an editorial advisor for the AAP’s Healthy Children doctor’s office publication. She has been featured as a guest expert on CNN, NBC Nightly News, Headline News, MSNBC and Discovery Health, as well as in Newsweek, US News & World Report, USA Today, US Weekly, and numerous parenting magazines, newspapers and medical publications.

Dr. Shu received her bachelor’s degree at the University of Virginia and her medical degree from the Medical College of Virginia. Dr. Shu completed her pediatric training and chief residency at the University of California in San Francisco. She has been a leader within the medical profession as a past national chairperson of the young physicians sections for both the American Medical Association (AMA) and the AAP.

Baby Sleeps Safe was recently reviewed by MomsLikeMe.com’s Try It Before You Buy It team.  See what they said…

I think every parent of a new baby has a little bit of anxiety in them about different things. The main topic lately seems to SIDS in the first year of life. I know when I had my son I was particularly paranoid and occupied about finding out every little piece of information on how to decrease the chances of this happening in our family. We had it all the video monitor, the heart/breathing monitor thing etc.. but one of the most beneficial came as a gift from someone. It was called Baby Sleeps Safe. I just had a conversation with two of my friends (one has a 1 month old the other has a 4 month old) about this product so I thought great now I can get two more reviews.

The Baby Sleeps Safe is very similar to the sleep sack except one key thing…..the Baby Sleeps Safe has a Velcro piece that attaches to the babies back and wraps around your mattress. The Velcro is designed to allow your baby to roll on his/her side if that’s a position of comfort. The fabric is 100% flame resistant cotton and comes in 4 colors: Blue, Pink, Yellow, and Cream. The fabric looks and feels like it’s really comfortable. The sleep safe is really long. (my son would still fit in it at 13 months) My son always looked like he felt secure in it.  (read the rest of this entry)

Parenting recently published an article educating readers about the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).  See an important excerpt below.

Despite the challenges, SIDS research goes on. And though much remains to be learned, scientists do have some answers (see “4 Other Ways to Protect Your Baby”). For instance, theyknow that certain infants, such as African-American, Native American, and premature babies, are at particular risk, and that certain situations (including sleeping on a soft surface and exposure to secondhand smoke) raise the odds for all babies. They also know that babies who sleep on their stomachs or sides face the biggest danger: They have twice the risk of dying from SIDS as babies who sleep on their backs. When a baby’s face is turned toward the bedding, he’s in a position to re-breathe the carbon dioxide he exhales, which limits the amount of oxygen he takes in. “When they aren’t getting enough oxygen, most babies will do something to change their environment — they’ll turn their heads, or they’ll sigh, or they’ll yawn,” says Rachel Moon, M.D., an associate professor of pediatrics at George Washington University School of Medicine in Washington, DC. “But babies who die of SIDS don’t wake up when they get into trouble, and we don’t fully understand why.” (read the rest of this entry)

Kiddies Corner Deals recently reviewed our Baby Sleeps Safe infant sleep safety product and here’s what they had to say…

Great idea to stop some of the worry about SIDS. I know I always worried about this with both of my kids when they were babies. (Review was being done on a child I take care of). Your baby will be comfortable, safe, and snug. You won’t have to worry about blankets wrapping around their head, or covering their face. I highly recommend this product to anyone with a newborn/infant.  (read the rest of this entry)

Be sure to read the entry and enter the Kiddies Corner Deals giveaway for a Baby Sleeps Safe!

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Prevention Tips From Baby Sleeps Safe

Having a baby is a wonderful experience that can be rewarding and challenging at the same time.  New parents must learn to master an array of skills from feeding and burping to changing diapers and getting their little one ready for bed.  While many parents are most preoccupied with activities that take place while their infant is awake, it is also very important to be vigilant while babies are asleep.  Parents must educate themselves about Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), the leading cause of deaths in infants, as it claims the lives of more than 2,000 sleeping babies each year.

“Parents must be informed about the very real risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and the various precautions they can take to significantly impact their infant’s vulnerability to this tragic occurrence,” states Baby Sleeps Safe President Dr. Vicki Folds, Ed.D., a renowned child development expert with more than 35 years of hands-on and research experience.

What is SIDS?
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is the sudden and unexplained death of a sleeping infant under one year of age.  In most situations, infants show no physical signs of distress and are perfectly healthy.  Ninety percent of all SIDS fatalities occur before an infant reaches six months of age.

What can you do for your baby?
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends the following measures that may help to prevent SIDS:

•  Place infants on their backs to sleep.  As sleeping preference is a learned behavior, parents should consider using products such as Baby Sleeps Safe, a two-piece infant safety product that keeps babies sleeping safely and securely on their backs, to ensure their baby is comfortable with the position.

•  Do not place your infant to sleep in your bed.  Instead, bring the crib into your room until your baby is at least six months old.

•  Make sure the crib has a firm mattress and avoid soft surfaces. Remove blankets, bumpers, toys or pillows.

•  Overheating an infant is a risk for SIDS.  Clothe your infant to keep him warm, but avoid too many layers or warm room temperatures.  The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests placing an oscillating fan in the room to help circulation and cooling of air.

•  Offer your infant a pacifier.  Studies have shown a lower rate of SIDS with infants who use pacifiers.

•  Breast-feed your infant whenever possible.  Natural milk decreases the likelihood of respiratory and gastrointestinal infections, known to contribute to SIDS risk.

About Dr. Vicki Folds
Dr. Vicki Folds is president of Baby Sleeps Safe, an infant sleep safety product that keeps babies sleeping securely on their backs. She is one of the nation’s leading child development experts with 35 years of hands-on and research experience and several published childcare books including “Tray Tasking” and “Three Step Tray Tasking.”  Dr. Folds is currently on the National Association for the Education of Young Children’s (NAEYC) Consulting Editors Panel and reviews articles for its Young Children Journal as well as future books for publication.

Baby Sleeps Safe is committed to keeping babies safe and giving parents the most up-to-date information on SIDS prevention.  Please see the following article:

Fan in baby’s room may help prevent SIDS

By Liz Szabo, USA TODAY 10-6-08

Fans may reduce the risk of SIDS, or sudden infant death syndrome, a new study shows.

Babies who slept in a room with a fan were 72% less likely to die from SIDS, according to a study released today from Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine. The study included interviews with the mothers of 185 infants who died from SIDS and the mothers of 312 other babies.

Fans offered even more protection to babies sleeping in warm rooms, where temperatures were over 69 degrees, according to the study. Although opening a window also appeared to reduce the risk of SIDS, authors say this finding could have been due to chance.

Although doctors don’t know exactly why fans seem to help, it’s possible that fans improve air circulation, preventing infants from rebreathing exhaled carbon dioxide, which can pool up in the gap between a baby’s face and the mattress, says author De-Kun Li, a reproductive and perinatal epidemiologist with Kaiser Permanente’s research division.

Because a baby’s neck muscles are weak, they may not be able to turn their heads to find fresh air, Li says.

That’s why the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that babies sleep on their backs. Deaths from SIDS have fallen by half since 1992, to a rate of about 0.5 deaths for every 1,000 live births. Pacifiers also seem to protect babies, Li says, perhaps because the handles prevent a child’s face from becoming pressed against the mattress.

Marian Willinger of the National Institutes of Health says that the new study, while intriguing, needs to be followed up by additional research. Putting babies to sleep on their backs is still the most important thing parents or caregivers can do to prevent SIDS, she says.

A study published Monday in Pediatrics, however, show that 26% of mothers of 3-month-olds don’t follow that advice. One-third of mothers shared a bed with their 3-month-old, another practice that may increase the risk of SIDS.

Parents who are young, with low incomes or low education are least likely to follow safe sleeping guidelines, the study says.

Daycare providers are even less likely to put infants on their backs, according to a second study in Pediatrics. About 20% of SIDS deaths occur when someone other than a parent is in charge.

In a study of 1,993 infants, only 51% of babies were put to sleep on their backs at the beginning of the study, in which researchers measured the effect of educating childcare providers about SIDS. The program provided modest improvement. Observers noted that 62% of babies were put on their backs at childcare centers that received the training, compared to 57% of babies at centers that didn’t receive the training.

Childcare providers are more likely to put babies on their backs if daycare centers have a written policy about safe sleeping, the study says. About half of states require childcare centers to put babies on their backs to sleep.

Study author Rachel Moon, a leading SIDS expert at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, says parents should talk to their childcare providers. “In our observations, parents go in and talk to the childcare provider about what creams to use for diaper rash much more than they talk about sleep position,” Moon says.

Top 10 Safe Sleep Habits from Pediatrician Dr. Jennifer Shu

Since the 1990s, the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) has gone down, most likely due to the practice of putting babies on their backs to sleep. Also called crib death, SIDS is one of the main causes of death in infants, striking more than 4,500 babies each year. SIDS peaks in infants ages 2 to 4 months and is highest during the winter months.

To aim for the safest sleep environment possible, here are the top 10 tips that I recommend to my patients:
1. Back to sleep. Put baby on her back every time she goes to sleep. Older advice to put baby on her side or tummy while sleeping is no longer recommended, as tummy sleeping has been linked with SIDS and babies placed on one side may roll onto the tummy. The safest place for baby to sleep is in a bassinet, cradle or crib that meets current safety standards. Crib slats should be no more than 2 3/8” wide and the mattress should fit snugly within the crib.

2. Spread the word. About 1 out of every 5 SIDS deaths occurs while under the care of someone other than a baby’s parent so make sure caregivers such as relatives, babysitters and childcare providers also know to put baby on her back to sleep. There is a much higher risk of SIDS in babies who normally sleep on their back but are then placed faced down to sleep.

3. Tummy to play. Give your baby some tummy time on a firm surface such as a carpeted floor while she’s awake and being supervised. Upper body strength can be helpful if baby accidentally rolls onto her tummy at night.

4. Breastfeed your baby. In addition to the many health and nutritional benefits of breastfeeding, nursing can reduce the risk of SIDS as well.

5. Keep loose objects out of the crib. If you choose to use a blanket, tuck it around the mattress or use it to swaddle baby, keeping her face and head uncovered.

6. Keep soft, fluffy objects out of the crib. Pillows should not be used for babies under one year. Also, remove thick crib bumpers and comforters, which may smother baby’s face.

7. Avoid overheating. Keep the room at a temperature that’s comfortable for an adult and dress baby lightly (such as in 1 or 2 layers of clothing).

8. Keep your home smoke-free. Chemicals from tobacco smoke may put babies at risk for SIDS. Encourage smokers in the household to quit if possible. Otherwise, smoke outside and then wash hands and change out of any clothing that may come in contact with baby upon coming back in.

9. Use a pacifier. Consider offering baby a pacifier when she falls asleep, although it is not necessary to replace it if it falls out during the night. If breastfeeding, it is a good idea to wait until baby is nursing well (usually around 1 month) before offering a pacifier.

10. Use a fan. One recent study showed that running a ceiling fan can keep a room ventilated and reduce the chance of SIDS.
About Dr. Jennifer Shu
Jennifer Shu, MD, is a pediatrician, author and mother in Atlanta. Her passion is educating parents on all topics relating to children. Dr. Shu is editor-in-chief of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ (AAP) Baby & Child Health and co-author of the award-winning books Heading Home with Your Newborn and Food Fights, both published by the AAP.

An enthusiastic and experienced writer and public speaker, Dr. Shu is a medical expert on CNNHealth.com, a member of the Parents magazine Board of Advisors and an editorial advisor for the AAP’s Healthy Children doctor’s office publication. She has been featured as a guest expert on CNN, NBC Nightly News, Headline News, MSNBC and Discovery Health, as well as in Newsweek, US News & World Report, USA Today, US Weekly, and numerous parenting magazines, newspapers and medical publications.

Dr. Shu received her bachelor’s degree at the University of Virginia and her medical degree from the Medical College of Virginia. Dr. Shu completed her pediatric training and chief residency at the University of California in San Francisco. She has been a leader within the medical profession as a past national chairperson of the young physicians sections for both the American Medical Association (AMA) and the AAP.