Your New Baby
Teething
Teething usually begins at around 6 months and the full set of baby teeth are not in place until your child is around two and half years old. Teething problems can usually be spotted. Excessive dribbling, flushed cheeks and chewing toys or anything else your child can get hold of are often signs of teething. Your child may also be irritable, clingy and might cry a lot. Sometimes, your child can also have a fever when teething.
There are many different ways in which you can help your baby through the teething process. Give your baby a teething ring, teething gel or something cold to chew on (e.g. a carrot stick or piece of apple from the fridge or a clean and cold wet flannel).
The most important thing is to cool the affected area, which is why providing cold (not freezing) items for your baby to chew on will often help. If you do need any further information on how to handle this potentially stressful time, then speak to your IPSA pharmacist.
Colic
About one in five babies will suffer from colic. This is a type of abdominal pain, which seems to be associated with trapped wind and often occurs at the same time each day. Colic can be stressful for both you and your baby. It is important for you to stay calm. Your IPSA Pharmacy has products that are designed to remove the trapped wind. You can speak to your IPSA pharmacist about these.
Cradle cap
Cradle cap’s characteristic scaly, crusty patches develop on your baby’s scalp. Cradle cap is most usually found in newborns. It is unclear why cradle cap forms, but you can alleviate it by massaging a small amount of olive oil onto baby’s head before shampooing it off.
Or there are specific treatments available to help. Cradle cap is not a painful condition and it probably won’t come back after having cleared up. Try not to pick at these scaly patches as it will make your baby’s scalp sore and this can then lead to an infection.
Nappy rash
Nappy rash is when red (or sometimes yellow) and sore spots appear around your baby’s bottom and groin area, and these spots are caused by the irritation from wet nappies, urine and/or stools. Your baby’s urine contains ammonia and your baby’s stools contain bacteria, both of which can burn and irritate baby’s delicate skin.
To prevent or to treat nappy rash, ensure that you use a barrier cream each time that you change your baby’s nappy and that you change your baby’s nappies frequently. A barrier cream provides a barrier between baby’s skin and baby’s urine/stools. Many different barrier creams are available, and you can speak to your IPSA pharmacist regarding the best barrier cream for your baby.
