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A handy guidebook on taking care of babies

KOCHI: What new mothers need to know and how to look after new-borns are the kind of information usually passed on in a family.

Along with this, there is also a lot of misinformation that gets passed on regarding infants' health and problems related to breast feeding and the care of babies. A booklet edited by paediatricians S. Sachidananda Kamath, Sonia Nair and Jayanthi Menon, called “Baby Basics and Beyond” is a handy guidebook on taking care of new-borns, presented in a simple and illustrated manner. From breast feeding schedule and postures, common problems of new-borns like bowel disorders, urinary peculiarities, hiccups, excessive crying or jitteriness, the booklet deals at length on various issues, including how to keep the baby warm, how to bathe and to dress the baby.

The three paediatricians have provided some important points in child development too. An evaluation of development should be done to know whether everything is normal or not, said Dr. Kamath. The first two years of the child are very important as 80 per cent of the brain development occurs during this period.

Providing the right stimulation at the right time like talking and playing with the child, massaging and responding readily to child's needs are important, said Dr. Kamath. Activities in the brain create tiny electrical connections called synapses and the amount of stimulation the baby receives has a direct impact on how many synapses are formed.

Repetitive stimulation strengthens these connections. This intense period of brain growth and network building happens only once in a lifetime, hence parents' role during this period in providing enough stimuli to build up the baby's brain circuitry is important.

Love, touch and talking apart, babies find music stimulating and it can sooth a tired baby. Reading out books is important even though the baby may not follow the story.

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