White coating can be a symptom of thrush, or candidiasis, - one of the most common diseases of newborns and babies. (Other symptoms are frequent moods, rejection of the breast.) Treatment is carried out only after consultation with the pediatrician. Usually, the oral mucosa is treated with a swab soaked in a solution of baking soda (one teaspoon of boiled water - a teaspoon of salt); The procedure is carried out every two to three hours, do not forget to process a pacifier. But in older children a yellow or dense white coating on the tongue indicates a violation of the gastrointestinal tract; this is often found after taking antibiotics or with dysbiosis. Answers to the questions of future mothers are in our article.
"Why does he have cold hands?"
Answer. In infants, thermoregulation is still in its infancy, so cold hands and feet are not a sign of ill health, if the nose and neck are warm at the same time. But if the baby has a fever and his hands and feet are icy, you can talk about spasm of peripheral vessels. The reception of vasodilator drugs blocks this condition, it is no accident that ambulance doctors along with antipyretics give the temperature-sensing baby also diphenhydramine. In the older age, constantly cold or, conversely, sweating palms can talk about increased excitability of the nervous system.
"Why is he so scared?"
Answer. How to understand that the kid was afraid, for example, of a sharp sound? The sign is Moro's effect: the child flinches, sharply grow! hands to the sides and, as if trying to grab something, and then starts to scream. If such a command is observed often, then the baby has a too sensitive nervous system. But you should not drink a crumb of valerian (it is contraindicated in infants), it is better to press it to yourself and give the breast - you will be surprised how quickly it will calm down. And remember how twice two: you need to acquaint your touchy with the surrounding world gradually - do not make sharp movements, muffle the phone call and slam the door a little less.
"Why does he shudder about in a dream?"
Answer. The reason is that separate groups of muscles fall asleep and awaken unevenly and strain. If shudders occur in the middle of the night, in batches, then the child should be shown to the children's neurologist: these can be manifestations of a convulsive syndrome. Frequent flinches when falling asleep sometimes indicate rickets: this disease increases nervous excitability.
"Why does he confuse the day with the night?"
Answer. Desire to fall asleep in a baby is easy to "scare". That is why the child does not need to "walk around" before going to bed - it is much more useful to observe the ritual of packing. Sometimes the cause of confusion is the violation of biorhythms. If the child sleeps during the day, making noisy festivities at night, call for help light: during the day when the crumb should be awake, the room should be light (even in winter), and in the evening, immerse it in the twilight, adjusting the nervous system for a long and sound sleep. Night vigils, in which a child suddenly wakes up and slowly begins to babble and play with himself, are called "quiet insomnia" and do not require parental interference. More precisely, they require parental non-interference: if you do not start the baby to rock or feed, the dream will come itself in a few minutes.
How to increase the amount of milk?
Answer. Only in 0.5% of women are serious and irreparable violations of lactation. The rest of the mothers have no reason to deny the baby in the chest. The temporary decrease in the production of milk against the background of the established lactation is the norm: the first milk crisis happens in a month, then the "stocks run out" in 3,7,11 and 12 months. The crisis lasts 3-4 days and passes because of the more frequent application of the baby to the breast. Any special measures to increase the volume of milk is not required. Young mother, of course, can drink a liter of tea with milk or a decoction of fennel, but most of the fees and funds for enhancing lactation, according to WHO studies, are not so much therapeutic as psychological effect, And for the normalization of breastfeeding, a good night's sleep is needed from 3 up to 8 hours: it is at this time that the most prolactin is produced - the hormone responsible for the production of milk.
"Why does he have tears in his eyes?"
Answer. Inflammation of the lacrimal duct - dacryocystitis - is a fairly common phenomenon in children younger than six months; cause - total or partial obstruction of the lacrimal canal. To begin with it is necessary to show the kid to the children's ophthalmologist, especially if "tears" are replaced by purulent secretions. Most likely, the doctor will recommend acupressure of an internal corner of an eye. It is carried out with a clean ring finger, easily pressing, with rotational movements (clockwise and vice versa). Before the massage, it is necessary to treat the festering eye with a cotton swab dipped in strong fresh tea, which is cooled to room temperature and filtered through gauze. Flush the eye only from the outer corner to the inside. For each eye, use a separate cotton swab or disc. If these measures do not help for several months, the doctor can advise probing (cleaning in a hospital) of a tear duct. It's not out of fear to delay this procedure: if you miss the time, the function of the so-called lacrimal sac can be disturbed and then a surgical operation, much more complicated, can not be avoided.
"And I will not do it?"
Answer. During the first bathing, parents are always nervous, but there is nowhere to go: the baby needs water procedures. With experience, fear can not cope disappear. In any case, remember: if you dropped the baby, let it fall into the water, not on the floor or the edge of the bath (up to three months the reflex of the diver works - the baby can hold his breath and not choke).
"What if he is undernourished?"
Answer. Milk comes only on the third or fourth day after birth, before that baby sucks colostrum - a kind of energy cocktail of nutrients. Even a small amount of it is enough for the baby to get everything he needs. A hungry child sucks a finger, opens his mouth wide, cries. Even if less than two hours have elapsed since the previous feeding, the sufferer needs to be fed. In addition, the more mother puts the baby to her breast in the first weeks, the more milk is produced. (The lactation is usually on an average from two weeks to one and a half months.) A child suffering from hunger not only continuously cries, but also rarely spoils a diaper. But if the baby regularly urinates (the newborn is up to 25, the older child - at least 6 times a day) and regularly walks around in big, energetic, satisfied, playful, does not have problems with
"He's sick?"
Answer. Temperature and stuffy nose are not always signs of a disease or teething. Transparent discharge from the nose in children under one year is a frequent occurrence: so the mucous membrane is cleansed of dust and allergens. The dried crusts in the nose are a sign that the baby does not have enough liquid, and the air in the room is too dry. The body temperature in infants can "wander" around 37 degrees. But if the baby feels well at the same time, does not lose weight, does not lose appetite, is fast asleep, - most likely, there are no grounds for concern.
"Does he have constipation (diarrhea)?"
Answer. Everything that happens with the baby until 21-22 days is considered an adaptation to a new life. The intestine also adapts itself to a new way of obtaining food and digesting it. A newborn child can defecate literally after each feeding and only then develop its own schedule of "big bodies": the norm can be several times a day, and once a week. It is important that the chair is soft and light, and the baby himself feels well.