baby - Do You Know These Things About Your Baby's Skin Care Products?

Advertisements for baby skin care products often remind of about a fact that we already know, it is simple common sense. Baby's new skin is extremely delicate. It needs special care to avoid irritation and allergic reactions. It needs very mild products to be used on it for these reasons. Of course, you and I know these things, but it may come as a surprise to know that many of the products you see advertised for baby's skin are not mild, but often have ingredients in them that are really too harsh for an infants skin. Before you buy, you should know what to look for and what to avoid. You will have to look past the cuddly packaging and see the product for its true self in order to decide whether it should be used on your babys skin. When you think of things that most commonly cause allergic reactions on your skin, you will realize that artificial fragrance and dyes are two of the top ingredients to blame. What are the first two things you notice about most baby care products? For me, I notice that fresh baby scent. But, of course, this scent has to come from somewhere: artificial fragrance. How many people do you know that cannot be around perfume? Maybe they cannot even walk through the cosmetics area of department stores because they are so highly allergic to it. If you talk to these people, you often find that they were not always allergic to this kind of fragrance; they developed it over the years. What are we doing when we start our children out in life, exposing them to high levels of man-made fragrances day after day? Will they eventually become as allergic to fragrance as some people are? Dyes are the second thing mentioned above. Artificial dyes are in so many things that we eat, drink, etc. By exposing our babies to them from a very young age, we are only adding to the chances of them developing a reaction to them. It has been proven that chemicals can be absorbed through the skin and it has been proven that artificial dyes often cause behavioral problems in young children. Are we accelerating this process with the constant exposure to dyes through baby skin care products? When I think about the things that I have used on my children, just because I loved that baby smell, I feel guilty. I think of various rashes that occurred during my childrens infant stages and wonder if it was due to the baby products that I used on them. Other ingredients that we should be aware of in regards to our infants skin include: citrus juices (often, in organic products, you will find essential oils from citrus fruits), menthol, and peppermint. It is wise to look into essential oils and which ones are safe for babies (and pregnant mothers); not all of them are good to use on such tender skin. Keep in mind that your baby will be happier if their skin is not irritated in any way. Of course, happier babies generally help parents be more at peace, so helping your baby in this way helps you as well. Another product that affects your baby that should be considered is laundry detergent. Most of the detergents created and marketed for cleansing clothes are created to give your clothes a fresh, clean, scent. What does this mean? Obviously it means that there is a heavy concentration of fragrance in the product. This fragrance is transferred to the clothes during the wash and remains in them. By using these products, you are still putting man made fragrance on your baby's skin. Be picky, look for products that do not contain artificial dyes or fragrances to protect your baby from further irritation. Remember, your baby's skin was protected from all of these good smelling, pretty, man-made chemicals for the entire time he was in your womb. His skin has no idea how to react to the various environmental factors that it will encounter as a natural part of life as we know it today. You can help his skin adjust to the world around him by using as many non-irritating ingredients as possible. Louise Forrest has created the ultimate FREE Health & Beauty guide. Find out how you can gain access to FREE skin care articles, tips and techniques at http://www.NaturalElements.co.uk Learn how you can help care for your baby's skin at http://www.NaturalElements.co.uk Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Louise_Forrest baby - How Much Water For Baby? While drinking more water is a good idea for everyone, especially during hot summer months, too much water can be harmful to infants 6 months old and younger. According to a study in Clinicians Reviews a 1997 survey of new mothers found that nearly 25 percent give their babies water at least 3 times per week in the first month of life. Water intoxication is rare in children and adults who are able to judge their own water needs by thirst and activity. But babies are not able to do this. Also, the kidneys of newborns filter more slowly than those of older infants, causing sodium levels in the blood to be diluted. According to doctors, 24 cases of water intoxication were reported at the St. Louis Children's Hospital in the years 1989 to 1991. The problem seems to be increasing since only 10 cases were reported from 1985 to 1988. In the cases reported the otherwise healthy babies were 4 to 5 months old and drank three 8-oz. bottles of water within 6 to 12 hours. Symptoms of water intoxication include pale urine, using more than 8 diapers a day, and baby sleeping more than usual and being difficult to wake up. Mothers should be advised that healthy infants get all the water they need in breast milk or formula. A baby can get water intoxication as a result of drinking several bottles of water a day or from drinking infant formula that has been diluted too much. Water fills baby without adding calories, so water supplementation can result in weight loss or insufficient weight gain for the baby. Pediatricians advise feeding babies 2 to 3 oz. more than their age in months at each feeding. For example, babies 4 months old would be fed 6 to 7 oz. three times a day. More than 8 oz. at any one feeding rarely necessary. The usual proportions of milk to water should be about two-thirds milk to one-third water. With these proportions, the baby receives about 8 oz of water equally spaced over a 24 hour period. If the formula is diluted, mild should not be less than 50 percent. Only around seven months of age, when baby has started eating solid foods, should a little water be introduced in a cup. Water intoxication can be prevented by following your physicians instructions. For more information on water and it's healthy benefits for old and young alike: http://www.apluswriting.net/health/babywater.htm REQUIREMENTS FOR REPRINT: You have permission to publish this article free of charge in your e-zine, newsletter, ebook, print publication or on your website ONLY if it remains unchanged and you include the copyright and author information (Resource Box) at the end. You may not use this article in any unsolicited commercial email (spam). You may retrieve this article by: Autoresponder: babywater@getresponse.com Website: http://www.apluswriting.net/articles/babywater.txt Please leave the resource box intact with an active link, and send a courtesy copy of the publication in which the article appears to: marilynp@nctc.net