What are the Factors to Look for When Buying a Baby Playpen?

Are you looking for a playpen that is safe for your baby? Here is some information on what to look for, when buying a baby playpen. It will give you the key features of a playpen, which will help you to choose the right one for your kid.

A baby playpen is a piece of baby furniture. During the child's fast growing years, safety becomes more and more important, and this is the time when you should invest in a playpen. It forms a precise play area for the kid. It is also very convenient for parents, as they can allow the child to be alone in it while they do other house hold work like cooking, washing or even attending a phone call. Some of them have vertical bars, while some others, if made up of fabric, may have small windows on the side walls. This helps the person keeping an eye, to see through it and know what the kid is doing inside. It is closed from all sides, making the baby stay in the confined play area. There are many varieties of playpens available to choose from. Each one has some unique features which might confuse you while choosing one of them. The following paragraphs deals with some of the ideal features that a playpen should have, which might help to do away with the confusion.

How to Safely Use a Baby Monitor

Although baby product manufactures are adopting newer technologies to enhance a baby monitor's functionality, being a parent, it is your responsibility too, to adopt a few safety measures while using it for your baby.

Caution!
According to Powerwatch, a wireless baby monitor placed right next to the baby's head, inside the crib, at a distance of less than 1 meter can cause adverse effects on the developing brain of the baby.

If you want to keep an eye on your little bundle even when you are at the other end of the house, doing some work, a baby monitor would come in handy. It is a device that is meant to record even the slightest noise made by the baby, and alert you if you are two-three rooms away from the kid. The latest models are also equipped with a video facility, which keeps a track of every move made by your enthusiastic kiddo, along with sounds.

10 Must-have Childproofing Products for Your Home

Keeping watch over a toddler who has just started to explore his/her surrounding on his/her own can be a challenging task. Childproofing the house is a sensible option to counter the curiosity and exploring nature of a child. This will help in preventing mishaps and other unintentional injuries. In this Buzzle article, we provide a list of ten must-have childproofing products at home to keep your baby safe.

Did You Know?
The 'State of Home Safety Report' published in 2004 by Home Safety Council found that every year, 2,096 children younger than 15 years die due to home injuries. Fire burns, choking, and drowning are some of the leading causes of unintentional home injury death.

Each year, you read numerous stories of children who are injured in and around their homes. Once babies start to crawl and walk, those tiny fingers try to explore and feel all things around them. Now, sometimes, this can only be dangerous for them. Of course, you cannot really follow your child around everywhere. So, how do you prevent mishaps and accidents from happening?

Basic Tips for Choosing a Bike Helmet for Your Child

Kids having fun on their bikes are always going to crash and fall. However, as parents, there are certain precautions we can take to prevent serious injuries. Choosing the right bike helmet ensures your child's safety against head injuries. This Buzzle article provides simple tips to help parents choose the right bike helmet for their kids.

 

Quick Fact
First passed in 1986, in California, the bicycle helmet law was amended in 1993, to cover all children under the age of 18.

Whether you child is riding a bike, scooter, or skateboard, a bike helmet can prevent head injuries that result from crashes or falls. These safety helmets are not optional. In fact, you should get it while buying your child a bike, and before the child gets on the bike, he/she should be wearing a well-fitted helmet.

How to Choose a Play Yard for Your Child

A play yard can be the perfect addition to your nursery. It not only provides a safe and comfortable space for your baby to sleep and play, but also has a host of different features, such as attachable changing tables, that come in very handy. Before you go looking for this useful nursery furniture, read this Buzzle article to get a lowdown on play yards and their features

Quick Tip

To ensure that the play yard is tested for safety and quality, check for the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA) certification.

A play yard, also known as playpen, is an enclosed space that provides the baby a safe place to sleep and play. While the old playpens were basically metal enclosed spaces without any additional bells and whistles, the modern incarnation of a play yard has a host of attractive and useful features. From simple and basic play and nap spaces to full-featured styles with bassinets, changing tables, and storage options, the play yards of today are a truly versatile baby equipment.

Different Types of GPS Locators to Track Your Child

The safety of children is always an issue of concern for parents. And today, it has become all the more crucial. In the world full of uncertainties that we live in, GPS locators that help to track and monitor children have turned out to be highly effective child safety tools. No wonder their popularity is on a steady rise.

The Accuracy Factor

The one most important feature that you need to look out for when buying a GPS tracking device to track your child, is accuracy.

How to Choose a Baby Gate

Baby gate is a childproofing and safety essential which ensures that your child stays away from danger. This Buzzle post provides some simple tips that will help you choose the right baby gate.

Quick Tip

Install safety gates when a baby starts crawling, and discontinue its use when he turns four or five years old. A baby gate can no longer be relied as a safety gate once he learns to climb up and opens the gate on his own.

Features to Look for When Buying a Baby Monitor - Baby Care

There are many types of baby monitors in the market, and you can choose one that suits you and your baby's needs. Here is a list of some handy features that your baby monitor should ideally have.

There are many smartphone apps, such as Baby Monitor 3G, that converts your smartphone into a baby monitor. Using a smartphone, you can monitor another camera-equipped device, such as a tablet or another smartphone, placed in the baby's room to hear every sound and watch live videos and pictures of the child.

Safety Tips for Taking a Baby to the Beach - Baby Care

Taking your baby along for a beach vacation adds to the fun element for the entire family. However, along with the fun, there comes a set of safety concerns that you should be aware of, to avoid any mishap and spend the day happily. These safety tips will help you to take your little one safely to the beach.

Useful Tip

If you have rented a hotel room, let it be right next to the beach. Do not book it somewhere down the street, because you may have to take frequent visits to the hotel for getting something you have forgotten.

What are the Risks of Low Birth Weight?

Birth weight is the weight of a newborn baby, measured immediately at the time of its birth. Low birth weight risks include poor growth of the child, leading to both physical and psychiatric problems. Read on to know low birth weight causes, effects, and complications...

Babies born before completing 37 weeks of pregnancy are called 'premature babies'. They are born with lower than normal birth weight. Babies born around the full term may sometimes have low weight issues. Multiple birth pregnancy (twins or triplets) can lead to lower than normal birth weight for the babies. Here, in this article, we are going to consider singleton pregnancy and low weight babies born at the full term. According to WHO, babies born with a weight less than 2500 g (5 pounds, 8 ounces) are referred to as low birth weight (LBW) babies. Birth weight less than 1500 g is described as 'very low birth weight' (VLBW), and birth weight less than 1000 g is recognized as 'extremely low birth weight' (ELBW). 2500 g - 4200 g is considered as the normal weight for a newborn baby, for a full term delivery. Why some babies have low weight at the time of birth is explained below.

Newborn Belly Button Care

Caring for your baby's navel is of utmost importance. Parents need to observe precaution while cleaning this sensitive area as it is vulnerable to infections and other blood complications. This article provides some crucial tips for caring for your baby's belly button.

Think of babies and the first image that crops up into your mind is of a little fluffy, cute, bubbly bundle of joy. Babies tend to bring smile on our faces. That is why they are the apple of your eyes. When your baby arrives, the feeling of being excited and exhausted at the same time, makes one feel pretty nervous and intimidated. Parents fear practically about everything and that's when the issue of caring for your baby's delicate areas arises. The umbilical cord is one such area which needs special care. The umbilical cord is the connecting link, which keeps your unborn baby nourished and supplies him/her with oxygen in your womb. Immediately after birth, the cord is clamped and a part of the cord is still attached to the baby's navel. The navel cord has to dry and fall off on its own. It takes around one to two weeks to dry off. Usually while drying, the cord may change color from yellow-green to black. That is when, following the doctor's advice and some home care tips come to your rescue.

Taking Care of Your Premature Baby at Home

After getting discharged from the hospital, you must be anxious about the proper care of your newborn preemie. For your assistance, we have provided you the correct ways of handling and caring for your premature baby. Have a look.

When you give birth to a premature baby, responsibilities increase in number. It's because he is born before the gestation period is over and, therefore, he might not be as healthy as a full-term baby. However, there's nothing to worry about as your doctor will let you know everything about caring your preemie. It's natural for mothers to face a little difficulty initially, but once they get into the process, it becomes an overwhelming experience. The more quickly you learn the various ways to nourish your baby, the more beneficial it will be for him.

Newborn Necessities Checklist - Having a Baby

In order to welcome your sweetheart tension-free and peacefully, you need to prepare a newborn necessities checklist. The following article has a checklist, specially designed for you, which you can carry to the store while shopping...

A newborn baby requires a lot of care and attention from the mother. Every mother wants to make her baby be as comfortable in the hospital as possible, which is why the need for a newborn necessities checklist is a must. Even though your bundle of joy looks adorably cut and small, he/she will require some essential items.

What to Expect During Your Baby's First Checkup - Having a Baby

Your baby's first checkup will usually be held a week after his or her birth. Here we try to understand what to expect, and look for, during the first of several routine visits to your baby's doctor.

A week after your baby is born, it's time for his first trip to the pediatrician, referred to as a well-baby checkup. Although newborns usually have their very first checkup at the hospital as soon as they are born, regular pediatric visits begin a week after birth. Most doctors schedule the visit 5 to 7 days after the birth. For most moms and their infants, this can be termed as the very first outing after childbirth!

Rashes in Toddlers

Skin irritations can give toddlers a hard time, and make them highly uncomfortable and cranky. As a parent it is imperative that you are aware of the causes behind this problem, so that you can get your child the right treatment.

A rash is an inflammation of the skin, accompanied with red spots, and change in texture or color of the skin. Rashes can appear either on a localized part or all over the body. Depending on the type of rash, it can either be itchy rash or non-itchy rash, scaly or non-scaly rash. In medical terms a rash is termed as exanthem. Though most rashes go away on their own, they should not be taken lightly. It is important to have your child examined by a physician.

Average Weight Gain for Breastfed Babies

For a new mother, her baby's health is the most important matter of concern. So, do you know if your baby weighs as much as other babies do or is your baby underweight?

Every baby is born different. Hence, they have unique habits and each has a different pace of growth and development. While weight gain among newborn babies depends upon a number of factors like gender, race, ethnicity, genetic structure of parents, mother's health and gestation period of pregnancy, there are statistics of average weight gain for babies who are breastfed, that can help you make the comparison with your baby's weight. Did you know? Your baby will approximately weigh twice as much as he/she weighed at birth, within 3 to 4 months, and thrice the same weight in the first year. But has your baby also lost weight since birth? You need not be worried because a 5% to 10% weight loss is generally observed in babies within 3 to 4 days of birth. So, are you breastfeeding your baby sufficiently? Mother's milk has enough nutrients for a newborn, hence, all pediatricians recommend exclusively feeding the child with breast milk for the first six months since birth. As previously mentioned, the weight loss noted among babies within 3 to 4 days of birth should be regained in the next two weeks.

Preemie Growth Chart

When a baby is born premature or before full term (preterm), it is an arduous time for the family. The parents are worried about the complete mental and physical development of their child. A growth chart, for such preemies, is not just a way to keep a detailed record of the baby's growth, but also a way to celebrate the small but pertinent improvement of their bundle of joy.

Proud to be a Preemie

Some of the famous premature babies include Albert Einstein, Charles Darwin, Isaac Newton, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Napoleon Bonaparte, Mark Twain, Pablo Picasso, Auguste Renoir, Stevie Wonder, Johann Goethe, and Sir Winston Churchill.

Your baby is not alone!

Really Handy Tips for Choosing a Baby Changing Table

A baby changing table can be a good addition to your nursery. It not only allows you to change the baby's diapers easily, but also prevents back pain caused due to the constant bending involved. Here, we provide some practical and simple tips for getting the right changing table.

You need to change a newborn's diaper after every two to three hours, and by the time a child is potty trained, you would probably have changed nearly 5000 diapers.

Tips for Choosing a Safe and Comfortable Bathtub for Your Baby

With so many choices in the market from hard, plastic tubs to foldable and inflatable tubs, choosing a safe and comfortable one for your baby can be confusing. Here are some simple tips for choosing the right baby bathtub.

Safety Tips for Bathing Babies

For newborns, fill the bathtub with just 13 cm of water, or just enough water to reach the baby's shoulder.

Growth Spurts in Babies

When do growth spurts occur in babies? The following article will definitely whet your appetite if you are looking for information on growth spurts in babies. Read on, to know what disrupts the breastfeeding schedule and why do infants demand frequent feeds, sometimes.

The sure sign of your baby going through a growth spurt is that he suddenly starts eating every hour. He will be crankier and fussier than usual. Though he's done, he would still act like he's ready to have more, making you wonder if he is getting enough milk. But don't worry, he's not starving even though he's acting like it! About five baby growth spurts can happen anytime during the first year, and perhaps, he's just hit his first growth spurt. Here is how to recognize growth spurts in babies.

Unbelievably Effective Ways to Stimulate Your Baby's Senses

From the time a human embryo forms in the womb of its mother, the development of its senses begins. This article provides some insights into ways in which you can stimulate your baby's senses in preparation for a long life of discovering the world through these senses, sensations and perceptions.

Did you know that a fetus develops its first sensitivity to touch by eight weeks of gestational age? By fifteen weeks, a human fetus has an adult's taste buds and may even begin to savor the taste of the amniotic fluid! It is no wonder then that even the most ancient wisdom prods a mother-to-be to be careful about her health and maintain a relaxed and peaceful state of mind at all times. By 25 weeks of gestational age, your baby is able to hear your voice and perhaps your partner's (if the sound is close enough to the womb) and by 27 weeks, the baby is even known to recognize the mother's voice. Yes, mind your language around your womb!

Bathing Your Baby Safely and Easily

Many mothers keep maids to bathe their babies as they are scared and not used to handling the little one. However, the truth is no one else other than a mother can handle the baby with care. Hence, I am here to make you confident in bathing your baby safely and easily, by providing simple tips.

Baby bath time brings fun for both the baby and the mother. It brings you closer to your baby, and produces warmth, skin to skin contact and joy. The baby loves to be in the bathtub and play with water. But, being in the water for very long time can be harmful for the baby's health. Therefore, as a mother or even a father sometimes, one has to be careful while bathing the little one. Some of you might feel that it is easy to bathe your baby but, initially it may be difficult as the behavior of the baby at the time of bathing is unpredictable. He/she becomes excited and can go out of your control leading to severe consequences. Even the accidents occurring in the bathroom because of electricity, slipperiness, etc., are common and should be taken into consideration. To make you aware and guide you in giving your baby a bath properly and safely, there are some tips in the following paragraph.

Essential Nutrients Your Baby Needs to Grow

Nutrients are the building blocks for the healthy growth of the baby. Babies need to be given nutrients in appropriate amounts to prevent a deficiency and the possible health problems emerging out of it. This All About Baby article enlists the 4 essential nutrients your baby needs during his growing years.

Iron for Brain Development

Almost 75% of brain development takes place in the first year after birth, and iron is the vital nutrient that helps in brain development.

Gripe Water Pros and Cons

Gripe water for babies has been a tradition since time immemorial. But do you know what some gripe water pros and cons are? Read this article to know all about it.

Gripe water has been given to babies for several centuries as an accepted tradition, and society seems to have taken that as a natural course of order. I'm positive that many of us rarely stop to think about the pros and cons of giving gripe water to babies. For example, the ingredients that are used in its making or whether there are any harmful side effects of the same or other similar details. But, is that the right way to go about it? If you're pregnant and about to have a baby soon, then it would do you good to read the article because it focuses on the gripe water pros and cons and helps you in taking an informed decision for your baby.

How to Make a Rubber Band Helicopter That You Can Be Proud Of

Are you creative with a knack for learning new and innovative things? Well, then this article that tells you how to make a rubber band helicopter, is sure to interest you. Read it once, and you'll be amazed to find out how easy making one really is!

They say that necessity is the mother of invention. However, every great invention or innovative idea is more often than not, a result of inspiration. You might be wondering what inventors and inventions have to do with a toy. Well, the fact is that the rubber band helicopter is the very thing that had inspired the famous Wright brothers to design the first aircraft. So much for a humble toy!

How to Clean Off Battery Corrosion in Toys and Why It's Necessary

A toy you simply love is not working? Maybe it has a corroded battery in it? You need not chuck it into the trash just yet. We'll tell you why this happens and how you can still save your favorite toy.

Did You Know?

The ancient Parthian civilization used batteries 2,000 years ago! They were used to electroplate gold on silver articles.

How to Choose a Perfect Play Kitchen for Your Little Chef at Home

Play or toy kitchens are an integral part of early childhood, and kids learn their initial lessons of life through this toy. Kitchen sets have kept pace with the changing times, and to choose a perfect play kitchen set for your kids, here are a few tips.

Kitchen On Batteries!

Most popular play kitchens have light and sound features that operate on batteries. Hence, it's essential to have enough spare batteries on hand before assembling the play unit for the kids.

What to Look for When Buying Toys for Children With Cerebral Palsy

Children who have cerebral palsy require to have specialized toys. These toys are specially designed keeping in mind their limitations and special needs. Cerebral palsy is a broad term used to describe any one of the several neurological conditions that appear during infancy or early childhood, and lead to permanently affect the body movement, and muscle coordination of a child.

Cerebral palsy comes about because of certain abnormalities in parts of the brain that control muscle movements; and though a majority of children who have cerebral palsy are born with it, there are others in whom this condition is detected months or years later. The earliest signs of this condition usually appear in the child before 3 years of age.

Rashes in Babies

Infants are quite prone to developing rashes on their delicate skin. Most of these skin conditions resolve on their own, but it is essential to seek medical help if the skin eruptions are accompanied by other symptoms. The following write-up provides information on some of the most common types of rashes in newborns.

A rash refers to the change in color, texture or the appearance of the skin. Skin rashes are quite common in babies. Usually contact with irritants, allergens or pathogens such as bacteria, viruses or fungi is the underlying cause for the development of eruptions on skin. While some skin eruptions appear only on certain parts of the body, some are generalized.

The Oft-overlooked Importance of Crawling for a Child's Development

The first step towards actual movement comes in the form of crawling. We will see, just how important is this activity for a baby's overall development.

"Observe children learning in their first few years of life, you can see that they can and do learn on their own - we leave them alone to crawl, walk, talk, and gain control over their bodies. It happens without much help from parents." ~ Daniel Greenberg

Your baby's first attempt to explore everything around it only means that you need to gear up and be prepared to follow it all around the house. As a rule of nature, babies need to crawl around on all four limbs before they move on to walking, running, jumping etc., as the saying goes "You need to crawl before you walk". Long after the baby has learned to walk, you might notice they resort to crawling, if they feel insecure. Why is this phase then considered to be important for the baby's growth and development? Before you pick your child up into your arms and cuddle it, or even resort to purchasing knee caps to protect those little knees, give a thought to what is enclosed here.

7 Baby Essentials That Aren't So Essential

New parents tend to go overboard when buying things for their newborn. However, there are certain 'essentials' that babies can actually live without. To know more about these, go through this Buzzle article.

Did You Know?

According to financial experts, the very first year of your child's life can set you back by about $9,000 to $11,000.

Do Babies Dream? These Intriguing Facts Have the Answer

It's difficult to know the exact answer to whether babies dream and what they dream about. However, studies say that newborn spend most of their sleep time in REM (rapid eye movement) stage, where most of the dreaming happens.

Researchers say that premature babies spend around 90 percent of their sleep time in REM, which stimulates their brain growth.

24 Easy Activities for Nurturing Your Infant's Senses

The key factor in planning activities for infants is that these activities have to engage their 5 senses. This stage is a very crucial stage of development for the infant -- everything has a sense of awe, and everything is approached with curiosity. It is therefore important that the parents are always around to fulfill this need.

An infant is a child who falls in the age bracket of 1-18 months. Through this stage, the infant will slowly learn to speak, walk, and carry through other such activities that require using his intellectual and analytical mind. That is why the activities that are included in this stage become extremely important.

Cute and Useful Gifts for Newborns and Young Parents

A gift for a newborn could be a personalized and unique gift, or a simple gift too. It is the perfect way to welcome a new being into this world. The utility of gifts for a newborn can also make the parents' life easier, as such gifts can help them in nurturing the baby in a better way.

List of Must-have Baby Registry Items

As a parent, you want the best for your baby. However, when making a baby registry, it is best to avoid including just about every baby product in the market, and pick just the essentials. This ensures that your baby has what he/she needs, and you do not end up receiving duplicates and needless gifts.

Quick Tip

It is a good idea to register both online and in-store. While certain things can be bought online, there are other more expensive and bulky items, like car seats, which need to be tested before buying.

Is White Rice Cereal Dangerous for Babies?

If you are looking for a good first solid food option for your baby, white rice cereal is surely not a good choice. The following article throws some light on the ill effects of giving white rice cereal to young ones.

Did You Know?

Soft fruits or boiled vegetables mashed, puréed, or ground using a food grinder is considered to be the best and safest solid food option to feed babies.

7 Best Baby Food Brands

As a busy parent, mashing and pureeing food for the baby can be a time-consuming task. Commercially prepared baby foods provide a great nutritional alternative and are rather convenient to prepare. In this All About Baby article, we take a look at some of the most popular baby food brands out there.

Did You Know?

Commercial baby food was first prepared in the United States in 1927 by the Fremont Canning Company, which is now known as the Gerber Products Company.

7 Kitchen Tools to Make Baby Food at Home

Making baby food at home can be really easy if you have certain kitchen tools that will help you cook, purée, and store baby food. This All About Baby article provides a list of some handy tools that will help you prepare the best food for your child.

Quick Tip

Along with kitchen tools, pick up some baby food recipe books, such as the Great Expectations: Best Food for Your Baby & Toddler which not only provides recipes, but also covers a whole range of feeding stages for the first year of your baby's life.

12 Must-haves for a Baby Medicine Cabinet

Whether it is a rash, common cold, or fever, being prepared and stocking up on baby medicines can help you deal with the baby ailment in time. In this All About Baby article, we list the baby medicine cabinet essentials that can save you a late-night dash to the drugstore.

Quick Tip

It is a good idea to clean out your medicine cabinet at least once a year. This will help you dispose outdated and old products.

Tips for Choosing the Right High Chair for Your Baby

Choosing the right high chair for your baby can get very confusing and difficult, owing to varieties of this product that are available in the market. Keeping that in mind, this post presents some tips that will surely come in handy when you are looking at your options and trying to decide which high chair is the best for your baby.

Most Important Tip!

Never buy a high chair or any baby product that has been recalled by the manufacturer.

Please note: In this All About Baby excerpt, for the sake of consistency, we have applied the female gender to the baby.

13 Amazing Facts About Babies That are Truly Incredible

If you think you got babies all figured out, then think again! All About Baby has provided some facts about babies that will change your perception about them.

Masters at Changing Diapers?

Studies show that men are significantly faster at changing a diaper as compared to women.

For most of us, babies are little bundles of joy that eat, sleep, and poop; of course, with the occasional adorable chuckle and some horrendous crying. But if you think babies are just that, then we come with some news for you, they're much, much more.