Almost 100 frequently asked questions about babies – a must read for all parents

Food and Stool:

1. What is the best food for a baby? Breastmilk. Follow the link here.
2. What brand of formula is best for a baby? In my opinion, there is no difference between the different leading brands of formula. To learn more about formula, follow the link here.
3. How much should a baby eat? As a rule of thumb – 150ml per kg body weight per day. However, in reality this number will differ from one baby to another. So, the best advice I have would be to try and prepare a bottle that will contain an amount slightly larger than what they need to feel full. By leaving some formula in the bottle at the end of the meal, we will know that the baby has stopped eating because they feel full, and not because there was no more food left. It is also important to weigh the baby regularly to make sure they are gaining weight adequately.
4. When can I stop using boiled water or distilled water to prepare formula for my baby? In my opinion – never. Find out why here.
5. Should I wake my baby up when it is time for their feeding? In the first few days of life, a baby should be woken up every 2-3 hours for a feeding. Once their weight has been checked and adequate gain is confirmed, you can consider increasing the intervals between meals and feeding him/her on demand.
6. If my baby spits up, does this mean I am overfeeding him/her? Not necessarily. Babies tend to spit up very often. Read more about this here.
7. How can I tell that my baby’s spit ups are normal and are not the result of an underlying medical condition? Follow this link to find out the answer to this question.
8. How can I tell that my baby is eating enough? By seeing that he is calm, not irritable and gaining enough weight.
9. How many bowel movements should a baby have per day? A baby can have either 7 stools a day or one a week – both are normal.
10. What colour is normal for a baby’s stool? Yellowish-green shades of stool. White stool is abnormal and requires investigation. If your baby has white stool take a picture of the stool and see your pediatrician as soon as possible.
11. Is it important to switch between different types of formulas or is it better to stick to one type? It is best to stick to one type, unless there is a reason to switch to a new type.

Supplements and the introduction of solids:

12. Are vitamin D supplements needed? In most countries the guidelines advise that a baby be given 400 units of vitamin D every day, until they are one year old. Find out more here.
13. Is iron supplement needed? In some countries, guidelines advise that a baby be given iron supplements starting 4 months of age, unless they were born prematurely (it is then started earlier). Learn more here.
14. When should solids be introduced? At the age of 6 months. I suggest you read more about this in the link here.
15. When should I start offering my baby water? Babies do not need water until they have started solids. This is because prior to introducing solids, every time a baby is hungry or thirsty, they will have breastmilk or formula. However, after giving your baby a meal of solids in place of formula, it is good to offer them some water. Read more about this here.
16. Should I give my baby probiotics? No! I was raised without any probiotics… I think I turned out okay.

Matters of body temperature:

17. What is the recommended temperature to keep your home at? Between 21-23 degrees Celsius
18. What is considered normal when it comes to a baby’s body temperature? An axillary (armpit) temperature of 36.3-37.8 degrees Celsius.
19. Does a baby’s temperature need to be checked for a fever routinely? No. There is no reason to take a baby’s temperature routinely.
20. What is the best way to take a baby’s temperature? A rectal measurement, using a digital thermometer, will give you the most accurate result.
21. What if a baby under 2 months of age has a temperature greater than 38 degrees Celsius? Seek medical attention as soon as possible. Find out why here.
22. What medication can I use to reduce fever in a baby under 3 months? Acetaminophen only.
23. What is the correct dose of acetaminophen? It depends on the baby’s weight, read about this here.

Baby care:

24. Is a hip ultrasound necessary for all babies? When should it be done? – Most guidelines do not recommend hip ultrasound for all babies, rather for babies with specific risk factors or signs. Nonetheless, I think it is important for all babies to undergo hip ultrasound between 4-6 weeks. See this link here to learn more.
25. When can I cut my baby’s nails? From birth, just take care when doing so. Read more here.
26. Do I need to clean my baby’s ears? A baby’s ears can be cleaned from the outside. The use of Q-tips is not advised. See this link for more information.
27. How should I care for my baby’s umbilical stump? Before it falls off, and in the first few days after, it is important to disinfect the bellybutton using 70% alcohol or chlorhexidine, when changing their diaper, 3 times a day. Disinfecting the area too many times a day has been found to be associated with delayed falling of the umbilical stump.
28. When should the umbilical stump fall off? This happens around day 14 after delivery on average, but it is also normal for it to happen a few days before or after day 14.
29. When can I leave the house with my baby? At any age. As long as it’s not too cold or too hot, and the sun is not directly hitting the baby, you can leave the house and take your baby on a stroll at any age.
30. When can I take my baby out to a closed space? As long as there is no one sneezing, blowing their nose, or giving your baby a kiss on the mouth, you can take them out at any age.
31. Who can come closer to the baby and hold them? Anyone who is healthy, as long as they have washed their hands and do not give the baby a kiss on the mouth.
32. Should I keep my baby away from his/her older siblings? No, but keep in mind that children who attend daycare or kindergarten are a petri dish of infections, and it is very important to follow the advice in the above clauses to keep your baby safe.
33. How should I dress my baby? Dress them according to the weather. During the winter, a baby under the age of 2 months should be dressed in two long top layers and one long pair of pants with footies. During summer, babies under the age of 2 months should be dressed in two short top layers and pants with footies. As a rule of thumb, try to dress your baby with one layer more than what you are wearing if they are under 1 month of age or under 4.5kg.
34. Is it okay to have a pet in the house when raising a baby? Yes, I think it is actually very beneficial. To learn more about the benefits of raising a baby with a pet in the house, follow the link here.
35. Do babies undergo screening tests at the hospital prior to discharge? What are those for? All babies undergo screening tests in accordance with the rules and regulations of the healthcare system in your country. Read more about screening tests here.

Abdominal pain (Colic/gas):

36. How can I tell that my baby has colic? To answer this question read about the ‘rule of threes’ here.
37. What is the best way to handle colic? Take your partner to a good restaurant.
38. And now seriously, what is the best way to handle colic? Soft touch, repetitive movements, routine and a calm atmosphere. I’m sorry to break this to you, but anything else you have already purchased to treat their colic was probably a waste of money.
39. Is it important to make sure the baby burps at the end of a meal? All babies swallow air when feeding and getting that air out helps them feel better. However, there are a lot of babies that are not able to burp after every single meal, and guess what? They grow to become healthy adults too.

Circumcision:

40. What are the three most important points when it comes to circumcision? Preventing pain, avoiding direct sucking and avoiding a dressing. If you plan on circumcising your child – this is a must read.

Baby baths:

41. How often should a baby be bathed? Everyday. Babies pee and poo on themselves, it is really important to bathe them every day, beginning their first day of life.
42. Are baths a nightmare for the baby or the highlight of their day? The highlight of their day. Find out how to turn bath time into a fun experience for you and your baby by following this link.
43. Should I use baby shampoo or baby oil for bath time? Baby oil is itself a cleansing soap, so it is enough to simply use baby oil for the first few weeks of life.
44. Want to kill two birds with one stone? Get into a routine of giving your baby their supplements during bath time, especially the iron drops – those can get messy.

Sleep:

45. What is the best sleeping position for a baby? On their back, on a firm mattress, and make sure there are no objects lying around the bed. Sleeping on tummies has been shown to increase the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
46. Is sleeping on the side okay? Sleeping on the side has been shown to increase the risk for SIDS twofold.
47. How many hours a day is a baby supposed to sleep? In the first two months of life, babies sleep about 16 hours a day. But keep in mind that babies don’t always follow the rules.
48. Should I use baby sensors to monitor my baby? None of the baby sensors out there has been proven to decrease the risk of SIDS.
49. Does a baby have to use a pacifier? No, he doesn’t “have to”. If he enjoys it, great. If not, let it go.

Baby skin:

50. My baby has very dry skin. What should I apply? Moisturizing creams containing cetomacrogol.
51. My baby has dandruff, should I be worried? Not at all. Read about dandruff here.
52. My baby’s face is full of pimples, do I need to do anything? These pimples are usually baby acne. Read more about baby acne here.

Well-baby visits, vital signs and vaccines:

53. When should I schedule my baby’s first visit to the doctor’s? Your baby should see their primary care physician within his/her first 5 days of life. See this link.
54. Provided my baby received his/her hepatitis B vaccine at birth, when is their next vaccine? The next hepatitis B vaccine is at the age of 1 month. Read more about routine vaccinations here.
55. What is the expected increase in length of a baby in their first 4 months of life? An increase of approximately 5 cm in the first month, 3 cm in the second month and 2.5 cm in the third and fourth month of life are expected.
56. What is the expected increase in head circumference in the first 3 months of life? An increase of 2 cm per month..
57. Should I schedule the routine vaccines on separate visits? I don’t think that’s a good idea. Find out why here.

Baby development:

58. When does a baby normally start smiling for the first time? Around 6 weeks of age.
59. When does a baby start following objects with their eyes? It is possible to get a baby to focus on an object for a short period of time already at birth. At the age of 1 month, we expect babies to be able to follow their parents’ face in a horizontal motion, from a short distance.
60. What is torticollis? How can we treat it? Torticollis is an abnormal positioning of the neck, read more about it here.
61. Why is tummy time important? How long should a baby spend on their tummy? It is important to place a baby on their tummy when they are awake (only when awake!) so that they can strengthen the muscles of their neck, shoulder and chest. You can start placing your baby on their tummy as soon as they’re born. Start with a few minutes a day and gradually increase the amount of time as they get more and more comfortable.
62. What is side preference in babies? Side preference is exactly what it sounds like. Unlike torticollis, a baby will favor one side, but this is not due to movement restriction of the neck. The best way to treat it is by drawing your baby’s attention to the opposite side. Consider seeking medical attention or a physiotherapist consult.
63. What should I do if my baby had a head trauma? Read and follow the advice in this link.

Baby eyesight

64. What can a baby see? A baby can see large objects at a distance of 20-30cm.
65. Can I stimulate a baby’s eyesight and encourage it to develop? Certainly, you can do so with the help of black-white-red folding cards, to produce contrast between the shapes and colours. Read more about this here.
66. Can babies be cross-eyed? Babies under the age of 3 months can appear to be cross-eyed and that is completely normal. Read more about strabismus here.
67. When are we able to tell the colour of a baby’s eye? You can only be certain of the colour when the baby turns 1 year old.
68. Do babies need to undergo routine eye examinations? Most guidelines recommend eyesight examinations for a baby between the ages 6-12 months.

Baby teeth

69. When do babies usually get their first tooth? At the age of 6 months
70. Which tooth will erupt first? Usually, the bottom incisor will erupt first. More information here.
71. How can we tell that a baby’s tooth will be erupting soon? Often a few days prior to eruption there will be a white swelling in the gums.
72. Does teeth eruption in babies cause fever? Yes, but it is usually low grade and no greater than 38 degrees Celsius.

In summary, I hope you find this post helpful. I suggest you expand your reading using the links attaches. And again, if you think I’ve missed an important question, please do not hesitate to contact me.