Furniture HAZARDS
You may have already taken steps to prevent baby
from harming herself around the house. Now that
baby is mobile, her vulnerability to dangers caused
by furniture and household equipment increases.
You may have to bar baby from entering certain
zones or rooms of the house such as the prayer
room or storage room. When baby starts to pull
herself up, she will practice on anything. Be
alert to situations where she can tip furniture
onto herself when pulling up such as cabinets
or coffee tables or bookcases. Store them away
for the time being. Units with drawers such as
dressers can be hazardous especially when they
start to open and shut them. Put TV high enough.
Exercise gears can be dangerous too; free weights
can roll onto little hands and feet. Baby could
be tangled in a jump rope.
LAUNDRY DETERGENTS
and Baby's Skin
When baby develops a rash, many parents wonder
if their laundry is the cause. Detergents are
however not the reason for the rash. You do not
have to specially buy hypoallergenic soap to wash
baby's clothes if your baby's skin is normal.
To protect her skin, make sure you rinse her clothes
twice for the first few months. A liquid fabric
softener added to the wash cycle leaves less residue,
and that means less chance for irritation as compared
to fabric softener sheets. If on the other hand
your baby has sensitive skin, take the necessary
steps to protect it. Choose a gentle fragrance
free soap or detergent to wash her clothes. Rinse
clothes twice to be sure you rinse out all soap
residues.
FOODS to AVOID with Baby
Do not feed babies under 1 year old, the
foods listed below. It is good to know what your
baby can eat and what is best avoided until later.
Still, you can check with your pediatrician on this.
• Any food that is a choking hazard, such
as nuts, hard candy, pop corn, grapes, peanut butter
• Cow's milk because the proteins are too
hard for baby to digest
• Egg whites because the proteins are too
hard to digest and may cause allergic reactions.
It is OK to feed baby egg yolks.
• Spinach, beets, turnips and carrots prepared
at home. They contain large amounts of nitrates
and could cause anemia.
Prepared baby food is OK because manufacturers
remove harmful substances.
• Fruit with pits, seeds, or thick skin. Remove
skin, seeds and pits, then mash before feeding baby
• Anything with bones in It, such as fish
• Certain citrus fruits and juices.
