Newborn
Can She Hear Me?
Most babies with hearing loss are not diagnosed until they are 1½ to 3 years old, unless a routine screening hearing test is done. These simple tests are recommended for all babies. However, about 1 o…
Try This At Home
Medical Centers are equipped with oxygen outlets on the wall. When newborns are having trouble at birth, 100% oxygen is routinely used as part of the resuscitation efforts. But around the world, not a…
Ear Tubes and Development
We know that fluid behind the eardrum decreases hearing in children as long as it is present. We also know that the first 3 years of life are a very important time in a child's development. The questi…
Smoking Outside
What happens when parents go outside to smoke? If parents completely ban smoking within the home, the nicotine byproducts in their baby's urine are clearly reduced, according to a study in the August …
SIDS Prevention and Flat Heads
The same "Back to Sleep" campaign that has dramatically decreased the rate of SIDS has also resulted in an increasing number of babies with flat skull areas, usually on one side of the back of the hea…
Baby Aerobics?
This is the youngest exercise program I have ever seen ? and it had powerful results. The babies involved were tiny premies, averaging about 2 1/2 pounds in weight, and still 3 months before their due…
Fifth Day Fits
This week a mother came to HouseCalls Chat desperate to learn about fifth day fits. "I can't find any info on the subject and I need to find out more about it," orrynsmom wrote. "My son had fifth day …
Diet and Skin
Baby soft, smooth skin in young children could be partly the result of what their mothers ate during pregnancy and nursing, according to a study reported in the May 31, 2003 issue of The Lancet. Benef…
Sleeping with SIDS
Sudden infant death syndrome has dropped by well over 50 percent since the 1994 initiative to have babies sleep on their backs. Overall, SIDS strikes only 0.62 per 1000 babies in the United States. Th…
Strong Prevention
Respiratory infections are the number one reason that young children in the United States are hospitalized. More than 1 in 20 babies are hospitalized for a respiratory infection before their first bir…
Reduced Crying: Another Benefit of Breastfeeding
A baby crying in pain tugs at our heartstrings. A study published in the January 4, 2003 issue of the British Medical Journal showed that breastfeeding is a powerful way to reduce pain. This was a stu…
Jaundice Helps Babies!
A startling study published in the November 25, 2002 Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences tells how scientists at Johns Hopkins University proved that bilirubin, the pigment that turns jaun…
Formula Recall
If your baby drinks a store-brand formula, check the can. Many different store-brands are made by the same people. The FDA has issued a consumer alert that about 1.5 million cans of powdered infant fo…
Painful Lessons
Babies in the first 24 to 36 hours of life can learn to anticipate pain, according to a fascinating study published in the August 21, 2002 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. (mo…
Breastfeeding Advantages for Mom!
About 25,000 cases of invasive breast cancer could be prevented each year if women breastfed each of their children for an average of 8-9 months, instead of the current average of 2-3 months, accordin…
Breastfeeding Drops Risk of Obesity
Childhood obesity rates continue to climb. However, babies who are breastfed have a 30 percent drop in their risk of obesity, according to a study published in the June 8, 2002 issue of The Lancet. Th…
SIDS, The Family Bed, & The U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission
The U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission and the JPMA have launched a new national safety campaign urging parents not to ever bring babies to sleep with them, but to always put them to sleep in cr…
The Bottom Line
The nutrients DHA and ARA, found naturally in breastmilk, have been in the news a lot lately. Controversy! Some studies of DHA and ARA in formula have detected significant benefits for children. (more…
Allergic to Milk Formulas?
Dr. Greene's take on milk formulas... Many parents who think their babies are allergic to cow's milk formulas ask me about switching to a partial hydrolysate formula like Good Start. Breastmilk is bes…
DHA & ARA: A Personal Story
I was scheduled to appear on National Public Radio to discuss an exciting development for babies: for the first time DHA and ARA have been added to an infant formula in the US. As the moment approache…