Chicago Baby - Fall 2008 - (Page 35) 6-12 6- 2 months 1 et another study shows the dangers of giving cold dan medication to children under 2 According to an arti2. cle in Pediatrics, a “substantial” number of children taken to the emergency room when they stopped breatht ing or lost consciousness had a positive toxicology screen, posit with a number testing positive for over-the-counter cold medication. About 1,500 children under the age of 2 are taken to the emergency room ea year after taking each cold and cough medicines, accor according to the Centers for Disease Control and Preventio That means we Prevention. should all follow the recommendations of the recom Food and Drug Administration, which says Admini that these medicatio should not be given medications to children under 2. So throw out that cough sy syrup and keep the bulb syringe ndy syring handy the next time your bouncing bundle gets ncing sniffles. the s es. Cold comfort Y Sound it out B aby’s first word is always a big milestone, but now we may know why that first word is often “mama” or “dada.” According to a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, it’s all about sound. In many cultures, the words for “mother” and “father” feature repeating sounds and babies are particularly drawn to that. Researchers discovered baby’s preference for repeating sounds by doing brain scans of newborns while listening to recordings of made-up words—the “words” with repeating sounds caused increased brain activity. Of course, baby’s attachment to mom and dad doesn’t hurt, either. Tooth time W hen it comes to taking care of your little one’s first pearly whites, prevention is key. According to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, a child should first see a dentist whenever his first tooth comes in, usually between 6 months and 1 year of age. Even before that first tooth appears, though, the AAPD recommends cleaning baby’s gums with a soft infant toothbrush and water starting at birth (unless otherwise recommended, don’t use fluoridated toothpaste until age 2 or 3). To prevent Early Childhood Caries (also known as baby bottle tooth decay or nursing caries), don’t put baby to bed with a bottle or nurse at-will at night after his first tooth oth h appears. Also try to make the e the t switch to a sippy cup between ween 12 and 14 months. And don’t worry too much about that thumb-sucking or pacifier habit— acifier the AAPD says that only prolonged sucking can cause damage. The associage. tion recommends discouraging the raging habit if it continues after age 4. r For more information or to find a pediatric dentist in n your area, visit aapd.org. . ChicagoParent.com | Fall 2008 | 35 http://www.aapd.org http://www.ChicagoParent.com
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