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Although the vast majority of parents would never shake their baby, shaken baby syndrome is something that can happen out of the blue, especially when you are up all night with a screaming baby and feel overwhelmed. And, it is not just parents who can struggle with this issue. Anyone who takes care of a baby can find themselves in this position including babysitters, nannies, and extended family. That is why all parents need to understand what shaken baby syndrome is, how serious it is, what its symptoms look like—and most importantly, what to do if you or someone who cares for your baby might be at risk for shaking a baby out of anger or frustration....

For decades, research has shown that there may be something about one multiple that particularly resonates with the parent, such as a shared trait, attitude, appearance, or interest. Or it could simply be a special closeness that happens to occur for any number of reasons. Parents can sometimes feel a lot of guilt over liking one child more than another, and may go to great lengths to hide their preference....

In some cases, decreased movement may be an early warning sign of a condition that could lead to stillbirth, so it is absolutely best to err on the side of caution. If you are sure your baby’s movements have become less frequent than usual, such as if you’ve been monitoring kick counts, you need to call and discuss this immediately with your physician or midwife. When Does Fetal Movement Begin?...

Whether or not timeouts work can depend on a child’s personality and temperament, her age and stage of development, and how the timeouts are being used. Timeouts may be just the thing one child needs to calm down and think about his behavior; but for another child, they may set off screaming and emotional upset. If time outs cause more chaos and upset in your home and aren’t solving behavior problems, it may be time to start considering alternative child discipline strategies to steer your child’s behavior in the right direction....

Position of Twins During Labor The position of the babies in the uterus will largely determine how the twins are born—vaginally or by cesarean. About 40% of twins are both head down (vertex) at term. In another 30%, the first baby (Twin A) is vertex, and Twin B is in a breech position. Both of these positions are acceptable to consider a vaginal birth. There are scenarios where a cesarean is advisable in a twin birth, such as when both babies are breech....

That’s when the honeymoon is over…Your baby is feeding frequently and for long periods of time. Their sleep patterns have miraculously changed and the baby is awake all night, crying more often. You feel, “What have I done wrong? You were so perfect in the hospital!” The answer is, “Absolutely nothing!” This is, fortunately, or unfortunately, normal. Feeding at Home Vs. In the Hospital Whether babies are exhausted from the long journey into this world, sleeping heavily because of the hum of activity in the nursery, or because they are being held against your warm body, babies generally sleep well in the hospital....

“Because your baby’s health and well-being are crucial, please take the time to do your research before ordering formula online. Failure to do so could severely impact your baby’s life,” advises Gwenneth Simmonds, PhD, CNM in Atlanta. Things to Know When Buying Online What’s in a name? Plenty, when you’re deciding what formula to buy for your baby. Experts recommend picking a trusted brand name when it comes to both the formula and the online store....

While AIDS is certainly the best known of the sexually transmitted diseases, it’s very important that your teen know that there are other STDs that are highly communicable, including chlamydia, gonorrhea, genital herpes, pediculosis pubis (crabs), scabies, syphilis, trichomoniasis, and venereal warts. Several of these infections can be extremely serious (some can eventually cause sterility in either males or females; others cause chronic pain and discomfort), and even life-threatening. What’s more, several kinds of STDs, including herpes, syphilis, pharyngeal gonorrhea, and AIDS, can be contracted without having genital intercourse, as they can be spread orally....

How the Fetal Heart Develops The baby’s heart develops from two tubes that join together in the middle to create a chamber with four tubes extending from it. It starts to beat between 5 and 6 weeks gestation and may be detected via ultrasound around this time as well. The heart of the embryo continues to develop over the next several weeks. It is fully formed around 10 weeks gestation....

Babies under age 1 should not have any fruit juice in their diets at all. Upon turning 2, they should be limited to 4 ounces per day, with the rest of their recommended daily fruit coming from whole fruits. “[The first year of life] is a time for learning to eat table foods, and nutrition should come from breastmilk or formula,” notes Sarah Skovran, RDN, LD, a registered dietitian nutritionist andACE-certified personal trainer with a private practice in Maine....

Detecting a fetal heartbeat with a handheld Doppler or a fetoscope also clinically confirms a pregnancy. Sometimes, a pregnancy ends in miscarriage before ultrasound confirmation can take place. This may be referred to as a chemical pregnancy. Understanding the definitions and difference between a chemical pregnancy, a clinical pregnancy, and pregnancy symptoms can be confusing. Let’s explore each, one by one. Pregnancy Symptoms Pregnancy symptoms are things you experience or feel when pregnant....

The social worker is being unreasonable. The social worker feels you are still yearning for a biological child. Few people completely lose their sadness about not being able to have a biological child. But they should work through the issue when they apply to adopt. If the prospective parents have lost a pregnancy or a child, they need time to grieve this loss. Adopted kids should never be “replacement kids.” If your social worker believes that you still need to work on grief issues, at least consider the possibility that she might be right....

Take your child’s temperature before you call and let your doctor know if your child has a fever and what kind of thermometer you used to take her temperature. You can take your child’s temperature in a variety of ways: In just over a minute, rectal thermometers yield the most accurate recording of your toddler’s core temperature. You also can place a rectal thermometer under your child’s armpit and get an accurate axillary temperature (usually about one to two degrees lower than the rectal temperature)....

Unfortunately, there are several types of viruses that can increase the risk of miscarriage or stillbirth. It’s important to stay informed of virus infections that can cause pregnancy complications, as well as what you can do to reduce your risk factors for adverse pregnancy outcomes. 1. Zika Virus Zika virus is commonly thought to cause fetal abnormalities, like microcephaly, but researchers have recently found that it may also lead to miscarriages and stillbirths as well....

But it is actually more than that. Like depression, anxiety can severely interfere with a person’s ability to function and often requires treatment and counseling to fully resolve the underlying trauma. In fact, most research suggests that anxiety disorders are a more common condition following pregnancy loss than even depression. Anxiety Disorders Commonly Seen Anxiety disorders are serious mental illnesses that cause significant worry or fear that doesn’t go away and can even worsen over time....

You’re hoping to run a quick errand at the mall but your five-year-old drags you into the toy store. He races the aisles, pressing buttons, and howling in delight as electronic sound effects fill the air. He points excitedly at the packaging that features Star Wars characters, or the Rugrats. More: The Best Outdoor Toys for Kids and Toddlers Maybe you break down and buy him something; maybe not. In either case, don’t feel like a Pushover Parent or a Mean Mom....

If you are a mother of a girl who suddenly is very critical of you, realize that she is maturing. While examining some characteristics in you—some of which she may see emerging in herself—she may be surprised. Criticism of a mother is a girl’s attempt to find traits to adore and adopt. In a way, it is a flattering development. If she did not care, she would simply overlook you....

More: How Tall Will My Baby Be? A Genetic Explanation Are you born with freckles? Short answer, no. Long answer, freckles can pop up with any amount of sun exposure and it all depends on how your skin absorbs and reacts to the sun. According to Stanford Children’s Health, freckles aren’t necessarily a result of damage, but they are certainly a telltale sign that you’ve been out in the sun without sunscreen....

Caucasian babies are generally born with blue or grey eyes, but much of the time, their eyes darken to green, hazel, or brown by age one. Some babies won’t settle into a final eye color until closer to age two. Eye color genes are more complicated than first appears to the eye. According to Genetics Home Reference, ““The inheritance of eye color is more complex than originally suspected because multiple genes are involved....