| My baby is about
to turn 1. I've read a couple of things now that say that she should be
weaned from the bottle around the age of 1. If this is true, should she
also not be eating formula any more? What should she be eating daily?
She doesn't run around with a bottle, we only use it at this point to
feed her about 3 times a day, in between solid food feedings, and just
before bed. (I'll really miss that bottle, it's a very cuddly time for
us) Also, she seems to constantly have a stuffy nose, and is eating a
lot less the last couple of days. Could this have to do with the fact
that at least 2 of her top teeth are making an appearance, and probably
3? She has surely gotten in her left front tooth and eye tooth in the
last couple of days. When you get a moment, please let me know where I
should go from here with feeding and stuffy noses. Thanks for your time,
Mrs M |
|
Mrs. M,
Thank you for your
question(s)...feeding, stuffy nose, and teething. You hit about 90% of
all childhood problems with one fell swoop.
I'll start with
the teething...
Drooling, fist
in the mouth, and mild irritability go along with teething. A very
irritable child with a temperature (> 100.4 F) is NOT teething, but
something which should be addressed by a pediatrician. By the sound of
your question, it does not appear that your little one has a temp or is
very upset. So, it's sounds like teething.
Now, what to do
or not do....
- Rub your
baby's gums with your finger
- Let her
chew on a "teething ring" (NOT a frozen one; the cold could worsen
the pain)
- Let her
chew on a teething biscuit
- Topical
pain relievers that you rub on don't last long, because your baby's
saliva just washes them out. So, they aren't really worth it.
Next, stuffy
nose...
With no fever,
no cough, and a baby who is otherwise in good health, the best treatment
would be nothing. The next best thing would be "ocean" drops, which are
nothing more than salt water. The drops are placed in the nose, which
loosen the mucous, and then you can suction out the loose stuff with a
bulb syringe. Ocean drops and a bulb syringe are sold at the drugstore.
Feeding....
There is
nothing magical about 1 year of age and feeding. But, I'll give you some
general guidelines for a 1 year old child. You decide if she is ready or
not.
- Encourage
self feeding
- Use
"2-handed" cups, so she can drink herself
- Encourage
her to use a little spoon
- Praise her
with "You did a great job feeding yourself, Reagan!"
- Limit meal
times to a certain length of time, so she knows when meal time
starts and ends
- Develop
some consistency to meals: time of day, seating, discipline, etc.
- Try and
limit the phrase "one more for daddy", "one more for mommy", etc.
She should eat because she is hungry, not because she is trying to
please you.
- Foods can
include iron fortified cereals, fruits, vegetables, meats, toast,
eggs, orange juice and teething biscuits. Please remember to keep
them at small bite size portions. I have seen many children choke
and stop breathing because of large chunks of food, e.g. hot dog,
which should have been cut in to smaller portions.
- Formula
can start to be phased out, and replaced with whole milk.
Also, as you
wean her off the bottle, don't allow her to keep it for security
reasons, especially at night. The longer food or milk is allowed to sit
on her teeth, the more likely she will develop tooth decay and other
problems.
Whew! How's
that? I hope that helps.
Dr. Mike
This
article was reviewed
04/23/2010 07:24 AM
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