When you hear your baby cough, your first thought might be, “Call the pediatrician, now.” (Yes, even if it’s 3 a.m.) But with a little know-how, you just might be able to soothe your sick baby right at home. 

What causes a cough?
Usually, your baby’s cough coincides with a respiratory problem like a cold, a viral infection, bronchiolitis, whooping cough, or croup (the barking cough). All those illnesses tend to create extra mucus, which is a normal part of the healing process but is also what makes your baby cough. Other things, like allergies or asthma, can trigger coughing, too. 

How to treat your baby’s cough
Over-the-counter cough and cold medicines aren’t safe for children under 4 years old. And since most coughs are caused by viral infections, antibiotics are usually out, too. So while your baby’s cough might just need to run its course, that doesn’t mean you can’t help him feel more comfortable in the meantime. Here’s how: 

• Give homemade cough suppressants. For babies over 6 months, warm, clear fluids (e.g., warm water) can help soothe a sore throat and ease your baby’s coughing. For children over 1 year, you can also give 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of honey as needed. (Never give honey to babies under 1 year because it can cause infant botulism.) For babies under 3 months, call your pediatrician.
   
• Raise his head. For babies over 12 months, elevating his head can reduce stuffiness and help him breathe easier. No need to overdo it, though -- just a little elevation using towels or pillowcases under his mattress or pillow can help.
   
• Add humidity. Dry air only makes a cough worse. Run a hot shower with the door closed or use a humidifier in your baby’s room to add moisture, which will lubricate his airway.
• Encourage plenty of rest and relaxation. As your baby is resting, he’s also healing. If he gets bored in his crib or bed, you can also set up a comfy place for him in the living room -- or even outside, if it’s a nice day.  

When to call the baby doc 
Your baby coughing alone might not be enough to warrant a call to the pediatrician. But you should get the doc involved if your baby...

• Is under 3 months old, has any fever, or has been coughing for more than a few hours
• Is over 3 months old and has a fever higher than 101°F
   
• Is having trouble breathing, appears to be working hard to breathe, or is breathing faster than normal
• Has a blue tint to his face, tongue, or lips
• Makes a whistling sound when he breathes in, makes a “whooping” sound when breathing in after a cough, or wheezes when he breathes out
• Is coughing up blood
• Seems weak, cranky, irritable, or not like himself
• Is dehydrated

Photo by Sharon McCutcheon on Unsplash

Your newborn baby may not be playing in the yard just yet, but he still needs an occasional bath -- especially after lots of messy spit-up or a dirty diaper. Grab a sponge or washcloth for an easy way to keep your baby clean.

Start with a sponge bath
Experts recommend sponge baths for babies whose umbilical cord stumps have not yet fallen off, which could take up to three weeks. They’re also a great option for boys who haven’t fully healed from circumcision. Don’t bathe your baby every day, though -- daily baths could dry out his delicate baby skin. Stick to three times a week until your baby is 1 year old.

Five simple steps to success
The time of your baby’s sponge bath is up to you. Some moms prefer mornings, when babies are usually alert and raring to go. Other moms choose evenings, as part of a calming bedtime ritual. No matter what time you prefer, these easy steps will help you create the perfect baby bath experience.

1. Get set up. Gather everything you’ll need before you start. Many parents find it easiest to place their baby in a towel-lined infant tub, but you could lay a towel on just about any flat, comfortable surface -- a changing table, bed, floor, or counter next to the sink. Grab a change of clothes, a clean diaper, a couple of washcloths, another big towel, a mild baby soap, and a bowl or cup of warm -- not hot -- water. (Test it with your inner wrist.)

2. Keep him cozy. Make sure the room is warm before undressing your baby. Plan to drape a warm, wet washcloth over the parts of your baby you’re not cleaning at the moment so he stays comfortable.

3. Start at the top. Use soft strokes when cleaning your baby’s skin. Start with his face and head, using a washcloth without soap so you don’t get any suds in his eyes or mouth. Pay special attention to cleaning under his chin and neck. The spaces between fingers and toes, under the arms, and behind the ears also get surprisingly dirty. Clean carefully around the umbilical stump, making sure to keep it dry. If you accidentally get it wet, gently pat it dry with a soft towel. Clean the diaper area last and always keep your baby’s head and neck supported!

4. Protect to heal. If your son has been circumcised, wash his penis gently with only water until it heals, usually about a week to 10 days after the surgery. If he’s not circumcised, don’t retract the foreskin to clean under it -- just wash as you would other parts of his body.

5. Wrap it up. Finish off by drying your baby with a hooded towel, putting on a fresh diaper and giving him a kiss on his clean, soft belly. All done!

It’s normal for infants 3 months and younger to go through fussy periods, especially between 6 p.m. and midnight. But if the go-to techniques like feeding, changing, swaddling, and rocking don’t stop your baby’s cry, your little one could be part of the 20 percent of babies who have colic.

Causes of baby colic
If your baby develops colic, or excessive crying, you’ll start to notice it between his second and fourth weeks. His crying will intensify -- rather than trail off -- as the day goes on, and he’ll probably be gassy and alternate between extending and curling up his legs.  

Doctors don’t know exactly what causes baby colic, but these are some possible factors: 

• An immature nervous system

• Trouble with self-soothing

• A medical problem, like a hernia

• Something in your diet irritating his tummy, if you’re breastfeeding

Soothing your crying baby
Perhaps the most upsetting thing about a colicky baby is that often nothing seems to console him. But that doesn’t mean you can’t try. Here are a few tactics that can calm baby colic.  

•Rock him. Rocking or putting your baby in his baby swing with some white noise -- like a vacuum or the dryer -- in the background can sometimes help, since the steady motion can be soothing.  

•Walk with him in his carrier. Like rocking, this motion is comforting, and being close to you might also help him feel better.

•Swaddle him. Wrap your baby in a large, thin blanket. It’ll help him feel warm, cozy, and secure.

•Give him a pacifier. It doesn’t always help, but for some babies, the sucking motion is soothing.

•Rub his back. Lay your baby tummy-side down across your knees and gently rub his back with your fingers, which could release some of the pressure in his stomach.

•Check your diet. If you’re breastfeeding, certain foods in your diet could be causing discomfort for your baby. Milk products, caffeine, cabbage, and onions are all potential culprits, so try omitting them one at a time, over a period of days, to find out if one of them is the real culprit.

Remember, there’s hope!
You might not believe it now, but baby colic doesn’t last forever. By the time your baby reaches the 4-month mark, his colic will likely pass -- and you’ll all be happier!

Photo by Minnie Zhou on Unsplash

If your baby’s scalp is red and scaly with flaking skin, it’s likely a common condition known as cradle cap. Not to worry, this condition is painless and not contagious. There is even more good news: Cradle cap typically vanishes within a few weeks or months without leaving any scars.

The red, flaky rash can show up in other places than your baby’s scalp. It can spread to his neck creases, behind his ears, and/or on his armpit skin. In those cases, the painless rash is referred to as seborrheic dermatitis.

Cradle cap is basically the result of your infant’s body overproducing oil. It often appears in the first month of life, and disappears either on its own or with the help of gentle creams or lotions.

You can remove the flakes from your baby’s skin by softly brushing his scalp. Apply a drop or two of mineral oil to his scalp, wait a few minutes for it to soak in, and then gently brush your baby’s scalp to help loosen the skin flakes. Just be sure to brush after applying the oil, since using mineral oil alone could actually allow the scales to build up on your baby’s scalp. You can also help the condition by washing your baby’s scalp more often than usual with a mild baby shampoo.

If the cradle cap persists or worsens, contact your pediatrician and ask whether prescription cortisone creams or lotions (such as a 1 percent hydrocortisone cream) may speed the rash’s disappearing act.

Apples and banana and pears -- oh my! Experimenting with new flavors can produce both delight and frustration. He may love what you give him -- or he might put on a big ol’ frown. But if you arm yourself with those cute little spoons, a wad of paper towels, and a bit of humor, you’ll enjoy introducing him to the great wide world of food.

When to begin
Before you introduce solids, make sure your baby has good head and neck control (which you can boost with some daily tummy time), can sit up well in a highchair, and has no difficulty swallowing. Another rule of thumb is to start when your baby has doubled his birth weight and is at least 13 pounds. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of your baby’s life, so speak with your pediatrician about starting solids before this point.

First foods
You can feed your baby all kinds of single-ingredient foods, so put on your toque and get ready to serve it up! As long as what you’re offering is steamed and mashed well or puréed, you can prepare simpler versions of what you’re already eating yourself (so easy!). Here’s how to begin:

1. The world is his oyster. Well, don’t serve shellfish just yet (most doctors suggest waiting until your baby is 1 year old to introduce shellfish and other potentially allergenic foods, like peanuts, eggs, and fish)! In the past, pediatricians recommended single-grain, iron-fortified cereal as the first food because it was believed to be easy on your baby’s stomach. But since there’s no evidence that introducing foods in any particular order matters, check with your doctor to see what he prefers. Some pediatricians suggest feeding by color. For example, you could serve all the orange foods first, like peaches, squash and sweet potatoes, and then move on to green ones (peas, beans, etc). Go through the grains, like rice, oatmeal and barley, too. A breastfed baby may like to try meats first, which contain iron and zinc, two nutrients not found in abundance in breast milk.

2. Smaller is better. Offer your baby teaspoon-sized bites, and only a few of them per meal until he gets used to the transition. Don’t force him to eat more than he wants (if he purses his lips together and turns his head away, he’s done).

3. Stay slow but sure. It’s best to wait two to three days between each new baby food. By serving one at time over a couple of days, you’ll easily notice allergic reactions, like diarrhea, rashes, or vomiting.