Baby Chat 24

Send your questions to:                                                                                                                                               babylove@integral-advisory.co.ke                                                                                                                                         answers are provided jointly                                                                                                                                                             by ‘BabyLove’ team of doctors

Our Team Of Experts

 

Dr. Blasio Omuga                                                                                                                                                                Lecturer, School of Nursing Sciences,
University of Nairobi
Consultant Obstetrician/Gynaecologist
Based at Doctors’ Plaza, Clinic No. 18, Kenyatta National Hospital

Dr. David Kiragu
Consultant Obstetrician/Gynaecologist
Based at K.AM Health Services
IPS Building, 1st Floor, Kimathi Street, Nairobi

Dr. Njoki Fernandes
Resident Obstetrician/Gynaecologist
Based at Kenyatta National Hospital

Can cold sores be passed on to our baby?
My husband has cold sores that flare up from time to time. Should we be worried about our one month old baby catching them?

Cold sores are a result of viruses which can be infectious. Anybody, including your baby, can fall victim to them. It is therefore important to treat the cold sores immediately, and keep distance from the baby or exercise care while being treated.

Did my stress rub off on my baby?

I had a stressful pregnancy and it seems to have rubbed off on my baby, as she appears unable to relax. What treatment do you feel may be suitable?

Every baby is special. Although it is true that pregnancy situations can affect a baby, this is not always the case. What is important is to understand your baby as she is, get to know more about babies in general, attend to your baby’s basic needs, and whenever you have a problem, consult a paediatrician.

Salt and sugar for a baby?

I have a 9 month old baby and would like to know at what age a baby should have salt and sugar added to their meals and why.

Sugar and salt should be delayed for as long as is possible. However, once you start to wean a child, you can add salt and sugar to their diet. This has to be minimal though, so as not to result in salt poisoning. When the child starts eating in the family pot,need to be careful to add very little salt and sugar to the food. Remember that what may be enough salt for an adult may be too much for the baby. Also, too much sugar may make your baby obese and compromise your baby’s health. Note that the baby’s kidney’s are not well developed to handle large amounts of salt, and neither is the pancreas suited to handle large amount of sugar.

Controlling discomfort that comes with teething

My six month old baby is about to teeth. He is sometimes very uncomfortable, crying and rubbing his gums. What can be done to ease his pain?

During teething, babies are bound top get uncomfortable and even catch a fever and signs of mild illness. This requires only symptomatic treatment, since any disease clears after teething. In case of pain, give mild pain relievers. If further difficulties occur, consult a paedriatrician.

Can a baby walk before crawling?
Some babies walk without having to crawl first. How can this be explained?

It is true that a baby can walk before they crawling, although this is not the norm as per babies developmental milestones. Some parents get a baby walker for their child, while others start the baby on walking exercises, without giving the baby a chance to crawl. Hence the baby bypasses the crawling stage. All in all when your baby will walk depends on how well muscles have developed.

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