MD
Dr. Sharon Somekh is a general pediatrician, loving wife, and mother to four daughters. After a decade of practicing general pediatrics and working with families, she realized that what she enjoyed most was helping parents with parenting concerns, and felt this was what would be most helpful in shaping their children's futures. She developed Raiseology to help people with their parenting struggles and teach them how to raise resilient children in a modern world. In her group parenting program, Dr. Somekh has been helping parents make a difference and positively affect the future of their children for 16 years. You can listen to her podcasts and also download her ‘Top 5 ways to build a lifelong, healthy relationship with your child’.
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When your baby is crawling, you are more excited than them! Crawling is a significant developmental milestone as it is an early step towards infant mobility. Babies use crawling as means to explore and understand the world around them. But not all babies crawl at the same age. To help you understand that and more, this MomJunction post gives you the information about crawling in babies and methods to stimulate it. [mj-toc] When Do Babies Crawl? The average age when most infants begin to crawl is nine months (1). While some infants achieve it sooner in seven months, others attain this skill by their first birthday. In either case, crawling does not happen overnight, and there are a series of steps or stages that lead to crawling. In the early stages, your baby may start by scooting, wriggling, or shuffling on their stomach. Encourage this movement by placing toys just out of reach, so your baby has to work to...
Diarrhea in babies can be a stressful experience for both the baby and the parents. The onset of diarrhea causes significant water loss through the stool, making the baby dehydrated and weak. It can affect babies of any age, and the numerous tries to replenish the amount of the fluids they have lost seems to make no difference at all, as they poop as often as they eat. Diarrhea can also lead to other collateral complications in babies, making the situation more severe if not treated at the earliest. Read on to know more about diarrhea, its causes, treatment, and preventative measures. [mj-toc] What Is Diarrhea? Diarrhea is repeated bouts of watery stool occurring multiple times in a day. The World Health Organisation defines it as the passage of three or more watery stools in a day (1). Paste-like or runny baby poop, or passing multiple firm (normal) stools in a day is not diarrhea. An acute diarrhea is caused...
Baby walkers are intended to help babies or infants learn and adapt to walking. Although different babies develop their skills at different ages, statistically, 12 months is the average age by which babies start to walk (1). During this time, most parents (50-77%) resort to walkers to help their little ones (2). However, certain experts may have a different opinion about it. This post will tell you why. [mj-toc] Is It Safe For A Baby To Use Baby Walkers? [caption id="attachment_889505" align="alignnone" width="720"] Image: Shutterstock[/caption] No. Baby walkers are unsafe and are a leading cause of injury in children under the age of four (2). Pediatric experts unanimously discourage the use of this equipment. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has also called for a ban on baby walkers with wheels (3). Therefore, parents must prioritize baby safety and avoid using walkers. [MJ_RELATED_LINKS href="https://www.momjunction.com/articles/are-baby-jumpers-really-safe_00355914/" title="Are Baby Jumpers Safe? Tips To Use, Risks, And Alternatives"] What Makes Baby Walkers Unsafe For...
Breastfeeding is one of the most rewarding aspects of motherhood and has several benefits for the mother and baby. However, it is not free from its share of challenges. Some breastfeeding complications, such as mastitis, can make this experience uncomfortable and painful and even make some moms hesitant to breastfeed. Read on to learn more about mastitis, including its causes and treatment options, as well as prevention suggestions. [mj-toc]What Is Mastitis? Mastitis is the engorgement of the breasts due to the accumulation of milk in them. This leads to bacterial infection of the milk ducts (1) and results in infective mastitis. Mastitis can be lactation mastitis, also called puerperal mastitis, which happens among breastfeeding women. It occurs due to the retention of milk in the breasts for far too long. Another type is periductal mastitis, which occurs in non-breastfeeding women. Periductal mastitis is the inflammation of the breast, caused by bacteria entering the breasts through a cracked or sore nipple....