What To Expect The First Year - Heidi Murkoff , Sharon Mazel

What To Expect The First Year

The first year is crucial for the brain development of the baby

Research studies have demonstrated that kids develop 90% of their cerebrum by the age of 3, however, the most crucial changes happen in the first year. Brain cells form vital connections during this period. Parents can bolster their kid's mental health in natural ways. They can provide physical touch in manners like cuddling and hugs that support emotional and social intelligence of the baby.

Science states that nurturing is a key element of brain development; without it, kids might have stunted emotional and mental growth. In 2001, researchers published a report in Development and Psychopathology Journal, on the level of a stress hormone (cortisol) in Romanian kids of age 6-12 in an orphanage who was adopted at eight months vs those adopted at the age of four months. They found that the kids that stayed for longer at the orphanage had a higher level of cortisol. This was expected, to some extent, due to lack of nurturing and the state of Romanian orphanages.

In 2005, psychology researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison found that orphaned newborns who had no parental nurturing had a low level of oxytocin and vasopressin peptides, hormones that control emotional and social bonds. Their hormone levels never improved even after these babies were adopted. The lead researcher, Alison Wismer Fries, stated, “This natural change [of the situation into a home] does not appear to have totally superseded the majority of the impacts of early neglect.”

As these examinations propose, fundamental supporting is basic to mental health and the general wellbeing of youngsters, particularly in their most punctual months.

Breastfeeding builds the immunity of the babies by providing them with crucial nutrients

Breast milk can be classified into 3 types and each one has a vital role in maintaining the wellbeing of the child. Colostrum, which comes following childbirth, is full of antibodies and white blood cells that keep the baby healthy. Transitional milk arrives a couple of days later; it contains the calories, lactose, and fat needed for the development and growth of the baby. Mature milk that contains important nutrients is expressed around 10 days after birth. Breastfeeding has numerous advantages of convenience and wellbeing, though a few moms have a hard time adapting to it so they utilize formula, which also contains nutrients but has fewer health advantages.

Breastfeeding can also reinforce the bond between the baby and the mom. Reader Sara Elliot chose to breastfeed her little girl Audrey so she could bond with her. Elliot didn’t live close to any of her family and she wanted her baby to feel loved and safe. Although, public breastfeeding is frowned upon, Elliot advises that people’s feelings shouldn't hinder new moms from feeding their infants. She refers to the case of Karlesha Thurman, who breastfed her kid amid her own school graduation. Thurman's reason was that she didn't need her baby to stay hungry during the long ceremony. Thurman rejected the objection from other attendants, commenting, “if your kid is hungry, don't be humiliated or embarrassed to feed them, regardless of where you are… Don't give anybody a chance to prevent you from being the best mother you can be.”

Everyday contact with their kids enable parents to learn more about what their infant needs

New parents need to figure out how to follow their gut. There's a staggering amount of advice on childcare online, and it might be convenient to just call the pediatrician or family specialist each time the infant displays a troubling symptom. While specialists are a significant asset, it's vital that parents give themselves credit in being observant and making decisions based on what the child needs.

For instance, Bayley Uyeno brought her five-month-old child Kai to the specialist after she presumed that he had hearing problems. The doctor’s evaluation was that Kai has mild hearing loss in one ear and extreme hearing loss in the other ear. He recommended a hearing aid for Kai. Bayley sought a second opinion to confirm her son’s condition. The second doctor found that Kai just had mild hearing loss. Uyeno says, “Kai is presently just about three years of age and falls inside the typical range of hearing. I can't resist the urge to think about how everything would have been different if I hadn't tuned in to my internal voice.” As Uyeno's experience illustrates, the natural instinct of a parent can be crucial in getting immediate and correct treatment for kids with physical and intellectual conditions.

Child development has a similar pattern though children’s rate of development differs

All children differ. Nonetheless, their development happens in the same way. This starts at the head for each infant and moves down from essential to more complex capacities. For instance, babies lift their heads before they can crawl.

Since progress is so critical, there have been so many initiatives to educate parents on proper childcare. For instance, in October 2016, a nonprofit organization (known as Zero to Three) formed a partnership with 10 states in the United States to teach policymakers and parents about ways to improve the mental health of kids. Government offices, family benefits programs, and other nonprofit associations collaborated with Zero to Three to create strategies to ensurethat health care policies are in support of best practices for tending to newborns and early childhood psychological health issues. Matthew Melmed, the executive of Zero to Three, stated, “The period from birth to age five is important for future success, and we are satisfied that policymakers, in Congress and in states, are becoming mindful of, and putting resources into, newborns and early childhood psychological well-being.” The initiatives of Zero to Three confirm the significance of helping guardians comprehend child development and creating assets that will best help babies and young kids.

A Regular Bedtime Schedule is Important

Before babies turn one, having a standard routine for putting them to rest can enable them to feel safer and make them sleep better. Preferably, the bedtime routine should begin around 30 to 45 minutes before parents might want their child to sleep. They can start by dimming the lights and turning down music or the TV to create a relaxed atmosphere. Parents may also read a story, sing a lullaby or rock the baby. This daily ritual will enable parents to bond better with their baby.

Parents can get easily frustrated if a baby can’t sleep. This phenomenon made author Adam Mansbach's Go the F**k to Sleep (2011) become a top seller on Amazon.

The message in the book resonated with both experienced and inexperienced parents and its fame demonstrates exactly how important the bedtime routine is for the kids and the wellbeing of the parents

Protect your baby from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) by ensuring the baby sleep on his back

SIDS is one of the major cause of death in the first 6 months of the baby’s life, so parents put their babies on their backs to sleep according to medical rules. Some babies may not like this position, however, it can save their lives. When children can move over without assistance, which often occurs around 6 months, they may sleep on their stomach, which is fine. Notwithstanding, parents should stick to the back-sleeping protocol.

Gem Bryant’s daughter Maddie died because of SIDS when she was two months old. Bryant talked about the emotional toll, “You never get over something like this. You get through it, yet it's an agony that is never going to leave.” Now, Bryant is focused on sharing her misfortune with other people. She feels that most parents don’t know the danger of SIDS. Her expectation is that guardians who hear her story will become more aware of the threat. Bryant wishes that more parents become aware of Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, which happens each October.

Though the reason for SIDS stays obscure, there's still hope that science will discover a cure. Dr. Daniel Rubens, an anesthesiologist, was drawn to the mystery and SIDS and established the SIDS Research Guild. He got more interested when he learned that babies who were victims of SIDS all had a past filled with ear problems. His hypothesis is that SIDS may be related to children who have internal ear issues that restrain them from changing position when they are experiencing difficulty breathing. When they can't inhale, these children's ear problem probably won't convey the signal that they should reposition themselves, thus they choke. Rubens is headed to prevent more death by pinpointing the cause.

Guardians should find child care that best suits their family's specific needs and way of life

Parents can choose either corporate or home daycare for their kids. Some can rely on friends or relatives to babysit because home childcare is usually more personal and affordable.

Today, the costs of corporate daycare for kids make them harder for some parents. In 2016, a study done by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, National Public Radio, and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health found that the expense of daycare is a big challenge for most parents, particularly those with financial problems. Cost aside, guardians would, in general, feel happy with the nature of their childcare alternatives, which clashes with research that has discovered a deficiency of quality choices. In general, the report calls for more access to affordable and quality care and confirms exactly how foundational childcare is to the general wellbeing of families

Babies Communicate By Crying

Babies can’t talk, so they cry to tell their parents when they are hungry, tired, or need a diaper change. Therefore, it is essential for parents to know why the baby crying in order to act accordingly. Parents may not be able to pinpoint the exact reason, but they can take cues from the manner in which the infant cries. For instance, a high-pitched cry could imply that the child is wet or in pain. Some parents feel the baby will get spoiled if they tend to every cry. It is impossible to spoil babies in the first 6 months.

A new mom might miss most cues and feed a baby too soon, even though the baby might be crying for a fresh diaper. She may think the infant is cold and swaddle the child in a cover when the baby is actually feeling hot. Her own tiredness may influence her ability to take some minutes to see what the infant is trying to tell her at that time. If she can stop, tune in, and figure, she can keep the child from further discomfort, quiet her own nerves, and become more acquainted with her infant. If a baby cries for around three hours for like three times each week, it is wise to take the bay for medical examination to check whether the baby has colic. If that is the situation, the mum should get additional support, so her own sanity isn't disturbed by her infant's relentless cries.

Conclusion

The handy information and advice in this book will help guide a first time parent on how to meet their baby’s need and keep their sanity. The sheer amount of the necessary information makes it suitable as a sort of childcare encyclopedia or reference book.

Try this:
Don’t try to read everything in one go. Start with the sections that relevant to your situation. Learn about the personality of your baby and read more in-depth on topics such as growth, sleep, eating.