One rarely discussed topic is poop unless a baby is concerned. New parents worry about their infants’ bowel movements.

Baby diarrhea can be caused by several reasons ranging from a change in diet to an intestinal infection. Any of the following things can instigate diarrhea in babies. Infection that is caused by virus, bacteria, parasite, allergy on food or sensitivity to medicines, drinking fruit juices, or poisoning can trigger the condition.

In some cases, babies can pick up the viruses or bacteria through their contact with dirty food or drinking water. In addition, they may get bacteria by touching or holding unhygienic surfaces and placing the hands in their mouth.

Washing their hands more often is very vital to stop diarrhea, especially before and after eating, and after going to the bathroom. It is also very important to have a clean and safe bathroom and kitchen surface.

What are the effects of baby diarrhea?

Diarrhea can have an effect on the baby’s normal balance of water and salt. When there is too much water and electrolytes lost in diarrhea, babies can be dehydrated. Dehydration can come about very quickly in babies — within a day or two after the diarrhea sets up and it can be very risky, especially in newborns.

Signs of dehydration in your infant include the following:

• urinating less frequently than usual (fewer wet diapers)

• irritability

• sunken soft spots on the top of the baby’s head

• no tears when crying

• indications of thirst

• parched mouth

• rare sleepiness or lethargy

• skin doesn’t spring back when smoothly pinched and released

If any of the signs of dehydration is evident, call your pediatrician.

How can baby diarrhea be treated?

Doctors usually do not advise over-the-counter anti-diarrhea tablets for children. Nonetheless, the doctor may recommend an antibiotic for a bacterial infection or an anti-parasitic drug for a parasite illness.

Make certain that you work closely with your doctor. If lack of fluids or dehydration becomes rigorous, intravenous fluids may be essential for healing.

You should give your baby an oral rehydration solution (ORS) as this solution is very helpful in treating your baby’s diarrhea.

If your child eats solid foods, your doctor might tell you to switch to bland, starchy foods such as strained bananas, applesauce, and rice cereal until the diarrhea ends. in addition, do not forget to consult your baby’s physician to get the best treatment for your child.

Here’s more on diarrhea treatment and toddler’s diarrhea symptoms.

The first guide in determining your baby’s clothing size is by your baby’s weight and length. It can also depend on the type of clothing. Lets assume you want to know what size sleeper your infant should wear, you would want to go by weight. For example 0 – 7 lbs that would be the correct size for your newborn. Some infant clothing are also labeled by how old the baby is, if that’s the case then you would go by how old the baby is. For a newborn size you would look for newborn or 0 – 3 months for the correct size. Note: sleepers are the one baby clothing item that should fit snug.

I would use the same guide when choosing undershirts or pajamas to find the correct size. Because babies vary a lot in size. When finding the correct size for your baby clothing, it is better to go by weight and length of your baby in order to find the correct size.

Sometimes clothing labels only go by how old the child is, like 3 – 6 months or 6 – 9 months. If that is all the information you have to go by, then you need to look at how big it looks and what the clothing is made out of. If it’s 100% cotton then you may want to go a size bigger. Sizes may vary between different brands of clothing. It is better to buy larger because your baby can always grow into it, verses buying to fit, then when you wash it shrinks.

I have learned this lesson the hard way with my first child. I had received several outfits for my son as baby gifts. Because I was a new Mom I waited until my son was big enough to wear them. When I washed them they shrunk. I now give new Mom’s this tip to wash all their baby’s new clothing right away so they won’t have the same problem that I had. So when in doubt buy based on weight and length not age.

When looking for quality clothing material, the top 3 that I suggest are cotton, wool and bamboo. Organic cotton is best when choosing cotton. Wool keeps your baby warm, but also can keep a baby cool. (Most people don’t believe this but it is true). Bamboo is a very soft fabric and feels good on your baby’s skin. Always look for natural fabric when choosing baby clothing. The most important material you must avoid is synthetic material, it is highly flammable. Stay away from scratchy fabric also.

Some safety tips for baby clothing. Stay away from buttons. It is very easy for your child to swallow a button and choke. Strings are also dangerous for children’s clothes. Strings can strangulate a child. Make sure elastic on your baby’s clothing is not to tight causing it to cut off circulation.

Now that you have some good advise on baby’s clothing, go out and have fun shopping.

Judy Wold How to Determine the Proper Size for Your Baby’s Clothing, Proper Material and Safety Tips. To find good quality baby clothing I invite you to check out my web store at http://babysbestonline.com

As a working mother of four children, I am well aware of the concerns of providing for childcare when both parents work. In most cases, the responsibility of finding, hiring, and supervising the nanny is left to the mother. If the nanny does not come on time, or quits abruptly, or is lacking in some other way, it is usually the mother’s concern and may mean disruption in work schedules for her or both parents. As the mother I was also perpetually concerned about the quality of care given and worried that the nanny was not in any way harming my children. Concerns about stealing and improper behavior in my house while I was away were additional concerns.

As a provider of nannies and household support at Loving Care Inc., I deal with these issues with my clients as well. There are some recommendations that I give to families before and after they hire someone:

1. Check References. When calling the prospective nannies’ references, it is important to ask the right questions. Here are a sample of questions:

- How long did she work for you?
- Why is she no longer employed by you?
- Was she on time every day?
- Was she honest?
- Was there ever a time that she disappointed you?
- Do you still keep in touch with her?
- How did you initially find her?
- What were her specific duties?
- Was she required to do heavy or light housekeeping?
- What ages was your child (children) when she started and when she stopped?
- Knowing what you know now, would you hire her again?
- Did she enjoy interacting with your children?

There are times when the individuals that you are interviewing do not have previous child care references. If they worked in another capacity check those work references. If they have never worked, ask for personal references. You can ask some of the same questions as listed above, adjusting them to their situation. You may still get some very valuable information that will assist you in your decision.

2. When possible, come home unexpectedly. It is important to check on the care, environment and the activities in the home when it is unexpected. Hopefully you will find everything to your liking but if not, based on the degree of your discontent, you can take the appropriate action.

3. Take note of children’s reaction to the nanny. If you discern any negative reaction to the nanny or any changes in your children in general do not disregard these signs. Vigilance and continuous observation is of the utmost importance. If the child can speak, have open conversations about how the child feels with regards to the nanny. If the child cannot speak, look at body language and emotional signals. Take everything seriously. Of course, many infants do have separation anxiety from their mother and many older children may feel angry about their mother leaving the home, so good common sense when coming to conclusion should prevail.

3. There are those who feel that the technical approach is best such as built-in surveillance cameras or audio equipment. It is a costly option that may not be extensive enough to catch every misdeed, but it may be the solution that seems the most accurate especially when an infant is involved.

I am glad to share my expertise with my clients, and I am happy to guide them through the interviewing process. Most placements are successful from the start but sometimes a change is necessary. It always comforts my clients to know that they have the agency to provide them with new applicants immediately and help with temporary coverage if need be. They can count on a supportive relationship throughout.

In 1994, Naomi Moskowitz co-founded Loving Care Inc. located in Chicago, Illinois. Loving Care Inc. is a Home Services Placement Agency providing for Senior, Child, Newborn Care, Housekeeping, and Geriatric Consulting. The goal is to provide compassionate quality care at reasonable rates. Learn more about Loving Care Agency at http://lovingcare-agency.com