Beware of the eight common misunderstandings in neonatal care

1. Sleep with the lights on

Turn off the lights and go to bed. The light at the head of the bed will not only affect the baby's sleep quality, but also affect the development of vision. Any artificial light source will produce a weak light pressure on the human body. If this light pressure exists for a long time, it will make infants and young children anxious, nervous and difficult to fall asleep. Sleeping under the light for a long time will also affect the reticular activating system of the eyes, resulting in shorter sleep time each time, shallower sleep, and easier awakening. Babies who sleep with light on are four times more likely to develop myopia than those who sleep in the dark.

2. Wearing too many clothes to sleep

Don't wear too hot clothes when sleeping. The high humidity in the bed, coupled with the baby's vigorous metabolism, can easily induce "heat syndrome", which can cause the baby to sweat profusely or even collapse. Similarly, using an electric blanket can easily cause mild dehydration due to the high temperature and affect your health.

3. Wake up the sleeping baby to urinate

Baby's sleep is very important. If you sacrifice your baby's precious sleep just to avoid getting his little butt dirty, it will not be worth it. Choose high-quality diapers to protect your baby's little butt. If your baby is very uncomfortable after getting wet, he will cry to remind you to change it in time. When babies over two or three years old need to urinate at night, some already know to call for help, while others will wake up naturally when they feel like urinating, so there is no need to wake the baby up.

4. Fix the sleeping position of the newborn baby

When a newborn is born, it maintains the position in the womb with its limbs still curled up. In order to help him expel some of the water and mucus swallowed into the birth canal, he still needs to adopt a low lateral position within 24 hours after birth. Lying on the back for a long time will make the baby's head flat. The correct way is to turn the baby over frequently. Let him sleep on his left side this time, lie flat next time, and lie on his right side the next time. This way, the baby's head will grow into a symmetrical and beautiful shape. After feeding, be sure to lie on your side instead of your back to avoid spitting up milk and choking your trachea. When lying on the side, be careful not to press the child's earlobe forward, otherwise the earlobe will be folded frequently and easily deformed.

5. The milk powder is too concentrated
Milk powder should not be too thick or too thin. The sodium content in milk is twice that of the human body. The higher the concentration of milk, the more sodium it contains, which can easily increase the blood sodium concentration of infants and cause symptoms such as constipation, increased blood pressure, and even convulsions and coma.
6. Feeding solid food with a bottle
Feed solid foods with a spoon. Many parents are afraid of the trouble of feeding their babies, or worry that their babies will not eat enough, so they feed their babies solid foods such as rice cereal in soft bottles. This may increase your baby's food intake, leading to excess weight, while depriving your baby of the opportunity to practice chewing. In fact, an important purpose of babies eating solid food is to let them understand the process of eating.
7. Feeding egg custard too early
Feed only egg yolks within 4 months. Egg white and film contain allergens. If babies eat them too early, it is easy to cause allergic diseases such as eczema, urticaria, etc. For babies suffering from milk eczema and diaper rash, eating egg custard will cause the symptoms to recur and become more severe.
8. Add complementary food too early
Wait until at least 4 months before adding complementary foods. Breast milk is the most perfect natural nutrition and drink for babies, providing all the nutrients they need, including water and most vitamins. Therefore, for babies under 4 months old who are exclusively breastfed, there is no need to add water or other beverages.