Feedings

• Breast milk or formula with iron
• Solid food such as cereal is not recommended

Your Growing Baby

• Crying may increase during the first 6–8 weeks. At times it will be easy to recognize crying as a sign of hunger or the need for a diaper change, but often there is no identifiable reason for crying.
• Many normal babies strain with bowel movements. Constipation refers to hard stools. If you are concerned about your baby's bowel movements, please ask.
• Over the next few weeks, your infant will:
  • gain better control of his head and lift it 45° when lying on his stomach
  • hold his head slightly when sitting with support
  • coo
  • have random movements of the arms
  • tend to keep hands fisted with the thumbs inside
  • have a less intense startle reaction
  • grasp a rattle
  • smile spontaneously

Parent Tips

• Continue to sponge bathe your baby until the cord falls off.
• Hold, cuddle, sing, and talk to your baby.
• A pacifier can help to satisfy your baby's need to suck.
• Stay home for the first 6 weeks. Avoid crowds and sick people.

Call physician When Baby:

• Does not look well.
• Has a fever (rectal temperature greater than 100.5°F or 38°C).
• Refuses to eat.
• Vomits persistently or excessively.
• Has persistent watery stools.
• Is unusually irritable or sleepy.

Accident Prevention

• Place a washcloth on the bottom of the bathtub to keep your baby from slipping. Never leave your baby unattended in bath water. Make sure hot water heater is set at 120°F or less.
• Do not leave your baby unattended on a dressing table, bed, chair, couch, or other high surface.
• Never leave crib rails down when baby is in the crib. Make sure your infant's crib is safe.
• Never leave your baby alone in the house or in the car.
• Never jiggle or shake the baby's head vigorously.
• Use smoke detectors in the house and nursery and have working fire extinguishers.
• No one should smoke around your baby.
• Place infant on his side or back to sleep.
• ALWAYS TRAVEL WITH THE BABY IN AN INFANT CAR SEAT, NOT IN MOTHER'S ARMS. MAKE SURE IT IS INSTALLED CORRECTLY ACCORDING TO MANUFACTURER'S INSTRUCTIONS. It is required by law!! For more information on car seats call: AUTO SAFETY HOTLINE at 1-800-424-9393.
• Never use homemade pacifiers and never tie anything around your infant's neck.
• Always protect your infant's skin and eyes from harmful sun rays by using a PABA-free sunscreen with SPF of 15, bonnet, lightweight clothing in the summer, and brimmed cap in the winter.
• If you are considering day care, investigate and observe the centers before choosing one. It should:
  • be state-approved, with professional, educated personnel
  • provide a consistent caretaker responsive to your baby's needs
  • have an appropriate plan of care for sick children
  • offer health education services to parents, i.e., group meetings, regular bulletins to families.
• Place emergency phone numbers for police, fire department, ambulance, hospital, physician, and poison control center by all phones.

Next Visit

• At 2 months of age for physical examination and first baby shot.
• Please let your healthcare provider know prior to immunizations if:
  • there is an adult in the household who has not been completely vaccinated against polio
  • your child or anyone else in the household has received an organ transplant
  • anyone in the household is HIV positive, receiving chemotherapy or radiation therapy for cancer, or taking steroids (such as prednisone, methylprednisone, cortisone, hydrocortisone, dexamethasone, or ACTH)
  • anyone in the household has AIDS or infections due to immunity problems
  • if your child may be HIV positive