Special Needs Blog Week in Review – May 27 – June 2, 2012

Once a week, the Special Needs Blog Week in Review brings you a quick summary of each of the blogs that appeared here in the past week. It gives you an easy way to find the ones that you missed, or that you didn’t have time to read the first time around. The Special Needs Podcast Roundup went up on May 28, 2012. This week, I’d like to point out an episode by FAQAutism. The episode is called “End-of-the-School-Year-Blues”. It discusses how the changes that occur at the end of the school year alter the usual, expected, routine of the … Continue reading

Study Finds Preemies Have Higher Risk of Severe Mental Disorders

We know that babies who are born prematurely tend to have a lag between their chronological age and their developmental age. A study finds that they are also at a higher risk for developing certain types of severe mental disorders than are their peers who were born full term. There are statistics that say that one out of every eight babies is born as a preemie. This means that the baby was born before the pregnancy reached 37 weeks. Scientific research that has been done in areas that relate to health and medicine have helped even the youngest preemies to … Continue reading

Baby Melinda, California’s Smallest Preemie, Goes Home

Melinda Star Guido, the smallest preemie to have been born in California, has left the hospital. She holds the title of being the third smallest preemie in the entire world. After a long time spent in the NICU, she was finally able to go home with her parents. When Melinda was born, she weighed less than a can of soda. She was born 24 weeks premature, because there was a problem with the placenta. Due to that problem, she wasn’t able to get the nutrition, blood, and oxygen she needed while she was in the womb. In addition to this … Continue reading

Melinda : Second Smallest Preemie in America

Melinda Star Guido was born weighing only nine-and-a-half ounces. She is one of the smallest babies that was ever born in the entire world, and the second smallest baby to be born in the United States. She is surviving, growing, and expected to be able to go home by New Year’s. At birth, Melinda weighed less than a can of soda. She was small enough to fit into the palm of her doctor’s hand. She was born 24 weeks premature because there was a problem with the placenta. Due to that problem, Melinda wasn’t able to get enough nutrition, blood, … Continue reading

Chemicals in IV Bags May Damage Preemies

If your baby is a preemie, than he already has some obstacles to overcome. But what if the simple treatment of using an IV to keep him hydrated and fed could actually be harming him? That is what a new study in Germany may be revealing. My oldest son was born at 38 weeks when my water broke, and I had to be induced. Of course, 38 weeks is hardly a preemie, and in fact considered full term by the medical community. Still, he suffered from jaundice that was bad enough to have him hospitalized. His liver wasn’t mature enough … Continue reading

Breastfeeding Preemies in a NICU is Different

Breast milk is absolutely the best food you can give your newborn. Not only does it provide numerous immunological benefits, but the breast milk of a mother who has given birth too early contains substantially more calorie packing fat than does the breast milk of a mother who has given birth at a full 40 weeks gestation. One difficulty in breastfeeding a preemie for some mothers is that good practices in giving breast milk to a preemie while he/she is in the NICU may well go against everything that the new mother has read or heard about breastfeeding. Here are … Continue reading

Bonding with Your NICU Baby

Recently, here in the baby blog we have been talking about preemies and the NICU experience. Emotionally draining is an understatement. Bonding is also another challenge as you might not even be able to hold your little one for awhile. NICU babies have unique needs and consequently it’s important that you give yourself permission to observe your baby’s cues and watch them closely. Your baby might not be interested in the outside world for awhile and actually, that’s not a terrible thing. NICU preemies, particularly ones who are sick, need all their energy for recovering. Once your baby is matured … Continue reading

Ask a Baby Blogger: You Said Not to Pump. . .But They Said to Pump

Question: Hi. I’ve read most of your blogs on breastfeeding and first, thank you so much. We’ve had a rough start and my baby was in the NICU for a few weeks so I had to pump. But when she came home, I stopped pumping because I had read somewhere that you said pumping does not increase your supply. However, the nurses in the hospital said I need to keep pumping to keep up my supply because the baby won’t suck effectively. What’s your advice? First of all, you’re welcome and I’m glad you’re breastfeeding your baby. You’re right. I … Continue reading

The Best of the 2007 Baby Blog

It has been an exciting year in the baby blog with a few changes in bloggers, several news stories, a few series started, and of course lots of information and reflection. This is a list of the best of the best. . .the best news, the best advice and the best of my personal favorites. With that I wish you all a Happy New Year, and look forward to an exciting year in 2008! Ask a Baby Blogger Series–This, in my opinion is one of the best things the baby blog has to offer. Granted, it’s my advice which I … Continue reading

Most Commented On Baby Blogs of 2007

As a means of reviewing the year, I always love to look at the blogs that had the most comments! Sometimes controversial blogs get noticed. Other times it has more to do with a topic of interest. Sometimes a commenter sparks a discussion. Regardless of the reason, these are the blogs that got the most comments in the baby blog in 2007! Is My Baby Gifted? How to Tell Merry Poison Free Christmas Dad’s Weird Things You Should Be Giving Your Baby Soda!! Why Breast Pumping Isn’t a Good Substitute for Breastfeeding Is Swaddling Overrated? Watching T.V. While Breastfeeding Unwanted … Continue reading