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When you have a new baby, many new moms have a lot of questions about what is normal and healthy for babies. Since babies can’t talk, you are left wondering what your baby needs and if he or she is developing properly.

That’s why taking your baby to all of their well-child check-ups with their pediatrician is so important.

Jade Elliott spoke with Dr. Jenna Whitman, a pediatrician with Intermountain Healthcare, about how going to those check-ups can help you get your questions answered and how to know if your baby is seeing properly.

How pediatricians are keeping children and parents safe from viruses when they come in for a well-check

Medical providers for children around the state of Utah have largely adopted practices suggested by the American Academy of Pediatrics that minimize risk of COVID-19 exposure and allow for the delivery of services to newborns and young children.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, these strategies include ways to separate children who are sick from children who come for well-child checkups such as:

• Scheduling well visits in the morning and sick visits in the afternoon.

• Separating patients spatially, such as by placing patients with sick visits in different areas of the clinic or another location from patients with well visits.

Many clinics are using other innovative strategies as well, such as check-ins from cars and expedited rooming, avoiding waiting rooms altogether. Ask your provider about the precautions they’re taking.

Well-check visits are just as important for healthy children as for sick children

At each check up your child’s doctor will cover many things including:

• Immunizations. Your child will receive immunizations recommended by your doctor and according to a suggested schedule for babies and children to help prevent common childhood diseases.

• Flu shots are recommended annually for healthy children over age six months. With all the uncertainties surrounding the current COVID pandemic, keeping children healthy by getting their flu shots has never been more important. Many parents focus on getting the immunizations required for day care or school. But, don’t forget to come back after school starts for a flu shot. Typically, they’re available by October.

• Tips for nutrition, child safety and how to keep your child healthy.

• Tracking growth and development. You can discuss your child’s physical growth and also if they’re reaching developmental milestones. You’ll also go over what social behaviors and learning to expect at every age.

• New health concerns. Your child’s check up is an excellent time to bring up any new concerns you may have about how your child.

Regular visits help create strong, trustworthy life-long relationships among pediatrician, parent and child.

How Babies See

Babies learn to see over a period of time, much like they learn to walk and talk. They are not born with all the visual abilities they need in life. The ability to focus their eyes, move them accurately, and use them together as a team must be learned. Your child’s pediatrician will follow your baby’s visual development periodically and make sure that they are meeting vision milestones at an appropriate age.

What to watch for at home to know if your baby is seeing properly

• Birth to 2 months: your baby’s eyes are not well coordinated yet. They may appear to wander or to be crossed occasionally. This is usually normal. However, if one eye appears to turn in or out constantly, an evaluation is recommended. This may be a sign of a “lazy eye” and should be evaluated by your child pediatrician. During this period, babies see only what is about 8-10 inches in front of them and only black and white.

• By 3 month of age: Babies should begin to follow moving objects with their eyes and reach for things.

• By 6 months of age: Baby’s control of eye movements and eye-body coordination skills continue to improve. Color vision also develops by this age.

• By 1-2 Years: By two years of age, a child’s eye-hand coordination and depth perception should be well developed.

What parents can do to help with visual development

Birth to 4 months

• Use a nightlight or other dim lamp in the baby’s room.

• Change the crib’s position frequently and change the child’s position in it.

• Keep your face or toys within the baby’s focus, about eight to twelve inches.

• Talk to the baby while walking around the room.

• Alternate right and left sides with each feeding.

5 to 8 months

• Hang a mobile or various objects across the crib for the baby to grab, pull and kick.

• Give the baby plenty of time to play and explore on the floor.

• Provide plastic or wooden blocks that can be held in the hands.

• Play patty cake and other games, moving baby’s hands while saying the words aloud.

9 to 12 months

• Play hide and seek games to help the baby develop visual memory.

• Name objects when talking to encourage the baby’s word association and vocabulary

• Encourage crawling and creeping.

1 to 2 years

• Roll a ball back and forth to help the child track objects visually.

• Give the child building blocks and balls of all shapes and sizes to play with to boost fine motor skills and small muscle development.

• Read or tell stories to encourage visualization and pave the way for learning and reading.

When your baby might need to see a vision specialist

There are many reasons your child’s pediatrician might send you to see an ophthalmologist. A few common concerns that might lead to a referral are:

• An excessive amount of tears coming from the eye(s) may indicate blocked tear ducts.
• Constant eye turning may signal a problem with eye muscle control.
• Sensitivity to light may indicate an elevated pressure in the eye.
•  The appearance of a white pupil could indicate the presence of eye cancer.

The Baby Your Baby program provides many resources for all pregnant women and new moms in Utah. There is also expert advice from the Utah Department of Health and Intermountain Healthcare that air each week on KUTV 2News.

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When you’re pregnant, you’re more at risk for getting the flu. And the flu can have serious effects on both mom and baby.

Jade Elliott spoke with  Celeste Thomas, a certified nurse midwife with Intermountain Healthcare, about the risks for pregnant women during flu season and how you can protect yourself on this episode of the Baby Your Baby Podcast.

Why pregnant women are more susceptible to the flu

When you’re pregnant, changes occur in your immune system and it is naturally suppressed, making you more susceptible to the flu. Also, your lung capacity decreases and heart rate increases, during pregnancy, putting additional stress on the heart and lungs.

All three of these things make pregnant women (and women up to two weeks postpartum)

more prone to severe illness or hospitalization from the flu.

Why the flu can be serious for pregnant women and their unborn baby

Pregnant women who have the flu are:

• More likely to be hospitalized
•  At higher risk of pregnancy complications, such as preterm labor and preterm birth.
• At risk of having a baby with neural tube birth defects or other adverse outcomes due to fever.

Flu vaccines are safe and recommended for pregnant women

Getting a flu vaccine is the first and most important step in protecting against flu and helps protect both the mother and her baby from the flu. The vaccine protects babies from the flu for the first several months after their birth because the mom passes antibodies onto the developing baby. Once babies are six months or older, they can get their own vaccine.

Flu shots have been given to millions of pregnant women over many years with a good safety record. There is a lot of evidence that flu vaccines can be given safely during pregnancy. Pregnant women can get vaccinated during any trimester of their pregnancy. Getting a flu shot at the beginning of flu season (October) is recommended. It takes about two weeks for the body to build up protective antibodies after you get the flu shot.

Pregnant women should not get the nasal spray flu vaccine, as it contains a live strain of the virus.

Vaccination has been shown to reduce the risk of flu-associated acute respiratory infection in pregnant women by up to one-half. A 2018 study showed that getting a flu shot reduced a pregnant woman’s risk of being hospitalized with flu by an average of 40 percent.

What else can I do to stop the spread of disease?

The same prevention methods work for flu or COVID-19

• Get a seasonal flu vaccine. Everyone in the family (over the age of 6 months) should get a vaccine, and so should anyone who cares for your baby.
•  Wear a mask, being sure it covers your nose and mouth snuggly.
• Wash your hands often and well, and have children do the same.
•  If you’re sick, stay home from school or work.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick, if possible.
• Cover your sneezes and coughs.
• Use a tissue once, then throw it away and wash your hands.

Signs and symptoms of the flu

Seasonal flu symptoms usually come on fast, causing chills, fever, muscle aches, tiredness, dry cough, and sore throat. Occasionally, seasonal flu will cause a runny or stuffy nose or, in young children, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.

How influenza spreads

The flu virus prefers air travel, catching rides on the tiny droplets that fly out when someone sneezes or coughs. However, it can also stick around on surfaces for a while. If you touch something that was recently contaminated and then touch your mouth or nose, you can get infected, too. It is important to note you can spread the virus before you show signs of illness.

What if I get the flu during pregnancy?

If you begin feeling ill with any of the symptoms of the flu, or feel you may have it, contact your doctor immediately. Your doctor can prescribe you safe antiviral medications to treat the flu. Taking antiviral medications as soon as you find out you are sick can reduce the amount of time you are sick. Other steps to treat the flu include getting plenty of rest and drinking plenty of fluids. Talk with your doctor before taking any over the counter medications for the flu.

For more information

Ask your doctor about getting a flu vaccine. Or for locations to receive the flu vaccine, go to intermountainhealthcare.org/flu

The Baby Your Baby program provides many resources for all pregnant women and new moms in Utah. There is also expert advice from the Utah Department of Health and Intermountain Healthcare that air each week on KUTV 2News.

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Food allergies can cause serious and even deadly reactions in kids, so it’s important to know how to feed a child with food allergies and to prevent reactions.

Jade Elliott spoke with Dr. Thad Abbott, Intermountain Healthcare, on this episode of the Baby Your Baby Podcast about how food allergies effect kids and how to manage them while they are at school.

What Are Food Allergies?

Milk, eggs, soy, wheat, tree nuts, peanuts, fish, and shellfish are among the most common foods that cause allergies.

Food allergies can cause serious and even deadly reactions. So it’s important to know how to recognize an allergic reaction and to be prepared if one happens.

What Are the Signs & Symptoms of a Food Allergy?

With a food allergy, the body reacts as though that particular food product is harmful. As a result, the body’s immune system (which fights infection and disease) creates antibodies to fight the food allergen .

Every time the person eats (or, in some cases, handles or breathes in) the food, the body releases chemicals like histamine . This triggers allergic symptoms that can affect the respiratory system, gastrointestinal tract, skin, or cardiovascular system.

Symptoms can include:

• wheezing
• trouble breathing
• coughing
• hoarseness
• throat tightness
• belly pain
• vomiting
• diarrhea
• itchy, watery, or swollen eyes
• hives
• red spots
• swelling
• a drop in blood pressure, causing lightheadedness or loss of consciousness (passing out)

What Are the Most Common Food Allergens?

A child could be allergic to any food, but these eight common allergens account for 90% of all reactions in kids:

• milk
• eggs
• peanuts
• soy
• wheat
• tree nuts (such as walnuts and cashews)
• fish
• shellfish (such as shrimp)

In general, most kids with food allergies outgrow them. Of those who are allergic to milk, about 80% will eventually outgrow the allergy. About two-thirds with allergies to eggs and about 80% with a wheat or soy allergy will outgrow those by the time they’re 5 years old. Other food allergies may be harder to outgrow.

What Happens in a Food Allergy Reaction?

Food allergy reactions can vary from person to person. Sometimes the same person can react differently at different times. So it’s very important to quickly identify and treat food allergy reactions.

Reactions can:

• be very mild and only involve one part of the body, like hives on the skin
• be more severe and involve more than one part of the body
• happen within a few minutes or up to 2 hours after contact with the food
• Food allergy reactions can affect any of these four areas of the body:
• skin: itchy red bumps (hives); eczema; redness and swelling of the face or extremities; itching and swelling of the lips, tongue, or mouth (skin reactions are the most common type of reaction)
• gastrointestinal tract: belly pain, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea
• respiratory system: runny or stuffy nose, sneezing, coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath
• cardiovascular system: lightheadedness or fainting

Sometimes, an allergy can cause a severe reaction called anaphylaxis, even if a previous reaction was mild. Anaphylaxis might start with some of the same symptoms as a less severe reaction, but can quickly get worse. The person may have trouble breathing or pass out. More than one part of the body might be involved. If it isn’t treated, anaphylaxis can be life-threatening.

How Are Food Allergies Treated?

If your child has a food allergy, the allergist will help you create a treatment plan. Treatment usually means avoiding the allergen and all the foods that contain it.

You’ll need to read food labels so you can avoid the allergen. Makers of foods sold in the United States must state whether foods contain any of the top eight most common allergens: milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, or soy.

There’s no cure for food allergies. But medicines can treat both minor and severe symptoms. Antihistamines might be used to treat symptoms such as hives, runny nose, or belly pain from an allergic reaction.

If your child has any kind of serious food allergy, the doctor will want him or her to carry an epinephrine auto-injector in case of an emergency.

An epinephrine auto-injector is a prescription medicine that comes in a small, easy-to-carry container. It’s easy to use. Your doctor will show you how. Kids who are old enough can be taught how to give themselves the injection. If they carry the epinephrine, it should be nearby, not left in a locker or in the nurse’s office.

Signs and symptoms of anaphylaxis that would require epinephrine include:

• hoarseness
• throat feels tight
• swelling in the mouth
• trouble breathing
• any symptoms from two or more body systems (skin, heart, lungs, etc.), such as hives and belly pain
• any other combination of two or more symptoms that affect different parts of the body

Every second counts in an allergic reaction. If your child starts having serious allergic symptoms, give the epinephrine auto-injector right away. Also give it right away if the symptoms involve two different parts of the body, like hives with vomiting. Then call 911 and take your child to the emergency room. Your child needs to be under medical supervision because even if the worst seems to have passed, a second wave of serious symptoms can happen.

It’s also a good idea to carry an over-the-counter (OTC) antihistamine for your child, as this can help treat mild allergy symptoms. Use antihistamines after — not as a replacement for — the epinephrine shot during life-threatening reactions.

For more information, click here.

The Baby Your Baby program provides many resources for all pregnant women and new moms in Utah. There is also expert advice from the Utah Department of Health and Intermountain Healthcare that air each week on KUTV 2News.

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When you have a new baby, many new moms have a lot of questions about what is normal and healthy for babies. Since babies can’t talk, you are left wondering what your baby needs and if he or she is developing properly.

That’s why taking your baby to all of their well-child check-ups with their pediatrician is so important.

Jade Elliott spoke with Dr. Jenna Whitman, a pediatrician with Intermountain Healthcare  about how going to those check-ups can help you get your questions answered and help you learn about the screenings and immunizations offered at those appointments and how they will help you keep your baby and your household healthy, which is so important during the COVID-19 pandemic and also as we approach cold, flu and respiratory season.

How pediatricians are keeping children and parents safe from viruses when they come in for a well-check

Medical providers for children around the state of Utah have largely adopted practices suggested by the American Academy of Pediatrics that minimize risk of COVID-19 exposure and allow for the delivery of services to newborns and young children.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, these strategies include ways to separate children who are sick from children who come for well-child checkups such as:

• Scheduling well visits in the morning and sick visits in the afternoon.

• Separating patients spatially, such as by placing patients with sick visits in different areas of the clinic or another location from patients with well visits.

Many clinics are using other innovative strategies as well, such as check-ins from cars and expedited rooming, avoiding waiting rooms altogether. Ask your provider about the precautions they’re taking.

Well-check visits are just as important for healthy children as for sick children

At each check up your child’s doctor will cover many things including:

• Immunizations. Your child will receive immunizations recommended by your doctor and according to a suggested schedule for babies and children to help prevent common childhood diseases.

• Flu shots are recommended annually for healthy children over age six months. With all the uncertainties surrounding the current COVID pandemic, keeping children healthy by getting their flu shots has never been more important. Many parents focus on getting the immunizations required for day care or school. But, don’t forget to come back after school starts for a flu shot. Typically, they’re available by October.

• Tips for nutrition, child safety and how to keep your child healthy.

• Tracking growth and development. You can discuss your child’s physical growth and also if they’re reaching developmental milestones. You’ll also go over what social behaviors and learning to expect at every age.

• New health concerns. Your child’s check up is an excellent time to bring up any new concerns you may have about how your child.

Regular visits help create strong, trustworthy life-long relationships among pediatrician, parent and child.

How to Know if Your Baby is Hearing Properly

In the U.S. hearing screenings are typically done at the hospital after a baby is born, before they go home. 1 to 3 of every 1,000 babies born in the U.S. have hearing levels outside the typical range.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends hearing screenings for all newborns. The goal is for all babies to have a newborn hearing screening by one month of age, ideally before they go home from the hospital; identified by 3 months of age and enrolled in early intervention or treatment, if identified as deaf or hard of hearing, by the age of 6 months.

Your child’s pediatrician will decide if they need any further tests of their hearing. If you have concerns about how your child is hearing or responding to your voice, please bring up these concerns with your doctor.

What to watch for at home to check hearing

Even the youngest infants should respond to your voice. You can watch how your baby responds to sounds and your voice. At birth babies should move their eyes in response to sound. As they get older they will start to turn their heads in response to their audio cues. Your child’s speech development is also related to their hearing. Your pediatrician will follow this development as your baby learns new words and begins forming sentences and can refer you to a speech therapist if needed.

Signs of hearing loss

Talk to your pediatrician if you notice your baby

• Doesn’t startle at loud noises by one month old or turn toward sounds by 3-4 months.

• Doesn’t notice you until he sees you.

• Concentrates on vibrating noises more than other types of sounds.

• Doesn’t seem to enjoy being read to.

• Is slow to begin talking, hard to understand, or doesn’t say single words such as “dada” or “mama” by 12 to 15 months of age.

• Doesn’t always respond when called, especially from another room.

• Seems to hear some sounds but not others.

• Has trouble holding his or her head steady or is slow to sit or walk unsupported.

If your pediatrician thinks your child needs additional hearing screenings, they can refer you to hearing specialists that see children or the audiology services available through Primary Children’s Hospital. For more information click here.

The Baby Your Baby program provides many resources for all pregnant women and new moms in Utah. There is also expert advice from the Utah Department of Health and Intermountain Healthcare that air each week on KUTV 2News.

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Just as it’s a personal decision about whether to breastfeed, deciding when to wean your baby or stop breastfeeding is also a personal decision.

Jade Elliott spoke with Michele Carnesecca, a registered nurse and certified lactation consultant with Intermountain Healthcare,  about how and when to wean your baby.

How long to breastfeed

As for how long to breastfeed, the recommendations vary. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends women breastfeed their baby exclusively for the first six months and then continue breastfeeding until 12 months of age. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends babies breastfeed exclusively for six months, and then continue breastfeeding until age two years and beyond.

Benefits of breastfeeding

Breastfeeding has many benefits for babies and also for moms. The antibodies in breastmilk help protect babies from illness. Breastmilk has just the right amount of fat, sugar, water, and protein to help your baby continue to grow.

Breast feeding is also a great benefit to the environment and society. Breastfeeding families are sick less often and parents miss less work. Breastfeeding does not require the use of energy for manufacturing or create waste. There is no risk of contamination and it is always at the right temperature and ready to feed. As long as you breastfeed, you and your baby will reap those benefits.

Some reasons you may want to or need to wean your baby

Sometimes women may need to wean their baby or they may choose to wean their baby. Talk with a lactation consultant, and ask about what options you might consider. Some reasons moms may start to think about weaning might be:

1. Returning to work. Often you can still breastfeed after returning to work, by pumping milk when you’re away from your baby. Current U.S. laws (“Break Time for Nursing Mothers Law”) require employers to allow the time and a place for pumping milk.

2. Concern about taking medications that would transfer into breastmilk. Most medications are safe to take while breastfeeding. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if the medication you’re taking is safe for your baby.

3. Traumatic circumstances may mean you need to stop breastfeeding, such as when you have a stillborn baby or a baby that dies as an infant.

4. Medical concerns. If you or your baby needs to receive medical treatment and are concerned about if you can continue to breastfeed, talk to your doctor or a lactation consultant. If you have a baby in the Neonatal ICU, you can pump your milk. Breastmilk is especially beneficial for preemies.

When to wean your baby

Sometimes your baby will lead the weaning. Or sometimes mom can lead the weaning. But the best way to wean is to do it gradually. Abrupt weaning is hard for baby and for mom. Here are some ways start weaning gradually.

Weaning before six months is harder than when your baby is older. If your baby is eating solid food, they will gradually become less interested in nursing.

Wean your baby gradually

There are different methods to wean your baby. The latest information on weaning states that a mom should wean gradually to help avoid trauma to the infant, avoid a breast infection (mastitis) and to make it more comfortable for the mom.

How to wean your baby

1. Baby lead weaning. Don’t offer to nurse your baby, but don’t refuse if your baby wants to nurse.

2. Drop one feeding at a time. Start with the feeding your baby will miss the least or their least favorite time for feeding. You can drop one more feeding per day about every 3-7 days. If you drop about one feeding per week, your milk supply will decrease gradually, which is more comfortable for you and then your baby can adjust gradually too.

Challenges with weaning

Sometimes a baby is difficult to wean. You can use distraction, and do another favorite activity with your baby at the time you’d usually nurse.

You might have to change locations or avoid the place where you usually nurse.

Plugged milk ducts or mastitis can occur if you don’t wean gradually. If you get a plugged milk duct or lump in your breast, massage it while you are feeding or pumping. The shower is a great place to work out a plugged milk duct. Mastitis is a breast infection. Symptoms include a fever, redness, swelling and pain in the breast. Treatment includes frequent milk removal, rest and lots of fluids. Some ways to prevent mastitis are to pump or hand express milk if your breasts are too full. Use a cold compress if you have mastitis or pain in your breasts. You can use a bag of frozen vegetables as a cold compress. Don’t place ice directly on the skin. Ibuprofen can help with pain or swelling.

Emotions surrounding weaning

Some mothers feel a deep sadness when they wean because it means their baby is moving on to another stage of life. These feelings are normal. Make sure you give extra love, hugs, and attention to your baby as they wean. You can start new habits like playing or reading a book together.

If you have to wean your baby and you’re not ready, you may feel anger and sadness. This is normal.

When you wean your baby you may also feel a little more freedom. Weaning means you’re free to leave your baby for longer periods of time if you have someone you trust who can watch your baby.

If you’ve had to wean your baby due to a traumatic experience, such as a loss of your baby, you can pump your milk and donate it for other babies. Many Intermountain hospitals are donation sites for donations for the Mountain West Mother’s Milk Bank.

For more information click here.

The Baby Your Baby program provides many resources for all pregnant women and new moms in Utah. There is also expert advice from the Utah Department of Health and Intermountain Healthcare that air each week on KUTV 2News.