The other day something unexpected happened that completely changed the pace of the day. Normally, it would have created stress and frustration. Instead, it led to something surprisingly meaningful.
It reminded me why connection matters so much in pediatrics… and why sometimes the slower days leave the biggest impact.
Fever 101 Tips – Mommy BasicsHow to Find a Pediatrician for Your Baby: Top 5 Questions!Mindful Moms 101 – Mommy Basics30 Fun Family Activities When You’re Bored at HomePediatrician Fever FixRestore Baby Sleep
How Much Caffeine You Can Have Depends On Your Baby
Babies may be sensitive to caffeine and breastfeeding or whatever their breastfeeding mothers drink or eat. Drinking a low to moderate amount of caffeine shouldn’t affect your baby. But every baby is different. And some can’t handle any caffeine at all. In this post, you’ll discover the average amount of caffeine your baby might be able to handle. But first, let’s review some details about caffeine.
Yes it can. Caffeine is a natural diuretic; it increases urine production. This can cause dehydration which decreases breast milk production. Make sure to drink lots of water if you consume caffeine.
How Long Does Caffeine Stay in Our Bodies?
When you ingest caffeine, it gets processed in your stomach, then into your blood. Next, the liver processes it and breaks it down. In a healthy adult, caffeine stays in the body for 3-7 hours.
Will My Baby Clear Caffeine as Quickly as I Do?
No; not at all. Although 1% may seem like a tiny amount gets passed onto your baby through breastmilk. But babies process caffeine differently because their liver and kidneys are immature. Babies can hold onto it for 65–130 hours! Preterm and newborn babies take even longer to break down caffeine. Mothers of these infants might consider having even less caffeine or no caffeine. Ask your doctor for specific advice regarding your baby.
Some Signs of Your Baby’s Negative Reaction to Caffeine:
Irritability
Fussy
Jittery
Increased crying
Poor sleeping patterns
Feeding problems, including feeding refusal
Reflux/Hartburn that doesn’t go away or that worsens
My Baby Has a Negative Reaction, But I Didn’t Have a Lot of Caffeine!
These reactions have typically been reported in infants of breastfeeding mothers with high intake of caffeine. However, some babies might have these symptoms with a breastfeeding mother who has only one (1) cup of caffeine. If your baby appears to have one of these symptoms after you’ve breastfed and you’ve had caffeine, then consider decreasing your caffeine intake or stopping it altogether.
Want to Know More?
Breastfeeding & Alcohol | Pump & Dump – Truths & Myths? Read more about it here.
What’s Next?
Stay tuned for my blog post, “Absence Seizures in Children Symptoms, Diagnosis & Treatment.” Don’t forget to check out the video for more in-depth information on today’s topic! Watch the full video on my YouTube channel!
️️Comment & Subscribe!
Leave a comment below.Your input helps me create content that truly supports you! How this was helpful to you? What other topics would you like me to review?
Alcohol & Breastfeeding: You Might Not Need to Pump & Dump
While breastfeeding & alcohol are generally not recommended, there are some workarounds. If you would like to have a drink and not affect your baby, it involves limiting how much you drink. It also involves waiting about 3 hours before you can breastfeed, if you’ve only had one (1) drink. This means if you decide to drink, you’ll need to think carefully about your baby’s feedings. But first, let’s review a few facts about alcohol in general.
Drinking While Pregnant is a NO!
When a pregnant mother drinks, alcohol is directly passed on to the unborn baby through the placenta. Basically, if mom drinks, baby drinks. And with a developing body, this is dangerous for baby. Fetal alcohol syndrome is caused by a mother drinking while pregnant. It leads to physical, behavioral, and cognitive problems to varying degrees depending upon the amount of alcohol the mother consumed while pregnant. Basically, don’t do it. It’s not worth the risk.
Once you drink alcohol, it gets broken down in your stomach, then it is quickly absorbed into your bloodstream. Next, alcohol spreads from your blood into your brain, lungs, and liver. The liver acts as the greatest filter to remove alcohol from your body. Your body also removes alcohol through urination and breathing.
What is Blood Alcohol Content (BAC)?
BAC is the measurement of alcohol in your body.
BAC of 0% means there is no alcohol in your body.
BAC of 0.03% is roughly equal to one (1) drink in an hour.
BAC of 0.08% is roughly equal to three (3) drinks in an hour. It is the legal limit for driving. However, no one should drive with any alcohol in their body; it impairs your brain’s ability to function safely while driving.
BAC of 0.35% is roughly equal to ten (10) drinks in an hour. This is the level of alcohol poisoning and dangerous on many levels.
What is a Standard Drink?
A standard drink (commonly known as “a drink”) refers to the same amount of pure alcohol in each type of drink. Each drink has a different Alcohol By Volume (ABV). The stronger the ABV, the smaller the size of a standard drink. For example, drinking 3 ounces of liquor (e.g. rum) is equal to 2 drinks, but drinking 12 ounces of beer is equal to 1 drink.
The Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) in breast milk is equal to the BAC in a mother’s blood. As the mother’s BAC decreases with time, the alcohol content of her breast milk also decreases. Alcohol content is highest in breast milk 30-60 minutes after a woman drinks. The more alcohol a mother consumes, the longer the alcohol can be detected in her blood and her breast milk.
How Long Can Alcohol Be Found in Breast Milk After Drinking?
1 drink – approximately 2-3 hours
2 drinks – approximately 4-5 hours
3 drinks – approximately 6-8 hours
Why You Might Not Need to Pump & Dump
Your breast milk will not have alcohol in it, if you follow the above waiting time guidelines. That means, if you have a drink, you can wait 3 hours to breastfeed your baby again without worrying that your baby will also be drinking alcohol. Why? Because after 3 hours, the alcohol has left your body. And the alcohol has left your breastmilk.
When Should You Pump & Dump
Keep in mind though, that if you had 3 drinks, you would need to pump and dump because if you don’t, your breasts will have extreme pain from all the breastmilk that your breasts have filled in them. That breastmilk is not fit for your baby’s consumption, so you will have to dump it.
Why Would a Mother Drink if Breastfeeding? Don’t Judge!
Personally, I’m not much of a drinker. So, it was easy for me to not drink while breastfeeding. But I also understand that there are many reasons why a mother might want a drink. Maybe a breastfeeding mother wants to socialize with her friends, feel like she’s more than just food for her baby, or other reasons. I’m not here to judge. I’m here to guide you to be the best breastfeeding mother while still being true to yourself.
Guide to Drinking Alcohol While You’re a Breastfeeding Mother:
Drink responsibly. Your baby needs your best clearest mind.
Be aware that a drink may affect you more than it did before, especially as you haven’t been drinking for a while since you’ve been pregnant and are a breastfeeding mother.
Drink plenty of water. Alcohol is a diuretic; it increases urination. You’ll need water to compensate. And to make sure your milk production doesn’t decrease.
Plan your baby’s next feed ahead of time depending upon how much you plan to drink & depending on how long your baby can go between breastfeedings.
If you want one (1) drink, be prepared to breastfeed no sooner than 3 hours after you have finished your drink.
If your baby is old enough to wait 3 hours until the next feeding, you may want to breastfeed at that time. Or have your previously stored breastmilk available for your baby to feed during those 3 hours. Or give your baby formula, if you are comfortable doing that.
If your baby has fed before you could breastfeed again, then consider pumping and storing your breastmilk as long as it has been 3 hours after you finished your one (1) drink.
Get a good night’s sleep. Every mom needs it!
What’s Next?
Stay tuned for my blog post, “Breastfeeding & Caffeine | Will It Hurt My Baby?” Don’t forget to check out the video for more in-depth information on today’s topic! Watch the full video on my YouTube channel!
️️Comment & Subscribe!
Leave a comment below.Your input helps me create content that truly supports you! How this was helpful to you? What other topics would you like me to review?
During the newborn hospital exam, your Pediatrician ensures your little one is healthy from the start by examining his/her body in detail. Have you ever wondered, “What is the Pediatrician looking for? Is my baby really okay? This is Part 1 of my series, “Newborn Hospital Exam” where I review the examination of the heart, lungs & abdomen after delivery.
During the newborn hospital exam, your Pediatrician ensures your little one is healthy from the start by examining his/her body in detail. Have you ever wondered, “What is the Pediatrician looking for? Is my baby really okay? This is Part 1 of my series, “Newborn Hospital Exam” where I review the examination of the heart, lungs & abdomen after delivery.
CDC’s Updated Mask Guidance for Fully Vaccinated People
On May 13, 2021, the CDC updated their Interim Public Health Recommendations for Fully Vaccinated People. The CDC states the science shows that breakthrough COVID-19 illness in fully vaccinated individuals is limited and most breakthrough infections resulting in asymptomatic or mild disease. Hence, fully vaccinated individuals do not need to wear a mask indoors and do not need to socially distance, “except where required by federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules, and regulations, including local business and workplace guidance.”
Full vaccination occurs ≥2 weeks after a person has received the 2nd dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or ≥2 weeks after a person has received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
What Can Fully Vaccinated People Stop Doing?
Stop wearing masks and social distancing, except as “required by federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules, and regulations, including local business and workplace guidance.”
Stop testing before or after travel or self-quarantine after domestic travel
Stop testing before leaving the U.S. for international travel (unless required by the destination)
Stop self-quarantining after arriving back in the U.S.
Stop testing following a known exposure, if asymptomatic, with some exceptions for specific settings
Stop quarantining following a known exposure, if asymptomatic
Stop routine screening testing, if feasible
Where Are Masks Still Required for All?
Please keep in mind these CDC Guidelines do not apply in medical offices yet. Medical offices are places of higher risk.
Other locations where mask use is still required are hospitals, other medical facilities, nursing homes, prisons, homeless shelters, and public travel. In addition, it is still recommended that masks be worn in environments where there is a dense population, for example, at concerts.
What about Travel?
“All travelers are required to wear a mask on all planes, buses, trains, and other forms of public transportation traveling into, within, or out of the United States and in U.S. transportation hubs such as airports and stations.”
What about International Travel?
Fully vaccinated travelers do not need to get tested before leaving the U.S. unless required by their destination.
Fully vaccinated air travelers coming to the United States from abroad, including U.S. citizens, are still required to have a negative COVID-19 test result or documentation of recovery from COVID-19 before they fly to the U.S.
International travelers arriving in the U.S. are still recommended to get a COVID-19 test 3-5 days after travel regardless of vaccination status.
Fully vaccinated travelers don’t need to self-quarantine in the U.S. after international travel.
What If I’m Fully Vaccinated, Symptomatic, & I Get COVID-19?
The risk of breakthrough infection is very low for fully vaccinated people. However, if this occurs, the fully vaccinated person who has COVID-19 symptoms should:
isolate themselves from others
be medically evaluated for a COVID-19 infection
get tested for COVID-19 infection
inform their doctor that they are fully vaccinated
What If I’m Fully Vaccinated, Asymptomatic, & Am Exposed to Someone Who Has/Might Have COVID-19?
The risk of breakthrough infection is very low for fully vaccinated people. Isolation, quarantining, work restrictions, and COVID-19 testing are not required after exposure to someone who either has or is suspected of having COVID-19. However, it is still necessary for them to self-monitor for 14 days after the exposure.
What If I’m Fully Vaccinated, Asymptomatic, Am Exposed to Someone Who Has/Might Have COVID-19, & I Work in a Prison or Homeless Shelter?
COVID-19 testing is required. However, isolation, quarantining, work restrictions are not required after exposure to someone who either has or is suspected of having COVID-19.
What If I’m Fully Vaccinated, Asymptomatic, & Not Exposed to Someone Who Has/Might Have COVID-19?
Fully vaccinated people without COVID-19 symptoms, without known COVID-19 exposure “should be exempted from routine screening testing programs, if feasible.”
What If I’m Not Fully Vaccinated?
The CDC recommends continued mask use and social distancing for anyone who is not fully vaccinated. Masks are recommended for those children and adults, ages 2-years-old and up who are not fully vaccinated. Discuss your concerns about the vaccine with your doctor. Please consider getting a COVID-19 vaccine. It is life-saving for the person vaccinated and the people around them.
When Will Fully Vaccinated People Be Able to Stop Wearing Masks in Your Office?
We will be able to relax some of our office’s mask requirements for fully vaccinated individuals, once the Overall New Percent Positivity is consistently (at least 2 weeks) <5% in BOTH Pasco & Hillsborough counties, as we serve both of these counties in Florida. New Percent Positivity refers to the percent of the population that has tested positive for COVID-19 for the first time in the past two weeks.
Currently, as of 05/12/21, Pasco County’s Overall New Percent Positivity has been below 5% for two days. Hillsborough County’s Overall New Percent Positivity is 6.26%. In addition, Pediatric Overall Percent Positivity has continued to increase through May 2021. Pasco’s Pediatric Overall Percent Positivity is 13.4% and Hillsborough’s is 14.7%. The Florida Department of Health does not release Pediatric New Percent Positivity. As always, we are watching these numbers very closely.
Do Children Still Need to Wear a Mask in Your Office?
Children ages 2-years-old and up and their parents who are not fully vaccinated against COVID-19 need to wear a mask throughout their office visit. COVID-19 vaccine is not available for children 2 to 11-years-old at this point. Trials are ongoing for children ages 6 months to 11-years-old. The trials are expected to yield results in September 2021. Please stay tuned. We will keep you posted as updates occur.
How Can I Request to Not Wear a Mask in Your Office?
Fully vaccinated individuals that show their COVID-19 vaccination status as fully vaccinated will not need to use a mask in our office. For those who are uncomfortable sharing their vaccine information, mask use will be necessary throughout the visit.
How Can I Get More COVID-19 Updates?
Please feel free to search this blog for general non-COVID-19 health updates like car seat safety. COVID-19 information changes daily. We are happy to serve our community and others in this rapidly changing world we currently live in. Please consider following us on our Small World Pediatrics Facebook page for frequent updates. We also have weekly Facebook Live Videos on Sundays at Noon focusing on COVID-19 discussions where this week we discuss many updates and answer questions, including but not limited to the CDC’s mask guidance for fully vaccinated individuals.
Could a Baby Die Asleep in a Car Seat on the Floor?
Tragedy struck a North Dakota family when one of their twins died at daycare in his sleep. The daycare workers usually took the babies out of their car seats. At drop off, Linnea was taken out of her car seat. But her twin brother, Anders Jungling fell asleep. Just a few hours later, his mom, Rachel, got the phone call. He died quietly in his sleep … in his car seat. Rachel didn’t understand why he was still in his car seat. The daycare workers didn’t know that a baby could die in a car seat placed on the floor. So, they let him sleep.
Why Does Any Mother or Caretaker Leave a Baby Asleep in the Car Seat?
The reasons are many …
“I’m just so tired.”
“He finally fell asleep.”
“He has such bad colic & has been crying all day. He needs the sleep.”
“I’ll leave him there for just 30 minutes.”
“If I take him out, it’ll take forever to get him back to sleep.”
“I’ve always heard to let sleeping babies lie.”
And many, many more.
How Many of Us Have Left Our Baby Asleep in a Car Seat?
I’ve been guilty of that. I remember constantly checking, every 2-5 minutes if my sleeping son was okay in the car seat. Then, it finally dawned on me that the little bit of sleep he would get in his car seat was causing me extreme stress and additional mental unrest. Why was I doing that to myself? He had horrible colic. He was only getting a maximum of 3 hours daily. In the end, I couldn’t reconcile his much-needed sleep with my ever-increasing madness. I’m sure my sleep deprivation made me think unclearly. Mentally, I just couldn’t take the risk anymore. And so, I took him out of his car seat. And he cried. A lot. I hated it. Praying he would just fall back asleep each time, but he didn’t. So, many a night, I would drive with him until he slept in the car. I can understand why anyone would leave a baby in a car seat. However, we just can’t because they could die of positional asphyxia.
What is Positional Asphyxia?
Positional asphyxia happens when an infant stops breathing when they are either placed or fall asleep in an unsafe sleeping environment or an unsafe position.
How Can Positional Asphyxia Occur in a Car Seat?
A baby can sleep safely in a car seat placed in a car because the car seat is placed at an angle. when the car seat is at an angle, a baby’s heavy head remains backward and their airways remain open. On the floor, the baby’s head tilts forward and closes their airway. The baby will not fight the asphyxiation. They will die quietly in their sleep.
What are Some Unsafe Environments for Baby’s Sleep?
Car Seat
Bed-sharing
Objects in the bed, such as blankets, pillows, stuffed animals
Sofas
Waterbed
Beanbag Chair
What are Some Unsafe Positions for Baby’s Sleep?
Side sleeping
Sleeping facedown
Sleeping with the head covered (in a car seat)
Face against a soft surface (bed bumpers, parent’s chest)
What are the ABCs of Safe Sleep?
Alone – Babies need to sleep alone in a crib without anything that could suffocate them (bed bumpers, blankets, pillows, stuffed animals, pacifiers made with attached plushies). Back – Babies need to sleep on their backs (no side sleeping or face down sleeping). Crib – Babies need to sleep in a crib or a flat bassinet (not a car seat, swing, adult bed, etc).
Is This Rare? Why Change if Nothing Bad Has Happened to Anyone I Know?
You may not hear or know someone whose baby died of positional asphyxia, but it’s not worth taking the risk. In my pediatric career, in over 20 years, I’ve had 3 children that I’ve cared for die from positional asphyxia. If it happens to you or someone you know, it’s life-changing. You have to live with the pain and regret, forever wondering, if you had only changed, would life have been different? It’s just not worth it.
Lavender and Tea Tree Essential Oils – Use in Children
Lavender and tea tree oils may have negative side effects in children. These oils may increase estrogen activity while inhibiting androgen activity. Estrogen is the female sex hormone. Androgen is the male sex hormone. Essentially, lavender and tea tree essential oils imitate estrogen and block testosterone.
The potential negative side effect in these lavender and tea tree essential oils are abnormal breast growth & breast growth before puberty. Essential oils are being used widely, but not enough studies have been done to evaluate their negative side effects. This is extremely important, as so many people are using essential oils due to the benefits of their antimicrobial properties, relaxation, and overall improvement and prevention of ailments.
Latest Study Published in Endocrine Journal
This groundbreaking study was published on August 8, 2019, in the Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. The study also revealed that breast development resolved shortly after these lavender and tea tree essential oils were stopped.
Essential Oils in Many Children’s Products?
Do you use these essential oils on your children? Even if you don’t use essential oils on your kids, you may be doing so without realizing it. May common skin products, especially for babies contain lavender, such as lavender lotion or lavender baby bath products.
Should I Stop Using Essential Oils on My Children?
At this point, it’s probably best to hold off on using these lavender and tea tree essential oils on children, at least until after puberty is complete.
