As some of you know I have been singing the praises of Pediasure. We had added that to Jedidiah's formula some 5 or 6 weeks ago. At the same time I also started using two supplements, Ambrotose and Jaro-dophilus (good bacteria). I just assumed his quick weight gain was due to the addition of the Pediasure as it has more calories per ounce than his formula. At the same time of these additions we had to cut back on the volume he was receiving ( a long story, but it has to do with his pump). So the other day I decided to figure out exactly how many more calories he was getting.......drum roll please.......the calories have been the SAME! Yes, the same, due to the cut back in volume. So here he has been gaining all this great weight, and it has nothing to do with additional calories. He is getting more calories, but not because we are giving him more. I believe that the good bacteria and Ambrotose are making his body work like it should and he is finally absorbing the food as he should, thus getting more calories. He is filling out great! It has been amazing to see. He was up to 19lb, 5.5oz the other day! Around here we celebrate gains in ounces :-) In just a couple of weeks he may be heavy enough to turn his car seat to the forward position! I have a feeling that our child who is such a creature of habit will have a hard time that it won't happen that way. Time will tell.
I am in the process of brewing a batch of homemade chicken broth. I have heard great things about real chicken broth, and at this point we are trying whatever natural means to help Jedidiah's body to function properly. My next venture will be to acquire some keifer grains to start making our own keifer. Keifer is likened to a drinkable yogurt. Yogurt has some 6 or 7 good bacterias in it, keifer has 30. I'm still trying to find a source though. You can buy it through the internet, but I prefer to get some from someone I "know". "Know" as in someone from one of the two message boards I frequent.
Gotta run, Jedidiah is in some serious need of copping some zzz's
1 comment:
Great News, Kerri! So happy to hear that Jedidiah has been gaining weight. But, you might want to rethink turning his car seat to face forward. I've heard from many people that it's safe to put our kids in a car seat forward facing once they are "at least 1 year old AND 20 pounds". However, I have to disagree after researching the topic - especially since car safety is one of the most important safety issues.
The 1 year/20 pound rule is only a bare minimum suggestion and all the safety organizations and American Academy of Pediatrics have changed their recommendations to keep infants rear facing as long as possible, up to the max rear-facing requirement for your car seat. I think just like breastfeeding (where now it's recommended over formula and they suggest a minimum of 6 months, but 1 year or longer is better) -- the U.S. is starting to follow the lead of European countries....which is very interesting. Here are just a few articles to share with you...food for thought.
--isabelle
http://www.diaperpin.com/articles/article_CarSeat2.asp
http://www.car-safety.org/rearface.html
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9916868
http://parenting.ivillage.com/baby/bsafety/0,,9r5v,00.html
Articles from Safe & Secure Baby.com -- also there have been some recent car seat recalls for Britax seats manufactured in 2006, FYI...might want to check that out too.
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12/06/2007
Rear Facing Safest for Children Under Two
A recent study conducted by experts in injury prevention found that the use of Child Passenger Safety Seats (car seats) rear facing was much more effective than forward facing seats in protecting children in a car crash. It was reccomended that car seats be used rear facing in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions up to at least the child's second birthday.
The study, based on data taken from the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) vehicle crash data base over a five year period, found a significant decrease in the likelihood of injury of children aged 0-23 months that were rear facing in their car seats.*
The take home lesson from this study is to keep your children rear facing in their car seats for as long as the car seat will allow. Many seats now harness children rear facing to 33 or 35 pounds, allowing parents to benefit from the added safety of rear facing to age two and beyond. Despite reccomendations from leading authorities like the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), NHTSA and Safe Kids Worldwide, many parents are unaware of the added safety benefit of rear facing. Misplaced concerns regarding comfort and leg injury are most often cited as reasons for forward facing at one year. However, as found in the Injury Prevention study, optimum protection and a decrease in injury from side and forward facing impacts comes from rear facing.
* Car Safety Seats For Children: Rear Facing For Best Protection; Injury Prevention 2007; 13:398-402.
__________________ 06/29/2007
Pointing Your Child in the Right Direction
Urban myths are often difficult to put down once they gain acceptance. Too often we have been told that it is perfectly acceptable to turn our children forward facing in their car seats at one year and twenty pounds. However, ever since March of 2002, the American Academy of Pediatrics has been advising parents to keep their children rear facing for as long as possible so as to reduce the risk of spinal injury. Both car seat manufacturers and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) have recognized the increased safety benefits of extended rear facing by designing and testing Child Passenger Safety seats with higher rear facing weight limits. Indeed, the one year and twenty myth stems from a previous generation of car seats that simply weren't designed to accommodate longer periods of rear facing. As awareness of the benefits of extended rear facing emerged, so did the technology of car seats for additional protection of our children.
Adding fuel to an outdated myth are minimal legal requirements found within the vehicle code. Assembly Bill 881, currently before the California Senate, is aimed at codifying an absolute requirement for rear facing if a child is under age one or less than twenty pounds. However, what is legal and what is safe are entirely different things. Arguments that a child's legs may be injured if rear faced beyond legal minimums have no weight as there is simply no reported evidence of any such injury. Unfortunately, every year there are reports of severe trauma to children including spinal injury and brain damage which would likely have been prevented had the child simply been rear facing as allowed by the child's car seat. Further, the choice between a leg injury from extended rear facing or spinal injury should be an easy one.
Another barrier to safety and the perpetuation of the myth is a parent's perception of forward facing as a milestone in their child's development. Recognizing the fact that each step up in a child restraint comes with a corresponding reduction in the safety of the child is difficult for some parents. Each step up from an infant car seat, to a rear facing convertible, to a forward facing convertible, to a booster seat to regular seat belts, offers less protection to the child from the previous phase. We should be looking at prolonging each phase by taking advantage of the newer technology incorporated within the new generation of car seats.
While you and I may be the safest driver out there, it's the other car with the inattentive driver that may plough into us when we least expect it. Despite how well we drive, or think we drive, there are others with less proficiency or unexpected circumstances beyond the best of our control. So, if or when a collision occurs, having your child in the safest possible position as allowed by your car seat will help to reduce or entirely eliminate potential injury. As with any advice on car seat safety, it is imperative that you always read your car seat manual and car owner's manual to make sure your child's seat is properly installed. For more information on Child Passenger Safety or to become a child passenger safety technician, please visit www.safekids.org/certification.
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02/07/2007
When should you use a forward-facing car seat for your child?
Children should remain rear-facing until reaching the maximum weight for their car seat, as long as the top of their head is below the top of the car seat back. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children remain rear-facing as long as possible. (PEDIATRICS Vol. 109 No. 3 March 2002, pp. 550-553.)
There is a general confusion for most parents about the "at least 1 year and 20 pound" marker that causes many parents to convert their seats to forward facing too early. Though current recommendations allow a child that is 1 year and 20 pounds to ride forward facing, it is by no means the safest way to ride.
Children's Hospital of Philadephia (CHOP), a leading organization for child passenger safety, offers several suggestions regarding common parent mistakes:
"Sometimes a toddler is smaller or larger than "at least one year and at least 20 pounds." If that's the case, here's what to do:
Under age 1, but more than 20 pounds
Use a convertible seat with a higher weight/height limit until your child reaches at least age 1. Keep your toddler rear-facing up to the maximum weight allowed by your convertible seat and as long as the top of her head is below the top of the safety seat back. Check your car seat instruction manual for weight and height guidelines for your seat.
Over age 1, but not yet 20 pounds
Smaller children need to be rear-facing until at least 20 pounds, even if they have reached 1 year of age.
If you are using a rear-facing infant-only seat, continue using this seat as long as your baby hasn't outgrown the seat's height limit. The seat may be used until your child's height has exceeded the seat's height limit or your child's head reaches the top of the safety seat. Another option is to use a rear-facing convertible seat that is suitable for heavier and/or taller babies. Check your car seat instruction manual for your seat's weight and height limits."
All safety experts agree that children should ride rear facing as long as possible as dictated by the car seat's rear facing weight limit.
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