If you are pregnant or planning to conceive, this article will be useful to you since vitamin B12 deficiency symptoms in pregnancy can sometimes develop into severe condition that can harm not only the mother but the baby as well.
Deficiency of vitamin B12 in pregnant women can be caused by several factors. Drinking too much alcohol can be one of them. Some drugs like Metformin (in those with diabetes) can lead to deficiency of this vitamin. There are also some types of parasites that can cause vitamin B12 deficiency.
The symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiencyin pregnant women are not so different than those in other people, but can have different consequences because pregnant women have greater need for this vitamin. If the symptoms are still mild, they will include digestive problems like constipation or diarrhea; general weakness; stomach discomfort, sickness, paleness and tongue soreness.
Pregnant women need more vitamin B12 than those who are not pregnant, which is logical. In some cases B12 deficiency can turn into a very serious condition and this is why you have to control your B12 levels during pregnancy. If you recognize this problem in time, your chances for successful treatment will be greater. Pregnant women should pay extra attention to their diet. They should consume foods rich in vitamin B12. If there is still no sufficient amount of B12 in the body, your doctor will prescribe the right treatment. This can also include the supplements intake, but do not consume any of those before you consult your physician.
It is very important to detect B12 deficiency in time, while it is still a minor thing. If it turns into a serious deficiency, the chances for complications are higher. This must be prevented because it can affect the baby’s health.
Hiccups in babies are quite normal in the first months of baby’s life. This usually happens right after meal. If you are a young mother and still learning about your new baby and parenthood, you might get concerned about hiccups. But don’t be. You are about to find out what hiccups really are. You’ll see that there is no reason to worry.
Hiccups are more frequent in newborns than in older infants. This is so because baby’s organs develop as baby grows and hiccups gradually become less frequent until they are completely gone.
It is important to be aware of the fact that there is nothing you can actually do to stop this. Remember these old tales about what you should do if someone has hiccups (“one should grab a paper bag and breathe into it; one should stand on his head; if someone has hiccups, scare him”)? Well, no matter what you have heard – do not ever try this on your baby! It will not be helpful, but may seriously harm your child.
On the other hand, hiccups can not really harm your infant, although you may find them very annoying. They can last for the whole hour! But in most of the cases hiccups do not last for more than a couple of minutes. Keep in mind that hiccups do not bother your baby at all; it’s more likely that they will be bothering you – the parent.
In most cases, hiccups go away spontaneously. You can never know when it will stop, but as your baby is growing, hiccups will keep reducing until they disappear. Meanwhile, make sure not to feed your baby during hiccups. Also, do not wait till the baby is too hungry.
Gripe water for babies is commonly used in solving problems that usually occur in babies. These problems are something to expect when it comes to babies and nearly all mothers face them eventually: stomachaches, gas, reflux, colic, toothache etc.
This remedy has been in use for centuries. It originally came from Great Britain (although the man who made it was an American). Today it is being sold all over the world, but its ingredients have changed a bit, so today we do not use the same gripe water that people used decades before. Gripe water ingredients are not identical for all gripe water manufacturers but vary from brand to brand.
Still, there are ingredients that all gripe water brands have in common such are: alcohol, ginger, chamomile and sodium bicarbonate.Gripe water is applied in liquid form and you should follow the instructions for use to make sure you’re doing everything well. You shouldn’t forget that babies are very sensitive and it is extremely important to give your baby the right dose. Be very careful when measuring the dose – you do not want to give an overdose to your child. Regardless to its efficiency and healing quality, even gripe water should be dosed in right measure and within the limits that are appropriate for your baby’s age and weigh.
Today gripe water is an over-the-counter product and there are many places where you can buy it. Nevertheless you should ask the doctor for an advice. Don’t do anything by yourself and without previous consultation with the pediatrician.
There are many speculations about its actual effectiveness. Some people are quite convinced in its healing qualities while others have doubts and remain rather reserved when it comes to this remedy. However when your baby is in pain these moments are equally difficult for the mother, and she will try everything just in order to help her child. Since the gripe water is known for its calming qualities, mothers believe that there is nothing to lose by trying this remedy. This may be true, but again: do not apply it without your doctor’s advice.
We have already described baby hiccups in general, but if you have a newborn, here is something about hiccups in newborns. Everything we said about hiccups in babies also stands when it comes to newborn hiccups. Still, there are slight differences, since the newborns are even more sensitive. So you should be extra careful.
Although the exact reason for hiccups in newborns hasn’t been definitely determined, it is believed that the diaphragm tightening is the main cause. Furthermore, other possible causes to hiccups are air swallowing. It happens while you feed your baby from a bottle. Also, according to some sources, hiccups may become more frequent if your baby consumes formula milk. If your baby is very hungry, it is possible she will eat faster and take more food all at once, so this can also cause hiccups! Do no wait until your newborn is that hungry! Try to keep your baby calm since it can help reduce hiccups.
Regardless to all the possible causes (mentioned above) doctor still believe that hiccups are quite normal. They believe that the main reason for hiccups is a newborn neurological system which is immature thus incapable to function the way it would if the child was older.
We have already said that there is no a remedy that would help you get rid of hiccups in your newborn. All you can actually do is to wait. Try not to be frustrated. Keep in mind that your baby is not in any pain and hiccups actually do not bother her. They are more annoying to you. You can try to feed your newborn very slowly to make sure he is not swallowing any air. Try different positions and see which one is best for your baby.
Let you baby burp! It was helpful in many case – and which is more important than anything – be patient and wait till your baby grows a bit and hiccups go away in natural way, just as they first started.
