Baby Oudam's Crib

How to teach a baby to read

• Babies’ cognitive abilities are greatest during early phase of development (1)
• Babies are capable of learning to read as early as 4 months old (2)
• Reading builds self-confidence and self-esteem (1)
• Set aside about 40 minutes each day to teach reading, should be free of distractions (1)
• Keep teaching process simple and enjoyable (1)
• Educational materials include: alphabets on flash card, alphabet blocks, patterns, iPod & iPad apps
• Large fonts are most effective (1)

Videos:

Sources:

1. How To Teach Your Baby To Read
2. Brillkids Little Reader – Teaching Baby To Read

What can babies see?

• Cannot focus for the first 6-8 weeks, so objects remain blurry (1)
• Pay more attention to faces by 2 months (1)
• Recognize mother’s face by 5 months (1)
• Visual acuity is nearly as good as normal adult by 8 months (1)
• Infants as young as 2 weeks have color vision
• Eyes not well coordinated for first 2 months and often appear crossed; eyes should be well coordinated by 3 months (1)
• Would be able to read the big “E” on eye exam chart by 1 month (1)
• Babies find high-contrast black and white patterns most visible (1)
• Newborns can see objects about 8-15 inches away sharply (2)
• Newborns prefer faces and round shapes with light and dark borders (2)
• If baby still looks “cross-eyed”, this could be a sign of a visual or eye muscle problem (2)

Sources:

1. What can my baby see?
2. How Well Can Newborn Babies See?

Traces of blood in baby’s stool

• In many cases, no known causes and often resolves on its own (2)
• Should be checked out by doctor
• Possible causes: anal fissure (slight anal or rectal tearing from baby straining during elimination), constipation, allergy to formula, infection, nursing mother’s diet (1)
• Look at color for clue (2):
  Blood originating in the colon or rectum tends to be red and may only streak the outside of the stool. If the blood originates further up the GI tract, then the blood is generally darker in color (dark brown/maroon, black) and mixed throughout the stool instead of just on the outside.

Sources:

1. Newborns’traces of blood in stool?
2. What causes blood in baby’s stool?

Flying with young infants

• How young is too young to fly?
  - No absolute answer; should be determined by the reason to fly (1)
  - Expat women giving birth generally counseled to wait 2-4 weeks to fly (1)
• What’s allowed on airplanes (TSA)
• Strollers: Most airlines prefer strollers be checked in (1)
• Background noise on plane is white noise that can help babies sleep (2)
• On-flight bassinets can accommodate babies up to 2 years old (2)

Sources:

1. Flying with Kids
2. Taking your baby on the long-haul flight to Australia — more survival plans!
3. Surviving a flight with your baby or toddler