What should I do if a bee or wasp stings my child?

Two of my friends kids got stung by Bees this week and it got me wondering if (god forbid) one of my kids got stung by a Bee, I would have no clue what to do.

What should I do if a bee or wasp stings my child?

A bee’s stinger works like an automatic pump — the longer it stays in, the more venom it releases — so get it out as quickly as you can.

Look for a little black dot in the center of a reddened area and scrape it off with a fingernail or credit card. Try not to squeeze the stinger with your fingers or tweezers, because that could release more venom.

Once you’ve removed the stinger, wash the area with soap and water. Then apply an ice pack for 15 minutes or so to minimize swelling and relieve pain. (If you don’t have an ice pack, grab a package of frozen vegetables or drop a few ice cubes in a plastic bag. Wrap whatever you’re going to use in a washcloth so it doesn’t touch your child’s skin directly.)

You may want to apply a paste of baking soda and water to the area, to soothe it and draw out some of the venom. (Simply dab it on, let it dry, and rinse it off.) I also heard that rubbing a clove of garlic on to the area, also helps draw out the venom.

Watch out for any allergic reactions like shortness of breath, wheezing, swollen tongue, hands, or face.

Call your Childs pediatrician immediately to see if you should go to the hospital or get an over the counter antihistamine.

Source: Baby Center

Car seats at Dubai Airport

As we were walking to our car at Dubai Airport something caught my attention.

You can ask them to provide a car seat for your child when taking a taxi to and from the airport free of charge. What a great service! All you need is to have a removable car seat cover with you and you’re set!

They also carry more than one type of car to suite all different age groups.

No Woman, No Cry

No, this isn’t a Bob Marley song! No woman, no cry is a gripping documentary that tells the powerful personal stories of pregnant women and their caregivers in four parts of the world including a remote Maasai tribe in Tanzania, a slum of Bangladesh, a post-abortion care ward in Guatemala, and a prenatal clinic in the United States. Shockingly more than half a million women each year die from complications in pregnancy or childbirth that could have been prevented with proper medical care.

Director of the documentary, Supermodel Christy Turlington Burns explains how she was drawn into this project by her own experience as a mother “Like many women, I was excited to become a mother and enjoyed being pregnant. But just after delivering my first child, I suffered a serious complication. While I had a birth team that worked quickly to manage the situation, I was shocked to learn that more than 500,000 women die each year during childbirth—and that 90 percent of these deaths are preventable. This left me needing to learn more about maternal health.”

As I was reading notes about the documentary on the Tribeca film website I found this part very interesting:

Turlington Burns exposes how even the United States, a country that spends more per capita on health care than any other nation, still has a higher maternal mortality ratio than all of Western Europe as well as Bosnia, Kuwait, Slovenia, and Hungary. Turlington Burns has made an eye-opening activist film that will touch mothers and non-mothers alike.

Do we have a high maternal mortality in Kuwait??

If you would like to support this issue add your name to help improve maternal health globally.

Link: Every Mother Counts , Facebook Page

Baby Teeth

Five ways to keep new baby teeth healthy:

1. Start brushing early Use a tiny amount of infant toothpaste on your finger to clean your baby’s first teeth, before moving onto a soft toothbrush with a very small head as more teeth begin to appear. Some also advise that it is best to use water and hold off using toothpaste until your child can spit out.
2. Stay on hand to help Children take time to  master their brushing skills, so they need to be supervised up until the age of eight.
3. Encourage spitting Too much fluoride can discolor teeth, so ensure he rinses with a little water to reduce the amount of fluoride left on the teeth.
4. Keep it regular Clean in the morning and last thing at night, and don’t allow any drinks after the bedtime brushing, except for water.
5. Remember the back As soon as front baby teeth get wobbly, new adult teeth will usually appear at the back, so check these and ensure they receive a good clean too.

When should your childs first visit to the dentist be?

As i was researching this question, I found a few different answers, some say when they get their first tooth, and others say at the age of 3. But according to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, getting an early start on dental care can be the most effective way to make sure a child’s teeth have a healthy start. Children should see a dentist when he gets his first tooth, or by the age one at that latest. “First visit by first birthday” is a good rule of thumb, according to both the American Dental Association and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry.

Image via sheknows.com

Ruba-A-Dub-Dub

My kids love taking baths. They splash around, play with their toys and enjoy all the bubbles. I always  make sure that the bath tub is scrubbed everyday before and after their baths, toys are proberly cleaned and stored away. But how clean are the bath toys ? I was shocked when i saw this video! i dont think my kids are going to have a bath ever again!!

Check out the video here

A wake up call to all parents!

I saw this touching video on Tidbit Du Jours Blog. A wake-up call is a video to all parents, educating them to make responsible choices when it comes to the kind of food they eat, toys they play with and simple every day choices.  It is a must see video for every parent, care giver and anyone that cares about the health and development of children. The video is by “Healthy child Healthy world“  a wonderful non-profit organization created by inspiring parents. It’s main mission is to start a movement that inspires parents to protect young children from harmful chemicals. Their website is definitely worth checking out they have a newsletter, lots of on-line helpful information and an interesting blog.

Please Watch it. Share it and Join the movement

Fatherhood is growing up!

The Evolution of Dad is a thought-provoking documentary about what it means to be an involved, contemporary American father. Following the personal journey of filmmaker and dad, Dana H. Glazer, the film explores how fatherhood has evolved over time, what its impact has been on family and society; and lastly, how fatherhood will likely continue to evolve.

The documentary premiere is this Father’s Day, 2010

Check out their facebook page and website for more information.

First Aid – Part 3

A baby can easily choke on food or small objects in the mouth; you need to act quickly to clear the obstruction.Are they able to breathe, cry or cough? If so, this is a mild case and the obstruction will probably clear on its own. Keep an eye on the baby and make sure their condition doesn’t deteriorate. If not, this is a severe case of choking. You should: 1. Lay the baby face down along your forearm, with their head low. 2. Give up to 5 back blows (as shown) between the shoulder blades with the heel of your hand. Check their mouth quickly after each one and remove any obvious obstruction. If the obstruction is still present:

3. Turn the baby onto their back and give up to 5 chest thrusts, with 2 fingers in the middle of the chest pushing inwards and upwards. Check the mouth quickly after each one. If the obstruction does not clear after three cycles of back blows and chest thrusts, dial 999 (or 112) for an ambulance. Continue cycles of back blows and chest thrusts until help arrives and resuscitate if necessary.Seek medical advice for any baby who has been given chest thrusts. الله يحفظ الجميع انشاءالله Source: Red Cross

First Aid – Part 2

As parents we are put in situations that we might not know how to react but we should always be prepped for the unexpected. First Aid is one of the most important things that parents should know, from dressing a wound to CPR. I’m going to write a few posts, each post concentrating on a specific technique. CPR on children aged one to puberty If a child is not breathing give one minute of CPR then call an ambulance. If another person is present ask them to call an ambulance straight away. 1. Open the airway by placing one hand on their forehead and gently tilting the head back and lifting the chin. Remove any visible obstructions from the mouth and nose.

2. Pinch the child’s nose. Place your mouth over the child’s mouth and attempt five initial rescue breaths.

3. Place your hands on the centre of their chest and, with the heel of your hand, press down one third of the depth of the chest using one or two hands. After every 30 chest compressions give two rescue breaths.

4. Continue with cycles of 30 chest compressions and two rescue breaths until emergency help arrives or the person begins to breath normally.If you are unable or unwilling to give rescue breaths give chest compressions alone. الله يحفظ الجميع انشاءالله Source: Red Cross

Baby proofing

As parents we always worry about the safety of our children, how to protect them from strangers and violence but we usually tend to over look one of the biggest threats to their safety – our own home.

Babies and toddlers are very curious and love to explore. Think of it this way anything they can’t have, they will want!

Here are my top baby tips that can help you get started.

The kitchen

The kitchen is one of the most hazardous rooms in the house. There are sharp objects everywhere, hot stoves and poisonous cleaning products around. Always make sure that an adult is in the kitchen with your child. Having a safety gate or a door lock on the kitchen door will make sure that your little one doesn’t wander in to the kitchen with out you realizing it.

Top tips:

• When working in the Kitchen have your baby/toddler sitting in his highchair with some toys to keep him occupied.
• Use safety latches and locks on bottom cabinets and try to store cleaning products in wall cabinets so that they are out of reach.
• Try to buy products that have child safety lids and always make sure they are closed properly.
• Use the back burners of your stove rather than the front ones.
• Never keep hot pots or dishes at ends of tables or stoves.

The living room

The best way to start is to see the room through your child’s eyes. This applies to the whole house. Get down on your hands and knees and start wandering around. The living room is full of sharp corners, numerous wires and sockets and heavy items so make sure you get them all.

Top tips:

• Cover all sharp edges with corner cushion to soften the impact of the child’s fall. You can find these in all safety kits.
• Never leave any small or sharp objects on coffee tables.
• Move vases, laptops, picture frames out of reach.
• Make sure all cables and wires are safely stored and tied securely.
• Protect all electrical outlets with covers.
• Large or heavy bookcases are real hazards, bolt whatever you can to the wall. Push items like televisions back from the edge of the furniture they’re on.
• Place latches on any cabinets and drawers that are easy access to children.
• If you are busy working on something in the living room it would be wise to place him in a playpen with some toys.

The stairs

One of the most common toddler accidents which is the easiest to prevent is falling down the stairs.

Install a safety gate to prevent your toddler from going up or down the stares with out your supervision.

Top tips:

• ·Make sure that the gate is fitted correctly.
• Look for gates with secure locks or that sounds out an alarm when the gate is open.

The Bedroom

When your baby is still in a crib make sure that there are no extra blankets or stuffed animals in bed with him while he is a sleep. Also keep in mind that as they get older climbing out of their crib turns into a fun game for them so always make sure there are no side tables near by.  Once your child moves from a crib to a bed they then have the freedom to walk around even when you’re not there. You may want to consider putting another safety gate on the bedroom door to ensure that they cannot wander around upstairs and into other hazardous areas, such as the bathroom, whilst you are sleeping.

Top tips:

• Place a bed rail on your toddler’s bed to prevent him from falling out.
• Move all lotions, creams out of reach or place them in a drawer with a drawer lock.
• It is a wise to invest in a baby monitor with a camera so that you can see when your baby wakes up.
• Never place shelves or picture frames above changing tables or cribs.

The bathroom

The bathroom is another room filled with hazardous liquids and creams. These items should always be stored in locked cabinets or out of reach shelves. Children can drown is as little as 1inch of water so always make sure that your child is accompanied by an adult when going in.

Top Tips:

• Cover the water faucets with protective covers to prevent your child from bumping his head on the ends.
• NEVER leave your child unattended in the bathtub, not even for a second.
• Always make sure you test the water before placing your child in the bathtub.
• Install a safety latch on your toilet lid to prevent him from accidentally falling in.

Take great care around pools. If you have a blow up pool, drain it and store it upright after each use. If you have a permanent pool, enclose it with a fence, and lock the gate leading to the pool after each use.

Stock up with first aid essentials. Make sure babysitters and other caregivers know where to find these supplies in your home and how to respond in an emergency.

Remember that childproofing is an on going process. A gate you put up for your 1 year old may become his favorite climbing toy when he is 2.

All you mommies out there, please share with us your most important baby proofing tips

For more baby proof tips check out

Parent.com, baby center