Should I breastfeed or bottle-feed?
Breastfeeding is the best nutrition for your baby. Breastfeeding provides all the protein, sugar, fat and vitamins your baby needs to be healthy and helps protect your baby against certain diseases and infections. Research also suggests that breastfeeding may help to protect against Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

How often should I feed the baby?
Breastfed babies tend to feed more often than formula-fed babies, usually eight to twelve times a day. The main reason for this is that their stomachs empty much more quickly because human milk is so easy to digest.

Initially, your newborn will probably nurse every couple of hours, regardless of whatever it's day or night. By the end of the first month, your baby may start sleeping longer at night. Let your baby feed on demand - that is, whenever he is hungry.

How do I know if the baby is getting enough to eat?
By about 1 week of age, a well-nourished breastfed baby will have six to eight wet diapers per day, and three or four with stool. Infants who are well fed will usually gain 4 to 5 ounces a week for the first few weeks, and an average of 1 to 2 pounds per month for the first six months. As a general guideline, a formula-fed infant will usually consume an average of 2 to 3 ounces of formula per pound a day.

Where should the baby sleep?
The American Academy of Pediatrics strongly recommends all babies be put to sleep on thier backs to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). A traditional crib that conforms to U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission standards is best - look for the JPMA (Juvenile Product Manufacturers Association) certified sticker. Infants should be placed on thier backs to sleep to help prevent SIDS. Supine (wholly on the back) confers the lowest risk and is preferred. If you choose to have your baby sleep in the bed with you in order to breastfeed, make sure your baby sleeps on his or her back. Avoid soft surfaces, pillows, and loose bed covers. Make sure your baby can't get trapped between the mattress and the framework of the bed (headboard or footboard), a wall, or other furniture.

Should I use a pacifier?
The need to suck is present in all infants. Some infants suck thier thumbs even before they are born, and some will do it right after being born. Pacifiers do not cause any medical or psychological problems. If your baby wants to suck beyond what nursing or bottle-feeding provides, a pacifier will satisfy that need. Offer a pacifier only after or between feedings, when you are sure your baby is not hungry.

Some babies use a pacifier to fall asleep. The trouble is, they often wake up when it falls out of their mouths. Babies who suck thier fingers or hands have a real advantage here, because their hands are always readily available.

Should I let my baby cry himself to sleep?
While it's a good idea to want your child to learn to calm themselves to sleep, this can't be expected of a newborn or baby less than 6 months. Rocking an infant to sleep is most natural, simulating the feeling the baby had in the womb. Remember, you can't spoil a newborn. By 3 months, babies have matured enough to be weaned off of rocking and are more ready to establish a simple bedtime routine.

If your baby cries inconsolably for more than 3 hours a day, he may have colic. Colicky babies generally have long episodes of intense, loud crying, especially during the evening hours, beginning at two weeks of age and continuing through the fourth month. Gas is also very common in babies, affecting three out of four newborns within the first two months of life. MYLICON can help. Infants' MYLICON Drops are #1 pediatrician recommended for infant gas relief. MYLICON works gently to break down baby's gas bubbles in minutes and is safe and gentle enough for even the newest of newborns. MYLICON contains no saccharin, no alcohol, and no artificial flavors and is safe enough to be given at every feeding, not to exceed 12 doses per day. For more information about crying and infant gas, including tips to calm your crying baby, visit www.mylicon.com.

Should I have my child (or baby) vaccinated?
The diseases that vaccines protect against are a very real threat. The odds of your child becoming ill from not being vaccinated are much higher than the odds of her having a serious reaction to a shot. Over the years, rumors have linked vaccines to SIDS, autism, and other problems, but no cause and effects have ever been substantiated, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Talk to your healthcare provider about your child's vaccination options and schedule.

How can I keep my baby healthy?
Babies inevitably do get sick, but you can lesson the frequency and severity of illness by breastfeeding as long as you can. Breastfed babies get fewer colds, ear infections, and intestinal bugs. If your baby is in daycare, make sure it's a healthy environment. Find out whether the daycare facility accepts children with colds or infections who might pass them onto your child. Find out the daycare's policies on sanitizing, hand washing and check diapering and food-serving areas for cleanliness. Overall, the best way to keep your baby healthy is to visit your pediatrician for well-baby checkups and stay on schedule for vaccinations.

Should I circumcise my baby?
Scientific studies show some medical benefits of circumcision. However, these benefits are not sufficient for the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) to recommend that all infant boys be circumcised. Parents may want their sons circumcised for religious, social and cultural reasons. Since circumcision is not essential to a child's health, parents should choose what is best for their child by looking at the benefits and risks.

Are hiccups and sneezes normal?
Hiccups are common in babies, especially in those who hiccupped before they were born, while in the womb (uterus). The exact cause is not known, but they are thought to be a normal reflex, probably due to immaturity of the nervous system. Hiccups in fetuses (babies still in the womb) may help to strengthen the diaphragm muscle and prepare the fetus for breathing.

During the first few months, hiccups often occur after meals. Hiccups usually go away within a few minutes and cause no discomfort to the baby. If your baby's hiccups bother you, try burping your baby more frequently during feedings.

Most babies sneeze frequently, but not because they have a cold. Sneezing is a normal reflex that helps to remove mucus from the nose and lungs. Sneezing is especially common during the first few days after birth, when newborns still have some amniotic fluid in their lungs, leftover from their months in the uterus.

At what age should my child start seeing a pediatrician?
Children can start seeing a pediatician as soon as they are born. ACI/Seven Hills Pediatrics offers three different locations throughout the valley staffed with highly qualified doctors, physician's assistants and nurse practitioners able to provide immunizations, well-child examinations, care for chronic and acute conditions, among their areas.

At what age do you recommend girls should first visit an Ob/Gyn doctor?
We recommend that adolescent girls have annual pelvic examinations once they are either sexually active or at age 18 (if they are not sexually active). These examinations can be done by either their pediatrician or by an Ob/Gyn doctor.

What about antibiotics? When do you prescribe them?
Our doctors and physician assistants try to follow the current guidelines in deciding when to recommend an antibiotic for your child. Antibiotics don't take away the green mucous of a cold, the cough of a viral bronchitis, or make the sore throat of a viral tonsil infection get better faster. On the other hand, antibiotics can heal a child's ear infection, strep throat or chronic runny nose and cough--if caused by sinusitis. We will try to find out from your child's history, our exam, sometimes tests, and what antibiotics are covered by your insurance, to help figure out whether an antibiotic will help your child's illness.