There are numbers we learned when we were not that much older than Baby is now – 24 hours in a day, 7 days in a week, 13 bagels in a baker’s dozen – but there are other sets of numbers, other lists, that don’t occur to many parents that they’ll need to know until they’re faced with a sick baby, or putting together someone’s very first non-breast milk or formula meal.
The eight most allergenic foods
- Dairy
- Eggs
- Peanuts
- Tree nuts
- Shellfish
- Fish
- Wheat
- Soy
Babies’ sleep needs by age
- 0 to 4 months: 14 to 16 hours per 24, starting with time awake no longer than an hour, stretching to almost 2 hours at a time by the end.
- 4 to 6 months: 14 to 15 hours per 24, 3 to 5 of those hours during the day, napping.
- 6 to 12 months: 14 to 15 hours with fewer naps, probably down to two.
Fever temp. to call the doctor
- 3 months or younger: 100.4 degrees F (38 C) or higher
- 3 months to 3 years: 102.5 degrees F (39.2 C) or higher
- 3 years or older: 103 degrees F (39.4 C) or higher
Painkillers and fever reducers
- Acetaminophen: (Tylenol) Acetaminophen is the only fever reducer that has been officially approved by the Food and Drug Administration as safe for children under 6 months old. Dosage for young children is determined by weight, and should be followed precisely.
- Ibuprofen: (Motrin, Advil) Approved by the FDA for children 6 months or older. Dosage for young children is determined by weight, and should be followed precisely.
- Aspirin: Should not be used by children under 19 years old. Aspirin has been linked to a rare but serious condition called Reyes Syndrome.
Sources
- Tracy Lim. “Kids’ Fevers: When to Worry, When to Relax.” Cleveland Clinic Health Essentials. Cleveland Clinic, May 12 2015. Web.
- “Acetaminophen (Tylenol) Dosage Table.” St. Louis Children’s. St. Louis Children’s Hospital, 1994-2015. Web.
- “Children and sleep.” Sleep Foundation. National Sleep Foundation. Web.
- “Common Over-the-Counter Medications.” HealthyChildren. American Academy of Pediatrics, November 21 2015. Web.
- “Fever in Infants and Children.” Family Doctor. American Academy of Family Physicians. Web.
- “Ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil) Dosage Table.” St. Louis Children’s. St. Louis Children’s Hospital, 1994-2015. Web.
- “Treating a fever (high temperature) in children.” NHS Choices. Gov.UK, November 9 2016. Web.
- “When your baby or infant has a fever.” MedlinePlus. U.S. National Library of Medicine, November 19 2015. Web.
