I spend so much of my time helping new parents understand and demystify normal baby behaviors to (hopefully) reduce their anxiety and concerns, while increasing parenting skills and confidence. But just for fun, today I’ll just go ahead and scare you with a few freaky things that are serious enough to be real worries.
1. Hair Tourniquet.
A what? Yes, a Hair. Tourniquet. One of mom’s long hairs gets wrapped around baby’s finger or toe, cutting off circulation. (New moms – don’t be surprised when your hair begins mass shedding a few months after giving birth…) Baby’s finger gets swollen, cold and blue, but you can’t even see the culprit – the tightly wrapped hair – anymore because the finger swells around it, so parents usually have no idea why baby is screaming. Off to E.R. you go. The treatment? A nice dab of “NAIR” dissolves the hair quickly & safely without having to cut near baby’s swollen finger or toe. If your baby is ever screaming inconsolably, after trying your usual approaches, take baby to the changing table and strip completely naked, then examine carefully, head to toe. Sometimes it’s as simple as a sharp corner of a diaper pressing into baby’s waist. But be sure to check those little fingers and toes for wrapped hair, and all the skin folds too.
2. Nail-Clipping Fail.
Nipping baby’s finger when clipping nails. Usually I’m all “Don’t worry about this; Don’t worry about that” so parents may be surprised when they tell me they nicked the baby’s finger and I’m not casual about it at all. A tiny cut at the tip of baby’s finger actually CAN be a big deal. Why? Baby fingers go everywhere and are very prone to infection. So keep your eyes on any cut around your baby’s finger or nail bed. Do warm soaks or compresses several times a day and watch the area closely. If the fingertip becomes warm, pink or swollen and tight, call your pediatrician right away. This infection is called “Paronychia” and requires oral antibiotics to prevent a worsening infection. So if you have a little “oops” when clipping your baby’s nails, you don’t need to freak out, but do keep it clean and keep a close eye until it heals to make sure an infection isn’t setting in.
3. Febrile Seizures.
These are typically not serious in the big picture but can seriously freak out a new parent who has never encountered a febrile seizure before. Febrile seizures are most common in babies and toddlers between 9 months and 3 years. Surprisingly, the seizure may occur at the very beginning of the fever when temperature is rising rapidly and may be the first sign of fever or illness in a toddler: a young child can go from playful to cranky to seizure in under an hour. It may be a relief to learn that febrile seizures are not related to epilepsy or lifelong seizure disorders. Keep your baby or toddler safe on a soft surface but put nothing in or near the mouth. Of course you’ll call your pediatrician after witnessing a febrile seizure, but these are usually able to be managed at home and are not a medical emergency. If the seizure is lasting more than 2 minutes, or if you are worried about your baby’s breathing, call 911.
4. Projectile Vomiting 3 times in a row.
Most babies spit up plenty, and many will randomly projectile vomit every once in a while just for kicks and giggles, but if the milk comes shooting back out quickly and with force after most feedings, that is different and concerning. If a young baby projectile vomits 3 times in a row, call your pediatrician and pack your bags – you’ll be going to the hospital to have your baby evaluated for Pyloric Stenosis, a blockage between the stomach and the small intestine. This is more common in male babies, may be genetic, and most often occurs at around one month of age. Don’t worry about the rare, random projectile vomit episode, but if it’s frequent and persistent, call your doctor.
5. Nursemaid’s Elbow.
Radial head subluxation (official name, for medical-geeks) is a common injury in toddlers, caused by a simple tug, pull or jerk on the child’s arm. This can and does occur even during normal active physical play, like swinging a child by the arms for fun (not so fun in this case, and not recommended!) or if you quickly need to pull your toddler out of danger. Because infant and toddler joints are still quite loose, it’s relatively easy for the ligament to slip over the radial head, making the elbow bone move out of place. Suspect a Nursemaid’s Elbow injury if you see that your toddler refuses to use one arm and keeps it tucked close to the body. There is usually no visible injury or swelling and very little pain as long as the arm is kept still.
I hope you’ll never need to know more about any of these issues, but at least this practical list of real-life concerns can take the place of Common Freaky Newborn Things Not To Worry About. You also may like to explore 12 Freaky Things You’ll Find in Baby’s Diaper During the 1st Year.