I often get asked whether parents need to use baby shampoo or baby soap to clean their baby. New parents also ask whether it is all right to mix their baby’s clothes in with the regular wash. Many of these questions arise after the parents take a trip to Babies R Us or another baby store and see all the products available. How many of these so-called baby products are actually necessary? The answer is “it depends.”

If we were really to go back to basics, a baby needs food, shelter, and love, just like the rest of us. But since few of us are satisfied with just a roof over our heads, it makes sense that we want to provide our babies with more as well. The upside of product development is that modern baby products do make life easier in many ways. For example, the baby jogger is brilliant—you can get exercise while pushing your baby in the stroller, and a good time is had by all (unless he decided to have a meltdown mid-jog). Diaper creams with zinc oxide and lanolin are good products to prevent or treat diaper rash. But do you have to use baby wipes or will warm water and soap do?

If your baby has extremely sensitive skin, it may be that a mild soap with no added fragrance is a good choice. But if your baby is not that sensitive, there is no reason not to use regular soap to wash him. Baby shampoo is fine, but you don’t have to use it. Baby hair is not that fragile and no baby likes shampoo in his eyes whether it is baby shampoo or regular. If your baby does not have a diaper rash and does not tend to get them, you do not need to use diaper cream. If, on the other hand, he has many loose poops and gets rashes easily, it makes sense to use a thick protective layer of diaper cream to prevent a rash.

There are a few babies who are sensitive to regular household detergent. In that case, washing his clothes separately with a mild hypoallergenic detergent makes sense. For most babies, however, just throwing their clothes in with the family wash is fine.

Wipes are another overused product. They are handy when traveling but warm water and soap on a washcloth can clean just as well. I used to hold my babies under the faucet in the kitchen to clean them. This is cheap, quick, and effective, as long as you have a good grip on the baby.

Baby food products are also heavily marketed. Most parents today find prepared baby foods to be easier than the homemade sorts. But many of my patients choose to make their own baby food using a simple blender. The only caveat would be not to add salt or spices. Try to stick to basic foods in the beginning. If your baby has allergic tendencies, then you should clear the foods with your pediatrician. Store-bought baby cereal is a good idea because it is fortified with iron.

So many of the baby products make life easier and are good for your baby. But others are really not necessary and are an added expense. Use good judgment in deciding what products really benefit your child before spending unnecessary dollars on them.

Which products have you found to be essential in baby care? Which ones are expendable?

Dr. Victoria McEvoy graduated from Harvard Medical School in 1975 and is currently an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at HMS. She is the Medical Director and Chief of Pediatrics at Mass General West Medical Group. She has practiced pediatrics for almost thirty years. She has been married to Earl for thirty six years and raised four children. She currently enjoys writing, traveling, reading, almost all sports, and spending time with her two grandsons.

Family Health Guide
To take advantage of the latest medical advances, and to deal with the often-confusing world of health care, you need information that is clear, accurate, easily understandable, and accessible. The Harvard Medical School Family Health Guide brings you the information you need to keep your and your family healthy and to cope with illness when it does strike. 170 faculty members of Harvard Medical School, physicians who care for patients every day, developed this comprehensive guide.

Do you have a baby? Connect with others with similar health concerns and issues. Click here to join the group.

This content is not intended to substitute for personalized medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment from your healthcare provider. Read our full disclaimer.

Cooking shows are in. Chefs are today’s celebrities. The kitchen has replaced the living room as the center of activity for most families. Even if you don’t follow Emeril or Mario Batali, you and your offspring no doubt spend lots of time in the kitchen, even if it is just to microwave frozen dinners.

While the kitchen can be a wonderful place to gather as a family and share food, children end up in emergency rooms and doctors’ offices everyday from burns, cuts, and poisonings that have happened in the kitchen. Here is some information on four common injuries from kitchen mishaps:

Burns. Children get burned many different ways: Toddlers grab pan handles on the stove; The area around the stove may heat up when the burners are on, and kids may reach up and burn their hands on the metal; Infants and toddlers have been known to grab hot mugs of coffee when sitting in a parent’s lap.

Poisonings. Safety latches are available to lock kitchen cabinets, but it is easy to leave a door open when there is a lot going on. Toddlers are endlessly fascinated with the contents of these cabinets. Sometimes parents forget that a hazardous chemical is stored in a cabinet or another family member or housekeeper has moved an item.

Cuts. Knives are also magnets for grabby infants and busy toddlers. It only takes an instant for a damaging wound to open up. There are many other sharp objects to grab on a kitchen counter as well.

Choking. Small scraps of food or parts of utensils can easily fall to the floor, where a curious toddler may be lurking. Grapes, popcorn, carrot slices, or pieces of fruit can lodge in a toddler’s throat.

Preventing and Treating Kitchen Injuries

Kitchens tend to be the hub of activity as well as creativity, but where there is chaos, there may be accidents. Be vigilant and proactive in making your kitchen safe for infants and toddlers. Keep knives and other sharp objects out of children’s reach. Make sure to always close and latch cabinets that house dangerous objects or poisonous materials. Keep kids away from hot stoves and ovens, and teach them to be careful before grabbing mugs or dishes that may be hot from the oven. Try to pick up anything that falls on the floor quickly, before your child can get it into his mouth.

No matter how vigilant you are, though, accidents do happen. It is a good idea to take a CPR course so that you know what to do for bleeding, choking, and burns. A fire extinguisher and smoke alarms are a must. Key telephone numbers (in addition to 911) should be posted in the kitchen. You should also keep clean gauze and ice packs handy. Ipecac is no longer recommended for poisonings. The poison control center can advise you whether your child needs to go to the emergency room.

Any kitchen mishaps to report? Or, on a more positive note, have your children learned to make any delicious dishes?

Dr. Victoria McEvoy graduated from Harvard Medical School in 1975 and is currently an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at HMS. She is the Medical Director and Chief of Pediatrics at Mass General West Medical Group. She has practiced pediatrics for almost thirty years. She has been married to Earl for thirty six years and raised four children. She currently enjoys writing, traveling, reading, almost all sports, and spending time with her two grandsons.

Family Health Guide
To take advantage of the latest medical advances, and to deal with the often-confusing world of health care, you need information that is clear, accurate, easily understandable, and accessible. The Harvard Medical School Family Health Guide brings you the information you need to keep your and your family healthy and to cope with illness when it does strike. 170 faculty members of Harvard Medical School, physicians who care for patients every day, developed this comprehensive guide.

Do you have a baby? Connect with others with similar health concerns and issues. Click here to join the group.

This content is not intended to substitute for personalized medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment from your healthcare provider. Read our full disclaimer.

Parents are often distressed when the full head of hair on their cute newborn suddenly melts away. In fact, many babies begin to look like their dads! A study done several years ago showed that many babies temporarily develop male pattern baldness that closely mimics that of the father. Whether this is coincidence or genetics is not clear, but do not despair, the hair will start to grow again. Some babies continue to be bald until well into their second year, when soft little feathers begin to sprout at the back of the head. On a scale of things to worry about, hair loss or lack of hair in infants does not top the list. That said, parents of girls may look forward to the day when long hair can help strangers tell their baby’s gender.

There are other causes of hair loss as the baby gets older. Many babies sport a circular bald spot on the back of their head from lying on their back. This is one consequence of the “back to sleep” program started in the ’80s to prevent sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Often the bald spot is accompanied by a flat shape to the back of the head, called positional plagiocephaly. I always try to reassure parents that these, too, shall pass. Once the baby starts to crawl and he’s not always on his back, hair begins to grow again and the head resumes a rounder shape.

Another cause of hair loss in children is trichotillomania, or hair twirling or pulling. Some children find that twirling a strand of hair makes for a good accompaniment to a thumb suck. Others may just absentmindedly twirl their hair without any thumb sucking. Over time, the constant trauma to the hair follicles can lead to patches of hair loss. This hair loss is not permanent; the hair will grow back once the pulling stops.

Corn rows are popular among African American children, but occasionally the tight braids lead to bald patches. Similarly, other braids, pigtails, and ponytails, if done tightly and frequently, can lead to bald patches from trauma. The hair will grow back after the trauma stops.

Occasionally, children will be infected by a fungus called Tinea Capitis, which can cause patches of hair loss. This fungus is difficult to treat—infected children need to take an oral anti-fungal medication such as Griseofulvin for several weeks. It is stubborn and takes a long time to be eradicated. Once the infection is cleared, the hair will grow back, but it may take time.

Sometimes bald patches appear for no known reason. We call this alopecia areata, which means areas of hair loss. Dermatologists will sometimes try topical steroids to treat alopecia areata, but many times hair loss is persistent and difficult to treat.

Has your baby lost hair? Do you have any treatment tips for hair loss?

Family Health Guide
To take advantage of the latest medical advances, and to deal with the often-confusing world of health care, you need information that is clear, accurate, easily understandable, and accessible. The Harvard Medical School Family Health Guide brings you the information you need to keep your and your family healthy and to cope with illness when it does strike. 170 faculty members of Harvard Medical School, physicians who care for patients every day, developed this comprehensive guide.

One question I try to ask my patients over the age of three is, “Are you learning how to swim?” I cannot emphasize enough how important it is for children to be comfortable in the water. Swim lessons introduce your child to an enjoyable kind of exercise, but more importantly, if a child doesn’t know how to swim, drowning is a big worry. Even if you don’t live near a body of water or a pool, your child may find himself near one and should know how to keep himself afloat.

Some parents decide to give their babies extra-early training by enrolling them in “water babies,” programs where parents and their kids go in the pool together. Parents often ask me if these programs cause ear infections or are harmful in any other way. Children do not get middle ear infections from swimming, though they can get colds, which can lead to ear infections, from being around other children during swim classes. Swimmer’s ear, which is an infection of the canal leading to the middle ear, can be caused by swimming, but babies don’t usually get swimmer’s ear. While, obviously, infants are not going to learn how to swim in these programs, I think getting them introduced to the water at a young age is a good idea. Good experiences laughing and playing with their mothers and fathers in the water can take away unwarranted fear of the water. (That said, you also have to teach children a healthy respect of water and its dangers.)

I think children should begin swim lessons as soon as they are old enough to qualify. The urgency is more acute if you live near a body of water or a pool, but you never know when your child might be invited to someone’s house who has a pool. YMCAs usually offer good swim classes for children. Another option is a private gym near you. Even if you don’t belong to one, you might be able to sign up for classes there. Or you could also hire a knowledgeable swim instructor for private lessons.

Babies can drown in any body of water—the toilet, bathtub, or even a large puddle. Constant vigilance is the only remedy to prevent drowning at this age. When your child is in the bath, never leave the bathroom for even a second. While that may seem obvious, each year children drown because a parent has left the bath to answer a phone call or the doorbell.

Without meaning to, some parents who are afraid of water or are uncomfortable around water may convey their insecurities to their child. This adds another barrier for the child to overcome. It might be a good idea to take swim lessons with your child if you never learned to swim safely. After all, you never know when you might end up on a boat, ferry, or flood situation where swim skills are essential for life.

Family Health Guide
To take advantage of the latest medical advances, and to deal with the often-confusing world of health care, you need information that is clear, accurate, easily understandable, and accessible. The Harvard Medical School Family Health Guide brings you the information you need to keep your and your family healthy and to cope with illness when it does strike. 170 faculty members of Harvard Medical School, physicians who care for patients every day, developed this comprehensive guide.