Living and Loving – September 2019

2-IN-1 BABY

TRAVEL BAG

Not only can you tote

around all your baby

essentials, but you can

use this bag to allow

your little one to nap

on the go, as it converts

into a carrycot. One of

our favourite features

is all the pocket space

to hold small items

like your cellphone,

unglasses and feeding

paraphernalia. It

also allows for larger

items like wet wipes

and nappies.

Available from

mommyandme.

co.za for R599.

We

love!

Baby notes

The latest research, news and

products to help you raise a

happy, healthy baby.

Newborn hearing screening
programme for SA
“It has been estimated that
between four and six in
every 1 000 South African
children will be born with,
or develop, hearing loss
in their first weeks of life,”
says Jacques du Plessis,
managing director of the
Netcare hospital division,
whereacountrywidehearing
screeningprogramme
hasbeenlaunchedfor
allthenewbornbabies
atitsmaternityunits.
Theprogrammeaims
toidentifyhearinglossin
infantsasearlyaspossible,
sotheproblemcanbe
addressedand,asfaras
possible,preventitfrom
impactingthesebabies’
development.Allneonates
bornatNetcarefacilitieswill
havetheirhearingscreened
byqualifiedaudiologists.The
costiscoveredaspartof
Netcare’sMaternityPassport
whichparentsreceivewhen
theybookforthebirth.

“Babies can benefit from

the specialised screening

necessary to detect and

diagnose hearing loss

in the first weeks of their

lives,” says Sharlene Swart,

national coordinator of the

mother and baby wellness

clinics located at selected

Netcarehospitals.

SWEDISHCHILDSAFETY HEADINGTO SOUTHAFRICA

Didyouknowcaraccidents

areoneoftheleadingcauses

ofnon-naturaldeathsin

childreninSouthAfrica?

Greatnewsisthat

#CarseatFullstophas

nowpartneredwith

internationalleadersin

childsafety,Swedish-based

AxkidInternational,to

bringsomeofthesafest

carseatsintheworldto

SouthAfricanfamilies.

“Researchhasproventhat

rear-facingismuchsaferthan

forward-facing.Asanadultin

acrash,yourheadisthrown

backwardsandthenforward

withmassiveforce,resulting

inwhiplash,”explainsDr

TaheraEssay,Gauteng-based

doctorandentrepreneur.

“Anine-month-oldbaby’s

headmakesup25%ofher

bodyweight.Herskeletonis

stilldeveloping,largelymade

upofcartilage,withtheneck

astheweakestpoint.Sothe

biggestandheaviestpart

ofyourbaby–thehead,is

supportedbytheweakest

andleastdevelopedpart–

theneck.Nowthinkabout

whiplashagain,”sheadds.

#CarseatFullstophas

selectedthreeofthe

Axkidtoddlerseats,

suitableforchildrenaged

sixmonthstosixyears,

tobringintoSouthAfrica.

TheAxkidMinikid,Move

andRekidhavepassed

thestrictestcrash

testingintheworld,the

SwedishPlusTest.

Theyareallexclusively

rear-facingupto25kg

or125cmtall.

Toorderoneofthese

carseats,youcanemail

[email protected].

Your baby’s first poo won’t smell. The black, tar-

like substance called meconium is made up of

mucus, fluid from the womb, and anything else

the baby digested during gestation. But, it doesn’t

yet have the gut bacteria that makes poo smell,

so you’ll only start getting a whiff of baby’s nappy

a day or two after you’ve started feeding him.

DidyouKNOW?

22 | SEPTEMBER 2019 | L&L

COMPILED BY

XANET SCHEEPERS

PHOTOGRAPHY

SUPPLIED; GALLO IMAGES/GETTY IMAGES/ISTOCK