baby & toddler
L&L | SEPTEMBER 2019 | 25at each sitting. Some will be big and
explosive, others just a smear in the
nappy. Breastfed babies’ stools are:
● Mustard in colour
● Soft or even runny
● Easy to clean
● Not smelly.
After the first six-week period, the stools
will reduce in number to as little as
one in five or seven days, but will
still be soft and easy to clean.4
Formula-fed baby’s
bowel action
Formula-fed babies’ stools are usually
brown and pasty, and are mostly passed
once to twice daily. However, a small
baby will seldom have a pattern to her
bowel actions, apart from the motion
accompanying feeding. In time you
might detect a pattern, but a regular
excretory routine can’t be forced. Green
tinges can be due to iron added to the
formula and isn’t cause for concern,
unless accompanied by constipation.5
Cradle cap
Cradle cap is a crusty, yellow layer
clinging to the skin of your baby’s scalp
and sometimes to the eyebrows. It’s
related to a certain type of eczema
and your baby may well develop
this later if preventative measures
are not taken. Cradle cap responds
well to the following measures:
● Give the tissue salt remedies kali mur
and kali sulph – one tablet of each
crushed and dissolved in 5ml boiled,
cooled water three times a day.
● Massage olive oil into the scalp,
leave overnight and wash out
the next day or use a fine-tooth
comb to remove crusts.
● Make a paste of bicarbonate of
soda and water, apply to cradle cap
and rinse out after five minutes.
● If cradle cap persists, you might
need to change your baby’s formula
milk to a special allergy formula. If
breastfeeding, reduce dairy and
grain products in your diet.
● Do not introduce cereals to your
baby as a first or early food. »