ML Interest Tag: medical-history

10 Top Apps to Track Baby’s Naps, Feedings, Health History & More

by Julie Seguss

When you’re a sleep-deprived new parent, how are you supposed to remember when you last fed your baby, how long they slept, or even when they were immunized and for what? Especially during those first few months when leaving the house freshly showered and in spit up-free clothing is considered a near miracle. Here’s the good news. You don’t have to. Some of the best baby tracking apps out there help exhausted parents stay on top of every milestone, feeding, diaper change, nap, and so much more.

1. Baby+

baby+ pink background on a smartphone is a baby tracking app
Philips

With Baby+ parents can track their child's height, weight, and head circumference through interactive graphs, and log information on feedings, diaper changes, sleep, and new teeth to get a better understanding of baby's routine. You can also keep track of baby's milestones and upload photos, as well as help baby relax at night or during feeding time with lullabies and white noise.

Available for iOS devices and on Google Play.

2. Sprout Baby

You can use the Sprout Baby app to record your child's health history (illnesses, symptoms, temperature, medications), as well as to keep track of feedings, bottles, pumping sessions, and diapers. The app features a handy printable report with your child's health data that you can bring to doctor's visits. There's also a memories section for recording milestones and other special moments, which you can then export to an eBook.

Available for iOS devices.

3. Talli

This best baby tracking app includes a device with a white top and wood bottom
Talli

This baby tracking app is a little bit different. It pairs with a stylish device that comes ready to track baby's sleep, bottle feedings, diapers, pumping, and more right out of the box. And it's customizable too, so you can determine which of baby's many activities you track. The companion app is fully integrated to let parents track all sorts of data, see trends, invite family members and caregivers to contribute, and view past events. It's also Alexa enabled, for those moments when you don't have your hands free.

Available for iOS and on Google Play.

4. Tinybeans

Tinybeans is one of the best baby tracking apps

Yup, we've got an app! If you're looking for a secure place to store your baby photos, look no further than Tinybeans. You can edit pics before posting and share them with a select group of family and friends, who can comment on and join in the excitement of all your adorable new memories. The app will prompt you to post (to keep eager relatives appeased) and also track baby's developmental milestones. 

Available for iOS and on Google Play.

5. BabySparks

three smartphone screens with a baby sleeping on one, shows best baby tacking app info

This development tracker informs you when children typically learn specific skills, compiled from sources including the American Academy of Pediatrics and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. BabySparks also provides activities you can do with your child to support this development. The activities are organized by the area of development: gross motor, fine motor, cognitive, speech, sensory, self-care, and social-emotional, so you can focus on a specific area if you prefer. The app also offers a paid subscription option so parents can access parenting classes.

Available for iOS devices and on Google Play.

6. BabyTime

screenshots of the babytime app, one of the best tracking apps for parents of babies
BabyTime

All caregivers can track and record baby's activities in the BabyTime app. And since it's designed for one-handed operation, you can save all that valuable information while holding baby—a big plus. Track breastfeeding, bottles, sleep, and diapers, and use the slick charts to oversee baby's day or identify trends. There's also a night mode with a low-contrast background that's easier on your eyes.

Available for iOS devices and on Google Play.

7. Baby Connect

a best baby tracker app, three smartphones with apps to track baby's needs
Baby Connect

Baby Connect records diaper changes, naps, moods, feedings, medicines, photos, and activities, and displays it in graphs and charts to help you identify trends. Multiple users can access your kid's info so your babysitter, Grandma, and other caregivers can see what baby has been up to and keep you updated, too. And the voice integrations mean you can record important information, even when your hands are full.

Available for iOS devices and Android.

8. Baby Tracker

Screenshots of the Baby Tracker app, one of the best baby tracking apps
Baby Tracker

Love knowing when every little thing happened and when it might happen again? Baby Tracker keeps track of every element of your baby's day, including sleep, feedings, and diaper changes. You may even discover your newborn's natural daily routines and nap schedule by comparing a week's or a month's worth of days. You can also track and record memories, growth, medical history, milestones, and more.

Available for iOS devices and on Google Play.

9. Baby Feed Timer

screenshots of the baby feed app, one of the best tracking apps for parents of babies
Baby Feed Timer

Nursing moms love the Baby Feed Timer app because you can record which side you fed your infant with last. Bottle-feeding parents love that you can keep track of just how much formula baby took each time. This baby tracking app will also tell you when it's time for the next feeding. Plus, it tracks diapers, pumping, medication administration, sleep, and solid feedings, making it useful past the first year.

Available for iOS devices and on Google Play.

10. Glow Baby

screenshots of the glow baby app, one of the best tracking apps for parents of babies
Glow Baby

This baby tracking app for the first year tracks developmental milestones, feedings, diapers, sleep, baby's ailments, medications, and more. Use Glow Baby's timers to manage feeding and sleep schedules, and then head to the in-app community to chat with other parents and share strategies and successes.

Available for iOS devices and on Google Play.

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11 Things That Should Be on Your Daycare Checklist

by Oz Spies

Set up your child for a great start with this list of must-haves

Diapers? Check. Lunch? Check. A sleepy child? Check! If you’re wondering what to pack for daycare, and even if your childcare provider has a list of items kids will need on a typical day, some things can make all the difference in your little one’s day. From weather-appropriate gear to a family photo, here’s your handy daycare checklist of must-haves and why they’re important.

1. Labels
Slap your kid’s name on everything, from bottles to clothes. We love Mabel’s Labels because they’re pre-printed with your child’s name, come in easy-to-use packs, and stay put through hundreds of washings. Put waterproof labels on your child’s bag, lunch bag, jacket, and inside shoes. If your child has food allergies, order allergy labels, too.

2. Bottles & Liquids
Depending on how long your little one will be at daycare, you’ll need baby bottles plus breast milk or formula or, for older kids, a leak-proof water bottle. Be sure to pre-measure the formula. Most daycares have refrigerators or freezers available to keep liquids cold.

3. Lunch Bag & Bibs
You’ll also need a lunch bag and bib if your little one eats solid food. An insulated lunch bag is best, as it keeps food cool and can be used later on for picnics and other excursions. We love the PackIt lunch bags with built-in cold packs.

4. Diapers & Wipes
Gather up diapers in the right size, and send off as many as your little one will need at the start of each week, with a few extra just in case. It’s easiest to label diapers with a Sharpie. Be sure to send a labeled pack of wipes, too. And pack diaper cream if your little one is prone to rashes.

5. Spare Clothes
Pack at least two spare outfits for your child. You never know when your little one will have a blowout or get food or art supplies on themselves, and childcare centers don’t usually have spare clothes in every size. Check the size and seasonality of the spare clothes in your bag every two or three months so your kiddo isn’t stuck in shorts two sizes too small in January. Oh, and don’t forget extra socks!

6. Medication
If your child takes medication regularly, bring a brand new bottle with you in its original packaging. Most daycares have very specific requirements due to licensing and keeping little ones safe. Be sure to follow those requirements carefully so your baby’s medication is readily available and can be dispensed by daycare staff when needed.

7. Sunscreen & a Hat
You want your baby’s skin protected during outdoor playtime, so packing baby-friendly sunscreen is a must. Send a labeled bottle of your favorite sunscreen, and add a sun hat for extra coverage.

8. Weather Gear
Fresh air is brain food for babies, and most daycares bring kids outside as often as possible, even if it’s just for a few minutes. That means toddlers might stomp around in puddles or stare up at snowflakes. Pack weather-appropriate gear (boots, jackets, hats) so your little one is comfortable, no matter the weather.

9. A Family Photo
Many daycares put family photos up on their walls or have them in a readily available photo album. Little ones love to look at pics of their family members—just like we do. Check with your child’s school to see if they have specific requirements for what types of photos to send.

10. Lovies
Lovies make the transition from home to daycare a little easier, so it’s a must on our daycare checklist. Remember, while it’s a good idea to pack a favorite snuggly item, don’t send something irreplaceable (or buy a backup), as blankies can disappear. Also, ask if your daycare center has policies on what you can and can’t bring. Order a pair of matching lovies, like the snuggly offerings from Bunnies by the Bay, or the two-packs of security blankets from Copper Pearl, and you’ll be all set. A few days before the big drop-off day at daycare, hold the lovie to give it some of your comforting scent.

11. Lists of Your Little One’s Likes & Dislikes, Plus Paperwork
Does your baby love a good lullaby before naps or hate avocados? Daycares usually send home paperwork that includes a getting-to-know-you child form, plus essential information like medical history and development and milestone updates. Fill out these forms and include any additional information your baby’s caregivers might need so they can take good care of your sweet babe.

Make sure to snap some photos of their first day of daycare—and share them with your family and friends near and far—with the Tinybeans app. The secure platform puts parents in total control of who sees and interacts with photos and videos of their kids.

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Is a Video Game the Key to Identifying ADHD in Kids? This Study Says Yes

by Erin Lem

A new study by researchers from the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) and the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM, in its Spanish acronym) say they have developed a video game that allows the identification and evaluation of the degree of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children and adolescents. Read on to learn more about this potential new rapid test that will provide for early diagnosis.

How is ADHD currently diagnosed?
According to Science Daily, ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder with an estimated prevalence of 7.2% in children and adolescents. Currently, Science Daily reports that ADHD is clinically diagnosed, meaning the symptoms are identified by health care professionals using the child’s medical history, often supported by scales completed by caregivers and/or teachers. There is currently no diagnostic tests to identify ADHD.

What to know about the study
The study was carried out in collaboration with a group of 32 children, between the ages of 8 and 16, diagnosed with ADHD by the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Unit in the Psychiatry Department at the Jiménez Díaz Foundation University Hospital. When the children took the test, they were observed by trained professionals, and caregivers filled out a behavior classification scale, which helps evaluate the severity of ADHD symptoms. Each test only takes seven minutes to complete.

What’s the Game?
In the game a raccoon has to jump over 180 holes that are grouped into 18 blocks. “We hypothesize that children diagnosed with ADHD inattentive subtype will make more mistakes by omission and will jump closer to the hole as a result of the symptoms of inattention,” says Inmaculada Peñuelas Calvo, another author of the study, psychiatrist at the Jiménez Díaz Foundation University Hospital and professor at the UCM’s Department of Personality, Evaluation and Clinical Psychology.

What did the study conclude?
The study states: “Our results suggest that the number of times the avatar does not jump, as well as the median and interquartile range of the jump distances, show a significant correlation with the severity of patients’ inattention. In addition, this correlation tends to be greater when the time between stimuli increases. This could be explained because when the time between stimuli is short, the patient is immersed in the game, whereas whenever this time is longer, ADHD patients have difficulty maintaining the attention.” In short, this new study opens the door to exploring whether a 7 minute video game can be used as a diagnostic tool to help identify the severity of ADHD in children. And, since it’s an actual video game, the possibility of conducting tests like these remotely may be possible in the future.

Learn more here and read the full study here.

—Erin Lem

photo: Pixabay

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Ask the Allergist: What Is a Food Allergy?

By Katie Marks-Cogan, M.D.

Photo: iStock

Editor’s note: Any medical advice presented here is expressly the views of the writer and Red Tricycle cannot verify any claims made. Please consult with your healthcare provider about what works best for you.

At Ready, Set, Food!, we’re committed to all aspects of food allergy education, so families can make informed decisions about their children’s nutrition and give their babies the best defense against food allergies. 

So What Is A Food Allergy?

A food allergy occurs when the body’s immune system mistakenly responds to certain foods that it thinks are harmful. Our immune systems defend and protect us from foreign invaders like certain viruses and bacteria.

Food allergies occur when the immune system over-defends and treats certain proteins in foods as foreign invaders. These proteins are called allergens and our immune systems make special allergy antibodies called IgE antibodies to these allergens to help fight them off. These antibodies can help our cells cause a reaction each time a person eats a food they are allergic to.

In babies, hives and vomiting are the most common symptoms of a food allergic reaction. These symptoms usually occur within seconds to minutes and almost always within 2 hours. In addition, one reaction can vary widely from the next in the same person. One cannot predict what type of reaction a person will have each time they eat a food that they are allergic to. Food allergies are most common in children, but a food allergy can occur at any age.

IgE-mediated v. Non-IgE-mediated food allergy

  • IgE-mediated food allergy is different than non-IgE-mediated (delayed-type) food allergy
    • For instance, some infants have a delayed allergy to milk which can cause blood and mucus in the stool hours to days after the ingestion of milk.
    • Another example is Food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome (FPIES) which is a non-IgE-mediated disorder that usually occurs in young infants. Symptoms include chronic vomiting, diarrhea, and failure to gain weight or height. When the allergenic food is removed from the infant’s diet, symptoms disappear. Milk and soy protein are the most common causes

Food Allergy Testing

Validated food allergy tests like skin prick tests or blood tests look for the presence of IgE antibody. If the tests are positive, they show that a person produces IgE antibodies to food allergens. But blood and skin tests alone cannot be used to diagnose a food allergy. A person does not have a food allergy unless they also have clinical symptoms. There is also a chance that a person could have a “false positive” on their skin or blood test.

An oral food challenge which exposes a person to their potential allergenic food in small doses, slowly increasing over time with careful observation in a medical facility to watch for signs of an allergic reaction, is the only way to definitively diagnose a food allergy.

However oral food challenges can be risky, thus many times they are avoided and a diagnosis is made based on the other tests above plus the person’s medical history. A patient’s medical history (their reported experiences after exposure to the specific food) is the most important part of the evaluation for a food allergy diagnosis.

A Recent Breakthrough in Food Allergy Prevention

Thankfully, recent landmark studies (LEAP, EAT, PETIT) have proven that exposing babies to food allergens early and often can significantly reduce their risk. In addition, new medical guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (AAAAI) have been published supporting early and sustained allergen introduction.

Along with a team of leading allergy experts and parents, I helped develop Ready, Set, Food!, a gentle, guided system based on these medical guidelines. After over a year of research and development, we’re proud to offer Ready, Set, Food! to families like yours, making it as easy and safe as possible to introduce babies to peanut, egg, and milk in the amounts used in the landmark clinical studies, which showed the potential to reduce babies’ risk of developing an allergy to these foods by up to 80%.

 

This post originally appeared on Ready, Set, Food! Blog.
Katie Marks-Cogan, M.D.
Tinybeans Voices Contributor

Katie Marks-Cogan, M.D., is board certified in Allergy/Immunology and Internal Medicine, and treats both pediatric and adult patients. She is Chief Allergist for Ready, Set, Food! She currently resides in Los Angeles with her husband and kids.

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How One Mom Stopped Second-Guessing Herself (& You Can, Too)

By Courtney Myers

I filled out the paperwork this week to enroll both of my children in preschool. The packets were thin and should have only taken me about five minutes to do, maybe 10 if I practiced perfect penmanship. Yet, it was nearly midnight when I finally sealed them up for good.

Between the open-ended questions and the medical history reports, I found myself pouring over every single detail. Finally, I had to remind myself that while the packets were important, so was my rest, so I did my best, finished them off, and called it a night.

I wish I could say that was an isolated incident, and that I didn’t stress over everything, especially when it came to my kids. The truth is, though, that it’s a daily (and nightly) battle not to second-guess every single action I take. I think it’s because now, those actions hold so much more weight than they used to.

If something goes awry these days, it’s not just me who’s affected. It’s also those tiny little faces that look up to me for answers, car rides and cheese crackers. I’m more responsible than I’ve ever been and in many ways, it’s a blessing and it certainly keeps me accountable.

Yet, science has proven that going back over situations in your mind again and again is detrimental to your health and can quickly snowball into more chronic mental health issues. So, I’ve decided to put the self-doubt on a shelf, and these are a few tricks I’ve found that truly help.

Find your tribe.

You’ve heard about the tribe of motherhood, but do you have one? Did you know that having just one other person who you can call and vent to is considered a tribe?

Finding my small circle of mamas who got what I was going through and could talk some sense into me when I started down the rabbit hole of hesitation has made all the difference to me. For me, my tribe is my own mama, my sister, and two friends from school who are also juggling the challenges and joys that young children bring.

Lean on them when those misgivings creep in and listen when they remind you that you’re doing a great job.

Step back for a minute.

When we were renovating our house a few years ago, my second-guessing tendencies were kicked into high gear. Did you know there are about 1.2 million shades of white and just as many sink materials? I sure didn’t, until we decided to tackle a major DIY remodel when I was nine months pregnant and hormonal.

I spent way too long at my local hardware store, desperately keeping my daughter busy with Cheerios all the while obsessing over knobs and drawer pulls. On one particularly hard day, I got stuck choosing between a stainless steel faucet or an oil-rubbed bronze one. I spent so long on Pinterest my head actually started to ache and my eyes burned.

Finally, I shut my laptop screen, took a walk in our backyard, and had to just laugh at how frivolous it all was. When you consider the burning questions on the greater scale, most of the time they tend to look a little smaller than they did in your mind.

Show yourself some love.

I’ve found that my self-doubt is highest when I’ve been neglecting my self-care. Run down from making meals, cleaning, show-and-tell prep, laundry and everything else under the sun, it’s easy to forget to take some “me” time.

As a result, I wear myself ragged and become nit-picky about the tiniest things. After a hot bubble bath, something chocolate, and a catch-up session on my favorite show, however? I’m suddenly much more inclined to let the little things go. I don’t have the luxury of applying all of those indulgences every day, but I do try to carve out some time, even if it’s just 10 minutes, as a mini “time-out” for myself to re-focus and re-center.

Most of the time, this looks like popping my cold coffee in the microwave to reheat, then sitting in the kitchen and breathing deeply for a second while the kids play in the living room. Schedule a break for yourself the same way you schedule every other to-do, and witness the transformative power it holds.

This little list isn’t revolutionary, but it’s done wonders to help me reclaim that little part of my mind that tends to venture all too often into a negative and indecisive territory.

By surrounding myself with the right listening ears, focusing on the bigger picture, and giving myself a little grace when I need it, I’ve discovered how to silence, or at least quieten, that voice that wants to whisper, “Are you sure?”

I’m trusting my gut more and listening more to that other voice that says “Yes, of course, you’re sure. You’re doing your best and that’s for certain.”

Featured Photo Courtesy: Ariel Lustre/Unsplash

Hi, y'all! I'm Courtney. I'm a mama of two, married to my high-school sweetheart and making a life in the little town I grew up in. I'm a writer by trade, but a mama by heart. I love chocolate and I love family. Let's navigate this crazy, messy, blessed journey together! 

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