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Q1: Is it safe to use baby powder on my baby?

Jo Ann Rohyans, pediatrician

Baby powder may smell and feel good, but I don't recommend it — and the American Academy of Pediatrics also recommends against it. Powder can cause breathing problems and serious lung damage when inhaled, and it's not always easy to keep the powder out of the air where your baby might breathe it.

This is most worrisome with talc-based powders, which have small, easily inhaled particles. Cornstarch, which has larger, coarser particles, is not as easily inhaled as talc.

There's no evidence that baby powder helps to prevent or treat diaper rash, either. The best preventive strategy is to clean and pat dry your baby's bottom at each diaper change and then apply a thin layer of protective ointment or cream.

If you wish to use powder, choose the safer cornstarch-based product. Shake the powder into your hand, away from your baby, never directly on or near her. Keep the powder container well out of your baby's reach at all times, too. You don't want it to fall over and produce a cloud of powder for her to inhale. Occasionally, you can use a medicated powder in the neck folds or groin folds as long as you don't allow it to build up.

Finally, to avoid irritation, carefully wash away any powder that may have accumulated in your baby's skin folds whenever you change her diaper.

Jennifer Shu, pediatrician

Pediatricians no longer recommend talc-based baby powders because they're dangerous if inhaled, but I see no danger in cornstarch-based powders if they're used sparingly and carefully.

Use a cornstarch baby powder in your baby's diaper area to help reduce moisture and friction, which can occur when a wet diaper rubs against your baby's skin. Today's diapers tend to be super-absorbent, so most babies won't need daily powder if you change them frequently.

You don't want your baby inhaling any kind of powder, so make sure that you don't get it near her face. Instead, pour a small amount into your hand away from your baby and then apply it when you see her diaper area starting to look a little irritated from chafing.

There are times when cornstarch powder isn't a good idea. If your baby's skin is raw from diaper rash, for example, it's probably best to keep powder off it and use a diaper ointment or cream instead. And if your baby shows any signs of a skin infection — like areas that are red and very warm to the touch or oozing — then don't put powder on it, either. Instead, have your baby's doctor take a look.

 Q2:Should I stop using wipes if they seem to be aggravating my baby's diaper rash?

Mary Brown, pediatric nursing

Diaper wipes are a convenience that can come with a price: Many do contain chemicals that can be irritating to your baby's skin.

Then again, many babies do just fine with them. And the wipes themselves won't actually cause diaper rash. This kind of rash usually happens when you scrub the diaper area too briskly, whether with soap and water or diaper wipes, which wears away the normal skin barriers. Remember that you don't need to wipe your baby's skin at all after she wets; just change her into a clean diaper. After a bowel movement, clean your baby with a soft washcloth and plain warm water. Use wipes only when you're away from home.

If your baby has diarrhea, I recommend a barrier cream, such as Vaseline, Desitin, Balmex, A & D, or any other similar cream, to protect the skin from the diarrhea. Don't try to remove the cream at each diaper change; just wipe off the obvious mess on the top layer and apply more.

Q3:When can my baby sleep with a stuffed animal or doll?

The BabyCenter Editorial Team

Because of the risk of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) and death from suffocation, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says not to let your baby sleep with any soft objects until he's 12 months old. This includes stuffed animals, dolls, blankets, quilts, and other bedding. Many experts suggest waiting until your baby is at least 2 years old to let him sleep with a pillow.

Though it may seem unlikely, there is a chance that a doll or stuffed toy could cover your baby's face and suffocate him. "Some 2,000 babies die each year from suffocation," says Mark A. Brandenburg, a practicing emergency physician at the Trauma Emergency Center (TEC) of St. Francis Hospital in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and author of Child Safe: A Practical Guide for Preventing Childhood Injuries. The safest option is to keep your baby's crib free of clutter, including stuffed toys.

After his first birthday, your baby's risk of dying from SIDS goes down significantly. The likelihood of suffocation also diminishes because most 12-month-olds are able to roll over, sit up, and move objects away from their faces.

Q4: When can I put my baby down without worrying about him crying?

The BabyCenter Editorial Team

"Some newborn babies don't like to be put down ever and cry the moment they leave their mother's arms, others are fine from day one," says Lyuba Konopasek, assistant professor of pediatrics a the New York-Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York City. In general, Konopasek says, a baby who is younger than 5 months old should not be left alone to cry for more than five minutes, at which point you need to pick him up and try to comfort him.

After 5 months, you can let your baby cry a little longer, if necessary, before you go to him. "This is also about the age when you can start to condition a baby to sleep," says Konopasek. Also keep in mind that babies go through phases when they'll be more or less content to be left alone. Your 6-month-old may be happy to sit in a swing, bouncer seat, or portable crib by himself, but then as his first birthday approaches he screams whenever you're out of sight. This is often the result of separation anxiety, a normal stage of development that often kicks in around 8 to 12 months, says Konopasek.

Q5: When is it safe to pierce my daughter's ears?

Meredith Goodwin, family practitioner

Some people pierce their children's ears when they're newborns and there's no medical reason to wait. But the procedure is not without risk.
Not all ear-piercing operations have the proper equipment or staff trained to work specifically with young children. For example, ear piercing guns cannot be sterilized, which means that it's possible to contract hepatitis or some other infection from them. If you're set on having your baby's ears pierced, it's probably safer to ask your pediatrician if she'll do it for you with a needle. And here's what else you should know before having the procedure done:

Ear piercing is usually done without painkillers because the piercing itself hurts less than a shot of anesthetic would. (You can give your baby a dose of infants' acetaminophen or ibuprofen before the procedure if you want.)

Another thing to remember is that your child will be constantly touching her ears and the pierced area can easily become infected. To help guard against this, you'll need to clean the posts and the area around the ear with alcohol or hydrogen peroxide several times a day (or as often as your doctor recommends). Watch for increased redness or tenderness around the piercing hole and on the earlobe that could indicate infection.

There's also a chance that your child will have an allergic reaction to metals after getting her ears pierced. If she develops a rash around the piercing, you'll need to take the earrings out. To avoid this, you can try to make sure that the parts of the earrings that touch her ear are made of surgical steel or 14 karat gold. (This includes not only the posts but the backs as well.) If the rash doesn't subside, your child will probably not be able to wear earrings.

Okeh..itu sahaja!!