Baby Checkup

BATH SEAT SAFETY
    Most parents are thrilled when their baby is big enough to graduate to a real bathtub and sit in a handy seat--it's so much easier than trying to hold and bathe a slippery, squirmy tyke in an infant bathtub. But bath seats do require some extra safety vigilance, says Alan Korn, public policy director for Safe Kids Worldwide, a nonprofit organization working to prevent accidental childhood injury. Follow these guidelines to ensure that your baby suds up safely:
    * Never, ever leave your infant's side, even for a second. "Within arm's reach" is the maximum recommended distance.
    * Don't multitask--talk on the phone, organize toiletries--while you're in the bathroom with your baby.
    * Use as little water in the tub as possible. About an inch is enough to clean your baby and allow him to have fun splashing.
    * Stop using the seat as soon as your child attempts to climb or wiggle out of it, or becomes too big to fit comfortably inside it.
Eat your bananas, baby!
    Bananas and sweet potatoes were likely your baby's best-loved first foods, right? Even though those infant favorites are packed with potassium, today's toddlers aren't getting enough of the mineral, according to new findings from the Feeding Infants and Toddlers Study, a large-scale look at the eating habits of kids under age 2 sponsored by Gerber. As babies try more solid foods--and begin preferring less nutritious fare like doughnuts and sweets--potassium (which helps regulate blood pressure and strengthen bones) seems to fall through the cracks. Try these tricks:
    * Serve pureed bananas as a French toast or waffle dip.
    * Mix pureed carrots into scrambled eggs.
    * Top mashed sweet potatoes with cinnamon.
29% of you buy used baby clothing online
    Shopping for infant hand-me-downs has become big business: In a recent Babytalk.com poll, almost a third of our readers said they've bought used togs for their tot on eBay and other auction-type websites. The cost savings are huge, but what about the ick factor? More than a few moms probably wonder, "Where has this garment been?" Relax, most experts say. No matter how many times a tiny romper has been pooped in or spit up on, the germs aren't going to survive a hot-water washing, or a dry cleaning if it's fancier party duds you're after.
LIFE-SAVING PHOTOS
    You probably don't need too much encouragement to take pictures of your child, but how you shoot and store them can make all the difference in an emergency. No one likes to think their baby could one day be missing, but it happens to more than 2,000 children every day, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. The best way to help law enforcement officials find your child is by having a clear and recent digital photo of your little one that can be quickly transmitted electronically. Duracell and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children have teamed up to offer a free Child Safety Toolkit, a downloadable guide with advice on the best ways to take and store your child's image. Some tips:
    * The color photo should be no more than six months old.
    * Frame only your child's head and shoulders in the shot.
    * Don't include other people or animals in the photo.
    * Digital ID images should be saved with the highest possible resolution (between 200 and 600 dpi).
    For more information, go to duracell.com/parents.
    JAUNDICE TEST
    The earlier a newborn is checked for jaundice, the less likely the illness is to escalate. An 18-hospital study in Utah found that the rates of newborns with jaundice dropped by nearly half if the babies were given a blood test to detect elevated bilirubin levels before they left the hospital. The lesson? Insist that your newborn be screened before you take her home.
FACT OR FABLE?
    Babies don't get strep throat.
    Fable. Experts aren't sure why, but babies and toddlers usually don't experience the acute throat pain we associate with strep throat. They can become infected, though, with the same bacteria that causes it, says pediatrician David Krol, M.D., director of medical affairs and clinical evaluation at the Children's Health Fund in New York City. What your baby may develop instead: a low-grade fever, a runny nose, irritability, and decreased appetite.
ADDED MATERIAL
    Rosanne Olson/Getty Images
    Shinichi Maruyama
    Corbis
grain of truth
    Infants generally consume as many calories a day as their height in inches multiplied by 40. So if your baby is 20 inches, she should be consuming about 800 calories a day.
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