Your 6-month-old: Week 1

How your baby's growing:

As your baby starts becoming more active, he'll appreciate comfy clothes. Opt for soft fabrics that won't chafe him as he moves around. Loose, stretchy, and breathable clothing will provide your energetic little one plenty of wiggle room.

Avoid clothes that have rough or scratchy seams; long ties, buttons, or bows (which could be a choking hazard); and anything else that gets in the way of your baby's sleeping, crawling, or playing.

• Learn more fascinating facts about your 6-month-old's development.

Your life: Eating well

Taking care of a baby is, simply put, tiring. Heavy food can make you sleepy afterward, so try to keep meals and snacks light and nutritious. Here are some other helpful tips:

Don't skip breakfast. Tempting though it may be to skip the morning meal when you're rushed, your body needs to refuel after a night's sleep — especially a night without sleep! Protein like eggs and slow-burning carbs with iron such as oatmeal with walnuts and raisins will give you energy to last all morning.

Climb the food pyramid. Aim for those daily 2 1/2 cups of vegetables and 1 1/2 to 2 cups of fruit recommended for women of childbearing age. Keep crudités (cut up raw veggies) ready to eat in your refrigerator. Add diced vegetables to quesadillas, roll-ups, and casseroles. Fruits can be dried, frozen, or canned — all are healthy for you. Make smoothies from fresh or frozen fruit, fruit juice, and yogurt.

Look beyond junk food for pick-me-ups. After a quick burst of energy, chips and candy can leave you feeling more sluggish than before. Look for more nutritious high-energy alternatives such as almonds or peanuts, yogurt, and granola bars. Buy a premade trail mix or concoct your own with dried fruit, raisins, sunflower or pumpkin seeds, nuts, and coconut flakes or chocolate chips.

Count carbs in. Carbohydrates have gotten a bad rap in recent years — but they're a great source of energy and good for you if you eat moderate portions and make healthy choices. Try whole-wheat pasta, multigrain oatmeal, and wheat bread and crackers.

Drink healthy. Remember to stay hydrated by drinking lots of water. Fruit juices, soda, coffee drinks, and energy drinks are trickier — keep an eye on their sugar content, and remember that caffeinated drinks can make you dehydrated.

3 questions about: Asthma

What is asthma?
Asthma, the most common serious chronic disease among children, is an inflammation and narrowing of the airways that causes difficulty breathing. (Often the term "asthma" is used to describe the symptom of wheezing, not its cause or its duration.) Allergens, such as pollens, mold spores, and animal danders; airway pollutants (including cigarette smoke and paint fumes); viral respiratory infections; and occasionally exercise or inhaling cold air can bring on an asthmatic attack. Although asthma can be a serious and chronic health problem, with careful management most children with asthma are able to live normal, active lives. Its severity usually diminishes as the child grows and the airways enlarge.

What are some signs that my baby may have asthma?
Your baby may have asthma if he coughs a lot (especially at night) or has allergies, eczema, or a family history of these symptoms. Possible signs of an attack include rapid breathing, persistent coughing, wheezing, whistling or grunting when exhaling, sucking in the muscles around the ribs, flaring the nostrils with each breath, fatigue, and skin that turns blue.

If you think your baby is having an asthma attack or difficulty breathing — especially if he's pulling in at his neck, ribs, or abdomen upon inhalation or grunting when he exhales — immediately call 911 or take him to the emergency room. Also call for immediate help if his lips or fingertips appear blue or if he acts lethargic, agitated, or confused.

Although it's common for a cold to uncover a child's tendency to wheeze, a chronic nighttime cough more commonly indicates underlying asthma. Call your baby's doctor if your child has difficulty sleeping because of wheezing, coughing, or trouble breathing.

What should I do if my baby has asthma?
If the diagnosis is asthma, your baby's doctor will discuss the many ways this problem can be managed. Together you can figure out which situations are likely to trigger asthmatic attacks — perhaps respiratory ailments or something environmental, such as allergens or cigarette smoke. It can be helpful to try using a cool-mist vaporizer and to elevate your baby's head and neck by 30 degrees or more while he sleeps (by wedging something under his crib mattress or using a car seat, bouncy seat, or swing). Allergy testing can also be useful, as can removing allergens from the environment. You might consider eliminating rugs, curtains, and stuffed animals from the child's room to decrease dust and dust mite exposure, for instance. You'll also need to educate your baby's caregivers about his asthma and its treatment. Medical treatment includes inhaled bronchodilators to open the airways, anti-inflammatory medications to decrease airway inflammation, antibiotics if there's a secondary infection underlying an attack, and identification and avoidance of allergic triggers.

source: babycenter