Five Parenting Pointers to Help Provide Your Baby with a Head Start in Life

(ARA) - If you are like many new parents out there, there's nothing you wouldn't do to provide your baby with the best start in life. Time, effort, expense -- no matter what it takes, you are committed to allowing nothing to stand in your child's way.

While a safe and loving home is one of the most valuable things we can provide for our children, five other parenting pointers come from Dr. Laura Jana, pediatrician and co-author of "Heading Home with Your Newborn: From Birth to Reality." Dr. Jana's recommendations to parents are given to help babies grow up to be "healthy, wealthy and wise." These pointers don't involve great sacrifices, going to extremes, or even spending a lot of money. Their impact, however, is guaranteed to be invaluable.

Breast milk -- the true first breakfast of champions
Commonly referred to as the ideal food for babies and recommended throughout the entire first year of life by the American Academy of Pediatrics, breast milk has risen to its current level of popularity for very good reason. Breast milk has the unrivaled ability to provide babies with a nearly perfect mix of valuable nutrients. Factor in the added benefits of passing along extra protection against infection and allowing for plenty of built-in time to bond with your baby, and it's easy to see how breastfeeding is unquestionably one of the best ways to give your baby a head start in life.

Alphabet soup -- boosting your baby's brain power with DHA and ARA
From day one, we find ourselves on a parental quest to provide our children with nothing but the best -- taking every opportunity we can to foster good hearts and sound minds. Enter the omega fatty acids DHA and ARA. Thought to be important nutrients for infant brain and eye development and function -- not to mention DHA's strong association with heart health -- and it is no surprise that these essential fatty acids have found their way to the heart of the discussion when it comes to infant nutrition and health. And with a body of supporting evidence that seems to be growing nearly as rapidly as your baby, there is every reason to believe that including these fatty acids in your baby's diet is one of the easiest and smartest ways to get your baby started on the fast track to lifelong good health. Fortunately, these so-called good fats are found naturally in breast milk and also in DHA- and ARA-supplemented infant formulas.

Books for babies -- read all about it
Instilling in your child an early love of reading, and simply savoring the time you spend reading books together each day, can bestow upon you the magical ability to open your child's heart and mind to the world around her. It is often said that children spend the first several years learning to read, and the rest of their lives reading to learn. Sure, stray drool and teeth marks will inevitably find their way onto the scene at first, but that's the reason board books were created! While you are waiting for your child's page-turning skills to develop and attention span to grow, take heart in the fact that reading aloud to even the youngest of babies can offer rich rewards. With each turn of the page you share, you will be helping your child take one small baby step toward lifelong success … even when the pages are upside down and flipped back and forth out of sequence.

Take a TV timeout
There is no doubt in anyone's mind that the first few years of a child's life are crucial when it comes to the growth and development of his brain, so it is fortunate that parents are afforded the opportunity to shape their child's experiences and control what he is exposed to. That said, be aware that your television runs the risk of overshadowing your efforts. No doubt about it, television watching is tempting, even for the very young. While high-quality, educational television designed specifically for children may well prove to be a positive resource, too much of what today's children are allowed to watch is accompanied by constant exposure to an adult world of "sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll" (not to mention gratuitous violence and a dizzying array of tantalizing commercials), making TV a veritable parenting minefield. Until more research determines the effect that television watching has on young children, the American Academy of Pediatrics continues to stand behind its recommendation of no television for children under the age of two. If you do on occasion choose to tune your toddler into television, make it a point to guide your child each step of the way by choosing age-appropriate shows or videos and to limit the amount of time spent in front of the TV. You can also make the experience more interactive by watching alongside your child and discussing what you watch.

Car seats -- handling with care in the car
After committing ourselves to doing our best when it comes to feeding, reading to, playing with, and comforting our children from the day they are born, it only makes sense that we'd want to do everything in our power to protect their safety. And given that today's parent spends more time than ever on the road and on the go, it should come as no surprise that selecting and properly securing your infant in a car seat rounds out this list. Which car seat is best? The one that fits your baby, that fits securely in your car, and that you will commit to using correctly each and every time your baby is in the car. And for those of you truly committed to giving your baby a true head start in life, be aware that by following the current recommendation to keep your baby rear facing for as long as possible as determined by the limits of the car seat (but until at least one year and 20 pounds) and by looking for a seat with added side impact protection, you are providing your baby with extra head protection and therefore, protecting your most valuable investment.

Courtesy of ARAcontent