Baby Orajel is a familiar name brand on your drugstore shelves. This topical treatment contains benzocaine, an oral analgesic also used in sore throat sprays and nonprescription topicals for toothache, sore gums and denture pain. The American Academy of Pediatrics, or AAP, cautions you that Baby Orajel and similar products for teething babies may not be as safe as you think.

Adults typically choke when food is stuck in their throats. Just because your baby is not eating solid foods yet, it's a mistake to think he can't choke. Babies love to put toys and objects in their mouths and often swallow them. Your baby could choke on these objects, cutting off his oxygen supply. You or any caregiver must act quickly. To learn what to do to help a choking baby, enroll in an infant and child CPR class or purchase the Infant CPR Anytime kit, recommended by the American Heart Association.

Choosing which products to buy for your baby can be nerve-wracking, especially if this is your first, but narrowing down which one is right for your baby shouldn't be that difficult. Determine the features that are most important to you when it comes to big ticket items like a playpen, activity center and bouncer so you get your money's worth and your baby gets a pleasurable and safe experience.

The best way to avoid infant formula allergies is to breastfeed your baby. The American Academy of Pediatrics, the World Health Organization, the American Medical Association and the American Dietetic Association all agree that breast milk is the best food for your baby. If you cannot or choose not to breastfeed, however, formula is better to use than cow's milk because it contains the nutrients that most infants need. A baby is more likely to be allergic to formula than to breast milk. Know what to look for and what to do if your baby is allergic.

Parenthood brings with it many new worries, including the color of your baby's stools. With numerous diaper changes on an average day, most parents see a variety of stool colors. The changes cause alarm in some new parents. A range of stool colors are possible, but some colors could signal an underlying problem.

While moms live for the smiles their babies send their way, all too often, these periods of happiness are interrupted by fussiness. If your baby seems to be a bit more cranky than most, there could be a host of issues at the root of this problem. By working to determine why yours isn't the happiest baby in the world, you'll be able to respond more effectively to his fussing and potentially reduce the periods of whining and crying.

Even though baby teeth aren't permanent fixtures in your child's mouth, they serve many functions. Baby teeth give her face structure and enable the jaws to process food, helping her take in adequate nutrition and learn how to pronounce words. Baby teeth appear in a specific order in your child's mouth, usually before the tenth month of life.

Taking care of a baby is a big responsibility. Whether the baby is your child or someone else's, any time a baby begins to breathe irregularly, it is a scary experience. Several situations cause babies to develop irregular breathing. Understanding what they are and how to handle them will give you confidence in how to handle it when it happens.

Dealing with baby rashes may be one of the least fun parts of being a mom. That red, sore-looking bottom can seem like an indictment of bad parenting. It's easy to believe that your baby wouldn't have diaper rash if you'd remembered to change his diaper more often or used the right cream or ointment or powder to protect his delicate skin from irritation. Cornstarch is an old home remedy to help keep skin dry and reduce friction that can cause heat rashes and diaper rashes. It may, however, cause as many problems as it heals.

Having your baby's head measured at each doctor's visit is standard routine for pediatric visits. During the visit, the nurse or doctor will measure the circumference of your baby's head to determine its growth. By tracking the size over a period of time, doctors can get a better estimate of your child's growth, rather than taking one measurement later in life.