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Jennifer Shu, MD, FAAP

Jennifer Shu, MD, FAAPJennifer Shu, MD, FAAP

Pediatrician

Pediatrics

33 Answers3 Followers85 Helpful Answer Votes
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Bio

Jennifer Shu, MD, is a board-certified pediatrician, author, and mother in Atlanta. Her passion is educating parents on all topics relating to children. Shu is the medical editor for the American Academy of Pediatrics’ consumer web site, HealthyChildren.org. Shu is also editor-in-chief of the AAP’s book Baby & Child Health and co-author of the award-winning books Heading Home With Your Newborn and Food Fights, both published by the AAP.


An enthusiastic and experienced writer and public speaker, Shu is frequently featured as a medical expert on national and local television and radio shows, Internet articles, parenting magazines, newspapers, and medical publications.

Credentials

Professional Affiliations:
  • Children's Medical Group, P.C., Atlanta, GA
  • HealthyChildren.org
Publications:
  • Heading Home with Your Newborn: From Birth to Reality
  • Food Fights
 

My Answers

Q. How old is time for tummy time?
A. A good time to start tummy time while baby is awake is soon after the umbilical cord stump has fallen off (usually within 1 to 3 weeks after birth)...
Q. Can swaddling a baby help during a nap?
A. If swaddling helps baby sleep at night there's no reason you shouldn't do so during the day. Just remember to avoid wrapping the hips too tightly and...
Q. When should my baby start sleeping through the night?
A. Some babies sleep through the night within a week or two of being born. But most have their days and nights backward at first, sleeping more in the...
Q. How much nap time does my baby need?
A. Normally when babies are first born, everything is eat, sleep, eat, sleep, so you don’t really count any of that sleeping as naps. But somewhere...
Q. Should I wake my baby for feedings?
A. I don’t recommend waking babies for nighttime feedings because you want them to sleep. However, I would suggest you wake them for night feedings in...
Q. Should I keep my baby on a strict sleeping schedule?
A. I think you should give your baby the opportunity to have a routine, and I like for babies to have down time to relax in their own crib. Try to have...
Q. How can I get my baby to start sleeping through the night?
A. Keep it dark and quiet, and have a routine every evening that consists of quiet time -- maybe a bath, reading a book, or brushing baby’s teeth if...
Q. Should I let my baby cry himself to sleep?
A. It depends on the baby, and it depends on the age. The method of crying it out has been the most studied, and it works for many babies, but you...
Q. Is bringing my baby to bed with me -- co-sleeping -- safe?
A. Co-sleeping isn’t recommended because of what we know about sleep safety. There’s more of a risk of smothering, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, and of...
Q. What’s the safest way to put my baby to bed?
A. Always put your baby on his back to sleep, never on his side or tummy. There’s a higher risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome if they’re on their...
Q. What precautions can I take against Sudden Infant Death Syndrome?
A. Co-sleeping isn’t recommended because of what we know about sleep safety. There’s more of a risk of smothering, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, and of...
Q. What are some common bottle-feeding problems and mistakes?
A. I think sometimes parents jump to the conclusion that a baby’s gas or fussiness is caused by their baby formula. Instead, it just may be that baby is...
Q. When bottle-feeding, should my baby be upright or lying down?
A. [A] common bottle-feeding problem is the way parents position babies:Some lie them completely flat, which can make babies choke when feeding on the...
Q. What if my baby doesn't burp?
A. It’s OK if your baby doesn’t burp. Some babies just don’t burp very well, and some babies don’t need to very often. There are a lot of babies that...
Q. Will my baby's feeding schedule change when on a baby bottle?
A. Baby’s feeding schedule probably won’t change too much if you’re using breast milk in the baby’s bottle. But if you're using formula, which is a...
16-30 of 33 Answers