Longtime pediatric nurses Jennifer Walker and Laura Hunter often receive calls during the wee hours from frantic parents struggling to soothe fussy babies. Sometimes baby has a fever or cough. Other times, it's just diaper rash.

"What we discovered with parents is [that] we hear the same questions over and over," said Walker, a 38-year-old Woodstock resident with three children. "We realized there's a disconnect here with information."

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The two metro Atlanta nurses — who have eight children between them, ranging from preschoolers to high schoolers — joined forces to write "The Moms on Call Guide to Basic Baby Care" (Revell, $17.99). They worked together for 15 years at North Atlanta Pediatrics, a private practice near Northside Hospital in Atlanta, where they often fielded phone calls from new mothers.

The handbook addresses a variety of topics, including nail clipping, ear infections and ways to get your baby to sleep through the night.

Here are some common concerns from parents, with answers from the nursing duo.

Q: With the recalls of toys made in China and concerns about lead in toys, what should parents do?

Walker: "Don't buy consignment toys or toys at discount stores, where they don't take the [recalled] toys off the shelves. If you go to a Toys "R" Us, they will clear those shelves as soon as a recall comes in. You can also go to the www.cpsc.gov Web site (Consumer Product Safety Commission) for updates on recalls, and you can sign up for a newsletter to receive updates on recalls as they happen. And if you are concerned about lead poisoning, a simple blood test can let you know whether your child has been exposed to lead poisoning."

Q: At what age should you transition the baby from a bottle to a sippy cup?

Hunter: "Right around 4 or 5 months, you can introduce a sippy cup, and a lot of parents don't realize you can put pumped breast milk or formula in it. It doesn't have to be juice or water. Don't expect the baby to grab the cup and chug it down.

Hold it in their mouth and urge them to suck it, and do it several times a day. And, at around 7 or 8 months, they are able to hold the sippy cups and drink from them. And then you can start eliminating the bottles, beginning with daytime bottles and doing the nighttime bottles last."

Q: Diaper rash is a common problem with babies. What's the best way to tackle it?

Walker: "Leave it open to air as long as practical. Change diapers frequently and use Aquaphor [Healing Ointment]. Also, give baths with Aveeno Oatmeal bath packets, and you may also use kitchen cornstarch to keep moisture from irritating the skin."

Q: Is TV bad for a baby?

Hunter: "I always say moderation is OK. Five or 10 minutes of one of those Baby Einstein movies is OK, but that's enough."

— This article is a reprint from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.