Are you a new parent bringing your baby home for the very first time? Are you worried about how to ensure the complete protection of your child? Are you unsure about what to do if your child gets sick? If yes, we are here to help you with all your woes.
Babies, especially newborns, are vulnerable to otherwise minor illnesses like cold, flu, and a myriad of viruses. The immune systems of infants are not strong enough to fight off the infections that come their way. Parents need to ensure minimum exposure to the causal factors of illnesses to protect their babies during their initial years. It is also important to keep your baby safe from other forms of physical harm.
It is natural to become overwhelmed about your child’s health as a parent. But you can reduce anxiety with a few simple measures to ensure the safety and health of your baby. Keep reading to discover a few simple tips for keeping your baby healthy and safe.
Look for any birth injuries
Some children sustain birth injuries because of medical negligence or malpractice. Some signs such as scars, cuts, and bleeding are apparent, while some surface later as severe disorders, diseases, or impairment. For example, using unsterilized tools at the time of delivery may make a baby prone to sepsis. Also, prolonged swelling, abrasions, bruises, seizures, or difficulty in breathing are common birth injuries that you may not be aware of.
Thus, if you notice such an injury you believe might have been caused by medical negligence, seek legal help. Contacting birth injury lawyers ensures you receive full compensation for the harm done to your baby. In this way, you can use the compensation money to cover the medical expenses of your baby as they grow older.
Try to avoid germs
The immune system of infants is not strong enough to fight even mild infections. Their immune system needs time and good nutrition to develop. Therefore, you must ensure minimum exposure to germs. You can practice this in several ways, including sanitizing your home, sterilizing baby bottles and toys, washing their clothes separately, and maintaining a distance between your baby and pets.
Also, ask visitors to clean or sanitize their hands before they hold your baby to minimize the number of germs your baby comes in contact with. Check your baby often for non-blanching rashes, and contact your pediatrician right away to report a high fever. Your efforts to keep germs away from your child will keep it healthy for a long time.
Don’t delay or skip vaccinations
If you are a new parent, you must stick to the vaccination schedule provided by your pediatrician strictly. A little deviation from the schedule can have severe consequences. Vaccines contain dead or weakened disease-causing organisms that help the immune system produce antibodies against common infections. Whenever a foreign substance invades the body, the antibodies come into action and fight off the substances. In this way, vaccines help boost babies’ immune systems and keep them healthy.
Thus, it is crucial to follow your baby’s vaccination schedule strictly. You can also maintain a record of all the essential vaccines to keep track of them. Ask your pediatrician to stay informed about all the mandatory vaccines for a baby or know more about them online.
Breastfeed your baby
The ideal source of nutrition for your baby during the first six months is breast milk. The numerous benefits of breast milk not only keep your baby immune to bacteria and viruses, but also help them become healthy.
Breast milk contains a balanced amount of proteins, vitamins, and carbs essential for a baby’s growth. Moreover, it is a rich source of antibodies that help fight infections. Breastfeeding also minimizes the risk of allergies, asthma, respiratory illnesses, ear infections, and bouts of diarrhea. Amazing, right? So, if you want your baby to grow healthy and ward off disease symptoms in their early years, stick to breastfeeding for as long as possible.
Avoid going to public places
Although it is good to avoid going out too often with an infant, there is no hard and fast rule for this. If the weather is nice, you should go out for some fresh air. This can be beneficial for both the baby and you.
However, if you go to crowded places too often, it can be dangerous for your baby. For example, a common virus called RSV roams freely and infects older children and adults. This virus only causes mild cold in children. However, if an infant contracts this virus, it can land them in life-threatening situations.
Likewise, crowded places are surrounded by various bacteria and viruses that may be fatal for your baby but not for you. Thus, it is best to suppress the temptation to enjoy a savory meal in a restaurant with an infant.
Conclusion
Whether you are a new parent or have a few years of experience in parenthood, protecting children is challenging in any case. Newborn babies are the first to become the victims of harmful viruses, bacteria, and other disease-causing factors. Since their immune systems are weak in the initial years, parents need to ensure complete safety from such threats. As a parent, you can take a few crucial steps like looking for any birth injuries, avoiding germs, sticking with the vaccination schedule, breastfeeding, etc. adopting these simple tips can ensure the safety and health of your baby for a long time.
