How To Keep Your Newborn From Getting Sick?

Saturday, September 8, 2018, 16:47

Newborn babies are as cute as a button. But as delicate as a feature too! If you have just given birth to your bundle of joy, chances are you just can't get enough of that adorable face and neither do your family and friends. But there are a lot of things that you need to keep in mind before exposing your just born baby to the world.

It may be a completely new experience for you to take proper care of your baby. They may need your constant attention and should be monitored 24/7, sometimes, even when they are sleeping. The instructions of your doctor coupled with your maternal instincts will definitely help you get used to the baby. While this part of maternity is easy and manageable, more than you getting used to your baby, it is important to help the baby get used to its new surroundings.

how to keep your newborn from getting sick

Babies are born with fully functional organs which start working the moment they arrive in this world. Though they are born with immunity to certain diseases, their immune system is still developing, which makes them susceptible to illnesses. To make things worse, newborn babies cannot regulate their body temperature, increasing their chances of illness.

Newborn babies aren't expected to fall ill right after birth due to the anti-bodies they derive from the mother at the time of birth. However, things may take a turn when they are about 1-2 months and that is when you need to be too careful with them in order to avoid contact with various illness-causing microbes.

As the development of your baby's immune system takes time, it is up to you to keep them from harm's way. Apart from the regular washing and sanitizing your baby's items, there may be other ways in which you can prevent your baby from falling sick. Read on to know more.

Here are some ways which can help keep your newborn from falling ill-

Keep Your Baby Warm

This is the foremost thing that you need to keep in mind. It may take the baby some time to learn how to regulate their body temperature. In the meantime, you will have to do the job. It is important to keep your baby in optimum temperature as they may fall ill if they are too cold.

Skin-to-skin contact is the best way to ensure that they are warm and comfortable. It is also important to keep your baby wrapped just right so they get the feeling of being in your womb, which makes them happy and in turn catalyses the development of their immune systems.

Wash Your Hands

We cannot even imagine the amount of germs that our hands collect on a daily basis. While some are not harmful to adults, most of them are life threatening to babies. Make sure to dictate this to anyone visiting your baby as well. Your baby's health should be your priority.

Do Not Let Strangers Kiss Your Baby

There may be many strangers in the hospital who may want to cuddle or kiss your baby. You never know where they have been or what they carry. There are some strange cases on the Internet about newborn babies contracting life-threatening communicable diseases by the kiss of the affected. Do not let anyone, just anyone handle your baby.

Breastfeed Your Baby

Apart from the outer factors, it is important to protect your baby from inside as well. And what better way than breast milk? Your breastmilk is the only thing your baby will require in order to grow healthy and build a strong immune system for itself. Never deny your baby of your breastmilk as this is the most important gift you will be giving them, which will shape their health in the long run.

Do Laundry Often

This goes without saying. Though, you may be doing your baby's laundry often, it is important to do yours as well and everyone who comes in contact with your baby often. To make things easy, you can have a common set of clothing that you wear when you are with your baby. This will not put a stress on your laundry load as well. Microbes are very pesky and may latch on to clothes often. It is also important to pre-soak your clothes in a sanitizing liquid before proceeding with the wash in order to remove all traces of germs.

Do Not Miss Vaccinations

You are advised to strictly follow the vaccination schedule of your baby as it will provide a natural shield to your baby to fight illnesses. Proper and in-time vaccination will provide your baby with protection against diseases such as whooping cough and tetanus. Make sure to follow the vaccination chart given by the doctor.