6 Tips For Protecting Your Baby From Viruses And Other Pathogens

6 Tips For Protecting Your Baby From Viruses And Other Pathogens : Pathogens are everywhere, making it difficult to protect your newborn from getting sick. While you have some control over germs – wiping the changing table in a public bathroom with a disinfectant wipe before laying baby down, for example – it can be a constant challenge protecting your little one from the perils of other people.

Well-meaning friends and strangers are drawn to your tiny bundle like a magnet, intent on touching, holding, and kissing. What everyone fails to realize is infants are very susceptible to illness, so it’s important to protect your newborn as much as possible.

How do you go about protecting your little one without offending anyone? Below are a few tips to help you protect your baby from viruses and other pathogens.

Bottle Sterilization

Using a baby bottle sterilizer is a great way to prevent many of the common illnesses that babies fall victim to. Depending on your age, it’s likely your mother disinfected your bottles by boiling them. While this successfully killed some microorganisms, it didn’t kill them all and it left bacterial spores, which are very resistant. Steam sterilization, on the other hand, kills all microorganisms, including bacterial spores, so your baby is less likely to get sick.
Wash Your Hands

The easiest way to transmit germs from one person to another is by touch. Make handwashing a rule in your home. Wash your hands before preparing meals, before picking up baby, after diaper changes, and after using the bathroom. If anyone else wants to hold the baby, make sure they wash their hands first.
Offer Hand Sanitizer

Experts recommend washing your hands with soap and water to kill germs, but when that isn’t possible, alcohol-based hand sanitizer is the next best thing. Carry a bottle of it with you when you go out, and before allowing someone to touch baby, offer a squirt of it, explaining that it’s to keep the little one from getting sick. For hand sanitizer to do its job, the user needs to rub their hands together vigorously for 15-20 seconds.
Wear Protective Clothing Outside

When running errands outside, especially during this pandemic, always wear protective clothing, such as face mask and face shields. Wear medical-grade latex gloves and frequently sanitize your hands every time you touch surfaces. Avoid touching your skin or clothes, especially when you have gloves on. Also, be sure to only get nitrile gloves from Primo Dental Products for better protection. Finally, don’t bring your protective clothing inside the house, and make sure it never makes contact with your baby.
Redirect Kissing

It’s hard to keep from kissing the chubby cheeks of a baby. Unfortunately, kissing infants exposes them to a multitude of germs that can make them sick. When anyone wants to smooch your little one, instruct them to plant their kiss on the soles of the feet. This way, everyone stays happy and any potential virus exposure is limited to feet and not your precious bub’s face or hands.
Avoid Crowds

In the first few weeks of your infant’s life, large crowds can be dangerous as there’s always the likelihood that someone is sick. It’s a good idea to avoid family get-togethers and gathering places like the mall until your little one reaches the three-month mark. After that, you can start venturing out a little more.

Bonus Tip:

Cite “Doctor’s Orders”

If you feel like you won’t be able to stop your friends and family from touching or kissing the baby, use your doctor as an excuse. Cite “doctor’s orders” as the reason for others to not touch or kiss the baby. Explain that according to your doctor, the baby’s immune system isn’t fully developed enough yet, so you need to avoid unnecessary contact for the time being.

Newborns are so precious and hard to resist, but because their immune systems are so immature, it’s up to you to protect them from germs. Use a baby bottle sterilizer and fend off well-meaning family and friends to protect your baby from viruses and other pathogens.