Tips For Keeping Your Newborn Healthy
Bringing a baby into the world is one of the most life-changing experiences ever. However, your baby’s first two months of life are both exciting and crucial for you as a parent. Parents and caregivers constantly bond with their infants, resolving feeding problems and figuring out their moods. After all, you want to do everything you can to keep your infant safe and healthy.
At the end of the day, caring for a newborn baby is a huge responsibility. But knowing what to do to ensure your baby remains as healthy as possible is an ongoing process with a steep learning curve. So, with that in mind, here are a few tried and tested tips that will help you keep safe and healthy for the foreseeable future.
Identify childbirth injuries
Any type of harm to a newborn before, during, or soon after the delivery process is referred to as a birth injury. Most of these injuries heal on their own. However, in some cases, childbirth injuries set in at a later age and require medical invention.
While some childbirth injuries, such as cerebral palsy, have no cure, some can be treated with the right medication and therapy. Therefore, it would be wise to identify whether your newborn is suffering from common symptoms of childbirth injuries and shortlist your options.
If you believe that you are a victim of medical malpractice, your best bet would be to file a medical malpractice lawsuit. To know more about childbirth injuries and your legal options, you can visit childbirthinjuries.com to learn more. Doing so will allow you to obtain the compensation you need to manage your newborn’s symptoms and provide him with a fulfilling life when he grows old.
Practice care when traveling with your newborn
Ensure that your child’s car seat is properly placed; in many cases, the hospital, a police station, or a fire station can assist.
Pediatricians normally advise against flying with newborns until they are at least two weeks old. This is why new parents typically avoid traveling with their newborns because airports and airplanes are congested and enclosed environments. Your child’s pediatrician can advise you on what is best for your family regarding safety.
Furthermore, follow all health and safety precautions, such as wearing a mask and often washing your hands, if you’re traveling without your infant. Doing so will help you prevent bringing contagious diseases back to your house.
Follow basic sanitation measures
Most basic Coronavirus precautions still apply when you have a newborn at home. Before handling your baby’s milk bottle or preparing meals, thoroughly wash your hands with soap and water. When guests arrive at your home and before they hold the infant, request them to wash their hands properly with anti-bacterial soap. If you feed your newborn baby formula, prepare and store it according to the instructions on the back of the container.
While most vaccinations can’t be given to infants just yet, it’s crucial for everyone in the family to get vaccinated to ensure your newborn remains safe and free from all contagious illnesses. But if you allow unvaccinated people near your newborn, ensure they maintain their distance and don’t touch your baby. Prevention is better than cure!
Be wary of fevers
If your newborn seems warm, get a rectal thermometer for home usage. A baby with a fever, defined as having a temperature of at least 100.4 C, needs medical attention immediately. However, don’t worry if your doctor rules out infections like urinary tract infection or meningitis because newborns have not had vaccinations against several deadly illnesses.
Babies rely on antibodies transferred from their mothers in utero throughout the first six months of life since they are born with a weakened immune system. But your newborn can begin receiving further vaccinations at six months of age, helping them develop their own antibodies.
Don’t skip your newborn’s wellness visits
Besides regular check-ins from nurses on the labor and delivery floor, plan to visit a pediatrician or family doctor from time to time, especially if you gave birth in a hospital. The doctor will examine your newborn and oversee health screenings if required.
Following your discharge, schedule appointments with your primary care physician for a planned schedule that involves meeting your doctor two days, one week, and one month after your delivery. These visits will allow you to monitor the newborn’s development and ask questions about how to care for your baby.
Have some bonding time with your newborn
Making a connection with your newborn is essential for their growth and well-being. It lays the groundwork for the developing baby to get into healthy relationships and appropriately express and feel a broad spectrum of emotions when you constantly attend to their needs.
Regularly hold and cuddle your infant and schedule time for skin-to-skin contact. When your baby cries, respond to them to let them know you’re there. Additionally, it is advised that you speak to your infant as frequently as you can in soothing and reassuring tones. This enables your newborn to recognize the sound of your voice and helps them learn your language.
Conclusion
Remember that you’ll have to make a lot of personal compromises when it comes to keeping your newborn healthy. In fact, you’ll have to give up various things you did before to ensure you don’t harm your baby’s health.
Ultimately, caring for your newborn is an involved process that requires equal effort from both the mother and father. But don’t be intimidated by parenthood. It’s a blessing and a gratifying experience, especially when your baby grows in front of you and becomes a healthy adult!