Friday, November 17, 2006
Practical tips to keep babies safe
Most parents are aware of how to make their home safe for babies, but I still encounter mistakes that concern me when it comes to infant care. Here are some important tips to keep newborns safe:
Minimize crowds
Babies should be fairly isolated in their first month – it is important not to take them into crowded places, such as a grocery store, because their immune system is still not fully mature. Keep the crowds down at home as well, especially in the winter months. And if anyone wants to hold the baby, they need to wash their hands first.
No smoking in the house
I still see a lot of people who are ignorant about what smoking can do to a newborn’s lungs – it can permanently damage a growing lung for the rest of a child’s life. Newborns’ lungs grow for about two years after they are born, and if they are exposed to smoke and irritants, the lungs may not develop properly. Smoking also is a risk factor for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
Avoid sunscreen and bug spray
Sunscreen and bug spray should not be used on infants younger than six months. The chemicals may be absorbed through the skin because of the high level of body surface area compared to their weight. When outside, infants should be kept in shady areas, as they have a higher risk of being burned because the skin is not fully matured.
No walkers
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, baby walkers send more than 14,000 children to the hospital every year. Before age 1, a child has not developed a sense of balance. It is developed over time, when babies learn to sit, crawl, pull up and then walk. Walkers make babies vertical before they develop a sense of balance, and their weight is the driving force, so they may go in any direction, and the infant has no control to stop. Stationary bouncers are fine, just nothing with wheels.
Install car seats correctly
It is one of the most important things people do wrong and they do not realize it. Used properly, car seats reduce the risk of death by 71 percent for infants and 54 percent for toddlers. Although the LATCH system in newer cars is helpful, parents should still get their car seats checked at a car seat clinic, like the one Backus Hospital offers on the first Friday of every month at the Norwich Fire Department. Also, parents should never put blankets underneath infants or swaddle them before buckling them in.
Ravi Prakash, MD, is Chief of Pediatrics at Backus Hospital and a private practice pediatrician with Prakash Pediatrics in Norwich. This column should not replace advice or instruction from your personal physician. E-mail Prakash and all of the Healthy Living columnists at healthyliving@wwbh.org.
Minimize crowds
Babies should be fairly isolated in their first month – it is important not to take them into crowded places, such as a grocery store, because their immune system is still not fully mature. Keep the crowds down at home as well, especially in the winter months. And if anyone wants to hold the baby, they need to wash their hands first.
No smoking in the house
I still see a lot of people who are ignorant about what smoking can do to a newborn’s lungs – it can permanently damage a growing lung for the rest of a child’s life. Newborns’ lungs grow for about two years after they are born, and if they are exposed to smoke and irritants, the lungs may not develop properly. Smoking also is a risk factor for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
Avoid sunscreen and bug spray
Sunscreen and bug spray should not be used on infants younger than six months. The chemicals may be absorbed through the skin because of the high level of body surface area compared to their weight. When outside, infants should be kept in shady areas, as they have a higher risk of being burned because the skin is not fully matured.
No walkers
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, baby walkers send more than 14,000 children to the hospital every year. Before age 1, a child has not developed a sense of balance. It is developed over time, when babies learn to sit, crawl, pull up and then walk. Walkers make babies vertical before they develop a sense of balance, and their weight is the driving force, so they may go in any direction, and the infant has no control to stop. Stationary bouncers are fine, just nothing with wheels.
Install car seats correctly
It is one of the most important things people do wrong and they do not realize it. Used properly, car seats reduce the risk of death by 71 percent for infants and 54 percent for toddlers. Although the LATCH system in newer cars is helpful, parents should still get their car seats checked at a car seat clinic, like the one Backus Hospital offers on the first Friday of every month at the Norwich Fire Department. Also, parents should never put blankets underneath infants or swaddle them before buckling them in.
Ravi Prakash, MD, is Chief of Pediatrics at Backus Hospital and a private practice pediatrician with Prakash Pediatrics in Norwich. This column should not replace advice or instruction from your personal physician. E-mail Prakash and all of the Healthy Living columnists at healthyliving@wwbh.org.
# posted by ----------------- @ 11:04 AM 
