With everything going on in the world, protecting your children from illness can seem impossible. Most sources are reminding people to wash their hands, but keeping a baby clean and healthy goes far beyond a simple hand wash—although this does help. Check out this guide on how to protect your baby from illness.
Keep sick people away
If somebody is sick, ask them to stay home and refrain from visiting until a few days after they begin to feel well again. If somebody within your household is ill, such as your partner or older children, keep them away from the baby. This can mean ensuring they don’t spend time in the same room as the baby or keeping the sick person isolated as much as possible for the duration of their illness.
Have visitors wash their hands
Before allowing anyone to hold your baby—or holding your baby yourself—make sure they’ve washed their hands. Here are some helpful tips for proper hand-washing:
- Wash hands for at least 20 seconds. A fun way to teach children to wash their hands is by having them sing the “Happy Birthday” song twice.
- Use soap to get into easy-to-forget places such as underneath fingernails, in between fingers, and the wrists.
- Wash with warm water.
- Dry your hands on a clean towel.
Keep supplies on hand
Keep the right supplies on hand in case your baby does get sick. The last thing you’ll want if your baby falls ill is to have to run to the store, which may be out of essential supplies right now. Keep tissues, pediatrician-approved medicine, and a humidifier in your home just in case. Another great thing to keep on hand is a baby care kit, which has everything you need to keep your child breathing well with clear ears and a clean nose.
Call your pediatrician
Nobody can give you better or more accurate advice on how to protect your baby from illness than your child’s pediatrician. Consult your child’s doctor if you have any concerns or if your baby starts to develop symptoms of an illness. With the current pandemic, it’s also important to listen to recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and from your local authorities. Practice social distancing, wash your hands, and try to stay in your home until the COVID-19 virus is under control. Information is changing constantly during this trying time, so stay up to date on developing information.