In the first months of life, babies are vulnerable, and any infection should be treated as an emergency. Therefore, parents with babies up to 6 months old who have a temperature should also go to the trauma center as a priority. What are the rules and when is it safe to visit a child?

Many of the rules below also apply to older children. When everyone wants to see a new member of the family, everyone should know that in the first months after his birth there are some unwritten rules that relate to care, risk to the baby’s health and common sense. Doctors say that although there are no “universal rules”, certain precautions should be taken from the point of view of health.

Especially during winter months like the ones we’re going through right now, when flu, respiratory syncytial virus, and COVID-19 are all very common. Babies under 6 months cannot be vaccinated against the flu, and although they have what is known as acquired immunity, it is better not to take risks. Then one more thing should be taken into account, pediatricians say: the first months after the birth of a child in the family should be time devoted only to the parents and the baby. They need to get to know each other, get used to a new life, to responsibilities, calm down. And one more thing: young parents may also need help.

The immune system of newborns does not yet have all the necessary weapons

At birth, a child’s immune system has the tools to mount an immune response, but it has to overcome some obstacles. First, and perhaps most important, is that newborns are at increased risk of infection. In fact, about one in every 100 bloodstream infections occurs in young infants. And premature babies are at even greater risk, given that they lack some of the protection provided by maternal antibodies and their immune systems haven’t had enough time to mature before birth. This susceptibility is one of the reasons why parents are advised to seek medical attention immediately if a child under 2 months of age develops a fever.

Second, young children are at greater risk for certain types of infections, especially those caused by group B strep, staphylococcus, Klebsiella, Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), meningococcus, and pneumococcus.

Babies have phagocytes at birth, but they are in limited numbers. If a newborn does get an infection, their immune system can’t replenish the neutrophils to fight the infection, allowing the pathogen to quickly take over.

What to do when visiting a newborn:

• limit visitors’ access to a newborn under 2 months of age;

• if you still want to receive visitors, make sure that no one is sick;

• if you want to visit the newborn and you are allowed to do so, remove your shoes when entering, wash your hands as soon as you enter, do not hold the baby and refrain from kissing the baby, no matter how overwhelming you may feel;

• carry such useful things as disposable diapers (the right size), cosmetics for babies or strollers, and why not, cooked food for parents.

What NOT to do when visiting a newborn:

• do not take children with you to visit the newborn. They will not know how to behave so as not to disturb the baby or the family;

• do not add more work to the parents or extend the meeting by more than 15-20 minutes;

• take into account the wishes of the parents and do not violate them. Find here an article with 10 rules to put into practice during such a visit.

It’s common sense to call before knocking on the door shouting “Surprise!” Not all parents of newborns are okay with visitors after they return home, but many definitely need help. Which brings us to the next point…

The first months of a baby’s life are designed for adaptation to a new life. To everyone!

The balance I spoke about concerns the adaptation of the newborn to the parents, to the environment of their life, to the rules of the new life. In the case of newborn babies, a balance must be struck between protecting them and providing adequate support to new parents. This support is extremely important to the well-being of the entire family and should be seen as very important. But every family has different needs, so it’s best to talk to the child’s parents to find out where they need help.

How you can really help:

• Call and ask parents if they need a nap, a shower or maybe even a walk. Don’t insist if you’re told no;

• Ask for a shopping list and help parents by bringing shopping directly to the home;

• Walk and walk the family dog ​​at least once a day.

• Ask if you can accompany the parents on walks with the child.

They will appreciate communication with an adult! But if the baby’s parents do not need help, understand this. The period after the birth of a child is also a period when parents and the baby want to discover each other, enjoy each other and learn how everything works. It’s normal that they want to be alone, just them and the baby.

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