When is it Safe for Your Newborn to Meet the Public?
As a new parent you are probably eager and anxious to introduce your little one to the public. But when is it considered safe for you newborn to be around other people? Most doctors will tell you that once they have made the journey home from the hospital than it is safe for them to be among the public. But not all babies are born at the hospital. Many parents have been told by their pediatrician that it is not safe to take your baby out around large crowds of people until they are at least one to two months old. The problem however, is not the fact that they are outdoors it is the germs that other people carry than can be harmful to your new baby.
You need to understand how a babies immune system works in order to fully understand what risks there are to your baby. The immune system of a newborn is not as strong as an older infant or child. The antibodies that it is born with comes from the mother. The mother can only pass along antibodies against germs which she has built up and immunity to. Also the antibodies that the baby is born with are not very protective and will wane after the first few months. Therefore one can conclude that a young infant is very susceptible to certain types of infections. Many doctor’s will tell you however that breastfeeding does help to boost your newborns immune system. So if your baby is only a few weeks or day’s old their body has not had a chance to really boost their immune system, regardless of how much breast milk they have had. If a newborn were to catch a cold it can be a lot more serious than you may think. An infant with a cold can have feeding problems, dehydration, poor sleep, difficulty with their breathing, and ear infections. Not only will a cold take it’s toll on the baby, but it will take a toll on you as well.
The best thing for any new parent to do is ask your pediatrician what they think. Most pediatricians will advise you to wait until they have had their first set of vaccinations. Vaccinations are given to help and keep your infant healthy. They are usually given around two months of age. At which time many pediatricians say that it is ok to have others around your baby. If you do decided to take your baby out however, you want to make sure and limit exposure, to others. Whether they have a cold or not it is always better to be on the safe side. It is also important that everyone including family member’s wash their hand’s thoroughly before touching the baby. This will help to reduce the spreading of germs to your baby. Usually once your baby is at least two weeks old you can then begin taking them out to the park’s and to a few other places. Your doctor will probably tell you to keep the baby away from large groups of people. The bottom line is that the healthier you can keep your infant during the first three months of life the better off your baby will be.
