In order to prevent serious health issues, anyone and everyone, including parents, should avoid kissing babies. Due to the rise in cases of RSV and other illnesses, it's extremely important for all individuals to be aware of the dangers of kissing babies.
It is not wrong to kiss your baby but you should be wary of the risks involved not only for caution, but also so that you can advise visitors accordingly. Rule number 1 when it comes to kissing the baby is to never kiss a baby near its mouth. The risk of passing on germs and diseases increases by doing that.
Many pediatricians warn against strangers kissing babies due to their vulnerable immune systems, as infants are at particular risk of RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus), allergic reactions, fever blisters and foot and mouth disease.
Infants are particularly vulnerable to the HSV-1, better known as the Herpes Simplex Virus. The virus causes sores around the mouth and lips in adults. At times they don't even show particular symptoms in adults but can turn fatal for babies.
It's our natural instinct to hold a newborn baby close and gently kiss her head. But unfortunately, even with the best of intentions, showing your love this way can have potentially dangerous consequences for children under the age of 12 months.
Most babies' immune systems will be strong enough for kisses after 2 to 3 months. Until then, it's healthiest not to kiss the baby, painful though it may be.
2. Explicitly say “Please, don't kiss my baby” If speaking to people directly about your concerns feels too daunting, you can send a mass email or text to the entire family explaining your policy and that, out of an abundance of caution, you are requesting people don't kiss your baby on the face.
Also, their lungs are much smaller so any inflammation to their airways is exponentially worse when the baby is smaller. RSV is spread through contact with contaminated respiratory droplets. Kissing, sharing drinks, or transferring things from mouth to mouth can transmit RSV.
During the first month of life, also ask visitors to avoid kissing around your infant's mouth and eye area.
Most of the time, it's totally fine to kiss your baby on the lips—unless you're dealing with a few very specific health issues, says the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). The big concern, they say, is the herpes simplex virus (HSV).
Parents should try to limit the number of visitors their babies come in close contact with overall. Consider having extended family and friends wait two to three months until your baby's immune system is stronger to plan their visits.
Your baby's relatively weak immune system, particularly in the first three months of their life, means that they are vulnerable to contracting viruses. Respiratory illnesses can easily be transferred to your baby through kissing, which poses a significant risk, as a child's lungs are only fully formed by age eight.
Ideally, even grandparents “should not be kissing on the baby for at least the first few months,” Tan told me. Within a home, siblings attending day care and school—where it's easy to pick up germs—might also want to sheathe their smackeroos at first.
Parents kissing their baby is normal, but at the same time, it is essential that the parent safeguards the baby from contracting hazardous infections. One of the key points you should consider is not letting anyone kiss your baby on or near the mouth, specifically during the initial three months of birth.
KISS stands for Kinetic Imbalances due to Suboccipital Strain, in other words, disorders in the symmetrical development of the baby that arise as a result of vertebrae disorders. The early signs of a blockage in the vertebra are highly varied. Many, though not all, babies cry a lot, sleep badly and are easily startled.
You can't spoil a baby. Contrary to popular myth, it's impossible for parents to hold or respond to a baby too much, child development experts say. Infants need constant attention to give them the foundation to grow emotionally, physically and intellectually.
Parents usually start kangaroo care once or twice a day for at least one hour each time or as long as it is tolerated by your baby. The longer you hold your baby, the better. Any amount of time is good, but it is best to try for at least 1 to 2 hours each day.
While six weeks has long been the traditional timeline for rest and recuperation after a birth, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends ongoing postpartum care from birth to 12 weeks. Six weeks is also the standard recovery time allotted for childbirth-related short-term disability leave.
Experts recommend that new moms get at least seven hours. While this study provides valuable insight into the importance of sleep, be patient with you and your baby in the postpartum period. Consider asking for help, sleeping when your baby sleeps, and forgoing bed sharing to optimize your sleep schedule.
They don't understand the concept of time, so they don't know mom will come back, and can become upset by her absence. Whether mom is in the kitchen, in the next bedroom, or at the office, it's all the same to the baby, who might cry until mom is nearby again.
But many first-time parents find that after the first month of parenthood, it can actually get more difficult. This surprising truth is one reason many experts refer to a baby's first three months of life as the “fourth trimester.” If months two, three, and beyond are tougher than you expected, you're not alone.
Since mom herself will be back on her period soon, there's no valid, medically-proven reason that someone's menstrual cycle would cause any harm to a newborn.
Don't pick up a baby under their arms.
It makes a baby's arms unavailable for self-comfort or support, and it can interfere with their breathing because their ribs are held.
New research points to cuddled children growing up to be healthier, less depressed, kinder, more empathetic, and more productive adults.