The dentists have advised that parents refrain from kissing their children on the lips, particularly before their baby teeth have developed, as they could spread harmful bacteria to their young ones. Before the first tooth appears, a baby's mouth is usually free from cavity-causing bacteria.
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.
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.
Showing Your Baby Physical Affection Teaches Them Empathy
This in turn can help them relate as well as interact better with those around them. Kissing your baby is not just about building that unique relationship between mom and baby. It's more than that. It helps the baby pursue a unique personality and demeanor.
As you kiss and cuddle your baby, their little germs go into your system, where your body then produces the antibodies to work directly against those little germs and bugs. Those antibodies then pass directly through your breastmilk to your child. This important process happens the entire time you breastfeed.
Tickling baby feet can simulate being held down, touched, or violated without consent, which can be highly triggering and traumatic for some children. Even if tickling baby feet is done with good intentions and no harm intended, it can still cause emotional distress and flashbacks.
During the first month of life, also ask visitors to avoid kissing around your infant's mouth and eye area. And request that people with cold sores steer clear of your kiddo until the lesions are gone.
Kissing your baby will change your breast milk
When you kiss your baby, you are sampling the pathogens on her skin, which are then transferred to your lymphatic system where you will produce antibodies to any bugs. These antibodies will then pass through your breast milk to your baby and boost her immune system.
The potential risks of kissing a newborn
Infants' immune systems are vulnerable and close contact with bacteria or viruses can lead to a range of health issues, such as: HSV-1 or cold sores. Whooping cough (pertussis) Kissing disease (mononucleosis)
“Parents should show love and affection in front of their children. Simple things such as hugging, kissing and holding hands show that you care about that person. Saying"I love you” and"I miss you” is another way to show love and affection. Anything more than this is most likely deemed inappropriate.
A newborn baby's immune system is underdeveloped, and whilst they're not fully immunised, it makes them highly vulnerable to severe infections. Kissing a baby can spread germs that lead to illness, so it's highly recommended that no one kisses a newborn (and that includes their parents, sorry).
Excessive tickling can also cause chest and stomach pain, which will require immediate medical attention. Shockingly, the giggle during tickling is involuntary and can induce breathing difficulties,” said Dr Kathwate. So, tickling can do more harm than good. “Excessive tickling can also lead to anxiety in children.
It's common for babies to start laughing around 3 to 4 months of age; however, each baby is unique and develops at their own rate, so some may laugh earlier or later than 3 to 4 months.
Your baby is memorizing your laugh
Your baby is picking up on your personality as well. Research shows that your baby's heart rate slows when you speak. Your voice, your laughter, your singing and your crying are familiar to your baby. He or she recognizes it, and it's calming.
Baby kissing is a practice in which politicians and candidates campaigning for office kiss babies in order to garner public support. It is commonly done along with shaking hands.
Speak to your doctor about the risks involved when it comes to letting a family member kiss your baby. If the doctor agrees that you need to set rules and tell your child's grandparents to hold the smooches, then telling that it's 'a doctor's orders' might be a less confrontational method of explaining your decision.
Hugs Keep Kids Healthy
There are many health benefits of hugging and kissing your baby. Hugs can promote our physical health and help us heal. Oxytocin, released when hugging, is a hormone that has amazing power and benefits our bodies.
Around 9 to 12 months of age, most babies clearly prefer certain people and will show affection to them. Babies miss their regular caregivers when they are away and often cry, turn away, or otherwise react strongly.
They talk to you.
Your baby's very earliest coos will be directed at you or another trusted caregiver – it's their way of saying, “love you too!” By four months, babies will make sounds in response to your voice and turn their head to try to find you when you're talking.
But there's no evidence to suggest that you should stop kissing your baby or stop friends and family from kissing her. Put simply, your baby will not be at an increased risk of SIDS from a kiss. What may increase the risk of SIDS however, is how your baby's immune system responds to infections.
Humans, even newborns crave physical contact and are comforted by it. Whether they recognize a kiss as a special form of showing affection is irrelevant. They are comforted by it, and gradually learn that association.
Small acts of PDA usually aren't rude.
You can usually do things like this in front of your friends or your parents, unless they've explicitly told you not to. Above all, try to keep things respectful, and don't do anything you wouldn't want to see another couple doing in public.