How to Protect Your Baby During Sick Season
As the seasons shift and illness becomes more widespread, ensuring the health and safety of our little ones also becomes more important. Babies, with their developing immune systems, are especially vulnerable to germs and viruses that seem to thrive during sick season. Fortunately, there are several proactive steps we can take as parents to protect them. From the simple yet powerful act of washing hands to maintaining a clean environment and being mindful of close contact with others, each measure can make a significant difference.
Wash Hands
One of the simplest and most effective ways to protect your baby during sick season is to maintain strict hand hygiene. Regular handwashing with soap and water for at least 20 seconds can significantly reduce the spread of germs. To further safeguard your little one, make it a house rule for all visitors to wash their hands or use hand sanitizer upon entering your home. Create a hand sanitizer station in your gathering area or place a refillable pump, like Paume, right by the front door.
This practice is especially important before anyone holds your baby. By establishing this expectation, you create a barrier against harmful bacteria and viruses, ensuring your home remains a safe haven for your precious little one. Remember, a little extra diligence with hand hygiene can go a long way in keeping your baby healthy!
Clean and Disinfect Surfaces
Keeping your home clean and disinfected is essential for protecting your baby from illness, especially during sick season. Germs can linger on surfaces, making it crucial to regularly clean and sanitize high-touch areas such as countertops, tables, doorknobs, and light switches.
Don’t forget to extend this practice to toys and other household objects, as babies are naturally curious and tend to put everything in their mouths. Using child-safe disinfectants, like the Young Living Thieves line and Seventh Generation wipes (commissionable links), to wipe down these items can significantly reduce the risk of germ transmission. By creating a consistently clean and sanitized environment, you help minimize the chances of illness, allowing your baby to explore and play safely while giving you peace of mind.
Avoid Visiting Baby When You’re Sick
As a visitor, staying home when you're feeling unwell is crucial to avoid exposing the baby to germs. Adults may be able to fight off common illnesses more easily, but these same germs can pose serious risks to little ones, particularly newborns or babies who are immunocompromised.
To protect your baby’s health, it's important to communicate clearly with friends and family about the need to avoid visiting if they're displaying any symptoms of illness, such as coughing, sneezing, or fever. This simple precaution helps eliminate the chance of germs spreading in your home, creating a safer environment for your baby to thrive. Remember, prioritizing their well-being means making tough but necessary choices about who enters your space during sick season. If you need help setting these boundaries, visit our blog “7 Rules For Visiting a New Baby.”
Avoid Kissing Baby (If They Aren’t Your Own)
When it comes to protecting babies from illness, one of the most important rules to follow is to avoid kissing them (if they aren’t your own). While affectionate gestures may seem harmless, the risk of transmitting germs is significant, particularly when kissing a baby’s hands and face.
Babies have underdeveloped immune systems, making them especially vulnerable to infections that can easily be passed on through saliva. By refraining from kisses, you help create a safer environment for little ones, ensuring they stay healthy and happy.
To protect your baby’s health, encourage friends and family to respect this boundary. It can go a long way in keeping your baby safe during sick season!
Breastfeeding Provides Benefits
Breastfeeding can be an effective way to help keep your baby safe from illness during sick season, as it delivers essential antibodies that support their immune system. Breastfeeding provides your little one with an extra layer of protection against common illnesses. Even if you find yourself feeling unwell, continuing to nurse can still be helpful; your body responds to infections by producing specific antibodies, which are then passed through your milk. This means your breastmilk can offer vital immune support, helping to keep your baby healthy during the colder months when germs are more prevalent. Ultimately, the choice to breastfeed is deeply personal and not an option for everyone, so finding the best path for you and your baby is what matters most!
Know the Signs of RSV
Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) can be concerning for babies. Here are some common signs to watch for:
Coughing: Persistent or wheezing cough
Runny or Stuffy Nose and Thick Mucus: Nasal congestion may accompany other symptoms. Mucus will appear very sticky and difficult to suck out.
Fever: Mild to moderate fevers can be present, although not always. As a reminder, if your baby is younger than 6 weeks and has a rectal temperature over 100.4 or under 96.8, visit your nearest emergency room as a precaution.
Rapid Breathing: Breathing that is faster than normal or difficulty breathing
Retractions: Sinking in of the chest or neck while breathing, indicating distress
Irritability: Increased fussiness or discomfort
Decreased Appetite: Reduced interest in feeding or difficulty feeding
Lethargy: True lethargy means the baby is hard to wake and gets worse, not better. You can do a sternal rub to attempt to wake your baby. If your baby does not wake up, call 911 immediately. If your baby is just sleeping more than normal, monitor closely. It could be a result of vaccines, a growth spurt, or illness onsetting.
If you notice any of these symptoms, especially difficulty breathing or lethargy, it's important to contact a healthcare professional for guidance.
We have linked our sick baby must-haves here, as well as our family wellness recommendations here (commissionable links).
For more tips, explore our other blogs or follow us on Instagram at @choosejoynursing.
