concerned mum asked 7 years ago
I love that everyone wants a cuddle but not if they’ve been sneezing or haven’t washed their hands. Am I being phobic or sensible?
Riverside Cares Staff answered 7 years ago
Hi Concerned mum,
Well the simple answer is that all visitors should be encouraged to wash or clean their hands. If the visitor has a cold then its even wiser to suggest that they do not visit until they are better for obvious reasons. Like everything in child rearing it is about keeping a balance. Having said that, babies are born with some protection (immunity) from birth given to them by their biological mother (breast fed babies get an extra top) so try not to worry.
Lets look at the scenario of a visitor who is not part of the immediate family group, do you have a reasonable concern about unknown germs? Again we are back to taking reasonable balanced precautions such as putting in place a hand washing/cleaning rule before handling the baby, putting this is place for everyone maintains good relations all round and doesn’t appear to point the finger about other peoples hygiene habits. You could keep a pack of baby wipes on hand and casually offer one before passing the baby over.
As babies get older and have had vaccinations and have built up more immunity you can relax and a little exposure to germs can actually be a good thing as this prepares your baby to become used to normal germs before they go to playgroups etc. Naturally from 3-6 months onwards they will regularly be out and about experiencing the world.
Do try not to worry too much, babies are tougher then they look and if you think about it, it is reassuring to think about how many babies are brought up in very large families with lots of people helping and still thrive.
Jill
Jill Wheatcroft is a Lecturer in Child Health and is co-founder and Director of Training at Riverside Cares. She can be contacted at info@riversidecares.co.uk http://www.riversidecares.co.uk