When your newborn arrives, they seem impossibly small. They are so incredibly helpless and reliant on you for every aspect of their survival, from temperature control to feeding, changing, and helping them get to sleep. After a little while, every new parent learns that babies are surprisingly robust – you can bend their arms and legs around to get them into a tiny sleepsuit and they are resilient when siblings or other children offer over-enthusiastic attention. Still, some parenting habits could harm your baby – here are five to avoid.
Mucky Baby Bottles
When you haven’t slept for what feels like six years, it can be tempting to skip the fiddly tasks like sterilizing your baby’s bottles and teats. After all, what’s the worst that can happen? If you don’t clean feeding equipment properly, your baby could end up with an infection, causing side effects like diarrhea and vomiting. Consider investing in a baby bottle cleaner to make thorough sterilization a speedy and straightforward experience.
Second-Hand Smoke
We all know the risks of smoking for adults – it increases your chances of lung cancer, coronary heart disease, and stroke. However, second-hand smoke is also extremely hazardous. Second-hand smoke comes from both the end of a cigarette or the exhalation of a smoker’s mouth. It increases the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome quite dramatically, whether the baby is exposed to smoking in vitro or after birth. Research has also linked it to impaired lung function, respiratory disease, and middle ear disease.
Leaving them on the Bed or Change Table Unattended
Tiny babies can’t roll or move about by themselves, so you may assume there isn’t much harm to leaving them on your bed or the changing table briefly while you go off to find something you need or do a quick job. It is easy to understand why parents get into this mindset, but it is dangerous all the same. Babies can’t roll until one day, out of the blue, they can. They may even manage to do it accidentally before they reach that stage of their development. The consequences of them falling from a height could be severe, so it is not worth taking the risk.
Cot or Crib Bumpers
Many baby bedding ranges and manchester stores still sell cot and crib bumpers; however, experts warn parents to steer clear. They may look cute and stop the baby from bumping their head, but they are a significant suffocation risk. Experts have also linked bumpers to SIDs. You should keep your bub’s bed clear of pillows, comforters, and soft toys as well. Bare cot sides with a fitted sheet are the safest option, with a sleeping bag or a blanket that has been firmly tucked in on both sides of the cot mattress to avoid it bunching or ending up over the baby’s face.
Unsecured Furniture
A toppling bookshelf, television, sideboard, or wardrobe can cause severe injury or death to young children. As babies develop into young toddlers and start exploring their surroundings, they will try to climb onto all sorts of things. Furniture is no exception. Potential injuries include broken bones, crushed chest cavities, brain injuries, and blunt force trauma. Nationwide Children’s Hospital reports that 14,700 children under 18 visit the emergency department annually to be treated after a piece of furniture falls on them.
As a parent, you never stop worrying about your children, but these are five dangers that you can avoid to keep your child safe and healthy.