Is It Really Essential for People to Wash Their Hands Before Holding a Newborn?

Undoubtedly in the first few weeks of life, your little one is very vulnerable and more susceptible to infections. Being a mother, your topmost priority is your baby’s well-being and safety. For that, you should not only stay extra cautious yourself but also ask your family members or guests to wash their hands before touching the baby.

Why is it Important to Wash Hands Before Holding a Newborn Baby?

A newborn baby’s immune system is immature and it cannot fight against illness and other infections. As per the experts, not only the baby’s immune system, but even the other organs of the body like lungs and brain are not fully developed. Cleanliness and sanitization of the baby’s room are thus very significant.

It is just not about washing the hands before touching the baby, it is equally important to ensure that the baby is not wearing the wet nappy for long. These little but hardcore tasks can surely give you sleepless nights, but there is nothing over and above your baby’s good health.

How Long Does It Take for a Newborn’s Immune System to Develop?

You can expect your newborn’s immune system to start getting stronger at around 3 months. In case, you had a premature baby, it may take longer than that. However, it doesn’t mean that you should stop following care instructions as soon as your baby turns more than 3-month-old. There are a lot of precautions you must take before holding your newborn baby, especially for the first three months of life. You may ease up a bit after that.

Points to Remember Before Holding a Newborn Baby

By now you know how important it is to keep your hands clean and your surroundings tidy. So now you can also keep these key points in the back of your mind and be sure to inform others before coming in contact with your delicate little one:

• Keep the sleeves rolled up (above the elbow).

• Always keep your nails short and tidy. Nails extension, long nails, and nail paint can carry more germs than you can ever imagine.

• Except for plain wedding bands, you must take off all the jewelry, rings, and watches.

• Always make sure that you are using paper towels after each handwash and dispose of them after every use.

• Never be in a hurry to wash your hands because your baby is completely dependent on you for bathing, feeding, playing, etc. So, try to wash your forearms as well.

• Do not touch the tap with your clean hands after handwash, always use a towel.

• Keep a hand sanitizer around and instruct your guests to use it before holding or playing with your baby.

• Always ensure that the other children, cousins, or siblings in the house are washing or sanitizing their hands properly before touching the baby.

How to Ask Guests to Wash Their Hands Before Holding Your Baby?

It is normal to be swarmed by relatives if you just had a baby. For the first 3 months of your baby’s life, it is essential for you to ask all visitors to wash or sanitize their hands before they hold, touch or play with your newborn baby. If visitors arriving at your home aren’t willing to wash their hands, then you can always offer them an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

Some guests may argue against washing their hands as they are not sick but you should stand your ground. This a gentle reminder that people can spread germs without any visible signs of illness.

Conclusion

Cleanliness around your newborn always keeps dust particles, pollen other bacteria away from your baby and they will never suffer from diseases like asthma, flu, allergies, or other infections.