Babies and young children are more susceptible to infections than adults because their immune systems are not yet fully developed. Help protect your child by:
Getting immunizations on time—Diseases such as polio, diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough are serious and sometimes fatal.
Breastfeeding—Breast milk provides important antibodies that can protect your baby while their own immune system develops.
Practicing good personal and home hygiene—Keeping germs in check helps prevent the transfer of infections to your baby.
Did You Know
Prolonged use of a pacifier can distort teeth and delay speech development. If your baby doesn't need one, don't start the habit.
Did You Know
Outdoor sandpits can become contaminated if left uncovered. Protect your children by:
Keeping sandpits covered when not in use.
Using only clean, white play sand. Builder's sand can leave stains.
Did You Know
Pets may feel a little jealous of a new baby. Introduce your pet carefully to your baby and try to give them some special attention. If necessary, ask friends or family to help with pet care while you're adjusting to life with your new baby.
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A new baby in the house means you need to be more careful with personal and home hygiene. With their still-developing immune systems, babies are more likely to get an infection and more likely to become seriously ill as a result. The only protection a newborn baby has from infection is some short-lived immunity passed from mother to baby in the womb and, assuming the baby is breastfed, some important immune factors provided by breast milk.
Mum is at risk, too. New mothers also can be more vulnerable to illness because the trauma and stress of pregnancy and delivery has taken a toll on their bodies. Taking extra care with hygiene benefits mum, as well.
Wash Those Hands!
Good hand washing is one of the most effective ways to reduce the risk of infections—and even more important with a new baby around. Here are 10 situations where thorough hand washing is required:
Before handling or eating food
Immediately after handling high-risk raw food (e.g., chicken, meat)
After using the toilet or changing nappies
After contact with blood or body fluids (e.e. faeces, vomit, nasal secretions, saliva)
Before making up a feed or bottle
Before removing items from a steriliser
Before and after giving first aid or medication
After touching a contaminated area (e.g., rubbish bin, cleaning cloth)
After handling pets, pet cages, feeding utensils and other pet items (litter trays)
Whenever hands look dirty
Baby's Tender Skin Key Fact: Children can drown in less than an inch of water. Never leave your baby alone in the bath.
Your baby's skin is very delicate and can easily become damaged and sore. You can help prevent this by keeping their skin clean and dry. Each day, wash their face, neck, hands, and finally their bottom carefully—using a separate piece of cotton wool for each area, a bowl of warm water and a clean towel. Make sure you have a clean nappy and, if necessary, a change of clothes ready. You should bath your baby at least two or three times a week using mild soap and warm water. A baby wash or wipe can also be used, providing they do not cause irritation.
A few more tips on caring for baby's new skin:
Soap can irritate baby's tender skin so rinse it away completely.
Use barrier creams only if necessary. Some babies are sensitive to them and they can clog nappies, increasing the risk of rashes.
Allow your baby to lie on a clean towel on the floor, with their nappy off. Fresh air is good for the skin.
Do not use fragranced wipes, strong soap, detergent, or baby wipes containing alcohol—they can cause irritation and rashes, especially on sensitive skin.
Use baby powder sparingly—it can cause breathing problems.
Keep your baby's umbilical cord stump clean and dry until it dries up and falls off naturally.
Don't forget baby's teeth and gums. Gently clean them twice daily and register your baby with a dentist.
Nappy Know-How
Change your baby's nappy as soon as it is wet or soiled, to prevent redness and soreness. Nappy changing is an ideal environment for germs to spread to your baby, yourself and your home so take extra care while doing it.
For good hygiene, always be sure that your waterproof changing mat is not dirty, torn or broken. Protect the mat with paper towels, which should be thrown away afterward.
If you are changing baby on a raised surface, keep one hand on them to prevent a fall.
Never change a nappy on a food preparation or eating area.
After removing the soiled nappy, clean the baby's entire nappy area from front to back helps avoid infection. Rinse off any soap thoroughly and pat skin dry.
If you are using disposable nappies ...
Roll up used disposable nappy and reseal it with the tabs to keep soiled matter inside. Put the nappy in a plastic bag (nappy sack) and then in a bin lined with a second plastic liner.
If you are using re-usable nappies ...
Empty the contents of re-usable nappy into the toilet (never into a sink). You can flush disposable liners, but never attempt to flush nappies down the toilet.
Place re-usable nappy in a nappy bucket with an appropriate disinfectant. When finished, flush the used disinfectant down the toilet (not into a sink).
Launder disinfected re-usable nappies and any other soiled clothing on a hot wash (at least 60°C).
Key Fact: If your baby has been immunised against polio, they will pass the vaccine in their faeces for up to six weeks afterwards. Take extra care with hand washing and nappy disposal during this time.
Clean all surfaces that may have become contaminated during nappy changing with a detergent solution followed by a disinfectant. Make sure you leave the surfaces dry. Wash your hands thoroughly after changing and disposing of nappies.
Any equipment that goes into your baby's mouth—feeding utensils, bottles and teats, teething aids and pacifiers (dummies), as well as items that are used to collect or store breast milk—must be thoroughly cleaned and decontaminated between uses to protect your baby from infections. Follow the 3-step process below:
1. Cleaning Bottles and Other Equipment
Wash your hands thoroughly before handling bottles and other feeding equipment.
Make sure your bottlebrush is clean and does not contain any debris. If it is not clean, wash it with warm soapy water and place it in the steriliser.
Take bottles and other equipment apart so that the lid, teat and bottle are separated and easy to clean.
With a clean bottlebrush and hot soapy water, thoroughly clean the bottles and other items. Get rid of every trace of milk by squirting water through the teats.
Rinse all items, including the bottlebrush, under clean water. You are now ready to sterilise your equipment.
2. Sterilising Key Fact: Do not try to clean teething rings or dummies by putting them in your mouth. This does not clean them; it just spreads germs.
There are four ways to sterilise your baby's bottles and equipment: a steam steriliser, a cold-water solution, boiling, or a microwave steam unit. Be sure to follow the manufacturer's instructions exactly—and wash your hands first!
Steam steriliser—Only add the amount of equipment stated in the guidelines. Overloading could prevent sterilisation.
Cold-water solution—Use cooled boiled water and follow the instructions exactly to prepare the solution. Immerse all your clean equipment into the solution and make sure you leave it there for the appropriate time.
Boiling—Place all the cleaned equipment into a large pan with a lid (only use this pan for sterilising this equipment). Check that there is no air trapped in the items and then boil them for 10 minutes (teats only need three minutes). Start timing as the water begins to boil.
Microwave—You must use a microwave steam unit and follow the microwaving times precisely.
Use cooled boiled water to rinse off any solution—not tap water, which will recontaminate your equipment. Check equipment carefully before each use, and discard any worn or damaged items. Boiled teats need replacing regularly.
3. Final Preparation and Use
Wash your hands before feeding baby or handling sterilised equipment.
When mixing formula milk, always put the cooled boiled water in the bottle first and then add the exact amount of powder specified by the manufacturer.
Store empty sterilised bottles at the top of your fridge. You can store breast milk and formula milk in the fridge, but you must discard it after 24 hours.
You can warm prepared bottles to room temperature using either a jug with warm water or a bottle warmer, However, many babies drink cold milk.
If there is milk left in the bottle after a feed, do not save it. Throw it away.
You spent a lot of time creating the perfect nursery and picking out just the right pram and toys. It's just as important for your baby's health to keep those items hygienically clean.
Nursery Equipment Key Fact: Some types of disinfectants kill all types of germs, whilst others kill only bacteria. Make sure you choose a suitable product.
Nursery equipment—cots, mattresses, prams and other items—should be cleaned and maintained according to the manufacturer's instructions. When purchasing new equipment, make sure that your selection complies with safety standards and can be easily cleaned. You will need to be able to remove any spills of body fluids immediately and to clean and disinfect the surfaces and equipment following the manufacturers' instructions.
Nappy Changing Mats
It is not necessary to buy a nappy changing station. The best place to change a nappy is on a waterproof changing mat (or a clean towel) on the floor. You can protect the mat with paper towels, which should be discarded after each use. If you don't use paper towels, you will need to clean and disinfect the changing mat after each use by wiping it with hot water and detergent, then using a disinfectant wipe or cleanser. Changing mats that are dirty, torn or broken can harbour germs and should be discarded.
Potties
Potties should be stored clean and dry. After each use, empty the contents of the potty into the toilet and then clean and disinfect it. Make sure you and your child wash your hands after touching the dirty potty. If possible, place the potty for your child to use on a hard surface where spills will be easier to clean away.
Key Fact: Although germs cannot grow on dry surfaces, some germs can survive on toys long enough to create a risk of infection. Clean toys regularly.
Germs can find their way onto toys from unwashed hands, spills of body fluids, or by children putting their mouths to them. Ideally, you should decontaminate toys before re-use if they are soiled with body fluids or if a child with a transmissable infection has used them.
Ensure that the toys you buy are safe and can be cleaned. Check the manufacturer's instructions.
Check toys regularly for rough edges and breaks and throw away any damaged toys.
Dirty hard toys can be washed in hot water and detergent, then thoroughly rinsed and dried. Hard toys that you cannot easily wash should be decontaminated using a suitable disinfectant, rinsed thoroughly with clean water and dried.
Hard toys that are contaminated with body fluids or after use by a child with a transmissible infection should also be cleaned and then disinfected as described above.
Soft toys (e.g. teddy bears) can usually be laundered in the washing machine. Make sure you follow the manufacturer's instructions. If you can't wash it, throw it away.
Soft toys that are contaminated with body fluids or have been used by a child with an infection need to be discarded if they cannot be washed at a high enough temperature to kill the germs (at least 60°C).
Remove any spills of body fluids immediately and clean and disinfect any contaminated surfaces or equipment.
Don't allow pets to share your children's toys or to foul play areas or sandpits.
Taking extra care with hygiene does not imply that you have to spend lots more time cleaning your home. It just means paying a bit more attention to some particular hygiene procedures where and when there is a risk of germs spreading and causing infections.
Try to establish a regular routine for cleaning your home, including the nursery and your baby's equipment.
Make sure other members of your household and visitors are aware of good hygiene practices, especially if they are helping to care for your baby.
Always follow instructions for using cleaning products and equipment carefully.
Keep all cleaning products and chemicals safely away from children.
Ask your Health Visitor, Practice Nurse or GP for advice if necessary.
Make sure you have contact numbers available for your doctor and know how to get to the nearest Accident and Emergency Department.
Floors, Furniture and Other Surfaces Key Fact: Bacteria can grow and divide every 20 minutes. One single bacteria cell can become more than 8 million cells in less than 24 hours.
Once babies start crawling, their risk of picking up germs from the floor increases. When you have a baby, it makes sense to be more careful about keeping your floors and other surfaces clean and disinfected.
Before allowing your baby to play on the floor, check that the floor and surrounding area are safe for your child. Remove any small loose objects that your baby could choke on or any other hazards (trailing flexes, sharp items). Then check that the floor has been recently vacuumed or washed and disinfected. You may prefer to cover the floor with a play-mat that you can launder after use or whenever dirty.
Clean and disinfect hard floors regularly if your baby is going to crawl on them, and especially if you have pets.
If you use a mop and bucket, wash them thoroughly after each use, then rinse them with a disinfectant to ensure they do not harbour germs. Store the mop head upwards.
Use disposable paper towels to clean up spills of body fluids, then clean and disinfect the surface.
Always wash your hands after cleaning.
Ensure your disinfectant and cleaning products are stored safely.
Never use bleach products on carpets, wooden surfaces or in confined, unventilated areas. Check the instructions if in doubt.
Key Fact: Getting your pets immunised and treated for fleas, ticks and intestinal worms can reduce the risk of infection to your family.
Although pets can pose some additional infection risks in the home, you do not need to give up your beloved pets when you have a baby. You just need to take extra care with hygiene.
Teach children to wash their hands after touching animals.
Do not let pets foul play areas.
Wash your hands after touching animals or associated equipment.
An extra safety tip: Do not leave your baby alone with a pet such as a dog—no matter how trustworthy you think the animal is.
For Further Information
See "My Family and Germs—Animals in the Home" for more advice on pets and hygiene. You can also find lots of useful animal care advice (including teaching resources) at the RSPCA website at www.rspca.org.uk.
©2008 Reckitt Benckiser. All rights reserved.