Raising a baby is pretty hard but with a little help from experts, we can help our babies thrive.
Today we look at some every day, seemingly-harmless things we do that might harm or even kill our babies.
1.Giving Your Baby Honey
Honey is a go-to remedy for many young parents because it is believed to abate the discomfort caused by teething. A bad idea according to Dr Blair Hammond a paediatrician from Mount Sinai Parenting Center.
This is because honey can be contaminated with Botulism spores which when swallowed can release a toxin. This toxin is very harmful to babies as it can lead to paralysis in extreme cases.
2.Giving Your Baby Water
The paediatrician warned against giving your baby water. The only thing they should consume in the first 6 months of their life is formula or breast milk.
“We say breast milk or formula only for newborn babies. Their kidneys are actually immature and giving water could mess up their electrolytes and be quite dangerous,” Dr Blair Hammond told Business Insider.
3.Ignoring Your Crying Child
In Kenya, we are often told not to look at a kid when they fall or are crying for fear that it may spoil the baby. Unfortunately, this may do more harm than good.
“People are often very worried about spoiling young infants….I say my job as a paediatrician is to help you fall in love with your baby. I want you to touch that baby. I want you to snuggle the baby. And the feeling a baby has of being upset and crying and stressed, and then when they calm with you, that actually teaches their brain to go from upset to calm, and that is a life skill,” Hammond said.
4.Being A Germaphobe
Echoing Omo’s favourite slogan, dirt is actually good for children as being exposed to dirt and allergens helps build the child’s immune system.
“The young immune system is strengthened by exposure to everyday germs so that it can learn, adapt, and regulate itself,” reads an excerpt from Web MD.
5.Letting Them Sleep On Their Back
When Kim Kardashian introduced son Psalm to the world, some hawk-eyed parents and doctors were concerned about the baby’s sleeping position because he lay on his back. This is because kids are more likely to die (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) if they sleep on her backs
6.Leaving Them Alone with Pets
While people often say that kids cannot be harmed by pets, pets can turn on your baby and bite them. According to 2014 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention more than 50,000 children aged six and under suffered an injury from a dog’s bite.