Exposure to the Elements
Newborn babies seem so fragile. They're so tiny, their skin so soft and their cry so desperate. It seems that every little thing has the potential to cause them harm. Your parental instincts tell you to keep your baby safe and protected from everything, even things that seem innocuous. In fact, doctors used to recommend that parents keep their newborn infants at home for three weeks after birth (not something you're likely to hear from you pediatrician these days). The following sections describe what level of vigilance is appropriate and what is going overboard.
Overprotection
Even though it is a good idea to try to keep your newborn from getting sick, it is unnecessary to quarantine her completely. Many traditional beliefs dictate that new parents keep from taking a new baby outside of the house at all. For new parents who are already overwhelmed with the responsibilities of taking care of a new infant, cutting off the outside world completely only adds to stress levels.
Why did people used to think it unwise to take a new baby outside? There are two possible reasons. First, an infant's skin is extremely prone to sun damage. A baby can get a sunburn in less than five minutes under direct sunlight, even in the weakened morning sun. However, there is no reason that you cannot bring the baby outside while protecting him from direct sunlight. You can safely put your newborn in a completely shaded stroller and enjoy a nice walk in the park. A simple activity like this can mean the world to an exhausted new parent.
Alert!
Even though a new baby is very sensitive to sunlight, you cannot apply sunscreen to her skin until she is six months old. Until that age, a baby's skin is sensitive to the active ingredient in sunscreen. Exposing a too-young infant to this chemical might make her skin to break out in an allergic rash.
The second reason behind the myth that babies should be kept indoors is fear that the baby might get sick. Unless it's a crowded place in the middle of the flu season, the outside air is not contaminated with germs. Contrary to what most people believe, most infections are not transmitted through the air. The vast majority of infections, including the common cold, are transferred from one person to the next by contact alone, a method of infection known as contact transmission. The best way to keep your baby healthy is simply to wash your hands.
Underprotection
There are some exceptions to the rule of contact transmission. Some serious infections are passed around by airborne particles. The flu is one of the most common infections that can be transmitted this way. Measles and chickenpox are also notorious for their ability to infect their victims without contact. It is still a good idea to avoid sick people when you are carrying your newborn around. If you know someone is sick, don't allow that person to come over and see the baby. Furthermore, it's a good idea to keep the number of people who handle the baby to a minimum. Ideally, no more than two people other than the parents should directly touch the baby. Strictly following this recommendation should drastically reduce the chance that the baby catches a bug in the first month.
Some people raise their babies without worrying too much about infection. Their reasoning is that they do not want their children to be too “delicate.” Instead, they want their children to be exposed to germs early on so they will not get sick later. This is another error in thinking. The newborn period is not the best time to build up the immune system in a child.
During the first few months, the immune system of an infant is significantly weaker than that of an adult. Consequently, doctors tend to become very concerned if a baby less than a month old gets a fever. If the baby has a rectal temperature of 100.4°F or more, he will most likely be sent to the hospital for a spinal tap so doctors can rule out an infection of the brain. Fever in children older than a year old is much less dire, and infection control is much less of an issue in these older children.
The Cold Air
A baby cannot get sick from pure exposure to cold air. It is unnecessary to bundle a baby up in many layers. In fact, this might cause the baby to overheat, which could be a serious issue. Instead of excessive bundling, you should dress the baby in the same number of layers that you dress yourself.
Similarly, air-conditioning on its own cannot cause a baby to come down with a cold. On a hot day, it is actually a good idea to keep the baby in a cool, air-conditioned room. The only potential harmful effect of air-conditioning is that it tends to recirculate the indoor air, thus making airborne infections more communicable.
