Your Guide to Newborn Care
Family Readiness:
- Seek family support
- When feeling upset by the baby, put the baby down in a safe place like a crib. Never yell at, hit, or shake the baby.
- Take time for yourself.
- Include older siblings in the care of the baby to make them feel wanted and loved.
Infant Development:
- Talk and read to your baby.
- Provide physical contact to aid in attachment.
- Supervised tummy time.
Infant Safety
- Place the baby on his or her back to sleep on a flat firm mattress. No loose, soft bedding, toys, or other items in the crib.
- No co-sleeping. Assure crib slats are less than 60mm apart.
- Alternate the side of the head the baby lays on and allow belly time when the baby is awake and parents watching.
- Smoke-free environment. Including third-hand smoke.
- Never leave a baby unattended on a high surface.
- Water heater <120 degrees. Do not leave the baby alone in bath water.
- Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in home.
Car Seat Safety Recommendations
- All infants and toddlers should ride in a rear-facing car safety seat as long as possible, until they reach the highest weight or height allowed by the seat's manufacturer.
- All children who have outgrown the rear-facing weight or height limit for their car safety seat should use a forward-facing car safety seat with a harness for as long as possible, up to the highest weight or height allowed by the seat's manufacturer.
- All children whose weight or height is above the forward-facing limit for their car safety seat should use a belt-positioning booster seat until the vehicle lap and shoulder seat belt fits properly, typically when they have reached 4 feet 9 inches in height and are between 8 and 12 years of age.
- When children are old enough and large enough to use the vehicle seat belt alone, they should always use lap and shoulder seat belts for optimal protection.
- All children younger than 13 years should be restrained in the rear seats of vehicles for optimal protection.
Routine Baby Care:
- Fragrance-free soaps, lotions and detergents. No baby powder due to risk of inhalation.
- Keep out of direct sunlight. No sunscreen until 6 months of age.
- Change diapers frequently to prevent skin irritation.
- Clean the baby's mouth with soft cloth.
- Thermometer use, medical care for temp >100.4 degrees Fahrenheit. up to 3 month of life, if this temp is confirmed rectally ,then the baby should be evaluated immediately in our office or ER.
Nutrition:
- Encouraged breastfeeding.
- Hold the bottle to feed, no bottle propping.
- No bottle in bed.
- Breast milk or formula only, no other oral intake.
