Welcoming a new baby into the world is a delightful time. This new package of wonder has entered into your life and is relying on you to help keep it safe and healthy. There’s many aspects to baby health that a lot of people might forget about. Baby health is about keeping the baby free from illness while promoting an environment that allows it to grow and develop. 

Baby health can extend to before birth. Prenatal baby health allows a mother to do everything they can for their coming baby. From there, the process extends into infant health. This can be a tricky time. It may be hard to spot symptoms of conditions. In addition, it’s a time when vaccinations need to begin to ensure that many of the worst diseases in the world can’t affect a baby. If you’re interested in things you can do to promote health in your baby, keep reading this article! 

Preparing for a Healthy Baby

Many women can use their pregnancy as a way to start their baby on the right path upon birth. There are many things that can be done to ensure that their baby is born healthy and free from birth defects. 

The core to prenatal advantages is the diet eaten by the pregnant mother. Many women suffer from morning sickness and try to avoid breakfast. However, eating breakfast is very important and features several prominent nutrients. High fiber diets and healthy snacks are important. By now, most of the foods to avoid are well known. Items like sushi, soft cheeses and some lunch meats. Alcohol should be avoided at all costs, and caffeine should ideally be eliminated. If that’s not possible, reducing it can help. 

Another aspect is prenatal vitamins. These vitamins should contain two main ingredients. Folic acid is the first and it can help with birth defects. The second item is Iron. Pregnant women often deal with anemia due to their pregnancy. Additional iron can help prevent or reduce this. 

Baby Health and Safety

The first thing that’s often overlooked when it comes to infant health, is the health of the parent. Parents need to ensure they are also healthy, so that they can be at their best with their children. Don’t be a martyr. Look after yourself! There are many things that can be done to help encourage health and avoid potential dangers. Some of these include: 

• Babies should always sleep on their back to help avoid SIDS. 
• Secondhand smoke can have a great effect on a young developing child. Don’t allow any smoking in the home and try to avoid taking your baby to areas where smoking is taking place. 
• Choking can be a serious problem. Make sure any food given is cut up into very small bites. Watch out for choking hazards as well. 
• Avoid carrying hot items around the child. Items like coffee or soup could easily spill and potentially burn the child. 
• Rear facing car seats in the back seat of a car is by far the safest for an infant. Follow guidelines for when to switch to front facing seats. 
• Ensure your child is vaccinated! Propaganda can be compelling, but vaccines prevent the entire public from being vulnerable to incredibly dangerous diseases. 

Common Baby Illnesses

As many parents will tell you, children get sick a lot! Their immune systems are developing and they are developing resistances and antibodies to many ailments as they grow. A baby can be particularly susceptible to illnesses, especially before vaccinations. Some common baby illnesses that can occur include: 

• Colds - These can happen several times per year. 
• RSV - RSV is a respiratory virus that affects the lungs. Symptoms are usually minor and come across as a cold, but sometimes, it can be the signs of something more sinister lurking beneath the surface. 
• Roseola - This common condition usually has fairly minor symptoms, but sometimes a fever can be long lasting. 
• Hand-Foot-Mouth Disease - This long named condition is very contagious and is easily recognized by some painful sores in the mouth. Sometimes blisters can occur on the hands or feet (thus the name). 
• Pinkeye - Also known as conjunctivitis, this causes an eye (or both) to become red with blurred vision and yellowish discharge. 

When it comes to a baby and potential illness it’s always better to play things safely. When in doubt, get medical attention. The worst case scenario if it’s nothing is that perhaps your pediatrician gets a little bit annoyed with you. Obviously, that’s far better than not going and missing a serious condition developing.