From the minute you meet your newborn, you will want to keep him/her safe. It is advisable to go for an infant CPR and/or first aid course while you are still pregnant.
For more information, please contact training@er24.co.za or call Petru Jonker at the Training Department on 084 251 6035. If you are in the Western Cape, please call Safe2Grow on 082 772 9238 or email ray@safe-med.co.za
Consider sending your caregiver on a course as well if he/she is expected to look after the baby at home when you return to work. Ensure that you and your caregiver have the following emergency ambulance number on your phones: ER24: 084 124 (Emergency response service) Safety tips around babies If you use baby powder, turn slightly away from your baby and put some on your hands, then put some on the baby’s skin (to prevent baby from inhaling powder). Babies should not be left unattended around pets – no matter how well you know your pet, never leave the child alone with it.
Also, pets can snuggle up next to a very small baby and (potentially) smother them. Babies should not be left on high surfaces – no matter how young they are, it only takes one kick or roll for them to slip off. Parents need to have a healthy respect for drowning and water. A small baby is unlikely to drown unless left unattended in a bath, but the older they get, the more mobile and curious they become.
Any small amount of water is potentially dangerous. Do not leave babies unattended next to, in or near water, whether it be buckets or small ponds, holes in gardens that collect water, or any place where a shallow amount of water collects.
A bath’s water temperature should not be too hot or too cold. Hot bath water might result in burn injuries. Always run cold water in the bath, then add warm water. Set your geyser to a lower temperature. Toddlers often exhibit a tendency to climb into the bath when you are not watching, increasing the likelihood of burn injuries.
Do not walk around with hot things, such as coffee. You might trip and spill over baby. Spillages can also occur while breastfeeding and drinking something hot. Do not leave small babies unattended with other toddlers. Keep dangerous substances, chemicals, medication, cleaning agents, lotions, sprays, soaps etc. out of reach or locked away.
Watch your baby at all times, especially when visiting other people, such as grandparents. Oftentimes, items such as medication are left next to the bed or in the bathroom cupboards. Do not assume that a young infant who has just become mobile will not attempt to put everything in their mouth. Always ensure that such items are out of reach.
Garage doors, car doors and electric gates can cause serious injuries. Be aware of things that baby can pull down onto himself/herself. Keep away from adults that smoke. Do not leave your baby unattended in a pram in public places, as he/she can be snatched away. What does it mean to childproof a home?
• Plugs points must be covered
• Refrain from leaving cords lying around that can be pulled
• Cupboard handles must be tied, as a young child can easily empty the cupboards
• Keep babies away from the stove area, especially while cooking, as splashes and spillages can occur. Long tablecloths can be pulled down so that hot or dangerous liquids can spill over them
• Keep babies away from little toys that that can be swallowed or placed in the nose or ears
• Keep babies away from sharp objects
• Keep babies away from things they could bang and break, such as glass. Use plastic BPA-free (Bisphenol A-free) dishes instead
• If you wear earrings, exercise caution, as a baby could accidentally grab it and rip it off. Rather wear smaller studs.
• Be aware that babies will not hesitate to put anything in their mouths: this includes dirt, insects, and food from the floor
• Do not allow babies to eat food from strange people
• Keep babies away from paint, toxins and dangerous fumes. Lock such items away, and remove the baby from any place that may have them, or if you are doing alterations, etc.
• Swimming pool covers must be kept on and pulled tight at all times. Furthermore, gates around the pool must be locked. If you visit people with a pool, DO NOT leave baby unattended for a single moment. If you are going as a family, ensure that as parents you decide which parent will be watching over the small child. Never assume that someone else is watching them
• Watch for sharp cupboard or table corners. Buy safety covers for corners when babies start crawling or walking. Also fit safety clips on toilet seats
• A baby just learning different textures must not be given foods that he/she cannot chew, or bits might break off in his/her mouth. Always avoid the following: Nuts and marshmallows (can cause severe choking), foods they cannot chew such as hard sweets, fizzy cold drinks and fruits with pips (these can also cause choking). Baby biscuits are specially made to dissolve in the infant’s mouth and do not require chewing. As babies have a tendency to put all sorts of things in their mouths, ensure that the food you are feeding them will not break and result in choking
• Ensure steps and balconies are well secured with gates or obstacles that the infant cannot fall off or down
• Always be aware of where your baby/child is. If you are extremely tired, do not hesitate to ask for help and respite from a family member – sufficient rest often makes all the difference
Immunisation
The aim of immunisation is to prevent disease. It protects the community as well as individuals. Your paediatrician will inform you of the importance of these vaccines. Your child will be given the first immunisation before going home and will get a ‘Road to Health’ card. PLEASE KEEP IMMUNISATIONS UP TO DATE AS FAR AS POSSIBLE.
Failure to do so could place your child at risk of contracting a serious disease. Note that there are two different schedules for vaccinations in South Africa: private and public sector schedules. They both cover the same important vaccines and the private sector schedule has access to slightly more vaccines. It is very important that your child receives the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) immunisation. Measles is a dangerous disease with many potential complications, including death. Your baby can be fed immediately before and after immunisation.
Possible reactions Children rarely have a reaction after immunisation. They normally have a short cry and a long sleep and are fine by the next morning. Give them paracetamol as prescribed by your doctor if they are still miserable. There can be a measles-like reaction 7–10 days after the measles immunisation. The reaction is mild and will pass – it is not infectious.
Contraindications for immunisation If your baby is not well on the day of the vaccination, please inform your clinic nurse. They may decide to reschedule, but for the most part, there are very few reasons not to have vaccinations. Some children do have other illnesses, but will always be guided by their paediatrician concerning when not to have a vaccine. An upper respiratory tract infection is not a contraindication on its own.
Allow the doctor or nurse to decide whether to immunise. Vaccines Quotes ‘Vaccines don't cause autism. Vaccines, instead, prevent disease. Vaccines have wiped out a score of formerly deadly childhood diseases. Vaccine scepticism has helped to bring some of those diseases back from near extinction.’ Alex Pareene ‘Vaccines save lives; fear endangers them. It's a simple message parents need to keep hearing.’ Jeffrey Kluger