Babies are susceptible to various health problems during the first year of their birth especially if they are premature. Therefore, a baby’s health is the principal worry on his\her parent’s minds. Here is a guide to take care of your baby’s health.

Immunization

Apart from taking care of baby’s nutritional intake it is also important to get your baby vaccinated against various diseases like Diphtheria, Polio, Tetanus, Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Hepatitis A etc. Some vaccines may cause side effects like redness in injected area, swelling, mild fever and soreness that last for a short-time. If these persist for a longer time then consult your doctor.

Clean Air

Passive smoking can cause serious health risks for a baby. If there is a smoker in the house ask him\her to step out of the house to smoke. Avoid spraying insect-repellents or cleaning sprays when your baby is in the room.

Ear protection

Baby’s ears are extremely delicate and can get damaged by loud noises like someone yelling in her ear, barking of a dog, blasting music etc. Try to keep your baby protected from such noises.

Protection against sunburn

Baby’s skin is very sensitive to sun and can get damaged easily. Whenever you take your baby outdoors make sure to dress him\her in long-sleeved t-shirt, cover baby’s pram with a canopy and use a sun protection lotion. If your baby gets sun burns bathe him\her in cool water and consult your doctor. Make sure he\she drinks lots of fluids and stays hydrated.

Bowel Movements

For the initial 6-8 weeks babies have several bowel movements in a day, and then as digestion improves the frequency reduces. The bowel habits will change if you move from breast-feeding to formula to feeding solids. Once baby outgrows the newborn stage she may not normally pass stool for 3-4 days. You need to be concerned if there is no bowel movement for a week.

Signs of Severe Illness

Apart from common health issues like cold and cough, diarrhea, constipation and ear infections there are certain problems that may require urgent medical attention.

If one or more of these signs like decreased movement or lethargy, breathing difficulty, poor urine output, green colored vomits, convulsion\fit, lump in the groin area, rash on the legs and high fever (over 100.4 degree Celsius) are visible then contact your doctor immediately.