Handling a Newborn
If you haven't spent a lot of time around newborns, their fragility may be intimidating. Here are a few basics to remember:
If you haven't spent a lot of time around newborns, their fragility may be intimidating. Here are a few basics to remember:
- Be careful to support your baby's head and neck. Cradle the head when carrying your baby and support the head when carrying the baby upright or when you lay him or her down.
- Be careful not to shake your newborn, whether in play or in frustration. Shaking that is vigorous can cause bleeding in the brain and even death. If you need to wake your infant, don't do it by shaking — instead, tickle your baby's feet or blow gently on a cheek.
- Shaken baby/shaken impact syndrome (SBS) is a form of inflicted head trauma. Head injury, as a form of child abuse, can be caused by direct blows to the head, dropping or throwing the child, or shaking the child. Head trauma is the leading cause of death in child abuse cases in the United States.
- Make sure your baby is securely fastened into the carrier, stroller, or car seat. Limit any activity that would be too rough or bouncy.
- Even though babies are small and seem uncomplicated, there's nothing small or simple about their accessories! Choosing products for your baby can be confusing, especially with all the new gadgets and features available. But there is one overriding consideration that must never be compromised when picking out your baby's products, whether you're buying, borrowing, or accepting a hand-me-down: your baby's safety.
- Remember that your newborn is not ready for rough play, such as being jiggled on the knee or thrown in the air.