Safety Tips for Newborns

Newborns are very fragile. They are new to this world and know nothing of how things work. Because they are so fragile, they need a lot of care; emotionally, physically, and mentally. There are many things that you can do to keep your newborn safe during those first precious moments.

• The doctors and nurses will recommend that you put your baby to sleep on their backs. While some people will disagree with this, it is important no matter how you put your newborn baby to sleep that there not be any overly soft things in the baby's bed. This can suffocate them if their faces get covered.


• Always support the newborn's neck while you are holding them. A newborn baby doesn't have any muscle control or know how to make their head stay upright. Because of this, a baby needs help supporting their head until their neck muscles are strong enough to support itself.


• Be sure that your newborn fits securely in the car seat. The car safety seat should be rear facing and the straps should sit securely across the baby. The hospital will not allow you to leave the hospital without a car safety seat for the baby.


• Never give your newborn small things to play with. This is a choking hazard for the baby. All toys that you give your baby should not contain small parts or be any smaller than their fist. This will keep the baby safe from sticking the toys in their mouth and choking on them.


• Never put your newborn baby to bed with a bottle. This is a choking hazard as well as a drowning hazard. It only takes a teaspoon of liquid to choke a fully-grown adult, so leaving the bottle in the area so that the baby can choke on it is not a good idea.