Baby Health

In order to have a healthy baby you need to keep a careful eye for certain signs and symtoms. In order to do this effectively, it’s vital that you look after your own health.

If you’re emotionally struggling or in pain after giving birth it is vital these problems are addressed, otherwise you will not be able to take care of your baby optimally. If you’re having any problems with your own mental of physical health, take care of them as soon as you can rather than putting it off.

The signs of illnesses you will be wanting to look out for in a newborn baby are things such as; Fever (high temperature), vomiting, lethargy, difficulty breathing, rashes, no appetite and long periods of uncontrollable crying.

There are precautions you can take to keep your baby healthy.

• Keep your baby away from smokers.
• Keep your baby away from sick people.
• If you are breastfeeding your baby, keep nursing them for the first year.
• Wash your hands everytime you change their nappy.
• Place your baby on their backs to prevent SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome).
• Immunise your baby.

Immunisations

Your baby should be offered immunisations at set points in their development.

• At 2 Months:

1. DTaP/IPV/Hib
   An injection to protect your baby against tetanus, diptheria, whooping cough (pertussis), Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) and Polio.
2. PCV (Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine)
   An injection to protect them against pneumococcal infection.

• At 3 Months:

1. DTaP/IPV/Hib
   An injection to protect your baby against tetanus, diptheria, whooping cough (pertussis), Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) and Polio.
2. MenC. An injection to protect your baby against meningitus C.

• At 4 months:

1. DTaP/IPV/Hib
   An injection to protect your baby against tetanus, diptheria, whooping cough (pertussis), Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) and Polio.
2. MenC. An injection to protect your baby against meningitus C.
3. PCV (Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine)
   An injection to protect them against pneumococcal infection.

• 12 Months

1. An injection to protect your baby against Meningitus C and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib).

• 13 Months

1. PCV (Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine)
   An injection to protect them against pneumococcal infection.
2. MMR – Measles, Mumps and Rubella.

Even if you do everything you can to prevent your baby from getting ill, chances are it’s going to happen at some point. Your baby’s immune system is just developing and therefore they’re a little bit more likely to catch coughs and colds than your average adult. This also means that if your baby is ill, their health is more likely to suddenly decline, which is why, if you sense there’s something not quite right about your baby you go to see the doctor. The good news is, however, that while babies get ill quickly, they also recover very quickly.