How to Keep Your Baby Healthy

As a new parent, it is normal to worry about newborn safety and how to keep a newborn healthy. Parenting is a huge responsibility, after all. The pediatric specialists at UPMC Magee-Womens are your trusted partners, and we will do all we can to keep your baby safe and healthy. 

Whether you need information about safe sleep for infants or how to comfort your newborn, your doctor is just a phone call away. We can answer any questions about newborn care during your baby's first weeks of life.

How Do I Make Sure My Newborn Is Healthy?

Regular well-child visits are essential for newborn care. These check-ups help your baby stay healthy and ensure their growth and development are on track.  

Your first wellness exam happens when your baby is about five days old. During these check-ups, your pediatrician will:

• Ask about your baby's eating and sleeping habits.
• Discuss how you interact with your baby, your home environment, and ways to keep your baby safe.
• Do a physical exam that includes checking the baby's temperature and listening to their heart and lungs.
• Measure your baby's weight, length, and head circumference. Your doctor will track your baby's growth on a chart to monitor it over time.
• Observe your newborn's vision, hearing, and reflexes.
• Screen your baby for developmental milestones as they get older. In the early weeks and months, these include making sounds other than crying, holding their head up when on their stomach, and smiling when you smile at them. 
• Talk about what to expect before your next appointment.
• Vaccinate your baby as needed to protect them from harmful illnesses and infections.

Newborn Safety at Home

These guidelines and tips are vital for your baby's health and safety while at home or in the care of others. Discuss these with grandparents, older siblings, babysitters, and anyone who may care for your baby.

Safe sleep for babies

Each year, there are about 3,400 sudden unexplained infant deaths (SUID) in the US. These often happen during sleep, so safe sleep for infants is an essential part of newborn care. 

Your newborn can sleep in your room but should not sleep in bed with you. Room sharing allows you to keep a close eye on the baby at night. However, letting your infant sleep in bed with you could cause suffocation or other harm.

Always place your baby on their back (not their side or stomach) for sleep to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

The safest place for your baby to sleep is in an empty:

• Bassinet
• Crib
• Play yard

Make sure your infant's mattress is firm, and keep their sleep space free from objects, such as pillows, comforters, crib bumpers, or stuffed toys. These may block your baby's nose or mouth during their sleep. Also, remove any nearby electrical wires or window shade cords that may get wrapped around your baby.

Newborns can become overheated, which is dangerous during sleep. Don't overdress them; keep the thermostat between 68 and 72 degrees.

Nutrition and feeding 

Newborns eat eight to 12 times in 24 hours, as often as every two to three hours.

When a baby is hungry, they will: 

• Open their mouth.
• Put a hand in their mouth.
• Smack their lips.
• Turn their head from side to side.
• Nuzzle into or peck at your chest.

Try to feed your baby when they give you these cues. Don't wait for them to cry because crying is a late sign of hunger. Newborns will stop eating or fall asleep when full; don't try to force-feed them.

Breast milk or infant formula provides the nutrients their bodies and brains need to grow and develop. Breast milk also contains antibodies and other compounds that may help support your baby's immune system.

A small percentage of infants have a sensitivity to regular formula and may need special formula.

Symptoms of sensitivities include:

• Blood or mucus in their bowel movements.
• Colic, which is when a baby is extra fussy or cries constantly.
• Diarrhea.
• Weight loss or no weight gain.
• Vomiting.

Call your pediatrician if your baby has these symptoms. They may advise trying a different type of formula. 

Other animal or plant milk cannot replace formula or breast milk. Don't give your baby these kinds of milk as their main source of nutrients before 12 months. Also, most babies are not ready for solid food until six months.  

Car seat safety

Car seats protect your baby in a car crash. All infants and children must ride in a car seat that complies with Federal Vehicle Safety Standard 213. If you buy a used car seat, look for this information on the car seat itself. 

Your baby must ride in a rear-facing car seat for as long as possible — until at least two years old. Read your car seat manual to ensure you're installing the seat correctly. Your local police departments can check to make sure your seat is installed safely.

Bath safety

Bathtime is enjoyable for you and your baby, but always follow these safety tips:

• Keep the room warm so your baby doesn't get chilled when wet.
• Use an infant tub instead of a sink with faucets or handles sticking out. 
• Don't use a bath seat in a full-sized tub because it may tip over, and your baby can drown.
• Always check the water temperature using your forearm (not your hand) to ensure it isn't too hot. 
• Never leave your baby unattended at bath time.
• Don't put baby in the tub with the water running — it could turn too hot or too cold.
• Only bathe your baby two to three times a week and use a gentle baby soap or shampoo.
• Dry your baby well and wrap a towel around their body and head to keep them warm.

Other safety tips

Babies can get into dangerous situations in an instant.

Follow these precautions:

• Do not hold your baby while carrying something hot or while cooking. Hot food or liquid can splash onto their skin, and hot pans can burn them
• Do not smoke around your baby. Smoke harms the baby's developing lungs, and hot ashes can cause burns. Secondhand smoke also increases the risk of SIDS.
• Keep your baby away from heat-producing devices like space heaters, radiators, and fireplaces. 
• Keep plastic bags out of reach, as they can lead to suffocation.
• Never leave your baby alone on a bed, table, or other elevated surface, even when they are sleeping. Falls can cause serious injury to your baby.
• Place small foods and objects out of reach because your baby may swallow and choke on them.
• Protect your baby from sunburn and excessive heat by keeping them in the shade when outside on warm days.

It is always wise to keep your doctor's contact information in your phone or close by in case of emergencies. You can call our offices anytime. If your baby has a serious accident or you are unsure what to do, call 911.

How Can I Comfort My Baby?

Crying is how newborns tell you they need something. Your baby may need a diaper change or to eat. It is important to respond promptly to your baby's crying during the first few months. You will not spoil your baby by giving them too much attention. 

A warm, dry, well-rested baby with a full belly will usually be content.

However, if your baby continues to cry, try these strategies to soothe them:

• Rock and sway them in your arms or a swing.
• Sing to them.
• Swaddle them.
• Talk to them quietly.
• Take a car or stroller ride.
• Massage their belly to release gas.

Safe swaddling

Swaddling, or securely wrapping your baby in a blanket, is comforting to newborns. When you swaddle your baby, make sure the baby's legs can bend up and out at the hips. Wrapping your baby tightly with their legs straight can cause problems with hip joint development.

Stop swaddling at eight weeks, when your baby could start rolling over. If they roll over and can't use their arms to roll back, it could impact their ability to breathe. Try an arms-out swaddle if they still enjoy being wrapped or a wearable blanket to keep them warm and cozy.

How Do I Keep My Newborn Healthy?

A newborn's immune system has not yet fully developed, and they have not had their vaccines. Therefore, they are very susceptible to viruses and other infections, some of which are dangerous when the baby is very young. 

The best way to keep your baby healthy is with these preventive care tips: 

• Attend all wellness exams and have your newborn vaccinated on schedule. 
• Avoid exposing your infant to people who are sick. 
• Have visitors wear a mask, and don't let them kiss your newborn on the cheeks or face.
• Ensure all household members and visitors are up to date on their vaccines, especially whooping cough, the flu, and COVID-19.
• Wash your hands frequently, especially before feeding or after changing your baby's diaper. 

What are the three most common illnesses in newborns?

Newborns are most likely to get mild illnesses, including:

• Colds or upper respiratory infections — These cause congestion, a stuffy or runny nose, or a cough. While not usually serious, you should call the doctor if your baby has trouble breathing or develops a fever of 100.4ºF or higher. Do not give an infant aspirin or cough medicine.
• Stomach viruses — Gastrointestinal viruses cause vomiting, diarrhea, or both. These may cause dehydration if severe. Ask your doctor if your baby needs an oral rehydration drink.
• Conjunctivitis (pink eye) — This causes redness in your baby's eyes and red, puffy, tender eyelids. It often happens from a blocked tear duct, but viruses can also cause conjunctivitis. Call your doctor if it happens shortly after birth because it can be serious in newborns.

Checking for fevers

It is essential to have a baby thermometer for your baby's nursery. When you call your doctor, one of the first questions they will ask is whether your baby has a temperature.

You can take the baby's temperature under their arm (axillary) or use an ear thermometer. The gold standard in very young babies, though, is a rectal thermometer. Get one with a soft tip specifically for use in the rectum.

What vaccines will my newborn need?

Vaccines protect your baby from more serious health problems. Infants should receive the following vaccines during their first year. Your doctor will tell you when to get each one.

• COVID-19 and flu — Babies can get very sick or even die from these viruses.
• DTaP — This protects them from diphtheria, tetanus, and whooping cough.
• Hepatitis B — Newborns get their first dose at birth, but they need two more to protect them from this virus that can cause liver damage or death.
• Hib — This protects your baby from Haemophilus influenzae type b bacteria, which causes many infections, including bacterial meningitis.
• Pneumococcal — This vaccine prevents infections that cause pneumonia.
• Polio — This vaccine protects against the polio virus, which can cause paralysis.
• Rotavirus — This vaccine protects them from stomach flu.

When Should I Call My Newborn's Doctor?

Call your pediatrician if you're worried about something or have a question. Most common problems or questions about newborn care and safety have simple answers.

However, these symptoms require medical attention and a call to your pediatrician:

• Congestion, cough, runny eyes or nose.
• Crying excessively with no known cause.
• Difficulty breathing.
• Drastic behavior changes include increased irritability, extreme sleepiness, or floppy arms and legs.
• Eating poorly or refusing to eat.
• Frequent or successive bowel movements with excess fluid, mucus, or a foul odor.
• Listlessness.
• No bowel movement for 48 hours or less than six wet diapers a day.
• No urination six to eight hours after circumcision.
• Pale skin.
• Redness, drainage, or foul odor from the umbilical cord.
• Repeated vomiting or several refused feedings in a row.
• A temperature of 100.4°F or higher.
• An unusual or severe rash (other than prickly heat).
• Yellow skin or eyes.

If your baby has blue lips or skin, dial 911 immediately.

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Last reviewed by a UPMC medical professional on 2024-09-05.