Tips to Help Parents to Enjoy Summer With Their Baby

It’s wonderful to be able to enjoy the great outdoors in the summer with your baby once you are home from the hospital.
By: Saint Barnabas Medical Center
 
June 17, 2010 - PRLog -- Livingston, N.J. -- The following are tips for having a safe summer with your baby provided by the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Saint Barnabas Medical Center.

Don’t overdress your baby.  Dress him in what you’d be comfortable in, you don’t want him to get overheated.  If you’re worried about him getting cool, carry a blanket with you.

It is usually not recommended you use sunscreen on your baby until about 6 months of age, so check with your pediatrician before that first sunny day outside.

You may want to buy a shade for the stroller to protect baby from the sun.  The shades that come on the strollers don’t usually offer enough coverage.  A wide-brimmed hat can also help keep the sun off baby’s head and face.

Most pediatricians suggest you do NOT use insect repellent until your baby is 6 months old but check with them to be sure.

You can buy a bug net for over the stroller and pack and play.  You may also want to consider an inexpensive pedestal rotating fan for some air on the hot humid days and let it blow near (but not directly on) baby’s seat / stroller.  This can help keep baby cool and keep the bugs away at the same time!

Make sure baby’s room is cool enough at night but don’t let the air conditioner or fan blow directly on the baby.

It’s very important for mom and baby to be drinking enough fluids to stay hydrated.  Try to keep a bottle of water with you at all times.  

If you are carrying breast milk or formula in a cooler, don’t forget to put an ice pack in with it so it doesn’t spoil.

Try to keep your baby out of direct sunlight especially if he or she is on medications which direct you to be careful about direct sunlight.

During the height of the summer, try to avoid being outside with your baby between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. when the sun / temperature is hottest.

For 30 years, the Neonatal Intensive Car Unit (NICU) at Saint Barnabas Medical Center has been providing specialized care for New Jersey’s smallest and most ailing babies. When a premature infant enters the world at Saint Barnabas, he or she immediately receives medical care by an attending neonatologist in the delivery room and later in the NICU which is covered by a group of eight neonatologists at all times of the day or night. As a result, the survival rate of the smallest and sickest babies is high and the morbidity rate is low compared to national and international data. To learn more, call 973-322-5300 or visit saintbarnabas.com.
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Source:Saint Barnabas Medical Center
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Tags:New Baby, Preemie, Sun Safety, Bring Home Baby
Industry:Family, Health
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