Germs on the Go: Baby Hygiene Tips for Cold and Flu Season from R for Rabbit
Winters are challenging weather for parents to manage since they have to maintain an ideal temperature inside the house, take care of appropriate clothing, and also combat regular cold and flu encounters that the baby suffers from. Indeed, keeping the baby healthy in the cold season is a real challenge that every parent has to face.
Thus, in order to keep such illnesses away, the best preventive measure is to maintain personal as well as environmental hygiene. This means keeping the house clean at all times so that tiny babies aren’t exposed to any germs, as well as regular sanitization of surfaces, hand washing, etc.
Today, we will discuss in detail tips for preventing baby illnesses in winter, which are common; yet, parents tend to neglect their importance in daily routine and, later on, regret the decision.
The most common cause of baby illness is contact with contaminated surfaces and infected people. Thus, it is necessary to stay vigilant and keep a check on the surroundings instead of panicking if the little one catches a cold or flu.
Essential Tips to Keep Baby Healthy During Cold Season Winter
Let us start with the tips and see how we can maintain baby hygiene in winter:
1. Hand Washing Tips
The best mantra to maintain personal hygiene is washing your own and baby’s hands regularly. It would help if you washed your hands properly and not in a jiffy since that would defeat the whole purpose. If you have a toddler at your home, teach such essential habits in the initial years so that they understand its importance.
However, we recommend parents supervise their tiny tots and see that they follow the process religiously each time. Here are some points that will help you make hand-washing fun:
- Whenever you or your kiddo wash your hands, make sure to scrub them for 20+ seconds since no matter how tall the soap company claims it is, it is essential to rub the fingers and palms together gently yet thoroughly for the best results.
- It may sound impractical in the winter season since everyone avoids going to the washroom and puts their hands under running water. But the truth is that regular washing is a requisite, especially before and after meals or playtime. When your child plays around the house, he usually picks things and then unknowingly puts the same hand in his mouth or eats some snacks. This is a clear invitation to infection, and thus, you should be particular about this aspect and also teach the munchkin.
- We understand it is winter, and therefore, cold water is such a pain, so to avoid this experience, you can keep the water heater on for some time and get a warm water supply for a few hours. This will ensure that the kid doesn’t experience abrupt temperature fluctuations even when using water.
- If you are out for some work or shopping with your kid, and hand washing isn’t possible, keep a small sanitizer bottle in your bag. This is an excellent way of keeping the germs away and maintaining baby hygiene in the cold flu season.
2. Disinfecting High-Touch Surfaces
With tiny babies, you have to be extra cautious during the winter season since your kid isn’t aware of clean and dirty surfaces and is so curious that he wants to grab onto everything around him with his tiny hands. To handle this situation, you need to disinfect the surfaces frequently, which are as follows:
- Baby gear: You may not realize, but the cribs, walkers, and strollers have germs and viruses on their surfaces, which need to be cleaned. The gear that you take outside for an outing or walk should be disinfected immediately once you are home.
- Baby stuff: You love to see the kiddo enjoying his toys or reading books, but also remember that such stuff also allows contact with germs and viruses. Also, you should keep a check on feeding supplies like bottles, pacifiers, and spoons. You must clean them regularly using appropriate cleaning agents.
- Stuff used by family members: Your little one may want to explore the surroundings and touch things that are not of his use, like mobile phones, knobs, and remotes. Family members and guests use such items, and there are high chances of germs present in them leading to infections in your children.
3. Bathing and Grooming
Some parents avoid bathing their children in winters since they believe that this would let the kid catch a cold. However, the fact is that if you bathe and groom your child every day, it works wonders.
So, maintaining discipline in hygiene helps in cold and flu prevention for babies and makes them feel fresh. Here are some crucial points that you should remember when bathing or grooming your child:
- Daily baths: You should use warm water and a baby-safe body wash for bathing your little one daily. Make sure you keep the baby covered before going in and after coming out of the washroom. This can be done by using a room heater to maintain the temperature and quick drying after the bathing routine. If you wash the head, you should use a hair dryer during winter as damp hair for long hours would lead to cold.
- Gently wash face, hands, and neck: During the bath, clean the neck, hands, and face properly and use a gentle soap or face wash that is organically formulated and chemical-free.
- Clean nails: Do not let your child’s nails overgrow since if he puts them in his mouth, he will fall sick no matter what precautions you take.
- Install a humidifier: During winter, consider installing a humidifier so that the air moisture levels are maintained.
Also Read: How to Care Newborn Baby in Winer?
4. Getting Fresh Air
We know those chilly winds leave your body shivering, but if you find the weather pleasant during the day with cozy sunlight, go ahead for a walk with your baby. You can use a stroller and spend some quality time with the apple of your eye.
Furthermore, if it is a sunny day, you can open the windows of your house, letting the fresh air in, and make your children feel positively energized. However, we recommend parents to avoid going to crowded places like malls or shopping complexes as there may be infected people, and your baby may easily catch a cold and flu.
5. Immunizations and Check-ups
As parents, you should be aware of the baby’s vaccine schedule and must never be late for it. Timely vaccination safeguards the baby against possible infections and also helps build strong immunity, enabling the little one to stay healthy and happy. If there is a doctor’s visit due, you must go ahead even if the baby is not ill.
This appointment is an opportunity for you to interact with the pediatrician and understand the best baby care routine. You are free to ask questions and discuss topics that you wish to know about. Also, the doctor would measure the baby’s body parts along with height and weight to ensure that he is right on the growth and development track.
Also Read: How to Protect Your Baby from Seasonal Coughs and Colds?
Key Takeaways
So, here are the most critical hygiene tips that every parent should know and practice to keep the munchkin healthy and happy. Maintaining and teaching the baby personal hygiene, along with keeping the surroundings clean, is the real mantra. It is simple and possible to achieve success and keep the baby safe from cold and flu attacks if you follow all the tips religiously and regularly.
If you are searching for the best quality baby care essentials like soap, body wash, shampoo, manicure set, etc., you should only trust a reputed brand that has expertise in this segment.
You must try R for Rabbit’s range of products and get excellent results like thousands of other mommies across India. Using good quality and child-safe products ensures that there are not any side effects in the long run, and you can enjoy this winter season with your family and child without any worries.
