As long as humans are still in existence, we will continue to produce babies to take after us and eventually stand-in when a particular generation goes extinct courtesy of death. Reproduction is as old as man and is undeniably part of man’s activities. A majority of individuals wish to have babies of their own, babies that will grow to become a blessing not only to their parents but to society and the world at large.
Be it as it may, babies are quite lovable owing to their harmless and appealing nature. Sometimes, people get carried away by the love they have for these little humans and do things they probably do not know may hurt them in the future or present and that is why in this article, I will devote my time to buttress some things that ought not to be done to babies, even those you do with the intention of expressing love or helping the baby.
Therefore, based on this, let us take a quick look at some activities that you should stop carrying out on both your baby and that of others immediately.
First, Kissing babies: as appealing and adorable as it may appear, kissing a baby is a very risky and unacceptable thing to do. This is so because in recent times kissing has become one of the fastest methods of spreading the Herpes Simplex Virus. The herpes simplex virus can be passed to a baby if a person has a cold sore and kisses a baby. For clarity, herpes is a sore that occasionally appears close to the mouth. Herpes occurs more when a person a struck by illnesses such as Malaria, Typhoid and so on, but those sicknesses aren’t the actual cost. What happens is that when a person gets infected with herpes, the virus goes into the nerves of the individual’s face and will only manifest when the person’s immune system drops, and as we all know when a person is sick, it is a clear indication that the immune system has deteriorated a bit.
So this is why many get confused and assume it is caused by Malaria. Coming to babies, when an adult infected with this kisses the baby and this virus finds its way into the body of the tender being, the baby has a chance of living with it throughout his or her lifetime, that is if they do not get killed by this. Yes, this could lead to the death of an infant owing to the fact that the body’s immune system is at a delegate stage and still trying to build up which makes the child vulnerable to diseases.
Infants especially during the first few weeks of their birth can be greatly affected by herpes, it could spread to vital organs of the body such as the eyes, brain and lungs which could be detrimental. Now, you have seen how a simple kiss; what you probably did out of love can lead to the death of an infant you love so dearly. Therefore, refrain from kissing or pecking babies, get a partner if you so much desire who to kiss, funny right?
Second, Forcing babies to eat at all costs: Yeah, I understand how frustrating and annoying it can be when your baby refuses to eat especially for hours, but forcing them to do so could lead to more adverse complications. The body system is designed in such a manner that when you are about to take in food or water, the trachea (windpipe) gets covered by the epiglottis (a small, movable “lid” just above the larynx that prevents food and drinks from entering your windpipe) to avoid complications.
And this is why it is advisable to avoid talking while eating to prevent a clash from occurring. So when your baby refuses to eat and you eventually resort to using force, it is expected that the child will agitate by crying and kicking. At that point of the physical altercation between you and the child, if the epiglottis fails to cover the windpipe and particles of food find their way inside the lungs, this could degenerate into a case of urgent attention and in some cases, the baby could eventually pass away.
When a child refuses to eat, the best way is to employ the use of baits, tricks and negotiations, yes, I said negotiations because no matter how little they are, you can still reach an agreement with your baby if you understand him or her very well or better still try varieties of food, probably the baby may not like what you are offering him or her, so try to change the baby’s diet.
Third; taking newborn babies into crowded places: I see a lot of parents still struck by the euphoria of childbirth, taking their newborn babies to crowded places thereby exposing them to a lot of people who may be battling with different health complications. As I mentioned earlier, the first few weeks or months after the birth of a child is one of the most crucial stages of the infant’s life. This is because the immune system hasn’t developed properly and the body is basically without protection. Taking your newborn babies to crowded places could be at your own detriment. If you must go out with him or her, simply take a walk, but make sure you avoid crowded arenas for the sake of the newborn.
In sum, these are some things you were probably doing out of love for your baby but never knew you were bargaining with death. Refrain from the above-mentioned activities, I strongly believe that if these points are strictly adhered to, the infant mortality rate will be reduced to an appreciable extent.
Don’t forget to drop your comments and questions in the comment section of this post.
