When the baby is born, there are so many contradictory advice that parents receive from relatives, friends and even strangers, that we can become confused to the point of losing confidence in our ability to care for them.
Basically, all you need to know is that your baby is a little human being who is completely dependent on you, both for care and emotionally. Taking this as a premise, everything else falls under its own weight and there are things that you should not do as a father, mother or caregiver. We summarize here 17 things you should never do with your baby.
1. Yelling at him, much less hitting him
Screaming is a form of violence and is not used to educate children. Imagine what your baby may feel when he sees that his attachment figure, his mother or father, has a violent attitude towards him. Even though they may not understand what you are saying, they will feel unprotected and scared.
You should never yell at a baby . If you feel overwhelmed or overwhelmed, don’t get carried away by anger. Breathe, reflect and understand that he is a helpless baby who is completely dependent on you. And of course, never ever hit him .
2. Shake it or throw it into the air
A baby is never shaken. Shaken baby syndrome, also known as shaken baby syndrome, is the group of brain injuries that occur when a baby is shaken vigorously. The brain moves back and forth and collides within the walls of the skull.
Who can shake a child? It is estimated that there are 20-25 cases per 100,000 children under two years of age, being more common in babies under six months. Most of the time it occurs due to losing the nerves before the impossibility of calming a desperate cry , which leads to shaking the child and can cause serious consequences such as brain damage, deafness or even death.
3. Let him cry
Years ago (and there are still those who support it) it was believed that letting the baby cry until he fell asleep from exhaustion was the best way to teach him to sleep. But it doesn’t work, and if it works and the baby stops crying, it causes unnecessary stress with negative consequences in the short and long term.
Crying is the only way for a baby to tell us that he needs us. And letting him cry, ignoring him, is ignoring his call for help. Just as we do not ignore someone who comes to speak to us, much less can we ignore the cry of a baby who cannot fend for himself. You can’t (and shouldn’t) ignore a baby’s cry.
The cry of a baby generates in whoever hears it a primary, unconscious reaction that instinctively prompts us to attend to him. Our brain says that helpless baby needs to be cared for.
4. Do not pick him up when he asks you to.
It is a big mistake to believe that babies “spoil” if you hold them. It is an ancient belief, without any foundation. Arms are a basic need of the baby, like eating or sleeping.
We have to understand that babies depend on us for everything, and excess love and attention will never hurt them . When the baby claims us, most of the time it is due to the need for physical contact, since the little one needs our warmth and our protection. Therefore, the first option is to take it in your arms.
5. Ignore it
Like what we talked about crying, even when the baby doesn’t cry, don’t ignore it .
There are babies who cry a lot, at the slightest complaint, and others who cry less, and not for that reason deserve less attention. If you ignore him, the baby will get used to being ignored in his basic needs and will feel that not even his parents, his protectors, are capable of taking care of him.
The baby needs to feel connected with their caregivers and stimulated through interaction with them for proper social development. Your baby is a social being . Talk to him, smile at him, react to his emotions and stimulate him according to his growth stage.
6. Disappear without saying goodbye
A mistake that many parents make with their babies is to leave without saying goodbye and disappear from their sight as if by magic, believing that they will avoid suffering separation anxiety.
Do not dissapear. Even if he still can’t understand you, give him a kiss and tell him that you’ll be back soon. For a baby or young child, noticing that you have disappeared generates confusion and anguish, because they do not understand when or why you have left, when you will return or even if you will return.
7. Do not breastfeed (or bottle) when asked
Breastfeeding should be given on demand, that is, without schedules (breastfeeding every three hours is a myth). The breast does not have schedules , because it is the baby himself who controls his hunger and satiety. Maybe it takes three minutes and in half an hour he is hungry again, and asks again.
Also, you have to know that the breast is not just food. That is, the baby not only asks to be breastfed because he is hungry ; many times you need to suck at the breast as a way of comfort, to relax, or to fall asleep.
Remember also that, for the same reason, the bottle is also given on demand.
8. Put him to sleep on his stomach
The safest way for your baby to sleep is on his back. There is scientific evidence that this practice reduces the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) by more than 50 percent in babies younger than six months.
If it is already more than 5-6 months and despite being placed on its back, the baby is placed only on its side or stomach while sleeping , it can be left to sleep in the position it prefers . If he still cannot roll over on his own, then it is preferable to change his position if we find him sleeping on his stomach.
There should be nothing in the crib apart from the baby due to the risk of suffocation: no stuffed animals, no pillows, no loose duvets or sheets, no cushions, no wedges, no anti-tip positioners …
9. Overcoat him
We have a habit of wrapping children up as if they were about to go into a freezer and they really don’t need to be wrapped up that much.
Overwrapping children, especially at bedtime, is associated with an increased risk of sudden death. In newborns, it is recommended that they wear one more layer than we adults. If they are older, approximately from one year onwards, it is enough that they wear the same coat as us.
10. Leave it alone in the car
Never leave a child alone in the car, not even for five minutes. At no time of the year – not in winter, not in summer – since the temperature rises rapidly and can become a death trap . The temperature of a car parked in the sun in summer and without ventilation can raise body temperature to 42 or 43 degrees and die within 30 to 60 minutes.
11. Use tricks to get him to eat
We must be cautious with those “tricks” who told us that they are effective for the baby to eat, or that “so and so does it with her baby and it works for her .” At mealtime, no distractions, no plane, no tricking them, or cover their mouth with a pacifier to swallow food, or any other method that can also be dangerous.
Never force or pressure your child to eat. It is proven that we can offer a new food up to 10 or 15 times until the baby accepts it. So be patient. You have to offer him a variety of foods so that he can choose the one he likes the most and if he rejects any, try again later. Never force him to eat , as it will end up being counterproductive and he will reject what you offer him.
12. Give him dangerous food
You have to know that there are certain foods that young children cannot eat due to the risk of suffocation or any other danger to their health. Here is a guide to prohibited foods according to their age.
If your baby eats in pieces, keep in mind that you should not give him hard foods such as raw apples or carrots -because of the risk of choking-, nor those that due to their round shape can get stuck, such as whole grapes or grapes. sausages. Nor should you give whole nuts before the age of five (they can be ground).
13. Do not use the car seat
It is mandatory to use a child restraint system when traveling by car with children. Always, no excuses. Not even the first trip home from the hospital.
Sadly, statistics show that the majority of children killed in traffic accidents are not subject to the restraint system. Therefore, not only should they always be used with children under 12 years (or less than 1.35 in height), but they must be used correctly .
The seat must be suitable for your height and weight, be placed in reverse for as long as possible, well anchored to the car and with the harnesses correctly adjusted and fastened.
14. Leave it in the car seat for more than an hour and a half
Staying more than an hour and a half, or at most two hours in a car seat, increases the risk of postural suffocation. The explanation is that the position that babies acquire when placed in these devices increases the risk of bradycardia (the heart goes slower than it should), apnea (the baby stops breathing for a few seconds) and desaturation of oxygen (less oxygen reaches the blood).
The restraint systems are mandatory but must be used for short transfers , of a maximum of two hours, or stop in the event of exceeding that time.
15. Leave small or dangerous objects within reach
When the baby begins to crawl or take its first steps, we must be very careful with safety at home, with special attention to stairs, plugs, oven, windows, cleaning products …
Nor should we put necklaces or bracelets on them or leave small objects that they can swallow, such as plastic pieces, button batteries, magnets, etc.
16. Leave him alone with the bottle
Never leave your baby alone with a bottle. This is very dangerous because, even if it is a liquid and not a solid, there is a risk of choking. Bottle-holding devices should not be used , and even if the baby is older and likes to hold his bibi, we have to be there to see that everything is going well while he takes the milk.
17. Do not go to medical check-ups
We usually go to the pediatrician when the baby has any symptoms, but regular check-ups are also very important . They are essential to control the weight and height of the child, as well as to prevent with vaccination and detect possible diseases that he may have. Without them, there are problems that they would overlook and could affect their development.
In Babies and more | If your baby does not see you, does not smell you, does not hear you and does not feel you, he does not know that you exist
