Your questions, answered How should new parents handle friends and family visiting a baby? Should they continue to ask them to mask and require vaccines? Dilpreet, Md. Pediatricians say precautions should be taken, especially when a baby is younger than 6 months old, because they have immature immune systems. Ensuring visitors are vaccinated and requiring them to wear masks is the safest way to minimize your child's exposure to the coronavirus. Babies are born with passive immunity, which they acquire from their mothers during pregnancy, rather than from direct exposure to viruses. This type of immunity wanes after the first few weeks of birth, and their immune systems become more vulnerable to viral infections. Because they are too young to receive certain vaccines, including the coronavirus shot, they rely on the immunization status of others around them. It's ideal for parents to offer their infant as many layers of protection as possible, and because no vaccine offers 100 percent protection, requiring visitors to wear masks along with being vaccinated adds additional safety. "Even people who are fully vaccinated and show no symptoms of covid could pass on the virus, " says Samira Armin, a pediatrician from Texas. She says that along with mask-wearing and requiring vaccines, parents should keep their circle of visitors small. That group of select guests shouldn't interact with too many others because this could also potentially expose the baby to the coronavirus. For example, if you have grandparents who frequently visit, ensure their interactions with people beyond the little one are limited. While some precautions are necessary, Armin says parents shouldn't put too much pressure on themselves as the newborn period can be stressful. "Families have to assess their own risk-comfort levels," she adds. She says the best way to assess what works is for parents to formulate a plan with their pediatricians. | 
Email
No comments:
Post a Comment