6 taboos not to do with newborn babies

1. Use honey to clean the tongue

Parents should not give honey to infants to clean their tongues or drink (mixed with orange juice). Because the digestive system of babies under 12 months old is not complete, does not have enough beneficial bacteria, and cannot destroy the spores of Clostridium Botulinum bacteria in honey.

Botulinum toxin can affect the nerve muscles, causing paralysis, greatly affecting the health of the child. To keep the baby safe, mothers should use a tongue cleaner solution sold at pharmacies to clean the baby's mouth.

Many mothers give their babies water after feeding, or give them water after feedings to quench their thirst or as a dessert. This may sound reasonable, but the truth is that it is very harmful to babies under 6 months old.

In addition, because the baby's immune system is still weak, water can also be a source of disease for the baby if the water source is not safe and clean. There is no water source that is as clean and complete as breast milk. Breast milk is 85% water, so breastfeeding can completely provide the baby's water and nutritional needs, even in hot weather conditions.

Giving a baby under 6 months of age too much water can hinder their ability to absorb nutrients from breast milk and formula. The size of a newborn's stomach is still very small. Drinking more water will fill the stomach, making the baby full and not wanting to breastfeed. Even a small amount of water will cause the baby to feel full and not want to drink milk as before. Therefore, the amount of milk absorbed will also decrease. Giving sugar water in the first week will also cause weight loss and illness later, the baby will feel full and not want to drink more milk.

The truth is that shaking a baby too hard can accidentally cause brain damage and bleeding in the brain. These injuries can occur in just 5 seconds of shaking, or even 3 seconds.

These injuries are difficult to detect, except in severe cases. But as children grow older, they may suffer from mental retardation, poor vision, speech and hearing disorders, seizures, and impaired cognitive and orientation skills.

Newborns have a high body temperature, so do not wrap your baby too tightly in many layers of clothing or towels. Over-warming your baby will cause him or her to sweat, which will seep back into the body and cause pneumonia.

When a child has a fever, do not cover the child, which will increase the body temperature, causing the risk of febrile convulsions. Do not apply ice or cold compresses. When a child has a fever, we should only dress the child in cool clothes and keep the child in a well-ventilated room.

Newborns do not need pillows because their spines are straight at birth: their head and back must be straight. Many mothers think that they should give their babies a high pillow to avoid vomiting when breastfeeding or to let them lie comfortably, which is wrong.

If the pillow is too high, the baby's neck will be crooked, the spine will change shape, making it difficult to breathe and swallow food. Mothers just need to fold a thin towel and place it on the baby's back to absorb sweat.

Babies under one year of age do not have fully developed kidneys. Too much salt can cause serious kidney problems. Remember that the amount of salt in breast milk, formula and other foods your baby eats every day already provides enough for your baby.

You do not need to add any salt or fish sauce to your baby's porridge. After one year of age, you can cook food for your baby with a little fish sauce.