Nurturing a safe environment for babies to thrive

The safety and good health of their child is the primary wish of every parent. While there are many external factors beyond one’s control outside the home, they can take many measures to control every aspect within the home.

Regardless, every year many serious incidents occur, with children injured in homes – a place where they should be the safest. New parents, especially under the pressures induced by the present economic crisis in the country, may be weighed down by worries about livelihoods and financial burdens, and may overlook some safety aspects. In order to ensure the highest levels of safety of their infants, parents have to invest some time and effort to baby-proof the home to ensure that the baby gets the healthiest start in life. 

Nutrition is the most vital factor that impacts the health and development of a child. Good nutrition starts from the time of pregnancy, when the new mother should pay attention to a balanced diet, regular exercise and appropriate and timely vitamin and mineral supplementation. An expectant mother’s physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing impacts the baby during pregnancy and having the father involved from the time of conception to delivery and in the journey of caring for the infant is a rewarding experience for the entire family.

The prevailing economic crisis has shone the light on the importance of nutrition. The Ministry of Health revealed alarming levels of malnutrition among children under-5 nationwide in October 2022 due to the prevailing economic crisis. 42.9% of children under-5 years have some form of malnutrition problems including faltering growth, wasting, stunting and malnutrition.

During the baby’s sensitive years, it is important to use the right baby care products that are “Certified safe for baby” and “Paediatrician tested” to ensure that the gentle skin of babies is protected from skin related allergies such as skin erythema, dryness, oedema, itching, rashes, pruritis and urticaria. Unfortunately, faced with a high cost of living, parents may be tempted to buy adult soaps for children too, however this exposes the child to various skin related problems. Trusted baby products are formulated to be gentle and mild for a baby’s skin.

Maintaining a hygienic environment for babies is essential to keep them free from germs and virus-related illnesses. In order to ensure optimal safety for a child, parents should wash their hands before handling a new-born as they don’t have a strong immune system yet and are at risk of infections.

While enjoying time with their baby, parents should also keep an eagle eye out for other hazards in the home and proactively baby proof the home. Accidents are a significant risk, being a major cause of preventable death and injuries amongst children. Some of the most common are falls, suffocation and choking. Burns pose risks too as a child’s skin is much more sensitive. Given children’s curious nature, parents also need to avoid any accidental poisoning accidents involving medicines, household products and cosmetics by storing them out of reach of children. Despite the economic hardships being faced by people currently, it’s important for parents to remain focused on the safety and wellbeing of their babies. Along with cocooning the infant in a safe world by being cautious and mindful of safety, it is important to remember that the baby is also sensitive to its parents’ mental and emotional wellbeing and parents should remain happy and positive to ensure their baby feels secure and loved.

Creating a safer world for our babies is the No. 1 priority for parents and they should invest only in the safest and trusted environment and baby care for their precious bundles of joy.