is it safe?

Question

at what age do you take a newborn baby out? my sister inlaw, takes her three week old baby to chucky cheese, to see her co workers and to the mall....he has not even had his first shots yet....i dont think it is safe for the baby. any thoughts at what age or time a new born should be taken out into public?

everyones getting me wrong. i am not being judgmental or critical. and i havent said anything to the mother. its my brother that is concerned about this. silly girl is the only one that makes sense. and no am not a mother, but i am a physician and i know and have seen so many babies get the sepsis workup when they get a fever which includes bloodwork, cath urine, chest xray and even atimes a spinal tap. i am just so concerned cuz i dont want to see him have to go thru this. i am optimistic and hoping for the best and that he doesnt get sick. but i know from my medical training, they should not be out in public till they are atleast 4 weeks. but i was just curious as to what mom's out there were doing. again i am not being judgmental, just trying to get vast opinions from the public.

Answer 1

i think you should avoid public places when theyre only a couple weeks old.. but stroller walk, or see grandparents it okay.. Yeah, i agree with you it's not smart for her to be taking him out everywhere..

Answer 2

Since your sister inlaw is probably still breastfeeding, she's constantly transferring her own resistance to any diseases the baby may come in contact with through her breast milk, which provides antibodies along with all the other things a baby needs to grow. Chances are that if the baby "catches" anything, the antibodies provided by the breast milk will be sufficient to ward off any serious consequences, even things that he will need a shot for later. The baby will only be able to get seriously sick from something that the mother isn't resistant to, and due to constant contact between the baby and mother, even if the baby does get sick, the mother may still be able to develop a new resistance and pass it on.

I do agree, however, that it's not smart to bring a newborn to bacteria-infected places like chuckie cheese- but if he's not touching surfaces, it's not devastating.

Answer 3

That is honestly a personal decision. I would be careful taking a newborn baby where there are a lot of germs. Just think how easy it is for someone to come up and "germify" your baby! Every mom feels differently about it just be cautious and use your own judgement. I am a mother to a 4 1/2 year old 16 month old and i'm currently pregnant. I honestly prefer to wait until the immune system is built up a bit more and then I only take them where there is healthy family or invite them to my home. I let my husband do the grocery shopping and things to that effect.

Answer 4

Everyone debates this one differently. I can understand her wanting to show off the new one to her co-workers. I have seen little ones as young as 3 days old in the stores. Right or wrong, it is an individuals choice, and not for others to hold her judgment.
The baby does get all of the mothers immunities ( to a certain degree). I am sure baby will be fine, and once he gets his shots, he will be cranky and she may not want to go with him. He is perfectly safe. Mine was 2 months preemie, and at 2 months old, was around a young girl with the chicken pox. She is 14 now, and drives me nuts!
Remember, it's not your baby, and you will just get hard feelings started by making an issue of this. It is one of those topics just better left alone.

Answer 5

My first was visiting the day she came home and grocery shopping the next day. My second I stayed in a few days but that was only because I was tired not because its bad for the baby. The baby just left the most liekly place a person is to BECOME sick-the hjospital!

Answer 6

I took my son out of the house to wal-mart when he was 3days old. I did have this older lady say my god he is too young to be here. But I did not agree one bit. He is almost 2 now and has been healthy from day one. My trip to the store did not effect him at all ;) I'm now pregnant w/ my second and will take her to the store w/ me as soon as she is born. Its all about personal choice.

Answer 7

You get antibodies by coming in contact with the germs. Your body realises they are foreign and makes antibodies to attack them.

You can't be immunised against all germs. Studies have shown that making your children super clean can have negative side effects as once they do come into contact with the germs their body has no idea how to react to it.

You have to find a happy medium between letting them come in contact with things and keeping them clean. At that age baby wouldn't be touching much only mom.

Enjoy your new nephew

Answer 8

We took both of our kids out right from the beginning. Our first trip to Wal-Mart was on the way home from the hospital to get prescriptions from the pharmacy. Newborns have a lot of protection from their mom's passed-on immune system for the first few months.

Answer 9

I took my 4 month old out to a restaurant on the way home from the hospital. I also flew to Missouri with him when he was 2 weeks old. So I think personally people like y'all are overprotective. Sorry. Good Luck!

Answer 10

Newborns still have the immunities they received from their moms in utero, even more so if they are being nursed. It's actually the new mother that is most at risk of exposure to disease, since she's worn down from all the midnight feedings, etc. She needs to be careful not to push herself too hard.
I took my twins to church when they were one week old.

Answer 11

No actually...you're right he most likely HAS NOT had his shots...my son started his first immunizations at 2 months..

The only "shots" they get at birth is the hepatitis and they've even stopped doing that.

In my opinion IT IS NEVER safe to take ANY child to Chuck E. Cheese as it's a breeding ground for disease...

I took my son out a few times in his first month...but no one was allowed to touch him and I almost always had him in the closed stroller (because he was usually sleeping).

It's really at the mothers discression as to when the baby meets the world...

As long as she's reasonably careful and is not passing baby off from person to person ...baby should be fine.

Make sure that she carries Purrell with her and never lets anyone handle the baby without washing their hands and using Purrell first...that will greatly minimize the exposure at least to contact borne bacteria and viruses.