Importance of cleanliness for your baby at home

Observing high levels of hygiene especially when you have a baby around is important. There’s a lot that goes into this including bathing them, washing your hands before handling them, changing their diaper, cleaning the home and many other things.

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With all these hygiene practices, it’s also good to understand why it’s essential to do so. These reasons will motivate you more and help you maintain high levels of hygiene for your baby.

• It’s their fundamental right

This will sound ridiculous but believe it or not, every child has the right to parental care. It’s a parent’s responsibility to ensure their children are safe at all times. This means they need to wash them, clean the home and do everything they can to safeguard their health.

• A baby’s immune system is not fully developed

This is another reason why cleanliness is important for your baby. When they’re born, their immune systems take time to develop and that’s a risky situation that needs uttermost care. They’re more susceptible to infections including those life threatening ones which no parent would wish to experience.

For such reasons, a parent is meant to bathe their babies well. These ward off any bacteria and germs which could cause rashes and infections. Their clothes are also meant to be washed and kept clean at all times as part of observing good hygiene at home.

Another step is to ensure their nails are kept short because babies often suck on their fingers. Considering all that they touch, a lot of bacteria builds up in there little nails and once it comes into contact with their mouth or food it can make your baby sick.

When it comes to the general environment of the home, the same standards of hygiene should be in place. Babies crawl on the floor and they can pick up anything and put it in their mouth at any point.

It’s impossible to watch them 100% of the time, perfectly, so it better to keep everything clean and sanitized to reduce the risks. Wipe down the remotes, their teething toys and other items around the home.

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Another step is to dust the home often because that’s potential for respiratory problems from dust mites that thrive there.

If you have pets, don’t have them around your baby until they’re at least a few months old. Still, keep your pets clean to prevent any bacteria transferring to your baby.

Cleaning often also helps you keep the home decluttered. This is an added advantage because you won’t have to be worried that your baby will pick up a choking hazard that you hadn’t spotted earlier.

If you ask me, cleanliness at home is actually a lifesaving hack for your baby.

• It’s important for their values as they develop

Having that good foundation for your baby is important for their development as they grow older. They will learn from you how to be clean which is essential for everyday life. Make cleanliness a part of their earliest memories and they will always thank you for laying that foundation later in life.

It shows that all your best efforts will never be in vain in the long run.

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The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Evewoman.co.ke