For moms of newborn babies we all know how protective we feel about our little bundles. We want to keep them safe, happy and healthy and will do anything to achieve this.
But, keeping newborns healthy isn’t always easy when random strangers want to constantly touch them and so a few smart moms decided to help put a stop to it; their actions are causing mixed reactions.
By putting a polite sign up over their child’s car seat, it reminds people that when they touch a newborn they are passing on their germs and it can be too much to handle for some newborns.
One of these smart mamas decided to share her actions on a Facebook discussion page for moms and as you can see from the post below the reaction was overwhelming.
Thoughts? Would you put this on your baby's car seat?
Posted by Breastfeeding Mama Talk on Sunday, April 22, 2018
A quick search online returns hundreds of similar signs so clearly strangers touching newborns is an issue. Signs which say: “Don’t touch me (germs can hurt me),” and, “Stop! I know I’m cute as can be, but please do not touch little me!” seem to be popular.
But some parents feel differently about strangers and germs.
The sign has caused quite a reaction with one mom declaring: “This world is turning into a bunch of weak fruit loops. Children need germs, their bodies need to learn to fight off sickness. Besides breastfeeding gives babies so many antibodies to help them fight everything off.”
But many moms, including those who are nurses, helpfully point out that illnesses that are harmless for adults can be fatal for newborns as there is a danger they can get dehydrated or worse. And many parents highlighted babies that are born with illnesses which compromise their immune system are more vulnerable to the dangers of germs.
While hand-washing can ward off some germs, pediatrician Tanya Remer Altmann, MD, tells WebMD it’s a good idea to require that people ask permission before touching a baby, and that they should only be allowed to touch certain areas. “Parents should ask people to touch or kiss the baby’s feet instead of the hands or face,” said Altmann, since feet are the least likely to make it to a newborn’s mouth (until they’re older, at least).
Meanwhile some moms said strangers touching babies without permission was “creepy.”
What do you think about these signs? Feel free to leave your comments in our Facebook post and don’t forget to share to find out what your mama friends think.
