Bringing home a newborn baby is an exciting time for families — a time typically filled with happiness and love. But it’s often an anxious time too, as new parents adjust to taking care of an infant and protecting their newborn from getting sick or hurt.

    Although hundreds of fatal injuries occur nationally each year in children younger than 1 year old, most of those injuries could be prevented, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. With careful preparation and vigilance, parents can help keep their baby safe.

    The following are some of the most common risks to newborns and infants, along with tips for what you can do to help ensure a safe, healthy infancy.

   

Group B Strep and Other Infections:- Group B streptococcus (group B strep) is the most common cause of life-threatening infections including meningitis, sepsis and pneumonia in newborns. The bacteria are common in pregnant women and can be transmitted from the mother to the baby during childbirth. Expectant mothers should be screened for group B strep between weeks 35 and 37 of pregnancy. If the mother is found to be a carrier of the bacteria, she should receive antibiotics intravenously during labor to prevent infecting the baby.

    In addition to group B strep, babies are subject to a variety of other infections. To keep them healthy, it is advisable to keep them out of public places for at least the first six weeks after they’re born. If family and friends want to celebrate your new arrival, invite them to your house instead of taking the baby to theirs and make sure they wash their hands before they hold the newborn. Vaccines are also key in preventing infection, and parents should follow the vaccination schedule provided by their pediatrician.

    Symptoms of group B strep and other infections include fever, difficulty feeding, irritability or lethargy. If your newborn has any of these symptoms, call your pediatrician and seek medical help right away. Keep in mind that symptoms of group B strep infections can occur just hours after birth or may not appear for days or even weeks.

    When it comes to fevers in newborns, a temperature of 100.3 degrees or above should be considered an emergency. It is also important to note that in order to get an accurate temperature for an infant, it must be taken rectally. Ear and mouth thermometers are ineffective in determining an infant’s core temperature.

   

Suffocation and Choking: One of the biggest fears among new parents is that their baby will stop breathing. To prevent suffocation and reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), your baby should always sleep on his or her back in a crib where toys, loose blankets, and stuffed animals and pillows are out of reach. Co-sleeping — having your baby sleep in bed with you — is not recommended, as it increases the risk for suffocation.

    To prevent choking, never leave small objects in your baby’s reach, even for a second. Those little hands are quick. Never feed your baby hard pieces of food, such as chunks of raw carrots, apples, hot dogs, grapes, peanuts and popcorn. Cut all the foods you feed your baby into thin pieces to prevent choking.

   

Falls: Even in the earliest months, babies move and wiggle around. Although they may not be ready to roll over or crawl, they can easily tumble from a bed, a changing table, sofa or chair and get hurt. Instead of changing a baby on a table or playing with him or her on the bed, get down on the floor where there is less risk the baby can get hurt. If you need to put the baby down and turn your back for a moment, make sure to put him or her in a safe place such as a crib or a playpen. If your infant has a serious fall or is not acting normally after a fall, call your pediatrician.

   

Bath Time Accidents: Bath time is often nerve- wracking for new parents — and for the new baby. Babies typically don’t need a bath every day, and sponge baths are often sufficient. In fact, the best way to keep your infant safe when bathing is to put a large, wedge-shaped wet sponge in the bottom of the tub or sink. Not only can you squeeze enough water out of the sponge to bathe the baby, if the baby falls, he or she will fall into the soft sponge.

   

Car Accidents: Properly installed and used car safety seats can help prevent most injuries and deaths from car crashes, as most serious injuries occur when a child leaves the vehicle. The safest restraining device for an infant is a five-point harness car seat. Infants should always ride rear-facing in the backseat until they are at least 1 year old and weigh at least 20 pounds. Never put your infant in the front passenger seat with an air bag. Remember to use the car seat every time your child is in the car. To ensure your child’s safety seat is installed correctly, Princeton HealthCare System’s Community Education & Outreach Program offers car seat safety checks from certified child passenger safety seat technicians. Call 1-888-897-8979 for an appointment and locations.

    To find a physician affiliated with Princeton HealthCare System, call 888-742-7496 or visit www.princetonhcs.org. For more information about CHOP Newborn & Pediatric Care at UMCP, visit www.umcpchop.org.

Louis J. Tesoro, M.D., is a board-certified pediatrician and chairman of the Pediatrics Department at the University Medical Center at Princeton.