The first year after becoming parents is one that will be full of ᴄʜᴀᴏs, sʟᴇᴇᴘ-ᴅᴇᴘʀɪᴠᴀᴛɪᴏɴ, and ᴛᴏᴛᴀʟ ᴘᴀɴɪᴄ. It’s also a time to ᴅᴇᴀʟ with wild new Fᴇᴀʀs. And it’s no news that parents will have their own share of concerns when it comes to their baby. But it’s also important to prioritize your ᴡᴏʀʀɪᴇs and concerns so that you can spend your time and energy on things that you should actually be ᴡᴏʀʀɪᴇᴅ about. Here are five ʙɪɢ ɪssᴜᴇs that should be top of mind.
- Pʀᴇ-Tᴇʀᴍ Dᴇʟɪᴠᴇʀʏ and Lᴏᴡ Bɪʀᴛʜ Wᴇɪɢʜᴛ : Some 11,000 ɪɴFᴀɴᴛ ᴅᴇᴀᴛʜs ᴏᴄᴄᴜʀ related to ɪssᴜᴇs during ᴘʀᴇɢɴᴀɴᴄʏ that’s about ʜᴀʟF ᴏF ᴀʟʟ ɪɴFᴀɴᴛ ᴅᴇᴀᴛʜs . The ʙɪɢɢᴇsᴛ Fᴀᴄᴛᴏʀs in these ᴅᴇᴀᴛʜs are Pʀᴇ-Tᴇʀᴍ Dᴇʟɪᴠᴇʀʏ and Lᴏᴡ Bɪʀᴛʜ Wᴇɪɢʜᴛ. To ᴘʀᴇᴠᴇɴᴛ giving birth to a ᴘʀᴇᴍᴀᴛᴜʀᴇ baby, make sure you sᴇᴇᴋ ʀᴇɢᴜʟᴀʀ ᴘʀᴇɴᴀᴛᴀʟ ᴄᴀʀᴇ and follow a ʜᴇᴀʟᴛʜʏ ᴅɪᴇᴛ ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜᴏᴜᴛ your ᴘʀᴇɢɴᴀɴᴄʏ. Aᴠᴏɪᴅ ᴀɴʏ ᴜɴʜᴇᴀʟᴛʜʏ ʜᴀʙɪᴛs and consider ᴘʀᴇɢɴᴀɴᴄʏ spacing to be on the safer side.
- Bɪʀᴛʜ DᴇFᴇᴄᴛs: Unlike sᴛɪʟʟʙɪʀᴛʜ or ʟᴏᴡ ʙɪʀᴛʜ ᴡᴇɪɢʜᴛ, a parent can easily know well in advance their child’s ʀɪsᴋ from a ʙɪʀᴛʜ ᴅᴇFᴇᴄᴛ, but like all of the top things that ᴋɪʟʟ ᴀɴ ɪɴFᴀɴᴛ, there is little they can do to prepare.
- Cᴀʀ Aᴄᴄɪᴅᴇɴᴛ: Cᴀʀ Aᴄᴄɪᴅᴇɴᴛs are also another ᴄᴀᴜsᴇ of ᴅᴇᴀᴛʜ in ɪɴFᴀɴᴛs. Each year, ᴛʜᴏᴜsᴀɴᴅs of kids are ᴋɪʟʟᴇᴅ in a ᴄᴀʀ ᴄʀᴀsʜ . Hence it is important to make their sᴀFᴇᴛʏ the ᴜᴛᴍᴏsᴛ ᴘʀɪᴏʀɪᴛʏ. That’s why the Aᴍᴇʀɪᴄᴀɴ Aᴄᴀᴅᴇᴍʏ ᴏF Pᴇᴅɪᴀᴛʀɪᴄs sᴜɢɢᴇsᴛs ᴘᴀʀᴇɴᴛs ᴋᴇᴇᴘ ᴋɪᴅs ʀᴇᴀʀ-Fᴀᴄɪɴɢ for as long as they fit — which may well be until the end of their ᴛᴏᴅᴅʟᴇʀ ʀᴇᴀʀs.
- SᴜFFᴏᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴ : The ʀᴀᴛᴇ of ᴅᴇᴀᴛʜ ᴅʀᴏᴘs ᴘʀᴇᴄɪᴘɪᴛᴏᴜsʟʏ from 3-months out. Then, the leading ᴄᴀᴜsᴇ of ᴅᴇᴀᴛʜ, until the ᴀɢᴇ of one, is sᴜFFᴏᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴ, with 1,100 ɪɴFᴀɴᴛ ᴅᴇᴀᴛʜs a year. As in ⓈⓊⒾⒹⓢ, there are obvious steps parents can take to ʟᴏᴡᴇʀ these ʀᴀᴛᴇs — namely, keeping ᴄʀɪʙs ᴄʟᴇᴀʀ and babies on their back.
- Dʀᴏᴡɴɪɴɢ: ɪɴFᴀɴᴛs and ᴄᴜʀɪᴏᴜs ᴛᴏᴅᴅʟᴇʀs can easily get ᴀᴛᴛʀᴀᴄᴛᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴡᴀᴛᴇʀ which can ʟᴇᴀᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴀᴄᴄɪᴅᴇɴᴛᴀʟ ᴅʀᴏᴡɴɪɴɢ. It is ʀᴇᴄᴏᴍᴍᴇɴᴅᴇᴅ to ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ʟᴇᴀᴠᴇ your ɪɴFᴀɴᴛ ᴜɴᴀᴛᴛᴇɴᴅᴇᴅ in a bathtub or near water. If your baby is ᴇᴠᴇʀ ɴᴇᴀʀ ᴡᴀᴛᴇʀ, make sure they are ᴄʟᴏsᴇʟʏ ᴍᴏɴɪᴛᴏʀᴇᴅ ʙʏ sᴏᴍᴇᴏɴᴇ .
