It is a very stressful time for parents of young children, expectant fathers and pregnant women. That’s why Aptaclub shares the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommendations on how to protect you and your child, because for your child, you are the most important point of contact with the outside world. If you follow the WHO’s simple methods and rules, you can protect yourselves together from the coronavirus.
To help you and your family during this particularly stressful time, our Aptaclub experts are here to answer the most frequently asked questions about pregnancy, breastfeeding and bottle feeding.
7 ways to protect your baby
1. Wash your hands regularly
The coronavirus is spread through human contact. That is why simple hand washing is the best protection against the coronavirus. So wash your hands before touching your baby, and insist that anyone who is going to touch your baby also wash their hands. Unfortunately, our babies can’t wash their own hands – at least not yet. So make it a regular part of playtime or mealtime and wash your hands together and thoroughly with soap and water or hand sanitizer.
Why? This will kill any viruses that are on our hands and prevent you and your child from becoming infected.
2. Avoid excessive contact
Babies are so adorable that they often attract the attention of other people. Therefore, it is your responsibility as a parent to minimize interactions between your little one and other people. It may seem hard at first to stop people from picking up and cuddling their little one, but this helps reduce the spread of the virus.
In addition to avoiding close contact, keep a safe distance of at least 1 meter between yourself and anyone who is sick and coughing or sneezing.
Why? Someone who coughs or sneezes spreads small droplets from the nose or mouth that may contain the virus. If you or your child are in close proximity, there is a risk of inhaling these droplets, including the COVID-19 virus.
3. Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth
We tend to touch many different surfaces throughout the day. We also like to touch our babies, who in turn like to touch their face. So make sure anyone who will touch your child (and that includes you) has thoroughly washed hands.
Why? Surfaces can be contaminated with coronavirus, and once the virus arrives on our hands, it can easily be transmitted into our bodies through our mouths, noses, or eyes as soon as we touch our faces.
It’s hard to avoid touching different surfaces, and we can’t and won’t stop our baby’s curiosity either. However, we can prevent transmission of the virus into the body by not touching our face or our baby’s face.
4. Pay attention to proper coughing and sneezing etiquette
Make sure you and those around you are following proper coughing and sneezing etiquette. This means coughing into a tissue or the crook of your arm or. To sneeze. The used handkerchief should be disposed of immediately.
Why? Droplets spread the virus. If they pay attention to proper respiratory hygiene, you will protect your baby and those around you from viruses such as colds, flu and COVID-19.
5. Do you feel sick? Seek medical care early
It is very simple: stay at home if you feel sick. If you have the first signs of fever, cough and difficulty breathing, contact a doctor early on. For more information, follow the instructions from your local health department.
Why? National and local authorities have the most up-to-date information about the situation in your area. If you call ahead, your primary care physician can quickly direct you to the right health care facility. This will protect them and help prevent further spread of the virus and other infections.
6. Pay attention to cleanliness and safety when cooking food
As parents, we cook for ourselves, our family and our baby. This makes it even more important to follow sensible food safety measures when cooking.
Use different cutting boards for raw and cooked foods and wash your hands between processing raw and cooked products.
They also do not have to give up meat. Just make sure the meat is cooked enough and handled properly during preparation.
7. Inform yourself and follow the given advice
Since your little one cannot read the news by himself, it is very important that you are constantly aware of the current status of the COVID-19 outbreak. Information can be found on the World Health Organization website (mainly in English), the Federal Ministry of Health website, and the Robert Koch Institute site. Seek advice for yourself and your baby from trusted and reliable sources.
Useful links:
Useful FAQs
During pregnancy
Can pregnant women pass corona virus to their unborn baby?
Currently, there is not enough evidence to determine if the virus can be passed from a mother to her baby during pregnancy or what potential effects it may have on the baby. This is currently under investigation.
Pregnant women should continue to take appropriate precautions to protect themselves from infection with the virus and seek early medical attention if they experience symptoms such as fever, cough or difficulty breathing.
During the breastfeeding period
Is it safe for a mother to breastfeed if she is infected with coronavirus?
All mothers in affected and at-risk areas who have symptoms of fever, cough or difficulty breathing should seek early medical attention and follow the doctor’s instructions.
Considering the many benefits of breastfeeding and the fact that breast milk plays only an insignificant role in the transmission of other respiratory viruses, mothers may continue breastfeeding, taking all necessary precautions.
Mothers who present with symptoms, yet feel fit enough to breastfeed, should wear a mask around the child (even while breastfeeding), wash hands before and after contact with the child (and this includes feeding), and regularly clean and disinfect surfaces – This should also be done whenever anyone with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 interacts with others, including children, of course.
If a mother feels too sick to breastfeed, she should express milk and give it to the baby with a clean cup and/or spoon – using the precautions above, of course. If you have any further questions, please consult a physician.
Babies between 0 and 6 months
What to do if your baby has COVID-19 symptoms?
Consult a physician. Remember, however, that this is also flu season and COVID-19 symptoms, such as cough or fever, are similar to symptoms of the flu or a cold, which is much more common.
If you have further questions, please consult a physician.
Is it safe to breastfeed if you are a mother infected with coronavirus?
All mothers in affected and at-risk areas who have symptoms of fever, cough or difficulty breathing should seek early medical attention and follow the doctor’s instructions.
Considering the many benefits of breastfeeding and the fact that breast milk plays only an insignificant role in the transmission of other respiratory viruses, mothers may continue breastfeeding, taking all necessary precautions.
Mothers who present with symptoms and still feel fit enough to breastfeed should wear a mask around the child (even while breastfeeding), wash hands before and after contact with the child (and this includes feeding), and regularly clean and disinfect surfaces – This should also be done whenever anyone with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 interacts with others, including children, of course.
If a mother feels too ill to breastfeed, she should express milk and give it to the infant with a clean cup and/or spoon – using the above precautions, of course. If you have further questions, please consult a physician.
Affects COVID-19 babies?
COVID-19 is a new virus and the World Health Organization does not yet know enough to say if and how it affects babies and pregnant women. However, they have found that people of any age can become infected with the virus, but so far relatively few cases of COVID-19 have been reported in children, and none yet in babies. The virus is life-threatening in rare cases, so far mainly in older people with pre-existing conditions.
If you have any further questions, please consult a physician.
Can a baby wear a breathing mask to go outside at 6 months of age?
The proper use of masks in infants under 1 year of age has not yet been clearly regulated. Given the fact that masks have some air impermeability, it can be very uncomfortable for your little one to wear them and if the masks are used incorrectly, physical harm can even occur. Therefore, the World Health Organization suggests that infants should not go out as much as usual during the coronavirus period. In addition, they should avoid being in crowded places. Parents coming home from out of town should be very careful about their own protection and personal hygiene, as this will also protect the children indirectly.
If you have further questions, please consult a physician.
Babies between 6 and 12 months
What to do if your baby has COVID-19 symptoms?
Consult a physician. Remember, however, that it is also currently flu season and COVID-19 symptoms, such as cough or fever, are similar to symptoms of the flu or a cold, which is much more common.
If you have any further questions, please consult a doctor.
Does COVID-19 affect babies?
It is a new virus and the World Health Organization does not yet know enough to say if and how it affects babies and pregnant women. However, they have found that people of any age can become infected with the virus, but so far relatively few cases of COVID-19 have been reported in children, and none yet in babies. The virus is life-threatening in rare cases, so far especially in older people with pre-existing conditions.
If you have any further questions, please contact a physician.
Infants between 1 and 3 years of age
What to do if your toddler is overworked because of coronavirus?
Children can respond in different ways to stress and physical exertion such as z.B. respond to a disease, z.B. by unusually strong attachment, fear, anger, restlessness or bedwetting. Support your child by listening to his worries and giving him extra love and attention.
Give bottles and infant formula
Is it safe to breastfeed as a mother if you are infected with the coronavirus?
All mothers in affected and at-risk areas who have symptoms of fever, cough, or difficulty breathing should seek early medical attention and follow the doctor’s instructions. Considering the many benefits of breastfeeding and the fact that breast milk plays only an insignificant role in the transmission of other respiratory viruses, mothers can continue breastfeeding, taking all necessary precautions.
Mothers who exhibit symptoms, yet feel fit enough to breastfeed, should wear a mask around the child (even while breastfeeding), wash hands before and after contact with the child (and this includes feeding), and regularly clean and disinfect surfaces – This should also be done whenever anyone with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 interacts with others, including children, of course.
If a mother feels too ill to breastfeed, she should express milk and give it to the baby with a clean cup and/or spoon – using the above precautions, of course. If you have any further questions, please consult a physician.
How should utensils for preparing infant formula be disinfected?
Bottles, teats, spoons and bowls used by the baby must be disinfected. Please clean them with clean water first. Heat-resistant utensils that can tolerate high temperatures should be boiled in a pot for more than 30 min. The surfaces of non-heat-resistant utensils can be disinfected by a cotton pad soaked in alcohol.