Six Assumptions You Shouldn't Make Regarding Infant Care

Many first-time parents stress out a lot about infant care and worry that they'll make mistakes. If you're properly informed, you will know how to properly take care of your young infant. 

There are a few inaccurate assumptions that parents need to be aware of for optimum infant care. The following are six assumptions you shouldn't make regarding infant care. 

You have to give your infant child a bath every day

While bathing your baby is important, you don't have to give your baby a complete bath every day. In fact, giving your baby a bath every single day could lead to dry skin.

Focus on keeping your baby's face, hands, neck, and diaper area clean. If your baby enjoys a daily bath, you can give your baby a bath every day. Just realize that it's not absolutely necessary and you can skip a day here or there. 

An infant should have a bowel movement every day

Parents often worry that their baby is constipated if he or she goes a whole day without a bowel movement. However, it is not necessarily a cause for concern if your baby doesn't have a bowel movement every day.

Some babies have bowel movements more frequently than others. Bowel movements also often become less frequent as the infant ages. That's why you shouldn't panic when a day goes by without a bowel movement from your baby if they are not distressed.

You shouldn't hold an infant child too often or they will become spoiled

Don't worry about spoiling your infant child by giving them too much attention when he or she cries. Infants cry as a means of communicating and expressing that they need something. Often, they are merely expressing the need for company. 

You shouldn't worry about spoiling your baby with excessive handling. In fact, frequent handling is highly beneficial in an infant's first few months of life. 

Brain development doesn't really take off in an infant until schooling begins

Your infant's brain begins developing rapidly immediately after birth and for the first few years of your baby's life. That's why communicating verbally with your baby constantly is so important.

You shouldn't think that communicating with your baby and reading to your infant child isn't important until they have learned to speak.

It's unhealthy if your infant is not on a routine

While getting your infant on a routine when it comes to activities like eating and sleeping may be helpful, it's not always easy to do. You shouldn't worry if your infant isn't always on a strict routine. 

Infants always need medicine when they're running a fever

It's typical for infants to periodically run a fever due to issues like minor infections or viruses. Often, an infant will get over a fever without any treatment. You shouldn't assume that a baby needs to be medicated every time he or she runs a fever. 

Reach out to an infant care program if you have any questions.