Celebrate Baby’s First 4th of July Safely!

America’s 4th of July is a fantastic day for family fun and fireworks, and we’d like to like to wish you a very happy holiday to celebrate the incredible country we’re so fortunate to call home!

 

twitter2.jpgAmerica’s 4th of July is a fantastic day for family fun and fireworks, and we’d like to like to wish you a very happy holiday to celebrate the incredible country we’re so fortunate to call home!
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No doubt you’ve got big plans, and if they include your infant–we’d like to remind you that young babies shouldn’t be taken to a fireworks display, because the loud noises can make babies scared, uncomfortable or cranky. Even worse, those sharp, loud sounds can damage a young baby’s eardrums. If you must take in a fireworks show,  get a babysitter or watch the action from very far away or on television.

FUN IN THE SUN?

If you’re going to spend a good part of the day outside in the hot July sun at a picnic or a parade, make sure you have plenty of sunscreen slathered on your baby at all times—unless your baby is under six months old. Sunscreen is not recommended for babies under six months old. Dress your infant in lightweight long pants and a long-sleeved shirt to keep the sun off that sensitive skin, and don’t forget a light hat to protect baby’s head. Just in case, here’s some good info from Examiner.com:

fourth-of-july-baby1.jpgIf your baby does become sunburned, there are a few things you can do to minimize the discomfort and the lasting damage it could cause. Here are a few suggestions:

• Keep baby in the shade until the burn is healed; further exposure to the sun can aggravate the symptoms and make the burn worse.
• Give baby a cool (not cold) bath or gently apply a cool, wet towel to the affected areas.
• Apply pure aloe vera gel to the sunburned skin. This can be purchased at any pharmacy or retail store.
• Administer the proper dosage of a pain killer such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen for babies over 3 months old. If you are unsure of the appropriate dosage, contact your baby’s pediatrician.
• Apply a moisturizer safe for babies to rehydrate the skin and reduce swelling associated with sunburn.

If blisters develop, call the doctor immediately and try to keep your baby from touching the blisters so they don’t pop; sunburn blisters can become very easily infected.

Enjoy your holiday, keep your all-American cutie safe, and remember:

“The genius of the United States is not best or most in its executives or legislatures, nor in its ambassadors or authors or colleges, or churches or parlors, nor even in its newspapers or inventors, but always most in the common people.”

  Walt Whitman (1819-1892)