Newborns should be introduced to visitors at a distance and without personal contact as much as possible, according to Dr. Charles Shubin, a pediatrician at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, MD. Babies up to 2 months old are vulnerable to a long list of infections because their immune systems are still developing, so it is imperative that they are not exposed to germs from adults with infections or colds. "For those first two months, you want to avoid close personal contact with visitors," says Shubin. If visitors would like to hold the baby, Shubin recommends that they avoid kissing your newborn or close face-to-face contact, thoroughly wash hands and clothes prior to visiting and wear a surgical face mask when sick. As an added precaution, parents can limit visits to newborns to their home to eliminate any additional exposures to germs, says Shubin.
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