Pets and Your Baby |
For many families, their pets are considered their first "babies". It is common for families to be concerned with how a pet will adapt to having a newborn in the house. If your pet, specifically dog, hasn't been around children before, try to slowly introduce the dog to neighborhood children. Give the dog an opportunity to watch how babies look and sound. Encourage routines and obedience with your pet, and always be sure to include in your day - quality time for you and you pet too!
Cats, particularly outdoor cats who hunt, transmit an infection called toxoplasmosis through their feces. The disease can also be transmitted by eating infected, raw, or uncooked meat. Toxoplasmosis infects up to 5 out of every 1,000 pregnancies and can result in miscarriage or adverse effects in the infant such as seizures, mental retardation, or liver disease. One-third of American women are immune to this infection; however, immunity can only be determined by a lab test and this test is not routinely done on pregnant women. Because this disease is transmitted through cat feces, pregnant women should avoid contact with cat litter. The litter box should be located in an area that she can avoid and the daily chore of changing the litter box should be assigned to someone other than the mother-to-be. Contact with a clean cat is not harmful to the pregnant woman.
Once the baby arrives, be aware that pets may be jealous and act out aggressively. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOU NEVER LEAVE YOUR PET AND BABY ALONE TOGETHER IN THE SAME ROOM. Constant supervision is a must as your child becomes a toddler and preschooler as well. You may choose to introduce your baby's scent to your pet, dogs in particular, by wrapping your baby in one of your receiving blankets during the hospital stay and bringing it home for your pet to smell. Other suggestions include never allowing your pet to sleep in the baby's crib and installing child-safe protective barriers to keep your pet apart from the baby when you cannot watch your infant. You can make the transition easier for you pet by not altering routines and showing your pet positive attention in the presence of the baby. Be sure your animal's medical care and vaccinations are current, and wash your hands thoroughly after pet care. Litter boxes and food dishes will need to be out of baby's reach as he/she begins to explore.
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