Pets and babies can be best friends. But it can take a lot of love – plus a little planning, patience and supervision – to get there.
For some of us, our pets are our first 'babies.' They're not just like family – they are family.
While you're excited to watch your child's bond with their pet grow, you might be a little nervous about their first meeting. Don't worry. Your pet's connection with your baby can develop naturally and safely if you take it slow and be patient.
Family pet, meet baby
We asked Sylvia Washington, M.D., a pediatrician with Atrium Health Floyd Pediatrics Shorter Avenue to share tips about how to introduce your family pet to a newborn, and how to help parents teach their kids to be responsible pet owners.
“My husband and I are proud pet owners. We have two dogs and a cat. Our first 'baby' was our Jack Russell Terrier named Sam," Washington said. “Since we had a puppy prior to having our three children, we have plenty of experience introducing pets to young children. We first introduced our pet dog to our babies by introducing a blanket with the baby's scent to our dog prior to bringing the baby home. I advise parents to never leave an infant or young child alone with a pet due to the risk for harm."
“Some children may have allergies to pet dander, so be sure to follow your pediatrician's recommendations on pets inside or outside of the home. My oldest son was diagnosed with asthma in preschool, so our pets are not permitted in his bedroom," Dr. Washington said.
Benefits of having pets
No matter the animal – horses, fish, birds, lizards, turtles, cats or dogs – pets can help lower blood pressure as well as reduce feelings of loneliness by giving you more chances to socialize and get outside.
“Pets teach children responsibility. Our children learned from an early age how to feed, bathe and treat each animal gently," Washington said. “Also, we love to take our dogs out for a walk or jog."
Pet ownership comes with great health benefits for people of all ages, but there are of course some concerns for safety when babies and young kids are around pets. Bites are the most alarming injuries, but scratches can be harmful, too – especially if they're around the eyes or become infected.
As parents, we teach our children by modeling healthy behaviors, including how we treat our pets.
The dos and don'ts of kids and pets:
DO:
- Make sure your pets get regular checkups at the vet.
- Get your family in the habit of washing their hands after contact with any animal, including your pet.
- Teach kids to be gentle with pets.
- Teach kids to step away calmly (and not run) when an animal is overenergetic.
- Spend one-on-one time with your pet as much as possible.
DON'T
- Let your pet lick your little one's face.
- Play games that teach pets to play roughly with kids, especially infants.
- Leave newborns alone with pets.
- Let kids bother animals while they're eating or playing with a chew toy.
- Yell at your pets as they adjust to life with a new family member.
You've learned a few tips to help you introduce your pet to the newest family member – now learn how easy it is to find a pediatrician where you live.