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Germbusters!

There's No Such Thing as Being Too Clean

By Lyn Mettler

Many parents prepare their home for a newborn baby with safety precautions like using outlet plugs, corner covers and cabinet locks. A precaution many parents may not think about, however, is not as obvious but can be just as dangerous: household germs.

A germ is any microscopic entity that can make you sick, including bacteria, viruses, molds, mildew and even cigarette smoke, according to Dr. Bryan Sibley, medical director of Beacon Children's Specialty Hospital in Houston, Texas. Germs in the home are usually spread through the air or through food. Germs may be found in food that has not been stored properly and may include bacteria like salmonella and shigella, which cause intestinal disease and symptoms like severe diarrhea and vomiting. Dr. Sibley often sees patients who have contracted food poisoning from poorly prepared food.

Airborne germs are usually passed through contact, most often through the hands, and can cause illnesses like coughs, colds, flu and bronchial pneumonia. In fact, between 92 and 95 percent of infectious diseases are hand-carried, says Emily Bergmann, infection control coordinator and nurse at Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago, Ill.

Pets also can spread germs, but most household pets are harmless, says Dr. Sibley. "Humans are much more likely to spread germs to infants than are pets," he says.

Bergmann cautions, however, that pets such as lizards, iguanas and turtles can pass salmonella. She recently had a 4-month-old patient who was critically ill after contracting the bacteria from an iguana.

Since germs tend to thrive in warm, moist environments, the places you're most likely to see germs will be the bathroom, kitchen, baby changing areas and on any toys or objects that have been in the baby's mouth. "We really have to be careful what gets in Baby's mouth," says Bergmann. Something that's easier said than done for most parents.

Want to see more?

• Bathing Your Little Beauty: How to Give a Newborn Baby a Bath
• Healthy Bacteria: Where to Find It and Why Babies Need It
• Baby Food Safety Tips
• Talk about it!

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