| Every year more than 15.000 cases of salmonella in | | | | very important to you. Check if they reinforce |
| children under the age of 4 are reported in the US. | | | | proper hand washing and proper diaper disposal. |
| Infants are most likely to get infected with | | | | Whatever the reasons, if your baby contracts |
| salmonella, compared to all other age groups. | | | | salmonella, keep him dehydrated. The diarrhea he |
| There are several factors that make the difference if | | | | gets is not very dangerous. But it could get very |
| a baby contracts salmonella or not: | | | | dangerous if the bacterial infection gets into your |
| Breastfeeding protects against most infectious | | | | baby's blood. That could then be potentially |
| diseases and thus breastfed babies are much less | | | | life-threatening. This can cause pneumonia, meningitis, |
| likely to get salmonella. Breastfeeding is so much | | | | septic arthritis or a bone infection. So whenever a |
| easier than bottle feeding - and much less work. | | | | very young child has severe diarrhea, get to an |
| Think how much more hygienic it is than all those | | | | emergency room as soon as possible. The quicker |
| dirty bottles left behind. | | | | you treat the much better chances you have for a |
| Babies that are exposed to reptiles like turtles, | | | | quick recovery. |
| snakes or lizards are more likely to contract | | | | To sum up: |
| salmonella. Please note, you should not have reptiles | | | | Breastfeeding is the number one thing you can do to |
| as pets in your home if you have children under the | | | | protect your baby. Not only in connection with |
| age of five. Go and visit a zoo if you are into reptiles. | | | | salmonella. |
| If you put your infant into a shopping cart next to | | | | The next important tip is to avoid contact with any |
| raw meat and poultry, he is more likely to get | | | | reptiles. (50% of all reptiles are carriers of salmonella |
| infected. So remember always to carry with you | | | | bacterias.) |
| disinfectant wipes and clean the area where your | | | | Always buy quality food, especially eggs. Serve the |
| child will sit. Put the unsafe items away from your | | | | eggs completely cooked and never poached or |
| child. | | | | sunny-side-up. |
| Babies that drink concentrated liquid infant formula | | | | Always use disinfectant gel or wipes when you are |
| are more likely to get infected. There might be | | | | out and about in the supermarket using a shopping |
| several reasons for that. For once, the formula might | | | | cart. You just don't know what might have been in |
| not be sterile, or the company did not use clean and | | | | contact with the child's seat or in general with the |
| boiled water. Whatever the reason, just remember | | | | cart. |
| to stick with powdered formula or much better, | | | | Don't offer foods like raw cookie dough, chocolate |
| breastfeed your baby. | | | | mousse, ice cream that contains eggs,... to your |
| A baby that attends a daycare center is more likely | | | | infant. |
| to get salmonella than if the child would stay at | | | | One last thing, did you know that you cannot pass |
| home. Point out to the caretakers that hygiene is | | | | salmonella through breastfeeding to your child. |