Wash Your Hands Before Holding A Newborn – Even If You're Not Sick

Keeping your newborn healthy and safe is without doubt one of your top priorities. Yet, in their early weeks, one of the largest threats to a newborn’s health is scarily invisible — infection-causing germs. That’s why it’s so important to wash your hands before holding a newborn, and to make sure everyone else does too.

This article tells you why a newborn is so vulnerable to infections, and how the simple act of hand-washing can assist in keeping your little one safe.

A Newborn’s Fragile Immune System

In the weeks after birth, a newborn is highly susceptible to infection.

Our body’s immune system is what works to fight infections and illnesses caused by viruses and bacteria. But a newborn’s immune system is still immature and cannot work as well as an older child’s or adult’s to successfully fight and eliminate these germs.

Because of this, infants can get extremely sick from infection should they contract one, with premature and sick babies having an even harder time battling germs.

Newborns are not just more susceptible to germs than older children — they are also more likely to die from serious infection, claim medical experts.

A newborn’s immune system is extremely fragile and vulnerable to infection.

Why Is A Newborn’s Immune System So Weak?

There are a handful of theories explaining why a baby’s immune system is so weak.

One theory is that just like his brain, lungs and the rest of his body, a newborn’s immune system is simply immature and will gradually mature over time.

Another is that both mums-to-be and their developing babies have suppressed immune systems so that they don’t reject each other.

A landmark 2013 study published in the journal Nature found that the suppression of immunity in early life is purposely engineered by the body, to allow beneficial bacteria to colonise the baby’s gut, lungs, skin and mouth.

These “good” microbes provide some of the earliest stepping stones to lifelong good health and immunity.

Whatever it is, one thing is clear — it is of the utmost importance to protect a young baby from infections for at least the first two months. This gives his immune system time to toughen up, and it is also around this age that babies start receiving more of their routine childhood vaccinations.

One of the best, and easiest ways you can keep your precious baby safe from dangerous germs is simply to wash your hands before holding a newborn, and to tell everyone who visits your little one to do the same.

Always wash your hands before holding a newborn and request that visitors do the same.

Why You Should Wash Your Hands Before Holding A Newborn

Until your baby is at least two months old, it’s an excellent idea to ask visitors to wash their hands thoroughly with soap and water before holding your baby. Set yourself and immediate family members the same rule. Remember, whether you’re a parent, grandparent or guest, you should always wash your hands before holding a newborn.

A study that was conducted in Nepal provides perspective on how the simple act of washing your hands can help keep babies safe from infections, even lowering or preventing the rate of neonatal death.

The study — conducted by Johns Hopkins University and the Nepal Nutrition Intervention Project in southern Nepal — involved more than 23,600 newborns and their mothers. Its findings were published in the journal Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

All participating women had been informed about clean and safe birthing practices including hand washing by the birth attendant before delivery and by the mother prior to handling the baby.

They also received a clean birthing kit that included a small bar of soap. Researchers questioned the mums on days 1 and 14 to assess care practices and risk factors for mortality and infection.

What they found was that neonatal mortality was significantly lower among newborns whose birth attendant and/or mother washed their hands with soap or antiseptic.

In fact, newborns had a 44% lower risk of death when their mothers reported washing their hands before handling them, and a 19% lower risk when the birth attendant washed their hands before delivery.

The study suggests that hand washing reduces overall newborn exposure to life-threatening germs, thereby reducing infant mortality.

How To Wash Your Hands Before Holding A Newborn

By now you know just how important cleanliness is when you or others are handling a newborn. If your baby was born early, then you have all the more reason to be adamant that anyone — including family members — wash their hands before touching or holding your little ones.

Keep these important guidelines (adapted from UConn Health) in mind when you wash your hands before holding a newborn — especially one in an NICU —  and be sure to remind and inform all visitors about them too:

• Roll up your sleeves above your elbows.
• Take off all watches, rings, and jewelry (except for plain wedding bands) and store safely or pin them to your clothing. The designs and crevices of jewelry may contain germs that can’t be killed by scrubbing.
• Artificial nails, long nails, and nails with chipped polish have also been shown to carry more germs than short, natural nails. Consider keeping your nails short.
• Wash your hands with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds, which is the minimum recommended by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Many NICUs ask for a longer scrub of 30 seconds or more, so follow your hospital’s rules. Point your fingertips toward the bottom of the sink. Keep your hands lower than your elbows so the soap, water, and germs run down the drain, not down your arms.
• Dry your hands with paper towels after washing — a paper towel is best because it can be thrown away.
• Use the towel to turn off the water; don’t touch the tap with your clean hands.
• Nothing should be placed over your clean arms after washing.
• Help children who are coming to see their brothers and sisters wash their hands for as long as it takes to sing two rounds of “Happy Birthday”.
• Wash your hands again after touching your face or eyes and after changing your baby’s diaper.
• If you’re feeling unwell, even if it’s just a sniffle, a cough or a cold sore, hold off on visiting or holding the baby until you’ve recovered.

Don’t be anxious about telling others to wash their hands before they hold your newborn.

How To Tell Visitors To Wash Their Hands Before Holding Your Baby

When it comes to visitors — including grandparents and other relatives — it can be awkward to tell them to wash their hands before holding your baby. But, do be assertive for your baby’s sake and know that your request is perfectly reasonable.

Most visitors will happily comply with your request, but if you have the occasional guest tell you “but I don’t need to because I’m not sick”, a gentle reminder that people can still spread germs without visible signs of illness may work.

If your newborn has an older sibling, try putting him on “hand washing patrol” and have him take guests to wash their hands.

If visitors aren’t able to wash their hands, or if you’re not near soap and water, an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol is a good option. Just make sure it’s rubbed over all surfaces of the hands until they feel dry. That said, soap and water is still best, especially if hands are visibly dirty.

Other Simple Ways To Protect Your Newborn From Germs

Handwashing is your first line of defence, but a few other habits can go a long way in keeping your little one healthy in those early weeks:

• Ask sick visitors to postpone. Anyone with a cough, cold, fever, stomach bug or cold sore should wait until they’re well before visiting.
• Skip the kisses. As tempting as it is, ask visitors not to kiss your baby’s face or hands, as germs from the mouth can spread easily to a newborn.
• Keep vaccinations up to date. Make sure you, your partner and your baby’s regular caregivers are up to date with recommended vaccines such as the flu jab and the whooping cough (Tdap) vaccine. Your doctor can advise you on what’s suitable.
• Ask your paediatrician about RSV protection. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a leading cause of hospitalisation among infants in Singapore. In September 2025, Singapore’s Health Sciences Authority approved nirsevimab, a single-dose antibody injection that helps protect babies against severe RSV infection. It is not currently subsidised under the national schedule, but it is available at some private clinics, so do check with your child’s doctor if it is right for your baby.
• Avoid crowded places when you can. In the first couple of months, try to limit trips to crowded malls and public transport during peak hours, especially during flu season.

Finally, know when to seek help. If your baby is under three months old and has a temperature of 38°C or higher, take him to a doctor straight away, as even a mild-looking fever can be a sign of a serious infection in a young baby.

We hope you’ve found this article useful. Do share it with your friends and especially aunties, grandparents and other family members! Don’t forget to drop a note in the comment box below and tell us what you think about this article.