“Cocooning” Can Protect Your Newborn Baby From the Flu and Other Viruses

For nine months, give or take a week or two, protecting a baby from influenza germs is easy. Snug and safely sealed off in his cozy uterine cocoon, your little one can’t catch the flu from coughers at the market or the mall, or from family members who try to grab those tiny hands before they’ve washed their own — in fact, he can’t even catch it from you.

Fast forward to your baby’s life outside the womb — especially the first six months, before he can be safely immunized against the flu — and that can be a different story, and a bit of a scary one. Once he takes in those first breaths of air, or touches those first surfaces, or has those tiny hands squeezed and kissed by visitors who come bearing germs along with their gifts, flowers and balloons, your baby is vulnerable to the flu and other viruses.

And due to his brand new, still-untested immune system, he’s especially vulnerable to serious complications from the flu, which can be life-threatening.

There may be times when you’ll wish you could keep your brand new baby in a bubble (or pop him back into your belly for safe-keeping), particularly during flu season. But happily, there’s another, more practical and effective way to protect your precious bundle from the flu, starting even before he’s born: cocooning.

What is cocooning?

Cocooning simply means surrounding your newborn baby in a circle of protection against illness and diseases. When everyone in your baby’s “circle” is up-to-date on their own vaccinations, they form a cocoon that helps keep your little one protected from vaccine-preventable infections like the flu, whooping cough and others, as well as COVID-19.

How to cocoon your newborn baby

Get a flu shot for two

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) strongly recommend that all pregnant women receive a flu vaccine as early in the flu season as possible, for a few very compelling reasons.

First of all, your immune system changes during pregnancy, putting you at greater risk of catching the flu — and a more serious case of it at that. Pregnancy also puts you at increased risk of complications from flu, including pneumonia and dehydration, and can lead to hospitalization and even preterm labor and delivery. A high fever, common with the flu, is also especially dangerous during pregnancy.

Happily, a flu shot makes it much less likely that you’ll come down with the flu and far less likely that you’ll develop complications if you do end up catching it.

Another significant perk of the flu shot for two? Studies show that babies whose moms received the flu shot during pregnancy may be half as likely to catch the flu once they’re born, and that the protection may last several months. Plus, the flu shot is considered safe for mom and baby during pregnancy. (If for some reason you didn’t get the flu shot during pregnancy, get one during the first two weeks postpartum — not only to make sure you don’t catch flu and pass it on to your baby, but to protect against flu complications you’ll still be susceptible to.)

Get a flu shot for the whole crew, too

Everyone over 6 months old who will be spending time around your baby on a regular basis — and preferably those who will be stopping by for a quick snuggle, too — should get the flu shot. That goes for parents, of course, but also siblings, grandparents and other family members, as well as babysitters and other caregivers.

Since it takes two weeks for the flu shot to become protective, make sure everyone plans to roll up their sleeves ahead of baby’s arrival.

Add an extra layer of protection with prevention

The flu shot is very effective, but doesn’t prevent every case of flu (though vaccinated people who do end up getting the flu usually get a mild case). So it’s important to include other tried-and-true methods of protecting your baby (and yourself) against the flu and other illnesses, including the following:

• Washing your hands frequently and having others around your baby do so too (particularly important before holding your new arrival)
• Using tissues to blow noses and catch sneezes, throwing used tissues in the trash immediately and following up with handwashing
• Avoiding super crowded places (more important than ever during the pandemic), especially during cold and flu season
• Practicing social distancing
• Wearing a face mask when out in public. To improve the fit of your mask and prevent the spread of the coronavirus, the CDC now recommends double-masking, such as by wearing a cloth mask over a medical procedure mask.
• Keeping anyone you suspect might have a cold or the flu away from your newborn

If you think you might have caught the flu while you’re pregnant or as a new parent, or if your baby seems to have flu-like symptoms, call the doctor right away to get a proper diagnosis and treatment as soon as possible.

Boost baby’s immune system by breastfeeding if you can

Breastfeeding itself doesn’t prevent flu and isn’t a substitute for a flu vaccine (or any vaccine). But it can boost a baby’s immune system — reducing the risk of catching bugs of all kinds and possibly lowering the chances of complications when a baby does get sick. By the way, the flu shot is considered safe for breastfeeding moms and babies.

Get baby a flu shot once he's old enough

Once your baby has reached the 6-month mark, he should get his first dose of flu vaccine as early in flu season as possible. He (like all children 8 and under getting their first flu shot) will need a second dose four weeks after the first dose.

The flu shot is one of the best ways to “cocoon” your baby in a circle of protection, helping keep him safe and healthy right from the beginning — in fact, even before the beginning. If you have any questions or concerns, check in with your pediatrician. Here’s to a healthy flu season for you and your baby!